Mr. BoH

But again, like most stuff, this is applied very inconsistently. I have received points on charges that included alcohol many times in both CA and MA. I can't speak for the other two states as they aren't places I travel often.

Mr. BoH

I do this as well, because: (1) I am a dork and like spreadsheets, and (2) it ensures I am not shortchanged. It has also really helped me better understand how the program works, and has been fascinating to see how inconsistently the T&Cs are applied.

Points Scrounger

Meanwhile... other chains in these states are fine with points on booze.

damon88

Someone told me that the law in Cali is very vague and subject to interpretation. (Right up Marriott's alley lol)

nexus7556

I just got oft the phone with Bonvoy who said this is everywhere across the US not just these states. I'm trying to get points for several hundred dollars of wine in Berlin and she said she has no clue and will have to escalate to see if its possible. I wish the T&C were more explicit about where and where not this applies.

littlevoices

Was just reminded of service charges not being included here as allowable points earning, that was on a 10k USD bill (so that's US$1k of fees with no points).... being in Asia that means that 10% of any room rate isn't ever going to earn points. I would like to dream that this money goes to staff (when it is fair you don't want to get them to pay for my points) rather than just being another name for a "junk" fee....

Marriott is of course clear that they won't earn: https://help.marriott.com/s/article/Article-22676

Eujeanie

So if you're booking with points and you have several options at all points, but scroll down and there's one that says "upgrade to a suite for $XX per night", that upgrade cost will not earn points? It's not like you booked a cash & points rate on a standard room (which I haven't seen in a while anyway).

margarita girl

You can see C&P stays by searching for a points reservation then clicking on Customize Payments. Just about every reservation I look at has this option. It will look like this:

Eujeanie

I don't know what currency VND is but 6 1/2 million of them makes the points look like a steal!

I usually don't book C&P so never really looked for that option, but glad I know it's there now.

(Vietnamese dong)

arlflyer

Unfortunately got whacked with this today. Several hundred dollars of F&B charges from a restaurant, within an MR property and only accessible through the lobby of said property, deemed ineligible for points due to not being "owned and operated" by the hotel. Yet there was enough "operational" alignment that said restaurant looked me up by room number when I sat down and addressed me by name during meals, and then of course room-charged back through for it to appear on my folio. Just really annoying.

SPN Lifer

So even though the restaurant meals were "charged to your room", included on your folio, and paid for at checkout, you received zero points on those meals from the property?

You got brutally BONV°Yed!

I suppose the lesson is that upon check-in at unfamiliar properties, we need to ask if meals at the on-premises restaurant(s) earn points when charged to our room.

And maybe video that conversation.

arlflyer

Yes, that is correct.

I agree that I guess one must ask up front to be sure.

Would also note that in-room dining FROM THE SAME RESTAURANT earns points, they claim.

Does anyone think there might be any other channel through which to pursue after the fact? The fact that the property was able to room charge yet claim that it is not an operating entity does seem rather odd.

margarita girl

Sounds very fishy to me. I would ask the Lurkers to investigate, and please report back the outcome. Good luck!

arlflyer

Honestly this is not what people here probably want to hear, but I'll likely just let it slide. I'm in the camp of being extremely reticent to hand my FT account info over to MR, and am not really in the mood for a protracted battle over a few thousand points. This was a truly excellent stay, one of the best I've had in the U.S. in a long time, and frankly most of this property's customers likely don't care about points. That doesn't make being stingy and bending the rules on their end acceptable, but at the end of the day all of the discretion in these things goes to the properties, so I'll just learn from it.

Overall, though, one thing that is interesting in my mind is that in all these years of doing this, I've never really given close thought to what charges are considered in or out of scope for earning. I always knew that taxes of course were not in, but the idea that restaurant meals and parking could be out never stood out to me. I'll note that this is another area in which Hilton is superior on earn - they count all legitimate expense types as base spend.

Eujeanie

A lesson for all of us to ask...But I'm not sure Hilton doesn't do the same thing...I'm not going to eat there (because I don't care for the chain), but there's a Ruth's Chris steakhouse within/off the lobby of a Hilton I'll be staying at - do you think that would be considered eligible charges, or an independent restaurant?

Did you share which Marriott this was? I think we could all use an excellent stay.

We've often waited for the check to come and looked to see the heading on the chit - if it's the hotel, we charge it to the room, and if not we whip out a different credit card that gives more restaurant points.