Two Identical Stays - Only one of them is eligible for points.
May 9, 2021, 9:48 am
#31
Join Date: Feb 2018
Programs: Bonvoy :Ambassador , ALL :Diamond, Skywards :Silver, Krisflyer :Silver
Posts: 2,808
That's interesting because I had some time this morning and decided to call Marriott (Ambassador Service) and I asked the following:
2. Is booking rooms for other people and without the intention of I, myself, staying personally potentially considered a violation of the T&C's of the loyalty program?
Answer: Yes.
Whether you knew or not, it's fairly clear that what you want to do, no matter how infrequent, is not the honest thing to do. Can you book rooms under your name for other people and still receive credit? Probably, but you may run into the scenario of Stay 2 where you do not and that is exactly what you are entitled to under the program's T&C's.
- If I book a room for other people and I have no intention of staying is this considered a qualifying stay and should I receive any form of credit?
2. Is booking rooms for other people and without the intention of I, myself, staying personally potentially considered a violation of the T&C's of the loyalty program?
Answer: Yes.
Whether you knew or not, it's fairly clear that what you want to do, no matter how infrequent, is not the honest thing to do. Can you book rooms under your name for other people and still receive credit? Probably, but you may run into the scenario of Stay 2 where you do not and that is exactly what you are entitled to under the program's T&C's.
However, I believe no business will refuse cash. so they sort of ignoring these t&c part.
I did book a room for my parents using my account and card, and inform the hotel about it.
The hotel somewhat post the point and stay credit and even extend my parents the elite benefits.
The hotel certainly know I won't stay there as I email them about it.
May 9, 2021, 10:25 am
#32
Join Date: Jul 2009
Posts: 852
I believe this is the one that follow the t&c right to the dot.
However, I believe no business will refuse cash. so they sort of ignoring these t&c part.
I did book a room for my parents using my account and card, and inform the hotel about it.
The hotel somewhat post the point and stay credit and even extend my parents the elite benefits.
The hotel certainly know I won't stay there as I email them about it.
However, I believe no business will refuse cash. so they sort of ignoring these t&c part.
I did book a room for my parents using my account and card, and inform the hotel about it.
The hotel somewhat post the point and stay credit and even extend my parents the elite benefits.
The hotel certainly know I won't stay there as I email them about it.
May 9, 2021, 2:21 pm
#33
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: HEL
Programs: lots of shiny metal cards
Posts: 14,106
May 9, 2021, 2:52 pm
#34
Join Date: Oct 2005
Programs: BA GGL & GfL, AA LTP, Marriott (sigh) Ambassador, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 3,237
i am a lawyer at a company. a few years ago i randomly was asked to review an agreement with a SPG property in LA for a corp event. the spend for the event was approx 350k. what shocked me most was the internal events person had their SPG number in the contract and the contract obliged the hotel to give her the appropriate points for all 350k spend.
aside from being jealous, i did have to contact our internal ethics people to review the situation, but even so--the fact that this was the hotel's contract shocked me because they were the side who inserted that clause. the events person was certainly not smart enough to think of that on her own.
so as others have said, it really does vary--a lot!
aside from being jealous, i did have to contact our internal ethics people to review the situation, but even so--the fact that this was the hotel's contract shocked me because they were the side who inserted that clause. the events person was certainly not smart enough to think of that on her own.
so as others have said, it really does vary--a lot!
May 9, 2021, 7:56 pm
#35
Join Date: Sep 2005
Posts: 2,731
i am a lawyer at a company. a few years ago i randomly was asked to review an agreement with a SPG property in LA for a corp event. the spend for the event was approx 350k. what shocked me most was the internal events person had their SPG number in the contract and the contract obliged the hotel to give her the appropriate points for all 350k spend.
aside from being jealous, i did have to contact our internal ethics people to review the situation, but even so--the fact that this was the hotel's contract shocked me because they were the side who inserted that clause. the events person was certainly not smart enough to think of that on her own.
so as others have said, it really does vary--a lot!
aside from being jealous, i did have to contact our internal ethics people to review the situation, but even so--the fact that this was the hotel's contract shocked me because they were the side who inserted that clause. the events person was certainly not smart enough to think of that on her own.
so as others have said, it really does vary--a lot!
May 11, 2021, 6:06 am
#36
Join Date: Jan 2018
Location: London, UK
Programs: UA, VA, BA
Posts: 2
Folks, I am not trying to travel hack or somehow steal elite status which is the opinion of some of the status hard earned folks. I am only a member since the pandemic and new to this loyalty world. I dont even have 10 nights in lifetime total to my account. First it was somehow I cheated the system, then the system awarded one of the stays by luck and I was caught for the second time. One member claimed they could get 400 nights if they get all family members to stay. Even If I get all my relatives and friends I wont cross 25 per year so I am not stealing any status nor I have the means or network to enact such a scheme. What good does an elite status make for someone doing once or twice summer or Christmas trips a year? I did value the points to be something because the points were given calculated based on the cash you paid not the nights you stayed. I am just a normal person, paid my own money to my parents, not cheating the system or not cooking up a scheme to reach the ultimate pinnacles of elite status. I thought may be sometime down the line we get a free vacation based on the points accumulated when I get closer to retirement. Somehow I have to be Bonvoyd? For what? - Paying for my parents? What difference that will make for me or for Marriott? They will may be loose 2/3 reservation per year which makes no difference to both and I will get an airbnb or a different hotel chain if I am bonvoyd.
I reached out to Bonvoy, asked if I violated their T&C and have their response which is clear and what I wanted to know. This is their exact response - "The name on the account and the reservation need to match in order for the account to receive points and credit".
Subsequently they have made it clear that I was welcome as a member to book stays for family members, pay for them etc. I get credit if I reserve in my name if not I wont, its simple as that. When I asked about the parity between the two stays, they said the first one had my name and second one didnt because of the shuttle which picked - ID'd my parents and changed the name there. I told them in both the cases I didnt stay, they said they were not concerned and wont be revoking the points. They are reviewing further for the stay that didnt credit to see if they can do something. They also suggested to get an account in my parents name and transfer the points to me as one of the options if this will happen frequently. They also didnt waste the opportunity to promote and asked me to get the Marriott CC so I simply get the points for the amount spent and not worry about the names etc.
Lot of opinions here, good luck for all.
I reached out to Bonvoy, asked if I violated their T&C and have their response which is clear and what I wanted to know. This is their exact response - "The name on the account and the reservation need to match in order for the account to receive points and credit".
Subsequently they have made it clear that I was welcome as a member to book stays for family members, pay for them etc. I get credit if I reserve in my name if not I wont, its simple as that. When I asked about the parity between the two stays, they said the first one had my name and second one didnt because of the shuttle which picked - ID'd my parents and changed the name there. I told them in both the cases I didnt stay, they said they were not concerned and wont be revoking the points. They are reviewing further for the stay that didnt credit to see if they can do something. They also suggested to get an account in my parents name and transfer the points to me as one of the options if this will happen frequently. They also didnt waste the opportunity to promote and asked me to get the Marriott CC so I simply get the points for the amount spent and not worry about the names etc.
Lot of opinions here, good luck for all.
May 11, 2021, 6:52 am
#38
Suspended
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Canada, USA, Europe
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 31,452
I think the moral of the story is that there are things a bit more important than a few hundred loyalty points
May 11, 2021, 8:51 am
#39
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: NYC suburbs
Programs: UA LT Gold (BIS), AA LT Plat (CC SUBs & BD), Hilton Dia (CC), Hyatt Glob (BIB), et. al.
Posts: 3,292
Questions for OP and the experts: (It’s not clear exactly how the names on the appeared on reservation.) Would it have made a difference if OP had booked the reservation(s) in his name with his family members as additional guests? Would that make a difference in a non-quarantine setting?
May 11, 2021, 9:38 am
#40
Join Date: Nov 2016
Location: On a plane or a beach
Programs: Yes
Posts: 3,152
Questions for OP and the experts: (It’s not clear exactly how the names on the appeared on reservation.) Would it have made a difference if OP had booked the reservation(s) in his name with his family members as additional guests? Would that make a difference in a non-quarantine setting?
For example, adding your parents to the reservation for a stay for all of you and they check-in first is OK (in accordance with the T&Cs). However, checking them in for a stay that you won’t be “staying” or having them check-in first and you won’t be “staying” is not allowed by the T&Cs. There’s no issue with guests checking in first if the account holder will be staying. What you’ll find a lot of posts on here are “how can I use my status for other people”.
🤥
May 11, 2021, 10:13 am
#42
Join Date: Sep 2016
Location: Moscow
Programs: Marriott Titanium; Finnair Platinum
Posts: 133
Questions for OP and the experts: (It’s not clear exactly how the names on the appeared on reservation.) Would it have made a difference if OP had booked the reservation(s) in his name with his family members as additional guests? Would that make a difference in a non-quarantine setting?
So expect to receive no benefits & points. If you did receive it, good for you property made a mistake for did not check it properly.
p.s. I skimmed through this thread and just want to let people know that some country does require passport to check-in, and some country even require to send list of all foreigners staying in the hotels to the government/immigration daily.
May 11, 2021, 12:42 pm
#43
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: USA
Posts: 19
1. Check to see if the person whose name was on the reservation took the points. Unless things have changed in the last few years, you were able to put your number on up to three rooms, in any name in agreeance at check-in.
2. On the flip-side, if hotels are being stingey with offering point accrual, then there should also be a contractual assurance that companies who book for their clients/employees should also not accrue points. Some companies negotiate points accrual into a lesser rate - it’s just a penny pinching practice and a large part of the reason customer and brand loyalty is in such peril.
2. On the flip-side, if hotels are being stingey with offering point accrual, then there should also be a contractual assurance that companies who book for their clients/employees should also not accrue points. Some companies negotiate points accrual into a lesser rate - it’s just a penny pinching practice and a large part of the reason customer and brand loyalty is in such peril.
May 12, 2021, 8:01 am
#44
Join Date: Mar 2019
Posts: 220
It should not be surprising that the hotel would include the clause in the contract. It was probably a way to protect themselves so that nobody else at the company could argue that they were entitled to the points.
May 12, 2021, 9:00 am
#45
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: CEB - primary/YVR -secondary
Programs: AC*Super Elite (100K) / PR*Elite / AY*Platinum (OWE) / SPG*Bonvoy Titanium (LTT)
Posts: 2,272
Wut? This must be a USA thing. I stay 75 - over 100 nights a year and each hotel will always ask for my identification when I physically check-in. But then again, I haven't traveled to USA in quite awhile.