[QUOTE=ftrichard;35112251]Just remember that your spouse will not be eligible for any elite benefits that you may be entitled to as the Bonvoy member. It's possible that the hotel will extend any benefits you would be due out of goodwill because you're the main name on the reservation and you used your points but equally possible your spouse will just get the room because you're not there.


In this case, if spouse has status like platinum, he/she can use his/her status, right?

if I gift a award booking to a friend, I can understand my status cannot transfer but the receipt can use his/her status to get benefit. Am I right?

Strictly according to the programme T&Cs the Bonvoy member has to stay *and* pay to get the benefits so you are not correct because the payment (in points) is being made by an elite member who is not staying and the elite member who is staying is not paying (because payment is being made with the other member's points so there's little room to manoeuvre here).

However, many hotels will act benevolently in this situation if they are asked nicely and grant some benefits to the elite member who is staying like a room upgrade, breakfast, or lounge access. What's less likely is that either of you will get night credits for this stay but you may do if the anomaly isn't caught by the IT.

Bottom line: no harm in asking and being grateful if the person staying does get some elite benefits but they are absolutely not entitled to anything and some hotels will take a hard line on this and there's nothing to complain about if that's the case.

Do you know if I reserve a room using points can the reservation be in another persons name? Another words I am gifting a free night to another person using my points. Thank you

Marriott Bonvoy allows you to use your Marriott Bonvoy points to book a room for someone else. This is called a Gifted Award Reservation. You must call Marriott to make a Gifted Award Reservation.

However, Marriott Bonvoy does not allow you to use a Free Night Award certificate to book a room that you will not occupy yourself.

The details are here: https://help.marriott.com/s/article/Article-22282

Which name appears as primary guests name when I book a room using points for a friend through that process ? Will my name remain in the primary guest's field while they add a note in the reservation saying it's a gifted one mentioning the second guests' name ?


What happens if I cancel the booking ? will points return to my account ?

it will show primary name and secondary name, it will show as a share/with, basically both names on 1 reservation, no notes. points return upon proper cancellation if you follow the rules of the reservation

Marriott has a huge restriction on gifted rewards:

Source: https://help.marriott.com/s/article/Article-22282

For those who earn a lot of points from travel, this is a huge restriction. I recently booked hotels using points for a family member. They have a multi-city itinerary involving visiting 3 cities on a single trip, that is 3/5 of my allotment.

Perhaps transferring 100,000 points to the relative would help. And another 100K if two relatives ("they") are traveling together.