Big Mo

Oh, no. You didn't offend me. Sorry if I gave that impression. OTOH, you and other posters repeatedly have claimed that the GOV rate is more restricted than it actually is. In fact, we had a lengthy thread where ohmark disproved your claim.

Like I said, I'm refusing to make any assumption until Marriott officially posts something. You claimed that you "quoted the new policy." If Marriott issues a revised policy with the language you "quoted," then state employees would not be covered. Again, I'm not assuming that your quote is correct. Quite the contrary.

socrates

1) I guess I dont understand how ohmark disproved my assertions
2) I never stated state employees would not be covered, infact I stated the new policy DID address them

I'm not saying I've never made an error, gosh knows my spouse will be the first to help me remember it, please use the information I post here anyway you wish, if you wish to discard it completely please feel free but please do not read into what I have or have not posted - there is some information I dont feel comfortable sharing

socrates

Fedrooms have been around for many years at this point

ohmark

In fact, Fedrooms began in 2004.

http://www.imscart.com/blog/?postid=434

Big Mo

The previous posts speak for themselves . . . but none of it amounts to a hill of beans until / unless Marriott officially changes their policy. Since there's no sense speculating, I'll just wait and see. In the meanwhile, the policy stated by ohmark continues to apply.

C17PSGR

While agencies care about government credit card usage (gov't gets a rebate), they certainly don't care whether federal employees are using government rates for leisure purposes.

In fact, several hotel chains have historically advertised in military newspapers that military on personal travel can use government rates. I'm fairly confident that Marriott has done so in the past. Of course, Marriott is free to change its policy as it deems fit. Still, except where specifically addressed in the rate rules, I view the government rate as available for personal travel.

Incidentally, the government rate is not always the lowest publicly available rate and some Marriotts (particularly CY and FI) sometimes have rates below per diem.

rebadc

SNAP!!!!!!!

There are GOV employees who do not have pcards or GOV credit cards.

bhatnasx

Looks like it took less than a few weeks...

ohmark

Well, maybe/maybe not. Absolutely nothing in the new rules states that government rate travel must be on official business and cannot be for leisure, unless you can argue that by merely calling the rates "per diem" rates, that implies for official business only. Acceptable i.d. includes the traditional government i.d. card. (The rules do say that some hotels may require travel orders in addition to i.d.) The rules do not say that it is mandatory to use the government credit card for payment (although usage of the government credit card when making the reservation will "prequalify" the traveler for the government rate so that additional i.d. at the property won't be necessary). There will now be two government rates: one for American and Canadian federal employees and employees of "federally funded research and development corporations", and one for state and local government employees. Finally the new rules repeatedly refer to the government rate as "Per Diem" rates, which seems to indicate that the rates will no longer be fake government rates but will be real per diem rates.

In summary, the three most significant points in the new rules: 1. No specific mention that it only applies to official travel. 2. Usage of the federal gov't credit card is not mandatory. 3. The rates should reflect per diem.

Oh yeah, they're effective 3/5/07.

dayone

And these rates may be the same.

ohmark

If the rates are real per diem rates, as is implied by the new rules, then the rate will reflect what the actual per diems are for the two different groups, which may be the same, but typically are different.

Beermonger

As I stated earlier I almost always have stayed using the Gov't Rate and mostly for leisure...I am loyal to Marriott but that may change if they insist on "business" only...I'm certain the other chains would be glad to have me.

socrates

correct, they are GSA per diem rates for the federal rates, if the state issues a per diem as well they will (must) mirror the state per diem as well (some states but not all define per diems)

genenpet

I work for an FFRDC.

I'm glad to see Marriott formally include me in their new policy, but since I don't think many Marriott frontdesk folks know what an FFRDC is, or how to identify ID from one, it would be nice, if Marriott is going to be more aggressive in its screening, to prequalify me instead of prequalifying on the basis of a govt credit card (which FFRDC employees cannot have).

Once I validate once, wouldn't it be possible to have it noted in my profile?

Or, Marriott, if you're listening, might want to give your folks a link to this:
http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/nsf05306/ (master list of FFRDCs)

LAX UA 1K

I am also pleased to see this. Marriott might also want to spell out FFRDC correctly as opposed to what they have now (insert "and" and change to "Centers").

Charles