I've used them at FFIs and just last week at a SHS. So yes, they should be usable at any Marriott chain hotel.

I have used gift cards at all Marriott brands and sometimes I have used 3 or 4 at a time when, for example, there have been small balances on the cards and I wanted to use them up.

One thing to be aware of is that, because they are always (as far as I know) in US$, gift cards are best used in the US. Otherwise, they seem to suffer from sometimes unfavourable exchange rates.

All other Non-Luxury brand within the MI porfolio (ie no Bulgarvi or Ritz-Carlton)

Ok, hopefully last question - can you use the gift cards to pay a LNF stay? Since both require publicly available rates I'd say yes, but then again I've just gotten my first gift cards & also just did my first LNF a couple of weeks ago. I realize that my chance of finding a LNF for TS properties is slim to nil, but in case I do for future properties would be good to know.

Cheers.

Yes

Take care as I've encountered a number of front desk employees who are clueless when it comes to redeeming gift cards. When I've handed them over at check-in they mutter about showing them at check-out (presumably so it's someone else's problem). If it's late and I'm tired I don't kick up a fuss. At check-out they end up finding two other people in an attempt to fathom it out together - I've learned the hard way not to cut things too fine if I'm catching a train/plane etc. as this can easily add 10 or 15 minutes to the proceedings (especially if there's a queue). Getting them added to your folio part-way through your stay is often the best middle-ground IMO (although you shouldn't have to).

So much for JW as a luxury brand.

lol - you're going way back when MI tried to make JW a luxury brand, these days it's more of a brand extension

Anyway, I've booked at the Algonquin as it turns out to be in the area I need to be in, there's a 2,500 bonus points promo because it's a new property, and the rate is $299 vs the Marquis' $349. No exec lounge, which is a pity, but given I've got an event starting at 6pm & may have a brekkie mtg the next day, that may not matter. Now the big question is, because it's new to Marriott, will they know how to handle the gift cards.

Cheers.

I'm sure you wont have a problem as the training will be fresh in their minds

You should still get free breakfast in the hotel restaurant. I checked the menu and it looks like there are some good options:

http://algonquinhotel.com/sites/defa...kfast_menu.pdf

Hey, it didn't even occur to me that I'd get free breakfast in the restaurant, if my brekkie mtg falls through. Thanks for that reminder! Wonder if they'll offer continental only, or if they do, let me upgrade for the $3 dif btwn the continental @ $22 :eek: & american @ $25.

I'll report back on how it went w/ the handling of the gift cards. Also, in the Algonquin thread I'll do a 'trip report' since we don't have any yet.

Cheers.

They are pretty good now at getting gift cards right...I suspect because the program is now fairly common.

Based on these two choices, I can see why you are opting for the Marquis. I'm hesitant to ever prepay for a hotel - the only exception might be if I'm on the street, in that city already, looking for a room that night, and I can save a few bucks by doing so.

I always attempt to value my Marriott gift cards based on how fast I think I will consume them. With today's ROI on low-risk investments, I don't think too hard about paying $810 or even $910 for $1000 in future hotel value...but I still like to consume the GC's as quickly as I reasonably can.

Even beyond the mini-NPV calculation, it's the one thing in my wallet that I'm always a little bit worried that I'll misplace. Getting lost credit cards back is just a couple phone calls - I'm not sure what happens if you lose a gift card.

I do a lot of overseas travel, and use Gift Cards, Travel Cards, and Vacation Cards when I have them. Because (as noted) the cards are denominated in US dollars, when I use them overseas I always have a small amount left on the card, so I save that to redeem when I'm in the States, and can use exactly the remainder that's on the card so it totally exhausts the value.

I will sometimes have 5 to 10 of the almost-used-up cards with amounts ranging from a few dollars to maybe $25 on them, and have begun saving them to use at this one property where one of the desk agents has been there a long time, and knows my habit of using these almost-used-up cards. It has sort of gotten to be a ritual, that when I stay at this property and see her on the desk, I give her the cards to apply against my bill. She thinks it's funny, and will ask me, if she sees me first, whether I have another handful of those "stubby" cards she can enter. (Of course, I also always give her a list of the card numbers and how much is still on each of them.)

As to the exchange rate, the cards are stored value VISA cards (although the VISA logo does not appear on them) and are processed through the same VISA system as are the Chase Marriott Rewards VISA cards. They also attract the same identical 3% processing fee for overseas transactions as does the Marriott Rewards VISA card. So the rate may be "unfavorable" but it is the same as you'd get using a Chase MR VISA.

It is nice when you have someone at the counter who knows what they are doing.

I learn a long time ago to hand one card at a time to the agent. Then tell them the remaining amount they should charge to that card. If you give them more than one, they can accidentally enter the wrong amount towards that card. It becomes a nightmare trying to fix the problem.