Hello to the forum!

I am a lowly Marriott Gold member, but am piling up stays this year, so stopped by the forum to read up a bit. I will be calling for a platinum challenge shortly (thanks for the tips), but I have another question I haven't seen addressed in forum (I've read a few pages back, searched, etc.)

I will be coming to Chicago very regularly for the rest of this calendar year, at least. Probably at least 40 nights in the next 6 months. Not as many as some, I know, but more regular and frequent than I have ever been before (I tend to be one night here, two there)

I have heard from other frequent travelers with whom I cross paths that when you stay at one property enough, and on a regular basis like this is going to be, you can guarantee the hotel your stays in return for a negotiated stronger rate with the hotel.

I called sales at the Chicago mag mile Marriott and while they didn't laugh at me, they were not any help. Using the forum information, I figured out what the email address for the GM is and emailed. Heard nothing for 3 or 4 days.

Question for the forum...can this be done? Am I barking up the wrong tree? Do I need to go stay there and ask personally? I have never done this before and am not sure how to handle so thought I would ask the experts!

Thanks for any help, and I look forward to contributing on the forums!

WJS3

I have tried this without any luck at other properties.....Best I've ever gotten is the long term rate when I stayed a week

Can't speak for the mag mile, but when you tend to be a regular I believe the GMs have a little pull in helping you cove up a level based on my colleagues experiences.
My theory is if you stay at a full service, dine in the property and get to know the staff you will get a little better treatment.
Good luck

Perhaps you should approach it in reverse....begin staying at the property and get to know employees. (As they get to know you, it is possible that you could get extra bennies...upgraded room or suite, etc) Once you have proven yourself a regular, you may find it easier to negotiate a discount rate.

You are considering a property with pretty high sell out rates...and 40 isn't a huge amount of nights when spread over 6 months. If the hotel can sell those nights at full price, it may not be worth it to them to consider a discount for what is in actuality less than 2 nights per week. However, once you have established yourself, 40 nights of regular income may appeal more to the front office or GM.

I have done this before, with either the sales manager or the GM. It IS possible. But I have had my best success with smaller properties.

I've taken the approach of outlining my likely stay pattern, committing to the first stay, having a specific rate in mind, and a specific reason why it would be important to get that rate.

Is there a reason you need a discount?

Thanks to all. Sorry for the delayed replies--moved the family this week and was not on the forum.

Appreciate all the advice and am going to try it in reverse, as several of you suggest. Am doing my first stay next week (arrive on 26th). Also talked to some people and decided to drop the name of my client--a large company with negotiated rates--with sales. We shall see.

MDtR--I'm an independent consultant and am not billing these particular travel costs through--so trying to stay at a "nice" hotel while minimizing costs. If I ahve to go elsewhere, I guess I will.

Appreciate the advice. Will return the favor when I can.

Slight subject change--when I called to get my platinum challenge, the rep told me I couldn't since it had been less than 1 year since my last (gold) challenge--which kept me from starting the plat challenge until July 1. I asked for an exception (since I have 8 nights at Marriotts between now and July 1 that makes the challenge easy). She just went ahead and made me a platinum through 2012. Nice surprise!

Now I need to study up on the benefits!

I'm going to say what no one else will. You really should consider priceline/hotwire.

Using sites like Better Bidding you can be reasonably certain of the hotel you'll receive in advance and you can save 50%+. This definitely holds true in Chicago; fantastic deals abound most of the year. It takes a lot of status benefits/points to make up for 50% $ savings.

In general, you could also get good deals with local independent hotels directly. I've even used ski lodge rentals in the off season. Nothing like coming home to an actual condo at night.

When I'm billing through to a client, I have no problem paying market rate at a chain hotel. It's part of our contract. But if you are stuck with the bill, the economics are different.

The requirement for a negotiated rate would vary from property to property also. I know the property I worked at required a minimum of 100 nights before we would do an actual "negotiated rate" with a discount. The amount of the discount then depended on the actual number of room nights each client was promising.

Thanks a ton to all.

You all helped me set my expectations that 40 nights, at a major hotel, is not really much. So, I went back to my clients in Chicago and found out one of them had a negotiated rate with the hotel that I can use. So, there we go!

Thank you all again. Look forward to learning more on the forum!

I'm going to suggest something different as well. Try staying at the Residence Inn on N Dearborn street. It's just across from the river, still within the downtown area and only a few blocks from MM. you'll get breakfast every day plus dinner reception with the sales manager/hotel manager on Monday's/Wednesday's nights. Free wine is included on some of these.

Want to ride on this thread on a question I have.

I'm gg to be at the JW Marriott HK. However, the room is booked under my friend's name. He is a Silver. No lounge access for him (he's already there).
When I go in as a Gold (he's putting my name in the same room), will they give me access to the lounge?