I have a 5 night stay booked next week. However, on one of those nights, I have to stay about 200 miles away. I could check out of the original hotel and check back in the next day, but I'd rather be able to leave my stuff there and just take a little duffel bag for the night.

So, if I stay checked in at the original hotel, how will Marriott handle that one night at a second hotel. Will I receive a stay credit and the points at the second hotel, or will Marriott ignore it because of the anomaly of having two different hotel stays on the same night?

Per Marriott's rules, you should really only get points for both rooms and night credit for only one of the two hotels. But the reality is you will most likely get points and night credits from both hotels.

You might want to read through the http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/marri...te-nights.html thread. There is an ongoing discussion around what you are asking.

This happened to me several years ago. I ended up calling cust svc and after a pleasant conversation, the rep ended up giving me some points as a goodwill gesture. Apparently, back then, the system wasn't designed to handle that situation (which admittedly has to be a fairly rare case). Things may have changed now - maybe they'll give you the night in the second hotel as bonus night?

on two occasions I have been given points for what I have paid but not nights credit. Both times it was in Miami.

That's my concern. I want to make sure I'm going to get the night, for the free night promo.

I was called out on this a month or so ago by auditing for 2 multiple night stays. I was doing the same thing as you and guess how they let me know !! I went to log in and my account was frozen with a note to call Marriott Rewards Customer Service. Customer Service, transfered me to auditing. The guy in auditing asked if I had received my "letter" yet, which I had not ... He went on to say what I did/tried to do was a major no-no and that they were specifically targeting this "kind of abuse". I apologized, said it wouldn't happen again and he turned me back on. Soooooo, be careful. By the way, when I got home that "letter" was waiting for me, explaining in detail what the rules state. Didn't get the stay (obvious) and didn't get the points either.