Help, Please: Points or Pay for One Night in SF
 

I'm going back and forth and cannot decide which to do. What do others think?

• Option A: One night at SF FS at $219, plus tax.
• Option B: One night at SF JW for 30k points, on a pointsaver rate.

Additional Info: Holding both reservations. Sitting at about 130k points before this transaction. Looking to stay in Paris next summer, two rooms, five nights each, which will require 320k points, and I'm likely to earn around 200k-300k points between now and then, so it's cutting it close.

Numbers: SF @$219/night vs. 30k points equals $0.0073/point. Paris (Vendome or Champs) @$576/night vs. 32k points (5th night free) equals $0.018/point, but if we stay at Rive Gauche @$235/night vs. 24k points equals $0.0098. The numbers indicate more bang for the buck in Paris, but there is a decent, but not guaranteed, chance I'll have enough points for both.

Help!

I value MR points at 1¢ / point; so option A is marginally better. Also earning MR points vs burning points gets you closer to lifetime status.

I value MR points at slightly more than 1 cent. I would also do option A, especially if you are not sure if you will have enough points for the Paris stay.

Option A. I would have to pay substantially more than $219 a night to warrant burning, rather than earning points.

I agree in general with the opinions expressed here, but what's missing is how you feel the two hotels compare. Where would you rather stay for the one night? Also, if you were to book Option A with points or Option B with money, what would be the cost comparison. You're asking us to give an opinion on one hotel paid with money (I would assume not prepaid rate) versus a different hotel paid with MR points. It's hard to make sense of this unless you're simply interested in the financials, effectively the cheapest rate for the night considering points earning/burning. But it's hard to imagine two different hotels being truly equivalent.

try and get an LNF rate for SFO. SFO is generally pretty easy to get the rates down. Not a good use of points IMO.

I've never done LNF before, but after reading through 54 pages of posts and searching a couple dozen sites, I'm not finding anything below $219. If anyone has any additional LNF tricks, please pass them along.

I'm indifferent on the hotels involved. Any of the Union Square/Nob Hill properties are fine. To me, those properties are interchangeable. Given my druthers, the JW is my favorite by the slightest hair, but I'd choose one over the other to save as little as $5.

The choices presented are the best points option and the best price option among these (IMO) interchangeable properties. I'd either do the best cash or the best points option.

I am hoping my PM will help ;)

I was able to secure an even better rate at the Stanford Court (Ren) which makes the choice much easier.

Congratulations! I've become a big fan of the LNF Guarantee, particularly in pricey cities like SF. Would you mind sharing the rate you were able to achieve, either here or over on the LNF Success Thread? You don't need to post the source, just the rate you found and what Marriott ultimately lowered you to.

Done on the other thread. Here is the info:

Hotel: The Stanford Court Renaissance San Francisco
Check-in date: 4/22/12
Check-out date: 4/23/12
Marriott rate reserved: 229
Currency: USD
COMPARISON RATE INFORMATION
Lower rate found or reserved: 195.51
Currency: AUD

We have reviewed your claim and have made the following modification to your reservation: Rate: $131.69

Note: The cheapest rate I found in the Union Square/Nob Hill area was $219 at the Marquis. I found a 201 (AUD) rate for that hotel, too. The Stanford Court is a slightly better location for where I need to be in SF, so I made the request for the Stanford Court.

Thanks for sharing. I've never considered using a different form of currency for rate comparisons. That adds a whole new dynamic which makes my head spin a little. :) I presume when you check in you'll be able to use US $.

huh, so much for giving proper credit. 'Wow' is all I can say.

I'll take a little bit of the LNF advice via a PM if you have the time to do so! I'll even give you credit if I am able to book a room at the discounted rate. I am also staying in San Francisco at a one night stay on a Friday night in June. Thanks!!