You can reserve first.

Sorry for previous post.You can reserve and ask for certificate or get certificate and wait to reserve.The danger in getting certificate is having it expire. The old certificate is only good for one year and non renewable after 7/31/02.

No, but the moronic structure of the Marriott reward system goes like this:

1. Order a 5-night award for a Level 3 property.
2. Certificate arrives in mail weeks later.
3. During this time, you find out the Level 3 property is not available, or your plans have changed.
4. Return Level 3 5-night award.
5. Get award redeposited.
6. Order a different award.
7. Repeat until several weeks before trip, then forget it and stay at another hotel chain that has last-minute award redemption.

I just looked at the only two Marriott awards that I've ever been able to book to see if they changed. One award went from 14,000 to 20,000 points (43% increase). The other would have increased from 19,000 to 28,000 points (47% increase).

From the website: "A new Hotel Reward structure offers more options, greater flexibility and better value."

If I order a certificate under the old program (712, 713 or 714) I assume the new "levels" shouldn't matter since these are "choice" awards. I'd think that they would be good at the Paris Marriott or the Newark Marriott, right?

Also, in the "new" www.marriott.com site, if I want to check availability with awards, they tell you "For Marriott Rewards Redemptions, click here to select a hotel reward before checking availability"
But when I do this, ONLY the new awards are displayed. But if I just do as I always did and checked off the award box and then click on "check rates and availability",
it shows available rooms (Paris Marriott).

Can I still book the OLD awards this way, or
do I need to call the Marriott Customer No-Service number for them to say "sorry, no availability"?

Now I am glad I left the "Best Business Hotel" option blank when I voted for the Freddies. I would feel completely insulted if I gave my vote to Marriott so they could do this to their best customers.

If this is a "bottom line" decision for Marriott, they have not seen anything yet! I realize Marriott can terminate the Marriott Rewards program at any time...and their customers can terminate Marriott from their business plans even sooner. You just do not take away from your best customers...and the 25,000 point promo is just not good enough to justify this poor behavior from Marriott's Marketing Department. In fact, if I read that correctly, you need to have 15 separate "stays" in Marriott properties to qualify for the 25,000 points...not 15 nights as they normally had for their bonuses.

Taking your best customers for granted will only take you so far...we will see what happens after this. I can only feel like a schmo so long before I take my business and my company's money elsewhere...and I have been a Marriott "Honored" Rewards member since early 1985.

I've just E-Mailed my two cents in to Marriott telling whoever cares that I fully intend to cash in my points, sell my two Marriott vacation club properties, cancel my VISA card, and take my business elsehere, and get out of this silliness. And that was after I "cooled off." Call these changes what you want, but to me, it's just the latest example of Marriott's arrogance towards those of us who have been loyal customers, often paying higher prices than their competitors, just out of the sense of loyalty. I think the beginning of the end came when Marriott expanded their rewards program with their economy units (i.e., Fairfield Inns, etc.) What a bummer!

I think that you can just check the award box and continue with your reservation because you do have a valid certificate. I think the "click here to select a hotel reward" is so that you can figure out how many points the new system is going to require for that particular hotel. I just played with it and that was my take on why the "click here to select a hotel reward" is on that screen since it takes you to their little grid.

No, that is a 25% increase, not a 20% increase!

I was looking at that too, and was surprised that it and the JW HKG are listed as Category 6, whereas the 2 London properties other than the Grosvenor are listed as a 7 (I think the new Ren will be a 7, as well, but it is not listed).

Then, what used to cost 200,000 now is 250,000!

My only question:

Does a 7 night hotel only stay at the Rome Marriott now cost more or less, than before.

I can guess the answer, but can someone tell me by how much?

Tino,

Great analysis -- and quick, too! You saved me a lot of work. Thanks.

Bruce

I think a 7-night only stay at the Rome Marriott would now cost 5000 points more (130k vs. 125k before).

Thanx! That ain't too bad.

While we're all fired up...

I just called and asked for an Anytime Award on a property (New Orleans Marriott) that has a few rooms for sale (at $300+/night), but long sold out of award rooms (for JazzFest).

No dice.

I got several excuses, which started off as "no awards left - try another date", then went to "these awards aren't available in the Marriott program yet", which switched to "it won't let me book it" and finally I got a "I guess our system isn't compatible with the property's system to override it - call again some other time in the future".

Who fires up a new award system without testing and training?

A side question: does anyone have a listing of the old award schedule? I threw out my paper copy, but "for my convenience" it has been eliminated from the website.

"No, that is a 25% increase, not a 20% increase!"

See, they have me so flustered that I can't even make a simple, yea real simple, calculation! I do have the 1998 and 1999 addendum books for the Reward program. What are you looking for?

Tino and others -

FWIW, I have a complete copy of the soon-to-be-deceased award schedule. It consists of the 1998 Guide to Marriott Rewards, the 1999 Addendum to 1998 Guide to Marriott Rewards and the Rewards Update 2000.

Have at me and I'll answer as many questions as I can get to.

I have since run out of the starwood gold card. There're others in the Starwood forum who might still have these cards.

[This message has been edited by mntblue (edited 05-12-2001).]