writerguyfl

As a Revenue Manager at a hotel in Downtown Minneapolis, I placed minimum stay requirements at on least one night per week. The only times I didn't were most of December and the work week following a three-day weekend. Those periods didn't require them because demand for business travel would be far less than normal.

sophiegirl

Back to the OP's question....
Just to double-check - were you using any type of rate codes? Even something as basic as AAA? Sometimes a rate might not be available for a single nite....but adding the 2nd gives you the rate for both.

Most of the time it still shows availability on the first nite....just at a higher rate, but I have seen it revert to a sold out status, too.

SkiAdcock

But if you're that busy, then wouldn't you be busy without a minimum stay requirement?

Cheers.

Hibari

Thanks for all the comments! Had no idea this was not so uncommon. Anyway I've been checking the past few nights with no codes and it's been pretty consistent. I even tried calling directly but no help there. Since it seemed pretty hopeless I booked a motel, but I'll keep checking just in case. I was really hoping having a Marriott membership would give me more of a chance but alas not really, lol.

RenHoek

If you feel comfortable giving us the date and the hotel you are looking at, we may have a more accurate answer. As it was said, it's more likely that you can't book a Saturday night only at the beach in the summer, but there may be a different reason if it won't let you book a Saturday only in Pittsburgh (maybe a convention or something). Did they give you any reason when you called directly?

DenverBrian

Minimum and maximum stay requirements have been a foundational part of Marriott's revenue management system for decades. I'm surprised Marriott hasn't taken things to the next level - dynamic pricing depending on number of nights.

In the example given by the OP, it probably would have been better to see that a one-night stay priced at $125 but a two-night stay priced at $85 each night. And then, if someone were to book the two nights but then check out early, it's probably easier to note in the terms and conditions that an early check-out would revert the stay to the one-night rate.

DenverBrian

Two big factors here:

1) In many cases, the overall market in the hotel's area could show that, say, 70% of the demand on Tuesdays is for multiple night stays and only 30% of the demand is for one-nighters. The hotel wants to fill every room every night; filling it with multiple-nighters provides an enhanced chance of 100% occupancy not only on Tuesday, but on Wednesday and Thursday.

2) Stayovers are cheaper for the hotel to service than checkouts. There is much less housekeeping and bookkeeping involved on a stayover.

KenTarmac

Meh, it's not as bad as you might think. I've run into this problem on many an occasion (as one who stays for long periods). As the scenario goes - I check in for an extended stay, the hotel is booked solid on a given night during my stay, the front staff tells me they'll keep me informed if I need to leave, and low and behold, when the day of "no availability" arrives they've suddenly got an opening for me to keep my room.

Thanks in no small part to people who cancel their reservation or check out early. Cancellations and early check outs are the norm in the industry not the exception.

socrates

I'll go further...while Marriott was one of the first to put this into practice 20+ years ago the entire industry has revenue management systems/strategies (and yes others such as Hilton & Hyatt go further with dynamic pricing)

writerguyfl

Minimum stay requirements are used to improve occupancy on the "shoulder" days. On a regular week, my hotel always sold out on Tuesday and Wednesday. Without minumum stay requirements, those two nights would sell out months in advance. Now, imagine it's two weeks out and a guests wants to arrive on Monday and leave on Thursday. Since Tuesday and Wednesday are sold out, we'd have to turn that guest away and we'd miss out on filling a room on that Monday.

Minimum stays requirements are only used when the computer forecasts that the hotel will get calls for multi-night stays. In many situations, there is little risk for the hotel, since demand for single nights is always going to be there. For example: most Las Vegas hotels always have a minimum stay of two nights on a Saturday. If demand for two nights doesn't materialize, they can remove the restriction a day or two before and fill the vacant rooms.

SkiAdcock

Thanks for the information.

Cheers.

BCF

There is a very simple turnaround. Book with extra night, and then modify your reservation through the website.

calitequilasippergirl

Unfortunately Sir, you are fighting a losing battle there. There are some here that don't really care about the ethics of the situation or the downstream effects.

SkiAdcock

Oh puhleeze. Marriott Rev Mgmt is gaming the system to their advantage. Some folk try to game it to their advantage. I'd call it a draw.

Cheers.

calitequilasippergirl

And two wrongs always make it ok