Go thru SPG is the simplest.

I have done the transfer between Spouse before - you actually need to fill out a form, yes, a form, in order for the points to transfer.
I got the form sent to me via email attachment and then fax / or mail it back to Marriott. That was about 18 months ago.

Now with the freely transfer between SPG accounts that have the same address in the past 30 days, and the freely transfer between SPG and Marriott, go thru SPG is the easiest.

So when you make the TP transaction, you have the certificate entered in your name?

The certificate is always in your name. It is IN your account.

It is at booking when you can use the cert to book for others.

Go back upthread you will see posts on how to do that.

It took 5 business days when I did this last fall.

correct, as the cert itself is not transferable. So it is your travel package. The thing is the it is the cert that it can be "give" it for someone else to use. So, the Guest Name will just get update from the cert owner to the person name that is staying at the hotel.

Based on my 3 travel package purchases, my hypothesis is that the points show up Tuesday of the next week. That's regardless if it is Monday or Friday.

Thanks.

I mentioned my sister wants a 7-night stay somewhere within the next year. She has some Marriott points but not enough for the TP and also has no use for the miles. If I "gift" her the cat 1-5 cert, can she use her points to upgrade to, say, a cat 8? Or does the upgrade have to come out of my account as well?

(I didn't know how to search for this question)

7 day TP + 3 more nights
 

Anyone know whether if I book a 7 night TP and add three more nights on points, will I get a second night for zero points under Fifth Night Free?

Have you taken a few minutes to read upthread on how others told you how to book the hotel for your sister?

The cert is in your account, when you book the reservation it is in your account but you would add your sister to the guest name so she can use the cert. It is not like you can "transfer" the cert to her account - so any upgrade would need to use points in your account.

Your sister can transfer her Marriott points to your account - anyone can transfer up to 50K pts each year to anyone, with a $10 fee on the transfer.

Ask the Marriott Reward to get an answer.

The 7 night cert when actually attached to the booking is split into a 5 nights (contain the 5th night free already) and a 2 night cert that only exists artificially, and is charged as 2 nights.

So in theory it seems possible to add 3 more nights and then get the 5th night free on the second 5 nights.

I really believe you have to ask Marriott Reward to get an answer - may even to talk to a manager because what you want to do probably is very rare so the front line CSR may have no idea and need to ask higher up anyway.

Sounds like a batch processing on each Monday on the points sent over the previous week. So I need to time it for the points to hit within the Aeroplan bonus transfer period.

Thanks, I read upthread. But I also mentioned that I would prefer not to have the reservation in my account if possible; one of the reasons is that it may make the reservation appear to involve more people than there are (her husband and 2 kids). Someone mentioned that he/she was able to transfer the cert to someone else. Sounds like I misunderstood that.

the reservation will be in your sister name (and can also add her husband name as well as the 2nd guest) your name (the cert owner) is not on the reservation at all. The reservation will still be attached to your account only because it is your cert with your Marriott Rewards number on it. So, your sister is not the 2nd guest, she is the 1st guest (or call it primary guest) on the reservation.

About the upgrade of the cert to CAT 8, as Happy responded, you need the 90K to be in your account in order for the phone agent to process and attaching the cert to the booking.

this is an interesting question. But I do recall a friend of mine who did a 21 nights booking with 3 x 7-nights certs, it did end up showing 4 x 5-nights + 1 single night. show it might be possible. If you do end up trying this, please do report back and let us know how you make out.

It won't work. To get the 5th night free you must order the specific 5 night award. Ordering a 3 night award to add some nights to a 7 night stay does nothing to the cost of the 3 night award.

What if you make a 10-night ressie online on points first, which will show the 5th & 10th nights as costing 0 points? Then apply the 7-nighter from the TP + a regular 2-nighter?
I don't think it will work, but it's worth a try.