We've got a reservation for a studio at RI in Maui (using TP). I'm hoping to get upgraded to a 1-bedroom w/ gold status. If we were not to get upgrade on site at check in, could we ask for upgrade w/ 5k per night? Alternatively, if we WERE to get upgrade to 1-bedroom on site, could we further upgrade to 2-bedroom? If so, would this require 10k per night? Have never used points for Marriott rez so unsure how all this works.

The hotel won't be able to pull the points and order the awards for you at check-in. What you might be able to do though is call MR or the hotel directly and ask if they would be willing to open up award inventory for a one or two bedroom suite. If they won't, then there isn't much you can do other than look elsewhere or hope you get a complementary upgrade at check-in.

Got it. I will call and ask. The hotel itself said I could pay the difference in cash, so if I can't work something else out or get the upgrade bc of status, then I have a backup plan.

I believe you MISS an important point about AS - AS is NOT a member of OneWprld. It does NOT receive the same number of award seats as the other OW members. Since you have read the CX availability thread in AS forum, you should have picked up the above salient point already. The Best Case scenario is AS sees one LESS seat as the OneWorld Member Airlines. The Worst Case senario is AS does NOT see any when the One World Member Airlines see more than one seat.

If you want to be sure to fly CX F, then you would need to cough up with AA's much higher mile cost. Though having flown CX F at least 2 to 3 times a year, I can tell you that the only value is the very comfortable bed - probably one of the most comfortable ones in the sky. Other than that, everything else is inferior to its competitors of the same caliber - from the decor of the cabin which has not been refreshed for many years, to the foods (a very sore point to CX premium cabin passengers) and the service, which very unfortunately has gone downhill a lot in recent years. (A lot to do with the management and the continuous cost-cutting).

Dont forget JL is also a partner but JL's F usually is only available come closer to departure.

You would need to decide what exactly you want - do you want the sure thing and plenty of availability over the saving of miles? Then Pay Up. Or the other way round? Then make compromises.

Keep in mind award travel is not PAY travel, hence you are subject to many restrictive factors and have to make many compromise. So you make the compromises that have the least effect on you. That is the essence of the "game".

Marriott vacation package
 

I have been thinking about redeem Marriott rewards points into those 7 nights+Airline miles deals, but I have a quick question about how to use that 7 free nights. I am aware of a lot restrictions, but can I use 7 nights for two rooms in the same propertie？or it must be single room for 7 nights,? Thanks

Can only be applied to one room and nights must be consecutive.

Your reply is such a wake up call for me! Thank you for the information about availability between OW and AS as well.

I believe I will go with AS. I rather have less flexibility than paying a lot more miles when there is a cheaper way. I did look up with JL availability and it doesn't seem to be too bad within the next 2 months.

I mainly go with CX because the city I am from is close to HKG.

There was a thread here a few years back about how a poster was able to redeem an award across 8 or 9 nights, with the paid night(s) in the middle of the stay. I think a phone agent had to do it, and it was only allowed as long as the entire time at the hotel was contiguous nights.

This was more of an issue back when there were two tiers of award availability. I don't know whether it's still possible...I've never asked about it myself.

Don't see why they must be consecutive nights seeing that the earlier Marriott C&P allowed for non consecutve point nights.

I was able to do just that a couple of times. And yes, I had to call in to make the reservation and get the cert applied.

It was a few years ago that I last tried. So not sure how easy or hard it would be today (or whether it is still possible though I'd guess it should be.)

They do not need to be consecutive nights, but it must be a contiguous stay (single reservation) comprised of paid and award nights.

Now as Pinniped alluded to, the likelihood of standard rooms being available on nights where awards are not available is slim to none. The only time this would happen is when the hotel has a special event approved by corporate where they limit or totally black out awards; for example New Years at Sydney Harbour Marriott where something like the nights of Dec 30, 31 and Jan 1 may be blocked out from awards. If that were the case then one could book the nights Dec 26-29 (4 nights) with points, pay cash for nights of Dec 30-Jan 1 (3 nights) and points for nights of Jan 2-4 (3 nights) and then use their 7-night certificate.

If you haven't figured it out from the above description, a single reservation must be for a single room type. You can't mix a superior room on some nights, changing to a deluxe room or a suite on others.

If you read the post I was responding to you'd know that I was disagreeing with that posters contention that the TP usage was limited to consecutive nights.
I made no other contention beyond that limited point.

I stand corrected. Thank you!

I'm a Chairman's Club member at Marriott's Vacation Club and renting points is easy. I think it will be much cheaper in value to rent from a Vacation Club owner. By the way, why do you want to go to MGV, say over the other Orlando Marriott timeshares? I like Lakeshore Reserve and Cypress Harbour much more than MGV.

When do you want to go and what size villa do you want.

Over a week and my AA points not in yet