Just book a hotel with the certificate and then cancel the stay - it will return as points rather than a 7-night certificate. That's probably easier than finding an agent that will easily do the cert to points conversion. You'll receive back 45,000 points for the Cat 1-5 7-Night Certificate and you'll receive back any additional points spent to upgrade. For example, I had a Cat 9 cert that I cancelled and I was returned 165,000 points (the 120,000 I spent to upgrade plus the 45,000 for the original 1-5 cert).

I was under the impression that if you cancelled a 5 or seven night reservation where a travel package certificate was used that the certificate would go back into your account for future use.

That is what happened to my existing TP hotel cert.

I initiated a transfer to Aeroplan on Friday to get the 35 percent bonus, the points have not hit my Aeroplan account as of today and it is the last day the promotion is in effect, when the points post to Aeroplan will they reflect the same day the transfer was initiated so I can get the 35 percent bonus?

My experience is that this only work if you cert is listed as "45,000" points instead of the standard "270,000" points. As others had commented already if you cancel a booking that use the cert, it will go back to the list of unused certs, just like the credit card free night. But for certs that got converted somehow as 45,0000 points (either via cert extension or upgrade/downgrade cat) those one will not return as a unused cert, it will just put 45,000 points in your account.

Good to know. I've had it happen to me three times now and it's annoying because I then have to call and have them convert my points back to a certificate to be able to use it.

So if I'm reading your post correctly, a certificate booked directly as a Cat 9 and later cancelled will return as a Cat 9, but if you book a Cat 1-5 and then upgrade it will return as the points? Is that right?

I only ever book my travel package as the CAT 1-5, so, I can't say for sure on what you desc above is correct or not. I was only sharing on my own experience when I cancel cert booking, when it will return as cert vs. as points.

--- different topic ---

BTW, while we are on this topic on cancelling a cert booking and return as points. There is another potential trick for those want to extend their certs for more than 2 years. I haven't try this myself, but since they went back as points, you need to call (as Willbur also confirmed above) to re-issue the cert. That cert is valid for 1 year from that re-issue date.

So, say you start a cert that expire on June 2017. You call in late May and extend it and now the new expiration date is May 2018. You upgrade that cert to CAT >5, make a booking for some future date in 2018 (say in April 2018). Come March 2018, you cancel this booking (and based on my experience on a couple boookings) you end up with points back in your account. So, you now call in again and ask to get your cert back and also request to be back to a CAT 1-5 cert. The agent had no choice but need to re-issue the 7-night cert and now that cert will expire in March 2019.

Again, I haven't try this yet to expire a cert beyond 2 years. And who knows what will happen after the new program combine with SPG. Just thought to share what I noticed with these certs and it's expiration dates as I take different actions (cert extension, CAT upgrade, booking that return as points, and CAT downgrade) separately on different certs.

7 night package rejected
 

Applied a 7 night stay package certificate for JW Beijing for an immediate family member.

Family member name has been attached to reservation but they are not let them check in. Saying certificate only applies to account holder??

They want me to rebook the room using points instead of the certificate.

Yes this is correct it is only for you..

I have booked multiple packages for other members and have never been informed of this while on phone to plat csr, when applying the certificates and adding second person to reservation

my comment is that were you be able to look up the reservation using your family member name?

I normally look up the reservation at the following link without login to your Marriott account first:

https://www.marriott.com/reservation...Reservation.mi

Enter the check-in guest names to ensure they are listed on it.

Also, make sure it is the check-in guest set as the "Primary Guest" and not the "Secondary Guest" i.e. that means if you look up the reservation within your account after you login, it will show their name as well and not yours.

This happened to me at the Atlanta Marquis. My sister and I were on a reservation for two rooms. One was a points redemption. The other was a cert. They would not let her check in to the cert redemption because it was only valid for me. Ultimately, she checked in with her credit card and when I got there an hour later it was switched back to the cert. I did not realize, though, that a seven day cert package was handled this way.

Members try to game the system by putting in a second name and having the second person check in and say that the named member will be showing up later, but this is gaming the system. Once the hotel figures out the named member will not be arriving, the hotel does not have to honor the cert. Either this hotel is being vigilant or your family member said something to arouse suspicion.

Your best bet would be to call Marriott and see if they will reissue the cert in your family member's name. The cert associated with the travel package appears to have been issued in your name. The hotel isn't going to waive rules for you but maybe Marriott will help. I don't see anything in the T&Cs that requires the cert be issued in your name, but obviously it has been. Good Luck.

Just thought to comment that Marriott officially allow you to redeem your points or certs for someone else. The only item that you can't use it as a "gift" is the free night from the credit card.

Here is the respond I got from Marriott last year via email:

Correct, but as CJKatl mentions the OP will probably need to call Marriott to have the cert re-issued in the family member's name.

I had normally just attached the person as an additional guest. and has always worked fine.

Marriott Osaka
Prince Sakura Tokyo
RC HK

all worked without any problems. First time I had encounterd this.

After about 90 mins on the phone with Marriott CSR and they liased with the rewards team and hotel and managed to sort it.