Hi Alc, sorry but I don't get it. What do you meant the 8th day? Given that there are only 7 days in the certificate? Does the hotel actually refund 2 nights points?

my comment is that if you end up can't get any points refund (which is not normal that you do) you can at least try to get the 2 extra Elite Nights credit to your account by making the booking as 7 nights. You will leave on the 6th day (after you stay for 5 nights) but your official check-out will be on the 8th day (after the 7th night night)

You can just book the 5 nights and have them apply the 7-night certificate. You will lose the two nights but then you won't have to worry about saying there is an emergency. I booked 6 nights in Hawaii and called just yesterday to have them apply my 7-night certificate. No issue at all.

Kamchatsky, I suppose you could book a 7-nighter, then phone the Reservations Manager at the hotel to say (truthfully or otherwise) that you will be attending an annual or other recurring event, so could s/he please bend the rules by giving you a 5-nighter & a later 2-nighter for your cert. Or you could post on The Coupon Connection to offer a "gift" of the nights beyond your stay to another FTer who will stay as a "friend joining you in your room ;) ."
Or just book as Cherryblossom55 says, or change your booking to that if the above fails & accept that you'll be forfeiting/ wasting the last 2 nights.
If you book 7 nights, then check out after 5, you may be charged an Early Departure Fee if the hotel has one :td: !

I'm not aware of any DPs where this has been charged since you're forfeiting the two nights and the hotel is being compensated for them.

Should be true, Willbur! Usually an EDF is a half to one full night's room rent. In this case one is paying 2 nights' room rent--albeit with points, not $ ! In that case, Kamchatsky should book 7 nights just in case 'something suddenly comes up' where he wants to stay longer.

I don't get what this fuss is about. Hotels do not have a curfew. Just leave before your reservation period ends and check out over the app or phone on the check out date. No hassle, no EDF but a credit for a full 7 rewards nights.

Here's a thought and I don't know if it would work, but is it possible to transfer the MRP to a Marriott Vacation Club member and have she or he make the five night reservation for you? I have never transferred points so I have no idea but as a Vacation Club Member I am able to book 5 night vacations on the Leisure Packages.

If I purchase a 7-night stay for cat 1-5 and want to upgrade to cat 8, but only plan on staying for 5 nights -- can I only pay the upgrade for 5 nights and throw away the final 2 nights?

Assuming your buy is intended to mean using points, No

But why not just buy (again, points) 5 nights at your Cat 8 and pay for 4 ?

Yes you can. The upgrade charges will only be for the nights you actually are staying at the hotel.

I ordered a TP reservation and will be using it for a 6 night stay. The hotel I am staying at had an oceanfront upgrade (4 upgrade coupons or 20K per night). I used the 7-night TP cert for the hotel reservation and was only charged 120K (20K*6 nights) for the upgrade to oceanfront.

Note that if you are using a 5 night award (pay 4 nights get the 5th night free), if you upgrade the room, you will still have to pay the upgrade fee on all nights including the free night.

So, let me get this straight.
Your confirming that I can prorate the 90,000 point upgrade from Cat 5 TP to a Cat 8 TP based upon the number of days I’ll actually use the TP ?

I believe he's confirming something different - he's talking about upgrading rooms. Not sure how they would allow you to only upgrade 5 nights since it's a 7 night cert and the point prices are stated. This is probably as YMMV as getting a 5-night stay. If you really want that you're probably better off spending your time trying to get that elusive 5-night cert.

He might but I’ll wait for hhooper01 to respond cause my NO response was what I interpreted DaveInLA trying to do which hhooper01 was responded yes to.

I had actually wished for this in the past. The 7 night certificate breaks into a 5 night and 2 night certificate at some point (I don't remember if I applied it to a reservation and cancelled it or if it was when I got it extended or something else). I had a 5 night reservation on a hotel that was going up a category and decided to use the certificate for that. A flight was cancelled and we had to stay an extra day, but of course it was now a category 7 instead of 6. I wished they could just increase the 2 nights for 10K points, and I would use that towards the reservation. But that didn't happen.