Never staying with Marriott again!
 

Hi all,

I am going to vent here because I have just had a terrible terrible experience with marriott. I am working in bloomington, IL a rather small area, with not very many hotel properties of any brand. I travel there weekly, and have been doing so for quite some time. Back in september of 2012 I booked every week out with this 1 marriott I stay at, booking it out until midway through 2013 at my corporate rate.... Everything is good through 2012... my next stay was supposed to start this monday 1/7/12, but I got a call from marriott customer care today saying that they can no longer honor any of my rates because the corporate contract wasn't renewed and I would have to pay 200% more. I was going to say OK I will figure it out, but then she proceeded to say that she couldn't even book my reservations again at that new rate. I spoke to 2 levels of customer care, and the GM at the hotel... nobody can help me but someone from reservations will call me on Monday (which is too late...) I couldn't get e-mail addresses or phone numbers, just a few names. So basically, they weren't even giving me the opportunity to contact them back. She offered me a measly 10,000 points

She kept saying "I am sorry there is nothing I can do for you" = I am shi*t out of luck.

Not to mention they can't put me in any of the surrounding properties because everything is sold out through march of 2012.

I would expect she could force the hotel to honor the rate I reserved, or for marriott to compensate the difference or to place me in another property or anything. Instead the closest available property is 2.5 hours away in chicago.

Thanks for adding 5 hours to my daily commute marriott.

You should ask them about the Ultimate Reservation Guarantee.

Per Marriott's website:

"If for some reason we’re unable to honor your reservation, we’ll pay for your accommodations that night at a nearby hotel and compensate you for the inconvenience. To be eligible, you must provide your Marriott Rewards membership number when making a reservation. Compensation varies by hotel brand."

And the 48 Hour Reservation Guarantee

48-Hour Guaranteed Availability:
Traveling on short notice? We guarantee you’ll always have a room for any paid stay. Just make your reservation 48 hours before arrival at any of our 3,500+ participating hotels, excluding Marriott Vacation Club. [PLATINUM ONLY]

I agree, I would think once a hotel accepted a reservation they should honor it. I would certainly continue to pursue this - but I would also talk with your company...did they not advise you that this rate was going away? maybe they can assist with Marriott, too.

However, since Monday is right around the corner.... It seems your immediate issue is finding a place to stay, and I am uncertain why you are not seeing any availability. I am finding availability at the FS. Also in closer areas than Chicago...towns as close as 30 miles or so away.

After next week, there is a good bit of availability...in several chains in all price ranges. if you truly are never going to stay at Marriott again, then you should start building a relationship with one of these.

Again, I do not think what happened is OK, and I would not let it drop - but it sounds as if this is not going to change, so you need to find a pillow for your head come Monday!

I posted several months ago that I was seeing far less corporate rate availability than at any time I could remember. I work for one of the largest corporations in the world, and our property selection has dropped by at least 50%. And in many cities- no FS at all...in some cities, no MARRIOTT properties at all - where there used to be 8 to 10 in all price ranges. We have been a Marriott corporation for years - to see this lack of relationship is astonishing to me.

Story seems a little off in a few ways...including widespread availability at relatively low rates this week at Bloomington, IL properties.

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From a legal context, the termination of a corporate contract will trump a rate reservation made on the basis of that contract.

Whether this is a good idea from a business perspective is a separate matter.

don't know what your referencing? A day's inn just became available there are a few other motel type items but I can't book their per my company's policys (we must stay at hotel brands we procure with) .. I may try to get around this.

What else seems off? It is all the truth and I am looking for help.

Thank you so much for the ultimate reservation guarantee... any more guidance? I am going to call back again..

I cannot spend over a certain limit per my company policy and none of those hotels are within limit.


What else seems off? It is all the truth and I am looking for help.

Thank you so much for the ultimate reservation guarantee... any more guidance? I am going to call back again..

You can't spend 104 dollars a night? No wonder your corporate rate was cancelled. What was it?

I'm only seeing $149 at the FI...

However there are 2 hotels in Champaign under $100. 50 minute drive which is kinda far when you're already traveling, but certainly less than the 2.5 hours referenced in the OP.

What is your spending limit?
Did you contact the person in charge of the MR contract at your company and ask whether a contract with a different chain/property was established or if they have any back up plans?

and what prevents you from paying the difference over that of what your company authorizes as its limit??????????

I wouldn't want to have money come out of my pocket for business travel.

What does your company's travel department say about this? If they are sending you to a place where they have no negotiated rates, it sounds like they have to pay the prevailing prices. If they do have rates but its at a property you don't particularly care for, well, you may just have to suck it up - at least in the short term.

I don't see where Marriott is at fault here, but I'm curious: was it the hotel itself that called you or was it Marriott corporate? You just said "customer care".

it was marriott, not the hotel. also I am not sure where that guy got his image from but none of those hotels are available for this week - maybe you searched today?

I spoke again with customer care, they are saying that they have no control over the rates individual properties charge and although they side with me and understand what went wrong they cannot do anything about it...

This has zippo to do with Marriott and everything to do with OP's employer. For whatever reason OP's employer couldn't come to terms with Marriott and the contract was cancelled or not renewed.

OP had no authority to use his company's code beyond the contract date and Marriott did what any vendor would do, it cancelled the reservations which, from its perspective, were fraudulently booked.

OP should be talking with his own corporate travel people about a solution because it's clear they're not talking with him. Either they've got a contract with someone else or they don't and the rates are what they are.

Maybe time to start the job hunt?