tfred

+1 I called and had the points changed back tonight

USirritated

I've also had hotels take extra points. It was a pain to get them put back. It was also for a MR program change, the last of the old "Island Hopper" awards for Hawaii, where you could split your stays between two or three hotels. The program was about to be discontinued when I made the rez, and had been discontinued by the time of my stay, even though I had been "grandfathered in." Kauai evidently did not like the lower points under the old method, and wanted the points for regular stays, so they took an additional 40,000 points they were not entitled to the day before check in. Kind of sleazy if you ask me, and this seems to be what some are reporting in this thread the last few days.

Coincidentally, I am in Hawaii now (not on Kauai, but on Oahu), where the JW Marriott Ihilani at Ko Olina could not be more gracious and professional. I have stayed here before, and just as before, the stay has been wonderful, and the hotel did not take additional points. (As an added bonus, for some reason they did not charge me for parking either, even though they were supposed to, but when I asked the MOD, she said not to worry about it, they would not add the parking after my check out today.) Class act, like night and day between the JW and Kauai Marriott!

cw082350

Same thing happened to me last week when they upgraded me to a suite. They cancelled my old reservation and rebooked me with the higher rate. Was a problem dealing with Marriott getting it adjusted took 3 phone calls but finally got it straighted out.

USirritated

Which hotel was it?

cw082350

I don't think the hotel name is important. I don't blame the hotel it's Marriott's system that is creating the problem. The hotel was just rebooking based on upgrading me.

USirritated

Sorry, but I beg to disagree. This problem only happens with some hotels, and not with others. In my estimation, it is the more professionally run and cordial hotels which do not do this (maybe the ones with a MI management contract?) and the less professionally run and less cordial hotels which do. In order for a cancellation and rebooking with higher points to happen, a staff member must physically go into the system, and then into the member's individual account to manipulate what is going on, in this case, cancel an existing rez, and create a new rez with higher point requirements. The system itself is not doing it, computer systems have not yet attained consciousness, it takes a person, probably on direction from a manager, to unethically take something out of an MR member's account to fund a higher point requirement reservation. It is conscious by a person, not automatically by a computer system. Still, either way, it is SO WRONG!

CJKatl

But I've had this happen at the Niagara Falls FS, which is one of the better run hotels in the chain, and has an awesome staff, so it can happen anywhere.

Agreed, though, that it shouldn't happen at all. When I called the day before yesterday, it required explanation and being placed on hold for quite some time. All's well that ends well, but it's still worrisome when it's your points, your reservation and your time.

USirritated

(emphasis mine)

Zigactly, I could not have said it better myself, especially the part about the TIME!

cw082350

I thought it was the rebooking of the upgrade that caused the problem ...my bad if not. It was the full service marriott in Charlotte. Hope this not going to be time consuming in the future. I booked at least 5 reservations where the categories are changed.

mmaster737

I received an email this morning informing me that I don't have enough points for my stay this week. I made my reservation online after the change (6/2) and the hotel showed as a category 7 (Fairfield Inn and Suites New York Times Square) just like shown on the list linked here and it showed that I needed 140,000 points for the stay. But its' now showing on the website as a category 8. MR (two different agents) insisted that they are correct and I'm wrong and there is nothing that can be done for me. Of course the reservation no longer displays the number of points needed (Is that normal?). After verifying the list here I called back and explained what I'm seeing on this list. The agent contacted a supervisor and they are honoring it as I originally saw it.

Has anyone else noticed inaccuracies like this?

VickiSoCal

If you didn't have enough points back when you booked it, then yes, it will require manual intervention to pull the points at the old rate. No way around that, you must call and find an agent who knows what they are doing.

cova

I too have a reservation at the Fairfield Inn and Suites NYC. I booked when it was a Cat 6 - 5 nights for 120K points. I later changed the bed type only and was told there was no impact. Well I noticed a message that certificate did not match. The hotel changed to Cat 7 on May 15th, and then changed again to Cat 8 on Aug 8th. First time I have seen two category changes in one year.

Rewards agent said the bed type triggered a change and thus I needed Cat 7 points when the bed type was changed. I told her that agent that changed said no impact. So the agent rebooked from Cat 6 to Cat 7 (20K more) and gave me a 20K courtesy bonus to compensation for the change. But if changed after 8/8 then a cat 8 point.

Now the hotel is a Cat 8 for 160K points for 5 nights. Not sure I would book this hotel as a Cat 8 reward -might as well go to the Marquis (cat 9).

LAtraveler1

I too have a NY reservation that I booked in June for the Springhill Suites for 2 nights when it was a Category 7. I was surprised when I looked at my reservation and it showed 80,000 points used for my stay. Have original email from June that shows 70,000 taken from my account.

Didn't realize that there would be a 2nd category increase this year. NY is getting VERY expensive even point wise.

BKKLEE

if your account was debited for the 70k ignore the current ressee amount of 80k (that is unless the prop "charges" you another 10k, then contact MR and they'll correct it)...........

hm212

New York is just getting insane for pricing. I am having trouble finding rooms for under $350 - 400 a night. I have trouble justifying that in my mind. Most of my NY trips I am conferencing these days in order to keep my travel budget in line.