I'm a newly minted plat and I don't really understand how the plat overide is supposed to work. If a hotel is totally sold out where are they getting a room from? If they are not totally booked why wouldn't they sell you a room regardless of status? I could understand a plat overide for a points room but I really don't get it with a paid stay.

This is at the crux of the issue. Does the hotel have a special event waiver for this night or not? If the online tool won't let a Plat make a reservation at the hotel (and they haven't already used their Plat override, then in all likelihood, the hotel does have a corp waiver.

Give it a while as a PLT and you will understand that this is one of the most important benefits of being a PLT for many who post here. Hotels have cancellations all the time. Within the 48 hours there will be many reservations that change. The hotel is betting that by granting you a reservation they have effectively covered their bets by overbooking. I use it maybe two or three times a year. Take it away and I'll be looking for another program. It has proven to be one of the few published benefits that worked.

Agreed. However, the GM could have said that yet didn't. I think the OP is entitled to know whether it's just because they're full on a holiday weekend or if ineed there is a corp waiver. We all understand the corp waiver. But just continuing to say they're full is BS according to the policy.

Cheers.

I agree, but I'm wondering if there might have been a "communication" issue. What does "skirted" really mean? Did the GM say they had a waiver? Yes or no?

Sometimes people try so hard to be "nice" that they end up being confusing and causing more problems.

GM said a holiday weekend is considered a special event and asked if I would you expect to force availability on NYE. Avoided the direct question about corp waiver, just saying holiday weekends are special events. Plat desk couldn't find a special event in their records. But after speaking to the GM, reiterated the line about a holiday weekend.

The GM admitted the hotel never had a plat forcing availability before since they don't want to displace guests.

At this point, just going to stay at the Sheraton AC. Not sure what reception I'd receive at the Courtyard if a room finally pops up this week. Sort of scared the GM will find a way to take revenge for making this an issue.

On another note, with Delaware and PA now having Table games (DE has a sportsbook too!) I look forward to Atlantic City losing the business and being a more humble place. It's already happening, but when the Sands builds their hotel and Delaware builds the beach casino AC will be losing ALOT of business.

Face it, this boils down to money. If he gives you the override, he (probably) has to "walk" someone else, paying the first night's room & tax for the "walker".

Call it short sighted, greedy, defiant, etc, but that is the real issue here and he think's he found an out by deniing you what should be yours. Keep pressing the issue no matter when you end up!

Your only mistake? Trying to stay at a Courtyard.

I hope the OP continues to pursue this issue with Marriott. If this were me I'd be running this so high up the latter that this GM would find him part of the 10% unemployment rate when I was done with him.

It's not that I expect things that are optional, or expect things I should get. I just expect things that I'm supposed to get from my loyalty. Like the time a FS Marriott in PIT told me that they didn't have any King rooms when I clearly had one guaranteed in my reservation. About the time I walked over to their business center to look up and print off my reservation, they magically found one.

If a platinum member can't make a reservation over a week out at a crappy Courtyard then what's the point of the benefit.

If the property has a legitimate reason to not honor the guarantee than I'd like to hear it. So far all I see going on is a loyal customer getting jerked around by some dippy GM that doesn't understand the rules and a bunch of folks at Marriott corporate that don't want to make the real effort to get to the bottom of things.

The new ENHANCED Marriott experience...

The is definitely something wrong here with this hotel.

I was able to successful reserve a room from 2/10 - 2/17. So they have enough rooms to sell me one if I'm willing to stay a whole week, but not if I want to override for 1 night?

I suggest you try making a ressie for 2/10 - 2/17 and then asking them why they can't adjust it for just the dates you want.

Nice catch, dave-b.

I just made and canceled a reservation to try something out.

I made a week long reservation and then tried to modify it for just the weekend. It told me no rooms were available. What a joke.

OP, I'd flip a coin to see which one of the two you jump on the phone with and light up first, the GM or Marriott.

Make sure and create a week long reservation that includes next weekend before calling. I can't wait to hear the explanation/excuse.

Oh, and the ressie doesn't need to be from 2/10 - 2/17. It could be Wednesday to Wednesday. As long as you're willing to book for a week the Atlantic City Courtyard has a room for you on Valentines day weekend.

Again, this is boiling down to greed and money, especially with the new information. Call it a "popular" or "desirable" long weekend with Valentines Day coupled with a Monday holiday. He wants to be full for more than Saturday night, therefore has programmed (somehow) minimum length of stay requirements. No different then Mom & Pop beach side motels requiring week long stays in the heat of summer. Except they don't belong to a National chain with rules & requirements.

That is complete BS! If the hotel specifically requested of HQ that VD weekend be considered a special event that precludes override, that would be one thing because it would be in the system.

But to just say any holiday weekend is a 'special event' that HQ allows the override to be overrided (sorry 'bout the grammar) is bunk from what MC & socrates have said.

Get your ressie elsewhere; don't bother w/ this property - but please, do us all a favor, write a letter to the big guy (Marriott, not pasadena ;) This GM needs to be taught to follow policy.

And for others I'd say right now anyone considering staying there boycott the property until the GM starts following policy. PS - if you do, also drop him a note stating why you're doing so.

Cheers.

BTW - noticed this post by socrates in another thread.

"hhoope01:
The reason I ask is that if Corp controls when a hotel gets a "waiver" from this benefit, then it seems that Corp should know when those "waivers" are and we don't have to call the GM of the hotel just to find out if a waiver has been granted.

socrates:
The Regional VP must sign off on the request before it's submitted to the MARSHA Help Desk who is the final authority on granting the or denying the request."


So - to the OP - I'd still stay somewhere else, but would certainly call & ask the GM if he did the formal request, had the reg'l vp sign off on it, etc, and that if he hadn't followed that, that you WILL be notifying HQ of his non-compliance w/ policy in denying you the Plat override.

Cheers.

oh trust me I've received many a call from the res team asking for favors over approved blackout dates (when I've lost control of my inventory for various reasons)...at times I could assist as I regained some inventory but unfortunately at others I couldn't.....but with that said as you mention something doesn't add up with what's going on here...the hotel doesn't have the ability to turn this benefit off, if the system won't do it then it must be an approved date but "busy weekends, presidents day and valentines day" aren't acceptable (the form is extremely specific what will be approved and what wont be)...and trust me the hotel making a mistake or wanting to turn the benefit off just because will be met with laughter in DC