I use mobile check in all the time and have never had that happen. Sounds like an issue with that particular hotel.

Call back and speak to someone competent who isn't making things up. That small amount is an internal charge to the Marriott Corporation when points or certs are used presumably to compensate for housekeeping. For whatever reason they have appeared from time to time at limited service brands and a phone call usually gets them removed quickly.

When you do mobile check-in, a message gets sent to the front desk. They look at any requests (high floor, etc) & often will assign a room based on parameters/requests. Once they make the key you get a notice that your room is ready. You're not actually checked in until you go to the front desk & get the keys. They have to pro-actively click on the check-in button. They normally ask if you want to use the credit card you have on file. Whether it's the card on file or you give them a new one, it authorizes the charge/does a 'hold' & a window pops up saying you're checked in if the hold was approved.

If there were several problems that weekend sounds like it was a property/FDC problem. If you were a no-show you wouldn't be charged $11, but would be charged for the entire stay. Just call MR cust service & they'll get it sorted.

Cheers.

Would this help with husband early check-in?
 

I am Marriott Gold and have a reservation for the Marriott Metro Center in Washington DC. My husband is flying into DC on a redeye from LA, arriving very early in the morning into IAD and will likely get into the city around 7 a.m. I am arriving, separately, by train from NYC and won't arrive until 1:30 p.m. into Union Station.

I was hoping that my husband might be able to check in early, but since neither of us is arriving after the regular check-in time, I wondered whether using mobile check-in gets us anywhere. For example, even though he is listed as a guest on the reservation, I am the one with Elite Status and the credit card on the room is mine.

Would mobile check-in actually make it MORE difficult for him to check in without me? Or easier?

Thanks.

It all depends on the hotel, but theoretically, early check in is one of the few useful things about mobile check in. It alerts the hotel that you'll be there early and IMO there's a better chance they'll have a room ready for you.

As far as your husband checking in first, I don't think mobile will make a difference. When I'm in that situation, I always call the hotel that morning and let them know exactly who will be checking in to receive the keys. When I've done that, I've never had an issue.

Thank you, JBord.
I actually decided against mobile check-in, but did, in fact, call the hotel directly and let them know my husband would be arriving before me. He arrived to the hotel this morning & they were able to give him a room, already! I think it probably helps that the hotel was not oversold.

I've noticed I always get a notification to do mobile checkin quite early - - for example, at 8AM Friday when my stay is to begin Saturday.

I found this curious so I checked and noticed that I can choose an arrival time as early as 8AM through the app - - ie mobile checkout notification goes out 24 hours before the earliest checkin time you can request by app.

If I request early checkin through the app, will I be informed whether it's accepted before tomorrow?

You will not receive any type of "approval" notification of an early check-in request. You will receive a notification when your room is ready and you can get the key from the front desk.

I have found this very helpful, as I sometimes request a very early check-in when I arrive early into a city. Convenient to drop off my bag and freshen up after a flight before heading into the office.

Using mobile key for the first time this week
 

I am staying at my usual Courtyard and thought I'd give the mobile key a try. I opted in when I did mobile check-in the day before my arrival. Then when I stopped by the desk I mentioned the mobile key and she told me to refresh the app and the message changed to "Stop by the front desk to show your ID and get your mobile key" or something to that effect.

Three confused employees and 10 minutes later my mobile key started working. Is there anything I need to do in my profile to "fully" opt in or otherwise speed up this process? It was a new employee at first so maybe that explains it.

When it works properly, does it actually allow you to bypass the check-in counter and go right to your room, or do you still have to stop by the desk and show ID? Part of me appreciates the security, part of me likes avoiding 10-min queues when my usual check-in transaction takes about 30 seconds.

Part of me would rather make sure I have a hard key in case my phone dies (rather than have to get that key at an inconvenient time), or there are any issues with the phone when I get to the room door, and part of me would like to make sure they apply my Platinum arrival gift (points). But I've rarely encountered a wait when checking in at most Marriott's. I have no issue with the mobile key, but for me it's in addition to the key card.

I have now twice had the problem with app that it sets my check in time to 12 hours earlier. I select 21:30, a bit later the app shows that as 09:30.

First time I was fairly certain I had selected 17:30, but coming to the RC Berlin they had had a room ready from 05:30, that was the notification they got. This time I made 100% sure I selected 21:30, but just had to call the hotel to let them know that I was not coming 09:30

Before calling I tried updating my arrival time to 21:30, but everytime it switched back to 09:30.

Anyone having the same problem?

Courtyard San Jose Campbell
 

Did mobile check in for five rooms on Friday night. When I arrived there was a huge check in line (large wedding party with cases of cheap beer) and no separate line for mobile check in or elite check in.

Apparently this location doesn't have mobile check in, so I spent over an hour waiting in line and waiting for them to assign rooms and make keys. Seems kind of low tech for a silicon valley location.

Rooms were fine and staff did their best, but they ran out of the room type I had booked (I don't mean bed type request -- I booked rooms with two queens and they cost more than the king rooms they wanted us to move to).

FYI, if you use the app to sent messages/requests to the hotel, it does not work in China. I assume because the instant messaging apps are blocked in China.