According to what is written, you are likely correct, Socrates. Yet when I accidentally made the reservation and called to cancel, I was told exactly what 1P writes.

Bottom line: It is horribly written. Based on what's written, the OP should be entitled to a refund if requested at least thirty days out, but would likely find resistance from the hotel based on what I was told when I called. Better the OP should NOT call and ask, so as to save the "confusingly written" defense if he needs it than to have the hotel give him their interpretation now, making it harder to claim confusion if the defense is needed later.

I totally agree.

Bruce

$249/night for a PSU football weekend is actually pretty reasonable. And BTW the entire point of being there IS to be surrounded by rowdy football fans That's just the way things roll in large college towns during major sporting events.

I've stayed at the property previously. It's a fairly typical FI, nice enough, good rooms, decent plat treatment, good breakfast spread, and very reasonably priced on non-football weekends.

Because we already know what the answer from "the source" will be. As discussed repeatedly upthread and based on CJK's call it's clear that the hotel's INTENT is that the rate be completely non-refundable. Calling the hotel again is not going to provide any new information. The issue is that what is written can be interpreted very differently from what the hotel intended.

Maybe the subtlety that is lost here is that I'm hoping another FT'er with experience and insight will chime in with more info or advice as others so helpfully have. e.g:

100% spot on assessment. And there is no way I'm calling the hotel to discuss potential cancellation of my existing reservation knowing full well what they will tell me (that the hotel interprets the rate as non-refundable - period).

As I mentioned the other day I agree completely

For what it's worth and I hope it does come to this but customer service would back you over the hotel, if the rate was nonrefundable from day one it should have been setup without cancellation allowed (which is easy to do)

if I read CJKs post correctly, when he accidentally made the reservation and then cvalled he did not state if he called Marriott reservations or the hotel directly............in either case as I posted before, my suggestion was to call the prop and get them to define their CXL policy to you in writing............as others point out about defenses, the best defense is to have the props written words, not those of a phone call which legally cannot be relied upon, then you wouldn't need MCS to intervene and comne down on your side as you'd know how the prop was going to interpret their CXL policy......

so, sorry (again) to disagree, but at this time you do not know from the source their interpretation.........

You are not thinking this through...

There is no benefit to calling now. Calling now either means accepting the no cancelation policy once it's explained or canceling the reservation, neither of which the OP wants to do. Not calling now gives him the chance to have that conversation if he wants to cancel later. Having the conversation now really means forfeiting his ability to cancel later.

What possible benefit could there be to calling now?

And I called BOTH Marriott and the property to make sure my card was not charged, as it was my work card, not my personal card. Both sources gave the same answer. The 800# canceled the reservation and the hotel confirmed it had been canceled.

I agree with CJK. Calling now just closes doors that would otherwise remain open. If someone calls later and cites the confusing rules, the hotel (and Marriott reservations) are likely to cut him a break. If he calls now, gets the rules clarified and the hotel documents the clarification in the record, then he's clearly out of luck down the road if he needs to cancel.

Bruce

the documentation is legally termed an admission by a party opponent .......once stated it cannot be later changed...........it "locks" in the defense of interpretation of the CXL policy by the property.......

it cannot be used against the OP as at no time did I state, or even suggest, that the OP quote his current reservation to record it against........my suggestion was limited to just getting the property to define their interpretation of their allegedly confusing CXL policy.........

if I had the problem of the OP, I would simply have called the prop and asked the rate mgr to explain their confusing CXL policy (in writing) before I made the resee, but I guess I always think "KISS" vrs. trying to create a problem, as herein............

The problem exists. It's not a question of avoiding a problem. It's a question of leaving the door open or having it shut.

Suppose he calls now and is told the cancelation policy does not allow him to get a refund, but the hotel is willing to either refund his money now, because of the confusion, or allow him to keep the reservation under the rules as intended. He then loses his defense if he wants to cancel his reservation. No Centre County judge (and yes, that's the state where I practiced law and yes, I grew up over the mountain from PSU) is going to allow him a refund, if it came to that, because he could have mitigated his damages when the policy was explained. One would be more likely to get a verdict against Disney in Orlando than a verdict against a hotel enforcing hotel weekend rates.

Exactly. Who goes around poking (nittany) lions with a stick?

what's the standing joke - something like put 20 lawyers in a room and you'll get 20-different answers......... guess it holds true here

as an aside, you're assuming facts not in evidence such as your conclusion that the prop would come out with a position that would damage the OP and not mirror what Socrates (whose opinion is certainly appreciated) has stated........of course if the prop mirrors what Soc has stated which would you use as a defense - what the property states or what Soc says? (as I know which I'd use and which one would be held against the prop in the event of a dispute ....)

a few Spartans

GO GREEN

GO WHITE!!!!

The facts are in evidence. I talked to agents at both the Marriott 800# and the property after making the reservation and was told the intent is what has been paid will be forfeited, but nothing more will be charged. It is unlikely the OP would get a different answer. The chances are so incredibly small that he would get a different answer that it would be foolish to push the issue.

Even putting that to the side, if he calls, at best, he's in the same position he is in now. Calling does nothing to improve his position, but can weaken it. Why do something with no upside but potential for harm?

That doesn't even reach the level of ridiculous. You prepay in full, and they charge you even more to cancel? Then why cancel? I don't see where they charge you an extra penalty on top of that for not showing up.