PaulInTheSky

I have 13 nights reserved, with nine of which in May. I received the 45k-bonus promotion. I really have to complete the DPS trips in order to be close to the bonus points. Disappointing. Wish they could include the May nights...

Rebelyell

I loved the certificates, but an amazing number of people griped about them. I don't travel much and got the double points offer. I won't be staying at Marriott, except to use my two Cat 5 certificates in Boulogne (Paris), which now is a Cat 6. So four $100 hotel nights garnered me roughly $500 in free hotel rooms. That's not a very desirable economic model from Marriott's standpoint.

My wife got the Stay 15 get 25,, stay 20 get 35k. She earned 25,000 with the last Megabonus and will likely earn the 35k this time. By the end of the year she should have about 300,000 points. Combined with my 50k, that gives her enough points for a good travel package. As long as they don't devalue, we aren't complaining, and my wife will book her 20 Marriott nights.

joetro

I received in writing that points will be earned on the THIRD and following stays for those like me with the double points offer. This is pretty crummy, and now I'm looking at two dummy stays I don't need just to make this work. May reconsider ...

apodo77

Nothing showing in my account under the "promotions" link:

Promotion Central
NEW PROMOTIONS
No new promotions.

Got this when I went to the website of the promotion:

A Note About This Promotion
We’re sorry, but there was an error in directing you to this promotion.
The reason for this error could be:
You’re trying to access a miles promotion and are a points-earner, or vice versa
You are not eligible for this promotion
This promotion has expired
Updating your earning preference is fast and easy; simply sign into your account. For all other issues, please contact Marriott Rewards Customer Support.

CJKatl

Marriott will probably spend more money on phone staff overtime answering the calls from people unhappy after their second stay doesn't result in double points than it would cost to give the double points on the second stay!

RadSam

I didn't have an offer posted, so called customer service this morning and they enrolled me in the 45,000 point/25-night promotion.

djp98374

I stay about 20 paid hotel nights per year. 2 5-7 day vacations per year( burn certs/points) + 1-2 work trips of 4 days or so, a scattering of park and fly's or overnights, and a few weekend stays.

for me hotel promos is a big driver.

The certs have gotten devalued with the category changes.

I wouldnt mind instead of the 2 stays/free cert for it to be something like 2 stays get 10K-20K pts. The point a mounts for the 2 stays could be linked to some formula based on the category the hotel is. If you did 2 stays at a cat 5+ you would get more points than if the 2 stays were at a cat 3.




i think an IHG rep has come over to Marriott. To many different promos.



the griping has been with the categories going up....thus devaluation the certs. in many locations you dont have a decent place to use them.

I would like to see promos where they grant a free stay at any hotel ---no restrictions.

the issue with this promo is that its talking of not rewarding it right from the start but double points starting from the third stay. I think it would be more tolerable if they did it from the start of the stays


My gut feeling is I think there will be some targetted promos based on division of Marriott like 2 stays at a Fairfield you get 5,000 bonus points, 2 stays at Courtyard you get 10,000 bonus points.

VickiSoCal

Realistically if they start offering 10 or 20K points for 2 stays in 3 months they better be giving a lot more than 45K points for 25 nights!

Moriens

That happens to a handful of accounts every time. Enroll by phone. (Promotion code MY14.)

DeltaWings

Finally took a look at this and got the 20 nights/35k + 25 nights/45k offer, which will certainly help with my next large travel package, but it is lame.

I got two cat 1-5 certs worth 50k points for 4 stays last time. Gotta scoff at a 45k max at the highest tier, but I'm entirely Marriott, so I'll just deal with it.

CJKatl

Stay one night at the highway FI, get a cert for a free night in Hawaii?

Marriott does this from time to time. I've gotten targeted offers for SHS and CY properties in the past, along the lines of stay twice, get X# of points.

Last summer, I posted this gripe over and over. It made no sense that the lower offer (Cat 5 certs) was worth 50k points but the highest offer only 45k. Others pointed out, though, that I could use the points, without expiration, towards almost two nights in Paris or NYC. The 45k points wind up having a higher redemption dollar value equivalent than the certs would have.

Suppose I redeem my 45k points towards a Cat 9 five night stay, which is 160k now. Suppose the Cat 9 hotel is $500/night. The redemption winds up being for a $2,500 hotel stay. Since the promo points are paying 28% of that reward, they are getting me $700 worth of hotel stay. That redemption winds up trumping the Cat 5 cert unless there is a $350/night Cat 5 hotel out there. Even if there is, it's not staying in the middle of Paris/NYC or a lux beach prop.

newaarondavidson

Worst bonus in recent memory. Much prefer the certificates.

alc

Thought to post the link to the Full T&C for each of the 4 version of the promo:

http://www.marriott.com/File_Blocks/..._terms_us.html --> Double Points, up to 25K

http://www.marriott.com/File_Blocks/..._terms_us.html --> 25K for 15 nights, additional 10K for 20 nights

http://www.marriott.com/File_Blocks/..._terms_us.html --> 25K for 12 nights, additional 10K for 18 nights

http://www.marriott.com/File_Blocks/..._terms_us.html --> 35K for 20 nights, additional 10K for 25 nights

nacho

Mods, is it possible to do a poll on our preference (certs vs points)? I would prefer the certs over the points at anytime - doing a poll will show Marriott how we feel about the promo (if they bother looking at it).

CJKatl

Marriott will likely see how this promo drives business and make a decision based on that. I fear any poll results will makes us look greedy and would result in FT being taken even less seriously by Marriott. Insiders has had a long running thread on it being time to retire the certs, but that's different. BTW, many over there seem to favor getting rid of the certs.

Marriott knows that what most people want is Cat 1-9 certs awarded for two says at any property, including a highway exit FI. It's unrealistic. If this promo fails to drive business as Marriott wishes, they won't do it again. Driving business as Marriott wants it driven isn't necessarily getting the most business, or getting as many people as possible to stay four nights.

Frankly, the award for four stays has been very, very generous in the past. The double points award is very generous, although not as overly generous. Realize you are demanding eight free nights a year if you stay in Marriott properties for just a handful of nights, on top of the points to free nights that will still be rewarded. Perhaps Marriott has realized that is a steep price for just a few nights' commitment to the hotel. Even if everyone who would otherwise stay four times to get the certs stopped staying, Marriott may still wind up coming out financially ahead of awarding the certs.

Giveaways change. Ivory Soap has managed to stay in business for forty plus years after stopping the towel giveaway that people thought was necessary. Texaco stations no longer have free oil and tire checks done with every fill-up, but they've managed to stay in business. Just because Mallo Cups still have the cardboard coins doesn't mean every company has to continue offering something just because customers have become addicted to the freebee.