kklems

I am using cat 4 certs to stay in Downtown Cleveland at a Residence Inn for a Browns/Steelers game in October. Price is $199.99 a night per night.
Looks like a nice property to me http://www.marriott.com/hotels/hotel...land-downtown/

I bet my qual stays did even cost me $199 for the two nights. (well at least before taxes)

The 25k/3k5 for 15/20 nights doesn't even get you in a Cat 6 hotel for a night either. 60k and up unless you want to pay more cash OOP.

I guess to each their own.

wethereyet

I get 35/50k

A RI in CLEVELAND is your example. I rest my case...

gardener

We get it, you are more important than the rest of us and only stay in JW Marriotts and Ritz Carltons.

jlb3

I also really prefer certs and use them quite a bit! Using them this fall for the Chesapeake Marriott (VA) and the Marriott Charlestown (WV). Not exotic locations, sure, but saves me about $250 for 2 nights. Hard to complain about that!

And next year I'd like to save up my certs for an international trip -- yes you have to pay a lot for the airfare but once you get there the hotel is free! So in my mind it balances out in cost to a domestic trip.

escapefromphl

Yeah but you have to stay 15-25 nights vs 4 nights with the certs. Some of us don't exclusively stay with Marriott, but the certs provided the extra motivation to give them a minimum of 4 stays during the promo period.

CJKatl

But are those measly four stays something that should be compensated with certs good for a weekend at a top-notch hotel in the most desirable locations?

In other words, is Marriott better off leaving four nights empty rather than getting a small amount of revenue at those hotels but have to give up $400 in revenue at a more desirable hotel down the line? Even the maximum Getaway Bonus - 45k - only requires Marriott give up one Cat 7 night somewhere down the line. It's pretty easy to see, especially with hotels running at higher capacity, why Marriott might not think four certs are worth the relatively small amount of additional revenue collected. When the threat is, "Give me more than my business is worth or I'll not give you business" Marriott's more attractive option is to let your costly business walk.

Since Categories are assigned by the desirability of the property for points redemption, by definition, Cat 4 properties and below are the less desirable properties. By allowing the Certs to be used at those properties, Marriott takes what will likely be unused rooms and allows relatively high value rewards for minimal stays. Increase the Cat of property and that balance falls apart.

Example: Four one night stays at an Atlanta far-suburb hotel can be $49/night. For under $200, a member can have two free nights. The Ren Midtown Atlanta is a Cat 6 hotel, which goes for over $200 night. Cat 6 indicates it is a popular hotel. Why should someone have the ability to get $400+ in hotel stays for less than $200 in original business? It would be different if those expensive rooms were likely to sit empty, but the Cat indicates that is not the case. It just seems like too much reward. When hotels are at less capacity, it might make sense, but given hotel capacity is at relative highs right now, it just doesn't seem realistic. Threatening to withhold the <$200 in business unless Marriott doles out the >$400 in reward does not seem to be a winning threat. Marriott appears better off to let that business walk.

escapefromphl

I assumed we were talking cat 1-5 certs. Those seem to work for semi-desirable properties, like a RI near the coast or an older FS. Not so much lately but in the past there were decent options.

I for one can't remember when I last paid less than $100 a night at any Marriott property. I would say I'm probably averaging $200 a night. I know those sub $100 places exist but I never seem to go there, I would assume that holds for most people in tech or finance.

For this promo period I moved most of my stays to Hilton (I have diamond status there) and also did a few nights at Starwood properties. Not that their promos were all that great but earning double only starting on my third stay didn't move the dial at all.

sdsearch

Not everyone was been able to get cat 1-5 certs from the last MegaBonus. Cat 1-4 certs were a much more common offer.



The discussion here is about whether people wants certs in the next (fall 2014) MegaBonus, and thus what used to work with certs in the past but doesn't any more seems totally irrelevant to this discussion.

dmodemd

Cat 5 good. Cat 4 not so good.

I take the points...

SkiAdcock

This.

Each promo to date always gets the I prefer points, I prefer certs discussion, as well as the certs are useless/no they're not discussion.

Some folk prefer points/some prefer certs. Sometimes the same person will prefer points in one promo & certs in another based on their stay pattern during the promos.

Some want to be able use certs at the highest cats & thus say they're worthless when they can't. Others find them of value when using them for properties that, while on paper, but aren't the highest categories might have high prices due to special events or exchange rates or time of year when people are on holiday, or just want to get away on staycations or stay near an airport for early/late night flights.

It's definitely a to each their own, and I find it a bit silly when people make absolute statements such as certs are worthless. For every person that finds them worthless, another finds them worthwhile.

BTW - a lot of folk are unhappy w/ the get double points starting with your 3rd stay summer promo & are saying bring back the certs

Cheers.

IcHot

[QUOTE=CJKatl;23339837] Why should someone have the ability to get $400+ in hotel stays for less than $200 in original business?/QUOTE]

Because the number zero is awful. Because building a brand loyalty costs money. Because the opportunity to attract customers who are positive toward your business can easily flip the script.

I have earned certs for below the retail price of the rooms I redeemed for and I have redeemed certs for rooms that cost a fraction of the cost of acquiring them.

If I feel the promos are stingy or unattainable, it puts me off the brand even more than having no promo.

soccerpapi

I agree with Sharon on this.

soccer

wethereyet

Certs expire, points don't

3X megabonus year = 150k points. Far, far, more valuable to road warriors when it comes to to use MR for vacation destinations.

Certs are good for nothing more than second rate, off the beaten path hotels. For the average person who uses MR, yes, the certs are worthless. Ya ain't staying at the JW in Marco Island on a cert

CJKatl

Most people couldn't possibly feel that way. The idea that on top of the regular points and perks given for your stay, you have an expectation that Marriott will fork over tons of additional free stuff, and if that free stuff isn't two free nights for four free stays, Marriott is being stingy just seems a tad over the top.

It's business. Marriott offers what they think is reasonable and will give it the business advantage they desire. The customer looks at available options and chooses to stay where he/she thinks he/she can get the best deal. How Marriott can be defined as stingy because their business offer isn't what you think you deserve just doesn't make sense.

nacho

I think certs are better for leisure travellers compared to road warriors. For us who travel on our own dime, we do try to maximize our $. I love the certs because they saved me about $249/night in VA close to DC, that was the best use of our cat 4 certs. 2 nights in Dulles Airport Marriott and 2 nights at RI Pentagon City, both hotels are cat 4 and if I had to use points it would have been 80k points out of our accounts.

I really really hope that Marriott is bringing the certs back (cat 4 is fine by me), and options for choosing points for those who prefers that.