bhsu21

(Posting this here to share my experience and hoping someone from Marriott sees this and can help me out.)

I had never bought a Flashperk before but wanted to get in on this opportunity to get 2 tickets to a NFL game and 2 nights at a Courtyard. I knew they'd go fast.

I wanted to get the package from Marriott because:

- I assumed I'd save money by buying a package
- Because Marriott is the official hotel of the NFL, I thought they'd offer great seats as part of this special package.

There was no mention of where the seats would be anywhere during the buying process. It wasn't until I got the package when I knew where my seats were.

I bought two packages. A game in Denver for 9/7 (paid $800) and a game in Seattle for 9/21 (paid $797). More than I expected when I first saw the price. I didn't have time to think whether or not to get it cause I knew they'd go fast. So I bought both since my wife and I wanted to see a Denver game in Denver and wanted to visit Seattle anyways this year.

Hotels rooms for each night w/o the packages were about $210-$220 before tax if I remember correctly. I checked after buying the packages.

Still I hoped the seats would be great to make it worth buying the package. Otherwise I'd be paying more by buying a package than breaking it up.

I know each package came with a $100 SW giftcard and a $25 Courtyard giftcard. Still factoring that in, I don't think I got a great deal by buying a package from Marriott nor did I get anything special.

The seats I got for the game in Denver were delivered to me and printed from Ticketmaster on regular white paper. I found that strange. It had someone's name on it and it was blacked out with a marker.



I wondered if Marriott just went on Ticketmaster and bought tickets from a reseller. Why was there's someone's name but blacked out? I can still read the name and it was issued to a Marriott corporate employee based in Washington DC after doing some Googling.

Seats were in 235, which wasn't the 300 level but not the lower level like we hoped. They were in the corner 22 rows up. Face value of each ticket was $85.

Today I got the package for the Denver vs Seattle game. Those seats were worse. Section 300 row X. Face value of the ticket is $60.




That's three rows from the very top of the stadium. I wasn't pleased. I understand it's an outstanding matchup, but if on the sales page before buying it said the tickets would be section 300 in the corner, I would not have bought it for $797 total.

If I'm going to be in the corner that high up, I'd rather be at home watching it on TV.

While looking for others that may have mentioned the package they bought, I found the Courtyard Facebook page. Wish I found this much earlier. I noticed a discussion that happened the day of the sale about disappointment in the packages offered.



Let me address some points made:

• They look to price these packages to provide a savings to the consumer. (don't think so based on face value. In another FT thread, users checked out prices for the hotel and the tickets separately for other packages and turned out it wasn't a great savings, unless the tickets were amazing. Mine were not so I wondered how the others were.)
• The seats in these packages are all very good seats, a majority of which are on the lower level (depending on the stadium). (300 is not lower level for sure nor is 235)
• We are proud to offer the best game day experience as part of this package including excellent seats at a good price. Even though the sale is over, the packages could have been cancelled if the seats were not what was expected. (Who wants to sit three rows from the top of the stadium in the corner? Not me for that price. After I purchased and thought maybe I didn't get a great deal, I looked to cancel but saw there was a no cancellation and refund policy. Seeing the employee say that the package could be cancelled was after seeing the seats was new to me.)

I posted on the Courtyard Facebook page and am still waiting for a response. If I'm entitled to a refund for the Seattle package, based on what the employee said, I'd take it.

Just disappointed that as the official hotel of the NFL, better seats were not made available at the price I paid. I don't feel I got great savings nor anything special.

I would think others who bought the NFL package didn't get a great deal if each were about $800.

craz

I also wouldnt be none to happy. Ive learnt over the yrs that most pkgs that the different hotel programs throw at me would cost me less if I simply went and purchased each on its own.But in your case it seems they gave you the worst seats in the house. If anything Id be Demanding the difference back bet the retail value of the tkts and the cost of the 2 nights,

As for SEA I just got back, stayed by SEA and took the light rail to/from the Mariners game the other day. All the hotels near the airport have shuttles and their rates were a heck of alot less then what the hotels wanted Downtown. With last train back to the airport at apx Midnight and an all-day pass for $5.50, I havent stayed DT in a # of yrs. I imagine they gave you the CY Pioneer Sq, which is not a long walk from the Stadiums nor most DT places, still I like staying by SEA and saving the $$ or pts over staying DT.

If the hotel is for 9/20-9/22 many hotels by the airport are 1/2 the price of the CY-PS

UKOK

Jeez. You'd be better off taking your chances with the scalpers game day. What a rip off.

catocony

1) Always purchase sports tickets on Stubhub.

2) Always book hotel stays using a corporate rate of some kind.

dgreen12

Face value of the Seattle tickets is $60. Yup, and single tickets were sold out in July (all tickets to all games are sold out).

Stubhub has tickets for Section 300 on sale now for that Denver game. Row Z (worse than Row X) has seats available for $282+ per ticket.

Did you get a screaming deal? No.

Did you get tickets to a sold out game in a city that hotel rooms are very expensive especially during a peak sporting event? Yes.

Sorry, no sympathy from me.

bhsu21

I've learned my lesson with buying packages sold by the hotel unless they specifically state what I'm getting.

bhsu21

That what I was thinking after doing the math.

Sousaphil

These corporate deals are dumb for the Marriott brand unless they can offer perks not generally available to the public. If it came with a couple pre-game field passes, you'd probably be willing to overlook the fact that they put you in the worst section of the stadium.

I like what American Express does with their entertainment packages. You can get guaranteed preferred seating, or other exclusive benefits.

bhsu21

Was the first time I've ever gotten a sports package through the hotel. Lesson learned.

No problem. If it's a diehard Denver fan who wants to see the game, then it might be of value to them. Same with a diehard Seattle fan coming from out of town. Maybe they missed out on tickets and this was a great way to get it + hotel.

I'm not a diehard fan of either team, even though I love the NFL. I usually watch games at home since I love the NFL Redzone channel.

So as a fan, I was thinking that the package would offer seats that I normally wouldn't be able to buy especially paying a premium for the package.

Yes I did look at Stubhub and Ticketmaster to see how much 3rd parties were selling it for before I wrote this. But again I'm not interested in sitting three rows from the top. I'd rather watch this game at home in Jacksonville, FL.

I was surprised that's the type of package that Marriott Courtyard puts together as the official hotel of the NFL.

dgreen12

Additional datapoint from Stubhub for Denver-Seattle.

Standing room tickets (e.g., no seats) are being offered for $230 to $250 per person.

bhsu21

I agree. I would think as the official hotel of the NFL, they would offer something special with these packages. Sure if they had a couple pre-game field passes I wouldn't be writing this. That's access that's hard to get for any general fan. That's a cool experience.

Sitting three rows from the top of the stadium in the corner isn't a cool experience.

bhsu21

Yes I know this is a huge game. It's the rematch of the Super Bowl. Both teams should be undefeated going into it.

However I'm not a diehard fan of either team.

Even the Courtyard employee on their Facebook page said, "as the official hotel of the NFL, we are proud to offer the best game day experience as part of this package including excellent seats at a good price."

Corner section, three rows from the top doesn't scream best game day experience to me nor excellent seats.

Maybe to diehard fans only.

SkiAdcock

Well you learned an expensive lesson. Since you've bought the package & can't cancel it, then just go & enjoy it. To quote you, "So I bought both since my wife and I wanted to see a Denver game in Denver and wanted to visit Seattle anyways this year".

Cheers.

Sousaphil

I live in Denver. PM me if you want bar and restaurant recommendations!

bhsu21

Yes it's a lesson learned. No doubt.

I thought I couldn't cancel it because that's what it stated on the confirmation email. Then I found the Courtyard Facebook page and found this stated the day of the sale by one of their employees.



That surprised me and so I want to do just what he said. However I tried calling to find out where the seats were days after I bought the package. Marriott rep had no idea. So I had to wait till I got the tickets in the mail.

So I've been trying to get a refund. No reply on their Courtyard page. I've tweeted Marriott and Courtyard. So I thought I'd post here as well to share the type of package that is actually delivered for someone thinking about it next year and hoping someone from Marriott might see this and deliver on the promise of canceling and refunding it for me.

Had I not seen that, I would have just shared my displeasure here for others to be aware in the future, hope Marriott would know, gone to the game, and learned an expensive lesson.