elliottishere

Just as the title sounds. Does having a staff ID for the US House of Representatives qualify as acceptable ID for the federal government rate at Marriott?

The rate says they require "Federal Govt picture ID (CAC or Common Access Card)" and Congressional staff are not issued CACs. Congress has its own entirely separate ID process.

flyerfmaz

Recently retired Fed here. I traveled a heck of a lot, both domestic and international, and was never asked for a photo ID at hotels to verify the rate. Many government agencies don't issue photo IDs to their employees (at least the one I worked for didn't).

The proof of eligibility was using a government-issue credit card to pay for the room. Why? Because the government rate is generally only for government employees on official business, and for that the ID doesn't help, but charging it to a government credit card does. If you have a government travel card you should have no trouble whatsoever. If you don't have a government-issue credit card then your ID may be useful, but you might be asked to provide some proof that you're on official travel (such as travel orders). My guess is that the ID would suffice in lieu of the credit card but it all depends on the hotel's policies. To be sure, call the hotel in advance and talk with the front desk directly.

VickiSoCal

Marriott's government rate generally only requires you be a employee, using on non-government travel is fine.

C17PSGR

I'm only asked for my military ID 50 percent of the time.

Apart from places like DC and Hawaii, I doubt the average desk clerk knows what a CAC card is. If it says Congress, I'm sure they'll let it go.

Please share your experience.

chrisl137

As far as I understand, all federal agencies now issue PIV-II photo ID badges to all employees, as well as contractors who need regular access to a gov't facility or IT asset, as part of HSPD-12 requirements. PIV-II cards are physically and electronically the same (or very close) as a CAC, which is the DOD version , but with different graphics and numbering.

As far as the OP - congressional employees and judicial employees might not have the same cards because the PIV-II badge requirement was done on executive order rather than by law, so the legislative and judicial branches aren't required to comply and can have their own ID process. It probably will still be accepted as a federal ID, but in some cases you might have to explain the difference.

Government rate is usually just something the hotel offers to comply with per diem limits so people will book- it's usually not a GSA negotiated rate, so they can give it to whoever they want. I'm at an FFRDC and we're generally eligible for government rate-- we used to have a letter we were supposed to carry explaining it, and I only ever used it once. Now that there's a standard ID across agencies, I get asked for ID about half the time, and sometimes in the DC area just "what agency".

I've been asked around LA, too, at a hotel around the block from a major aerospace contractor, and Boston. I suspect hotels near major contractors or military bases see quite a few of them.

Often1

Your Congressional ID will do just fine. It is indeed proof of your status as an employee/contractor of Congress.

PHLGovFlyer

This is incorrect IME. The vast majority of Marriott government rates simply state that the guest has to provide proof of federal affiliation, not that they must pay with a government credit card. There are a few exceptions (e.g. Aruba Stellaris), but I've had dozens of government rate stays that were vacations rather than official business, paid with my personal CC, and never had an issue. Recently MR properties have been asking for government ID with greater regularity so the OP should be prepared.

ohmark

As has been posted frequently in the government rate thread, Marriott's explicit government rate policy is that it is valid for leisure stays, but subject to local exception. IME, local exception is unusual. Marriott's policy as to usage of the government credit card is not that it is mandatory (which would preclude use of the government rate for leisure travel), but that it is, generally, an acceptable form of ID. The few properties that limit the government rate to official travel may require use of the government credit card, but this would by that property's policy.

C17PSGR

I just think as a practical matter, most desk agents don't know what a federal ID looks like. I've occasionally seen rates that are local rates and recently a Spanish government rate -- I hand my federal ID and no one notices.

Soon ... we'll see if the retired ID works

chrisl137

All my gov't rate stays have been paid with a personal credit card because I work for a contractor, not directly for the agency. Nobody's ever made a peep about it.

Another thing about gov't rates is that hotels aren't required to offer them, and many in very busy places will have a limit on the number of gov't rate rooms they make available. When we have major reviews and a lot of gov't employees come out they sometimes end up scattered among hotels because each one will only take a limited number of people at that rate. I've also had instances where work booked me at a non-gov't rate because the hotel was all out and I showed my ID at check-in and they knocked it down to gov't rate.

elliottishere

This would be for leisure travel so I would be paying with a personal credit card.

I guess it's just an issue of wording with the rate saying they require a CAC as CAC's are only issued to employees who work for departments that are authorized under the Executive Branch.

For those who are curious, this is what a Congressional ID looks like. I couldn't even find a staff one but close enough:

nachosdelux

I would not post that ID on the internet!

chrisl137

CACs are DOD-specific-- other departments call it PIV-II. The real distinction is that the number on your CAC works as a KTN so you can get pre-check, while the number on a PIV-II badge doesn't, even though you have to have more than the pre-check background check to get it.

Congressional ID looks like the same type of card but with a different paint job. I wouldn't worry about being accepted - it doesn't look like a paper library card filled out by hand.

GrandOldTurkey

Oh my goodness!

I expect that you will be being contacted by the House security office for posting an ID.

I suggest that you have FlyerTalk delete this post asap.

This foolish posting may not only hurt your present status, but your future prospects as well.

chrisl137

It's a link to a pic that's been up on buzzfeed for at least 2 years. That 2009 is probably an expiration date.

The appearance of ID badges isn't and shouldn't be a secret - if it is then there's no way to verify that you're seeing a real one. There are lots of PIV-II and CAC pictures published as well, many by the gov't.

I actually have given clearance investigators a hard time because they carry ID that anybody with a color printer could produce and aren't issued PIV-II badges.