Depends. I still don't know if they are usable at RCs or not. If they are and I was planning on an RC stay, I might prefer the certs as I might be able to get more than 90K's worth out of them. Also, if I had a need for a couple of nights at a hotel where they didn't have any award availability, I might prefer the certs. I try to go to a Tennessee and.or A&M football game each year. I can usually find standard rooms available for game nights, but not any award availability. So the certs might be very helpful next year when Tenn and A&M play each other as I will be there using points or not.)

I'd probably like the points if I don't have any good use for those certs planned. The points can be used as part of a TP award (my favorite use of Marriott points) where an Ultimate cert can't. And my points don't expire (I'm a LT Plat) where I'd guess the certs have a set expiration date.

So it really depends.

Hopefully, this isn't in anticipation of a devaluation of points or the addition of the much anticipated Category 10 next year. IIRC, the certificates offered previously were good world wide at any Marriott affiliated brand with no black-out dates and were very expensive to the violating hotel.

On another note, did anyone notice on that same benefit page a change to the wording of the Guaranteed Lounge Access/Breakfast benefit? It now says,

"Enjoy refreshments and complimentary breakfast for you and one guest in the lounge."

The Elite T&Cs still reflect the old wording of this benefit, "Guaranteed Concierge/Executive/Club Lounge Access For Platinum and Gold Elite members and one guest... Lounge offers light snacks and daily continental breakfast."

Is the removal of the word, "Club," from this benefit a way to limit or deny access in the future to the new M Clubs that are sprouting up as Marriotts are renovated? Also, refreshments could mean anything as simple as a bottle of water. Does this updated language mean that we will see downgrades to the lounge offerings in the evenings?


Regards,

RIP...

Why would they be better than points. In fact, I posit that the set things points can be used for is a superset of the things that points can be used for, which means that points are ALWAYS better than certs:

(1) Points have a longer expiration period that can be extended indefinitely; certificates expire and cannot easily be extended.
(2) Points can be redeemed for certificates as needed.
(3) Points can be used in different combinations--broken up into multiple small stays or added together to redeem for a travel package; certs can only be used for night stays and cannot be broken up for more low-category stays.
(4) Points count towards lifetime status; certs do not.
(5) Points can be transferred to others; certs cannot.

Thus, points >= certs in all cases.

QUOD ERAT DEMONSTRANDUM

I read that last change as being just a way to simplify something to sound more friendly and to reflect that "club loungesM are not cool anymore. The new "M club" lounge is just branding and a way to be trendy.

What if there is no award inventory in the hotel you want to stay on the dates you want? Awards have capacity controls. The certs don't.

Bingo.

And I don't redeem for travel packages.

As has been pointed out, this very much is a YMMV.

can you confirm that the new certs associated with the URG do not have any T&Cs that limit their usage (or is this just an assumption)?

My reply was really directed at the question concerning Marriott's original change from certs to points. There was an assertion that the points option was always better than the certs. And while I agree that points might be better in a lot (probably even most) situations, its not better in all situations.

I'm hoping that if Marriott is going back to the certs as part of the Ultimate Guarantee for Plats, those certs are the same ones as before. But until someone actually invokes the Guarantee and gets a couple of those certs, we won't really know.

I got an official answer from Marriott at the Rewards Insiders forum. They say it's a recent change and that the certificates are for any category hotel.

great, BUT that was only part of the unanswered question inasmuch as RCs are not by Cat but by Tiers so if walked from a non-Marriott if limited to Cat one cannot use it at an RC.

BTW, it's been stated by Marriott Concerige that Marriott Insider is NOT an authorized Marriott spokesperson so rely on their publications accordingly.

That's a bit like the pot calling the kettle black (MC & MI). MarriottInsider is part of a team that Marriott assigns to Insiders on its website to answer questions, field some minor issues, etc. Oftentimes they have to check internally when asked questions (& they don't always get the correct response from internally). MarriottInsiders posts official announcements of program changes, megabonus, etc, sooner on the Insiders site than MarriottConcierge does on FT.

A question that I don't know the answer to as it's been so long since I've had the walk certs. Did they ever include RCs? I don't remember that.

Cheers.

Good advice. In the same thread, they said they are still doing points, not certs.