Marriott Rewards program in decline
 

I have been a MR Platinum for five years or more, but the program was so solid in the past past and now it is just inconsistent and dysfunctional. I booked a rewards stay room with the Marriott app last October 2016 and while I was on the way to the hotel they called and cancelled my reservation stating they were overbooked. I asked about the Marriott platinum guarantee and they said to call corporate, so I did and they rebooked me into a more expensive hotel for more points.

Tonight, I tried to book a reservation on the Platinum line for my wife and they told me the hotel was full even though it was bookable with points online. The operator had no good reason and would not comment on why things have changed. I travel alot for extended stays and used to have no trouble booking stays in my wife's name with my points. That seems to be no longer possible or my platinum line operator was in error.

I used to book Marriott Vacation Club Properties in South Carolina every year and that is no longer available even though they say it is still possible. Pick a Hilton Head Marriott Vacation Club property at any point in the future with MR points and try to book it with points. It is not possible for any date! They are slowly cutting back our rewards benefits without announcing it formally. I have 492 lifetime nights in the last ten years and the Marriott Rewards Visa and I can't redeem the free night coupon at a hotel that shows reward availability online.

What has happened in the last two years that degraded the MR program so badly? I had zero issues using points prior to 2015.

With the introduction of the points program (destination points) for Marriott Vacation Club, you will see less availability at high demand locations. Much easier for Vacation Clib members to book which means fewer being passed on to hotel system for points. Similar issue for exchange, this year Marriott seems to be holding onto weeks until much later. For the other, if you can book online then book online then call line to have them change name.

Just be clear, tonight I was booking a regular Marriott Rewards booking at a Springhill Suites Property tonight when they denied me booking via the Platinum line. I had no issues booking the same property online via the Marriott website, after which I called said property and confirmed with no issues. The platinum line used to be a serious VIP experience, but on my last two reservations it has been a complete failure.

The MVC Reward bookings became silently unattainable 2 years ago.

If you were using your certificate you can't put that in someone else's name. You can book a points reservation, using your points, but not the certificate.

I am finding that at certain properties you need to be more insistent of your rights than in the past. In the above scenario, the hotel was clearly in violation of MR T&Cs. I would have continued to the booked hotel and presented myself for check in. Assuming that the MR number is in the reservation, compensation is $200 +90k points + alternate accommodations. You might still be able to get something retroactively for their weasely behavior. Maybe.

I stayed at a Hilton Head MVC property just last month on points (Monarch) and then booked several subsequent nights both there and at Heritage for under $100/night.

The problem may be that you are trying to redeem several nights at a time and there is not a unit that is available for all of the nights that you are trying to redeem.

This is ultimately why I left Monarch, because while I could extend my stay, there was a single day that wasn't available in my current unit, so I'd have to change units (to a non-view unit which with a lack of view, it was cheaper to switch to Heritage).

On the first issue you should have been able to collect on the Ultimate Reservation Guarantee. That's more of a property issue. Were you clear when you called in that the hotel did not honor your reservation and you wanted the compensation?

The second issue was probably just a lazy CSR. Hang up and call again (or just do it online as you did). I've typically had good experiences with the Platinum line.

I think a previous poster explained why MVC's might be harder to get with points now. But they've kinda always been hit or miss in my experience anyway.

I can agree with the OP in that Marriott doesn't offer up MVCI suites in quite the same manner as they used to in the past, but that mostly has to do with new properties with lots of unpurchased inventory.

So first, lets make sure we all do understand that Marriott itself doesn't really control MVCI unit inventory, the owners (people who purchased week ownerships) do. Once a property is essentially sold out, the only time Marriott can offer award inventory is when owners trade in their weeks for points. If the owner tries to rent that week (either themselves or even through Marriott), that unit will show up for paid rentals (cash as that is what the owner is expecting to get in return for renting their week out), but it won't show up for awards as there is no "cash" the owner would get. This has always been the case.

Now one problem with this is MVCI hasn't really changed the amount of points owners get for turning their rooms over to Marriott in years and years. But every year those points are devalued by various degrees. The effect is that over time, fewer and fewer owners (especially at properties that have higher annual maintenance fees and cost more to purchase into) are willing to trade their units in for points. They lose money when they do that.

With all that said, there are still many properties where one can still find award availability. It may take a little more patience and it will very likely not be found during higher travel periods for that location though.

For example, I stayed just last year (May) at the Aruba Ocean Club for a week in a 2 bedroom unit. And earlier last year when I was looking at options, both MVCI properties in Aruba had 2 bedroom award availability. The St. Kitts MVCI not only had availability but that included some 3 bedroom unites as well. We ended up not choosing St. Kitts as we have been there before but had never been to Aruba.

So there is award inventory that does show up, but you have to be a bit more patient than in the past.

As to the Plat line experience, I do agree that they definitely don't provide the same level of service they used to. Back in the day, they would call a hotel directly for me for various reasons (like staying at an RI and trying to get a 2-bedroom suite upgrade). They would call, talk with the hotel management and let me know if the hotel was willing. The Plat line doesn't seem to want to do those types of things any more. And in the distant past, I very rarely would have to wait to get an agent, but now, waiting seems to be the norm and actually getting an agent instantly is the aberration. So I definitely agree there has been a decline in service there. :(

I agree with this part as well, although I only need to call them once or twice a year. I'm not sure why the OP would look to find availability online and then call to book rather than just complete the booking online (but I digress).

There's no direct evidence to back this up, but I have to imagine there are a LOT more platinum members than there used to be "back in the day". Combine that with cost-cutting in call centers (probably justified by the projection that most members can perform tasks online that they used to have to call for), and we are now faced with hold times. And I guess it's just harder to get qualified customer service agents now who know the system and are willing to work hard.

Well one thing I can say is that 2016 booking where the hotel called and canceled your res was handled totally incorrectly.
You should've invoked the ultimate reservation guarantee. It should NOT have cost you any more points... and in fact the hotel was supposed to pay for that night at another hotel, plus give you 90k points and $100 or $200 depending on the property type you booked.

Same issue
 

Although I am not a Plat. (I am gold), I had to call 5 times to reserve reservations at a MVC in Orlando. One the first few calls they said the hotel was booked completely for points redemption but I could still book online. Furthermore, I was redeeming a 7 day package certificate and NOBODY seemed to know how to book it! I finally called the Marriott Vacations number and they transferred me to another desk who did know how to book it.

Overall, not impressed with my first points redemption calls. :td:

MVCI is now screwy. It didn't used to be, and that indeed sucks because those were great places to use points.

The rest of the program hasn't had any dramatic changes in my personal experience.

In 2012, I had a hotel cancel my award stay and rebook me in a lesser hotel. They resisted the URG and I pressed hard on it through both corporate and to the hotel directly and eventually received what I deemed was adequate compensation. But I had to really work at it and I never did get the actual URG promise listed on the website. (I was Platinum at the time.) I felt like corporate was on my side and the hotel had gone rogue. Honestly, that could happen in any program, and my resolution in Marriott was far better than it would have been anywhere else where the only compensation is typically that the hotel walking you pays for 1 night's accommodation and that's it.

I can't explain weird situations where you see something online but the phone agents won't book it. Why not just book it online with your wife's name as Guest 2? I've booked many award nights over the years where my wife checked into the room. (Sometimes I arrived later, sometimes not.)

My recent experiences with phone agents have been fine. Booking Travel Packages...2 of them in the past 2 months. They're pretty good at those since I imagine that's what they do all day. Most other things can be redeemed and booked online.

I'm more worried about 2018. The two big competitors (Hilton and Hyatt) just devalued in a big way. I'm afraid Marriott will use the program merger as cover to roll out something less rewarding than either MR or SPG are today.