RES IPSA LOQUITUR

Since you probably do not know what this means, I will be glad to translate for you:

Although I was not the first to coin the "dignity and restraint" statement, I wholehartedly agree with those sentiments.

What Big Lar had indicated:

1). Use of a negotiated rate -- A negotiated rate is one that his employer has agreed with Marriott to provide to its employees -- including Big Lar -- because of the significant business Big Lar's employer swings to the benefit of Marriott and its' franchisees;

2). Substitution of his wife's name for such rate for a period of time;

3). Use of a standard credit card for payment of his business stay.


What you wanted to do:

1). Use Priceline -- which is no negotiated rate, and which does not benefit the lodging chain as a whole, but only one specific hotel that needs to fill its rooms; this, then, is something quite unlike what Marriott had negotiated with Big Lar's employer so that the entire lodging chain might benefit "chain-wide" from the business Big Lar's employer's workforce would bring to that chain;

2). For a period of 14 days -- that is two weeks -- in one room;

3). Payment to be made via a pre-paid credit card that one picks up at your neighbohood drug store.

I will say it again:

RES IPSA LOQUITUR -- EXERCISE SOME DIGNITY AND RESTRAINT!!

I will add that nowhere does Big Lar aver that he had intended to do this "maneuver" of yours for a period of TWO WEEKS, nor that he intended to do it with a form of payment that was questionable at the time of the original posting.

I may not agree with what Big Lar did re his phantom wife's stays, but nowhere did he write that he intended to go down to the front desk each day for a period of TWO WEEKS and checkout after each day.

If I were Big Lar, I would demand an apology from you for daring to suggest that what you intended to do and what he did were equivalent, but I will not seek to speak for him.

All I will state, is that you should have exercised some DIGINITY AND RESTRAINT before you informed yet another forum on FT the unbelievable extent to which you will sink in order to gain some fleeting advantage.

By the way, how's your requalification for elite status in Hyatt going, now since they have excluded Priceline rates from qualifying? :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :D

I know for a fact that at one time Marriott specifically excluded consecutive-night stays at the same property from "counting" in its bonus programs. It was specifically prohibited in the terms of the promotion. I don't know if this is the case with the current bonus program being discussed.

My vote is that the "checout-checkin" gambit does border on abuse. It doesn't matter whose name you used, you were using someone else's MR acct. Also, it adds extra expense to the property. Personally, I don't believe that it reflects very well on the company whose negotiated rate you are using.

Regarding the quote, "Apparently, this is an area where no further experimentation is now needed." Some were able to come to this conclusion without experimentation. We just knew it was bad idea.

You should read more carefully, the OP said that they were BOTH MR members -- to me that means that they have separate accounts.

My mistake…and thank you for so "kindly" letting me now. I'll edit my post to reflect that he was using someone else’s MR number. Something tells me that is probably against the rules. If it's not, I bet I can count on you to correct me.

Actually, res ipsa loquitor most accurately describes your actions in the referenced post that I posted. Take a close look at the previously referenced thread.

In that one I asked if it were possible over a period of time to check in and check out everyday to take advantage of a promo that counts each stay, no different than the situation at hand.

I talked about the possibility of using a prepaid credit card in one of the other 900 or so posts I have made over the past 3 years on another DIFFERENT thread. The two are not related other than they have to do with the same chain. In addition, while I certainly would have done either of those activities PERMITTED under the rules of the program at the time, sadly for NJ, I did neither.

While you draw a distinction btwn a negotiated rate and a priceline rate the fact is that in these hypotheticals the difference is not relevant. Why? Because neither were excluded under the rules of the promotion. That is my point.

I fail to see how even if we take your negotiated/priceline argument as relevant that it is persuasive. We can infer that negotiated rates, because the hotel is getting more business are usually lower than rack and often lower than a bottom of the barrel rate. In fact, in the words of the original poster the negotiated rate at hand is a “very nice” rate which I infer to mean quite low and therefore the hotel would earn very very little. A priceline rate could certainly be higher than any negotiated rate. In fact I can think of more than one hotel where I know that has been true. Not all hotels that participate with priceline give them access to book dirt cheap rates. And even if a chain decides to give out credit for stays on priceline, so be it. It up to the chain. Who are you to tell them how to run there business? While you may not find this moral, if it is permitted I see nothing wrong with it. Just because you don’t like it, if it is permitted why are so against it? FT is all about maximizing your credit for stays, flights etc. Do you not understand this?

Additionally, I know of more than one negotiated rate that former firms I have worked at had with the local hotels and not the home office. Some are hotels where that town is the only place where we stay at that chain of hotels. Is it wrong to take stay credit with the hotel because the manager of that specific hotel negotiated the rate?

While the original poster talks about having a phantom wife checking in and out, my post talked about a real live person (or people as they case could have been) doing the checking in and out and while I listed a period of time in mine, the original poster listed NO PERIOD of time. Come on NJ even you have to admit that you can’t compare two weeks with ?, someone with a 1L’s vocabulary should have learned how draw analogous situations by that now.

NJ, your passive-aggressive plea for an apology will go unfilled as I still find too much analogous in our situations. In fact I find the original poster’s situation less legit as it uses a phantom second person for a ________ period of time. But, while I may disagree I would not stoop so low as to definitively tell the original poster that they were wrong. To each his own. I may teel the original poster that I would not do it, but I know I am not the arbiter of all that is right or wrong. I give opinions and know all too well that others may disagree. I may even be wrong (NJ gasps somewhere realizing NJ may not be omniscient).

Again in my example it was a hypothetical. I never did this and simply inquired, but more power to someone who did if they were able to do it and get credit. I will state it again, FT is, among other things, a community about maximizing our money spent on travel (and occasionally other things) for rewards. If you disagree, perhaps you should find another place to post. Instead of proselytizing on your moral high horse here in the hotel section why don’t hit up the mileage run or miles buzz areas where this kind of stuff isn’t even creative. I’m sure you could troll over there and mix it up on a constant basis.

For it is you who should show the restraint. Where do you draw the line? Is going by the rules and checking in and out of a hotel illegal or against the rules? If so, then I’m not for it. If it is permitted than it is fair game in my book. Yeah, there are probably exceptions to that general rule, but in general that’s where I stand.

Actually, it may come as a disappointment to you but I was just recently given diamond status mostly on stays paid for by my firm. FWIW, I never once received stay credit at a Hyatt on priceline stay or via a prepaid credit card. To those who did when it was permitted, I salute you.

NJ, it’s too bad. If you look through my posts on more than one occasion I admit I wrong or may not be the best informed. But I try to help others out and hope others will do the same.

By the way not only did improperly use the legal term, you also failed to define it when you said you would. My 1L year is was a number of years ago, but I know the definition all to well. It fits your inconsistencies in opinion all too well.

As this thread has veered far off the topic at hand, I invite you to PM me at any time and welcome a spirited discussion there so as we do not drag anyone else along in this disagreement.

Best,

Chobby

Like most lawyers, you use too many words to say too little. My edit is offered pro bono.

Wrong again. He indicated that he had used his MR membership number; he implied that his wife had used her MR number.

It is true that his wife had used his negotiated rate code -- whether that is against the rules is between his employer and Marriott. Inasmuch as Big LAr was in the room, I am not at all sure that it was against the rules for use of that negotiated rate.

You are correct, that I will correct you when you are wrong -- like I have done, again, above. :D

Given your reading comprehension and retention, it is a wonder that you graduated medical school and became licensed to practice.

So, next time you want to take a swipe at the legal profession, you should first look in your own backyard -- or gluteus maximus. :D

However, I do agree with his (drdtk) sentiment, Chobby, because I became quite bored reading your post -- and I never even finished it. :cool:

Sorry, but I don't buy your argument that a priceline rate was likely more than his negotiated rate -- it probably was quite less, but that is neither here, nor there, for I -- as well as the other posters who took you to task for showing no dignity -- were commenting on your desire to stay 14 days checking in and checking out while using a rock botton Priceline rate.

I have used Priceline, occasion, and more power to those who wish to use it and get a good rate. However, I do believe it to be unseemly in the way you set up the "hypothetical." Right. :rolleyes:

In any event, you can drone on if you wish -- I do not care as I believe that you are only digging your hole that much deeper.

I do, however, agree with you that what you intended to do was entirely legitimate and within the rules of the program, whereas what Big Lar had done was push the envelope to an extent that I would not have done. Unfortunately, I also believe that you lowered youself by chasing after too much of a good thing -- in one stay. I have no problem with your doing that over time on a weekly basis. But, day in and day out for 14 days is, IMHO, unseemly.

Not to sidetrack back to the original topic but,

Seems like the key here would be whether the local property was cooperative or not. It sounds like in the case of the OP, they were not. If the property isn't cooperative, then it would be a bit of a hassle because they'd expect you to pack everything up and leave at noon, and then come back at 4:00 and put you in a new room.

I guess that's no more complex that hoping from the Courtyard to the Residence Inn across the street, but somehow it seems like a bigger hassle when you're going out & in to the same property.

medical school? perhaps you need to practice reading comprehension. Your humor is great - keep it coming. :D

Watch out...don't want anyone pooping on another's icecream ;-)

Thanks for your permission to drone on, dig and whatever else you have sanctioned, my man.

I did understood that BigLar was alternating MR acct. numbers. I only mentioned his usage of his wife's number since that was the violation, IMHO. I regret that you incorrectly inferred otherwise and I do appreciate your concern for my reading comprehension and retention.

All the best to you.

Not everything revolves around you -- see the post above. :rolleyes:

I decline your invitation, by the way....

The reference to drone on was not to you, but to Chobby.

The original has now been made even more specific to assist you so that you do not misread any more posts for I regret that you incorrectly inferred otherwise. ;)

invitation to NJ to discuss by PM and PM sent to NJ at 11:18 pm but refused due to ????? (I guess prefers to drag the board down with petty nonsense)

nj & chobby - take it to pm for goodness sake. most of this thread is you 2 going at each other and the rest of us don't need (or want) to be part of that.

back to orig topic -

biglar - if your wife had truly been there & you checked out/she checked in using dif acct, then i would give marriott grief for no points - ie, she should get them.

but if she wasn't or you were trying to do vacant on a negotiated rate, then i have to agree no points. sorry.

ps - while marriott (& chris) aren't great about checking the forum, i've got to assume a title 'busted' will get their attention :D

cheers.