So here's a (semi-)hypothetical situation:

I'm travelling with my wife. We're both Marriott Rewards members.

Marriott is starting to run stay-based promotions, instead of nights-based. So, we decide that I'll check in the first night, check out in the morning, and then the next night check in under her name/MR number, etc. Rinse and repeat.

Well, the Regional Manager had a talk with the hotel manager about this, and it seems Marriott takes a dim view of this sort of shennanigans. So, rather than have them impound my points stash, we agree to not do that again.

Grrr. Now, only one promo per BigLar family, unless I want to send her off on a different itinerary, etc.

I don't see a mention of not being able to do this in the terms and conditions, so how can they take your points away if you are not breakking any rules? In my case (since I travel alone), I will sometimes switch hotels every day. So if there are 2 Marriotts in the town, bounce back and forth? I don't see how the hotels can complain. Its yoru choice to stay where you want to and when.

Yeah, I could hotel-hop. I've done it before (last year with the AMEX promo). However, I stay at this place at a very nice negoiated rate, and I'd have to stay at another property at a much higher rate.

Also, since the point of the exercise was to get the bonus for my wife, they had a question as to whether my wife was physically there, or just "in spirit".

Well if your wife was there, then you were well within the rules. You follow the rules, they should too. This is bogus, they suit the rules to their own purpose. If the rules are written in a manner that benefits you and allows this scenario, which it currently does, then they have no basis for their actions. If they want to change the rules, then fine, but in that case they would merge your two accounts and the total of both your and your wife's stays should be the determining factor in your elite status, lifetime points, stays, etc. They want to have it both ways. They write the rules and then do not even abide by them. And I'm not even married, so neither of these scenarios applies to me.

Of course getting my stay from Curacao from 2 weeks ago credited, and the associated Mega Bonus points is being rather problematic due to voodoo folios at that Hotel. BTW, the hotel and staff were very nice, but their accounting and folio/record keeping is terrible. Not to mention the puke found in the reservoir of the coffee maker in one of our rooms � they did credit my MR account 25K points for that one. Ironically those points came through, but the points for the stay have not. Second call into MR Plat Guest Services this AM will hopefully rectify the situation.

I agree with the other poster that if you wife was there, then you are just abiding by the rules of the promotion -- nothing more nothing less and I would certainly complain. After all, you each have your own Marriott Rewards number and are compiling stays/night into different accounts. Although one may be able to pool points for an award, you CANNOT pool points for elite requalification privileges and therefore, you are keeping your respective accounts separate within the rules. Period.

Query: In what region did this occur?

Finally, I would write Marriott Rewards and make a complaint. First, I would contact the hotel manager of the property and get the name of the Regional Manager and then send this on to Bill Marriott.

Of course, the OP believes this UNLESS you are doing this in conjunction with a priceline booking or using a pre-paid credit card. If you are using a pre paid credit card or are on a priceline saty (even if they are within the rules) then your action is undignified and abuse.

In the words of the OP "Exercise some diginity and some restraint and we will not see this great program radically altered."

Well, I'm the OP, and I don't think I've ever used the phrase "some dignity and some restraint" in my life!

PS - for those who haven't figured it out yet, my wife was not, uh, actually there. But they have no way of knowing that, and the situation would be exactly that same if she were.

Having read your post again, I did gather that she was not there, I just did not feel like amending mine again.

In addition, I also saw that you were getting a negotiated rate, and I assume you were getting that same rate when she was "there." Everyone finds their level of comfort, but I think it was this "maneuver" coupled by her non-presence that earned you that rejoinder.

I doubt very much that they would have said anything had both transgressions had not occurred. I have not had this problem at all, but then again, I do not stay on a negotiated rate and my wife is actually there when her name is the first on the booking.

Fair enough.

But I wonder if the situation were not hypothetical. That is, we were both there and decided to do hotel-hopping-in-place.

You may be right, in that doing this sort of thing on a negotiated rate might be a bit much for them.

Oh well.

my apologies for any confusion, what I meant was not "original poster" but other or previous poster who is NJUPINHEAIR.

No, actually it wouldn't, IMHO. You'd have a leg to stand on in that case.

Nope and Nope. Full freight all the way.


If one were to read all my posts, you would come to the inescapable conclusion that I never counsel one to break the rules -- just live within them. Period. However, what Marriott might have intended and what the rules of a program or promotion might actually state could be an entirely different matter, altogether.

Absolutely correct. ^

Just let me clarify something -- I'm not looking for some way to circumvent the rules here. They are what they are. It doesn't take much research on this board to find out there's a lot of us pushing the envelope to see where it takes us.

Apparently, this is an area where no further experimentation is now needed.

Care to rectify your advice in http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showt...8&page=1&pp=15

You seem to tell some that it's ok as long as within the rules and other that such actions are undiginified and abusive and those trying to to take advantage of progams in this way should "(e)xercise some diginity and some restraint" and not do these things. So which is it?