PointSavers is a scam!!!!
 

I called the Customer Care hotline and asked them to search for a number of cities within a one year window and after about 35 minutes of being on hold they couldn't find me a single pointsaver award in the coming 12 months for all cities. I realize now that this PointSavers program is a total and utter scam. I can't believe I wasted the time searching for these hotels. I am switching all my points out of Marriott into mileage points. I am tired of this treasure hunt.

The difference with finding a hotel using points is night and day between Marriott and Starwood.

Are you talking about the pointsaver program where a few hotels decide to allow people to redeem points at a lower number of points than the standard number of points? If so, you need to get a grip and find the list of the few hotels that participate.

If you are talking about normal point redemption levels, give us some idea of what cities and when you are going and I'm almost positive that hotels could be found. Many people on this board know more than the hotel's customer service agents.

Provide us with more info and we can probably help.

Second one I'm redeeming at this property. Not bad of a deal. Saved me 5k points. :D

I've had quite a few pointsaver stays over the past few years and currently have a two nights reserved in Paris using pointsavers. When I pull up a city using MR reward points it usually will default to listing pointsavers first, followed by standard rewards then stay anytime.

A number of Palm Desert Marriott properties have PointSaver awards for June, July and August ;) :D

Since they went to the new PointSaver system, I don't think there's a list anymore...

Pat

No, the problem is that your customer care rep had no idea how to find a pointsavers reward. The quickest way to find a pointsavers reward is to enter your city, the dates you want, and put P17 in the Corporate/promotional code box. This will pull up hotels that have pointsavers awards for the dates searched. If any hotels come up, they will say standard award. However, you will see a pointsavers award when you click on the link to select a reward.

Oh they tried but couldn't find anything. They also told me there is no list of hotels that participate. So basically its a crap shoot

Where do you want to go and when?

Thanks for the tip! Thanks a great time saver.

Pointsavers is like a sale at a store. Only a few things will be on sale, and they may or may not be what you want to buy. Personally, I think the standard awards are fairly reasonable. I've had a lot more success booking Marriott award stays than I have finding good frequent flyer airline tickets.

I am so jealous. Which Marriott proerty and when?

What is the time window for Marriott putting properties up for Pointsaver awards? It used to be once a season and a list was published at the beginning of the season. Do they actually put Pointsavers up for booking a year in advance now? I liked the list because I sometimes planned the destination based on Pointsaver awards availability.

I agree with the OP that I don't like the "you tell us what city and we will tell you if it is available" kind of deal. If you are going to have a promotion (which is what Pointsavers are), you need to let people know they are available. Think about it: If Macy's has a sale and doesn't advertise it, then the sale does no good as it only lowers margins and you only get the existing foot traffic!

I too preferred a list but a little playing with the new search feature may change my mind. It may be possible that more hotels are participating now. For example, when I searched the New York area with out specifying a date this is the result....

81 hotels participate in Marriott Rewards in the New York area. Select a hotel to find dates when hotel rewards are available.

Of course when you put in a date, not all 81 come up, but there was a nice selection to choose from. I do not ever remember there ever being 81 hotels in New York on the list. I have no idea whether this is in fact a change, but if it is, it is a positive one. Of course YMMV

It is hot as HELL in PSP during the summer time and hotel rates are REALLY low. Maybe not the best way of using MR points.

Point savers are easy to find for me.

I've used them several times in major cities. Try looking hytme up youself on the website..you are probably more adept than the CSR you spoke to.

If you proivde the cities and months, people on this board are willing to help you look for them.

Good luck.

Cheers!

I was really amazed at how HIGH rates are in PSP for a stay this coming weekend(6/8-6/11)so I think it is becoming less common for real "bargains" to be had.Not like it used to be.
Staying at shadow ridge on the 3rd night free promo netted me $115 for a 1 bdrm. villa

My daughter and friend are currently staying at the Aruba Marriott using a 115k pointsaver (booked prior to category increase)…I hardly call that a ‘scam'.

Furthermore, they have been given an Ocean Veiw upgrade!!!!!!!!!
:D

Where is the smilie for "I know that and was being sarcastic"? :D

Yes, when that hot wind blows and sucks the moisture out of your body faster than you can replenish it, one wonders why one's there.

BTW, that same nuance provides an excellent opportunity, if a Marriott timeshare owner, to pick up a very inexpensive summer week to garner summer 13 month reservation privileges at other MVCI properties. I prefer MDS for this, as summer weeks there have no ROFR and, if used, allow guests access to the JRM and all its facilities.....otherwise, just deposit/rent out cheap to cover MF's and enjoy the benefits elsewhere...

Pat

I'd like a little more step-by-step on this method.

1. When I search for P17 and MR Rewards, it won't let me do it.
2. So I just search on P17 and I get a list of hotels
3. I fill in a date and check availability and it says that that rate is not offered.
4. Not only that, it doesn't provide the "dates flexible" option so I can check a month at a time.

Bottom line, from what I'm doing it appears to be not much better than checking for awards and selecting a pointsaver room (and getting told it's not available).

What am I doing wrong?

OK - never mind.

The trick is to put the dates you want in before you do the search. The result will be only those hotels (if any) which offer pointsavers for the time period you are looking for.

Please ignore snarky post. :) Thanks for the tip.

Courtyard Paris Neuilly
Marriott Rewards category: 6

We have two rooms for two nights in late July (Sunday and Monday night). Standard reward for two rooms two nights was 110,000 points. Pointsavers was 92,000 points for same. It was the only Paris property I could find where I could get three in each room without paying an extra upgrade fee or paying more points for a third room.

Well I think we can safely deduce from the posts above that pointsavers are NOT a scam.......

Amazingly enough, although it is certainly as hot as hell in Palm Springs in the late Spring and Summer, the area is popular with Europeans (especially Germans) when its really hot. Guess you always want what you don't have, here, hot, hot weather.

Nonetheless, I do agree that there might be a better use of points. Lots of folks who live in PS area head for San Diego or Europe in the Summer.

Summer time is when you get the really cheap rates on the top golf courses. I use some dude online called BoB Gibson that books all my golf. HE can get some great deals that include range balls.

There are also great stay and play packages with some of the resorts.

I used point savers 2 times at the JW Marriott Ihilani. Same time each year and even the awesome same room.

If pointsavers are a scam, bring me more of 'em!!!

I've had good luck with them, and I, too, have a couple of nights this summer at Paris/Nuilly(sp?).

I may not be sure how to spell the place, but its a nice little hotel in a lovely neighborhood. I've heard some griping here about it being a little out of the way, but I don't consider a ten minute walk to a ten minute metro ride a major problem. In fact, the walk is quite pleasant. I've never had much of a problem redeeming points/getting upgrades at this hotel, either.