Chris,

I have been trying to make reservations at a few properties for next year as I usually do. However, I am finding that the 3 properties with whom I am attempting to make reservations have not released inventory. Are Marriott properties required to release their inventory for booking 50 weeks in advance? Why are some hotel holding back inventory and what can corporate do about it? Is this a corporate directive to get a better pulse on hotel prices so they can be increased even more than they have already?

JW Marriott Orlando, Grande Lakes - No availability for PAID stays or Reward stays (Standard or Stay Anytime) for any date between January 6, 2008 and March 1, 2008. I assume inventory has not been loaded yet. Either that or someone booked all 1000 rooms for 8 weeks.

Marriott's Mountain Valley Lodge at Breckenridge - No availability for PAID stays or Reward stays (Standard or Stay Anytime) for any date between December 21, 2007 and March 1, 2008. Once again, I assume inventory has not been loaded yet.

Vail Marriott Mountain Resort & Spa - No availability for Reward stays (Standard or Stay Anytime) for any date between December 1, 2007 and March 1, 2008. I did contact the hotel directly and was told that they have not yet loaded the reservation system with Reward inventory. I was originally told by the Platinum desk that the hotel was close to being sold out for January 2008. That was either an outright lie, or at the time the hotel had not release all of its inventory so it appeared that way.

Just to put things into perspective below are a few observations:

1. Now I understand supply and demand and have accepted the 100-200% increases in hotel prices over the past few years.

2. While I do not like it, I have also accepted that Marriott has hung government contractors out to dry with regard to its new government rate policy. But just because I accept it doesn't mean that I won't take my business elsewhere when a government client comes our way. I will have to in that case, as I won't have a choice. See this thread for more information: Government Rate

3. Your lack of presence here on FT has been noted and commented on by numerous posters. Since you are the official representative of Marriott here on FT, I would have expected comment from you on a number of recent issues. If you are no longer the official Marriott spokesperson here on FT then please provide us the courtesy of letting us know.

4. While these are very lucrative times for the hotel industry, garnering MAR $700+ million in net income over the past 12 months, the customer service levels have gone down in my opinion. For me mainly with regard to the actual subject of this post, the holding back of inventory by hotels which makes it very difficult for those loyal customers like me to plan well in advance.

5. Socrates (proudly representing himself) posted in the Government Rate thread how Marriott was reading these threads and would act very quickly to correct any hotels that were in non-compliance (reference to hotel still offering government contractor rates). I responded with a comment about lack of inventory availability and asked if they would respond just as quickly and asked if anyone wanted to make any bets. The same stands for this thread!

For the record I, like many posting in this forum, have been a very loyal customer of Marriott for many years, I have defended you personally in this recent Rome Flora lack of award availability thread Marriott Concierge: What's up with StayNevertime Rome?.

Now in case you missed the question back in the first paragraph:

1. Are Marriott properties required to release their inventory for booking 50 weeks in advance?

2. Why are some hotels holding back inventory and what can corporate do about it?

3. Is this a corporate directive to get a better pulse on hotel prices so they can be increased even more than they have already?

I was able to look up a paid reservation for the JW Marriott Orlando from January 14-21, 2008. I could not find any award availability for the property in 2008.

That's because you are Plat, and I was able to do the same. But other than Plat Guarantee rooms there is no inventory available, even for the last week which was supposedly loaded yesterday. Maybe someone booked 1000 rooms? Change number of rooms you are trying to book to 2 and see what happens. This hotel appears to be purposely holding back inventory.

Just got off the phone with Plat Reservations. They contacted the hotel and this particular hotel says they release inventory 10 months in advance instead of the 11.5 months done by most hotels. So whenever anyone runs into this situation, I guess you need to call reservations and sit on hold while they contact the hotel; that is if they do. Unless one insists that they contact the hotel, most of the time, like my experience with Vail Marriott about a month ago, the CSR said that the hotel was almost fully booked for January 2008 when I was inquiring about Reward availability. I found out a few weeks later that this was not the case.

If you look at January 5 for 1 night at the JW Orlando Marriott, Grand Lakes I especially like the $10127 rate for the SeaWorld Pkg-Exclusive multi-day tickets included for 2Ad/1Chld.Visit SeaWorld as often as you like for the length of your stay! Lake Front rooms and SeaWorld sure is getting expensive!

AAUpgrade-As you are one of Marriotts best and most loyal customers I do hope you have written at least one letter to bothe Marriott rewards and to BM's office.
And I do look forward to Chris's response.

Thank you for bringing this to my attention. I will do some research to determine why these properties are limiting their room inventory. I will post again when I have more information.

Thanks Chris. I look forward to your response.

As you are aware, Marriott Rewards has policies in place regarding our redemption inventory that apply to all participating hotels. When hotels are out of compliance with our policies and are working outside of our systematic processes, we work with them to get them back within 100% compliance as quickly as possible.

Please be assured that we are working with the hotels mentioned in this thread.

Thank you again for bringing this to my attention.

Chris, I am glad to hear that Marriott will be enforcing its rules regarding room inventory. I found 2 more properties in Orlando which have not loaded inventory yet for February 11-18, 2008. They are the Residence Inn Daytona Beach and the Courtyard Daytona Beach.

Nicely done. Encouraging to see this response.

Chris, I think this is a problem that Marriott needs to address across the entire hotel chain. I found 2 more properties in Washington DC that have not loaded inventory for February 11-18, 2008. They are:

Renaissance Washington DC
Courtyard Washington Convention Center

I have also noticed that the four properties that I have found are pairs of properties that are close to each other. Maybe each pair has one corporate owner?

Chris, any progress on your end?

Availability for the 3 hotels mentioned in my OP has not changed with the exception of Stay Almost Anytime if We Decide to Let You reward nights (kind of has a nice ring to it doesn't it) at the Vail Marriott which are available only for the dates of Jan 13-30, but still nothing available in Dec, Feb, or the early January and March despite standard rooms being available for sale. Status with regard to availability at the Orlando JW and Breckenridge MVCI has not change at all.

I'm waiting for Marriott to update their website with the new name.

AAupgrade-have you contacted MR HQ and Bill Marriotts office about this?
If you would kindly report their response it would be most appriciated.
The treatment you,as one of Marriotts best customers,are reciving does not seem to be providing any"Spirit to Serve" IMO.

Originally Posted by aaupgrade
Stay Almost Anytime if We Decide to Let You reward nights (kind of has a nice ring to it doesn't it)

I'm waiting for Marriott to update their website with the new name.

"It's funny because its true" - Homer J. Simpson

This has the potential for becoming a very serious problem....if it isn't already. Nobody (well, almost nobody) here wants to see hotels or customers penalized. Here's hoping Marriott can devise a win-win solution.