Question for Plats -
 

I noticed on the .com site under awards yesterday that there is a points "special" for Plats to buy a $100 gift cheque for XXXpoints, and a $1000. cheque for XXXpoints - both are a significant reduction over normal point requirements.

Does anyone know if this is a limited time promo? Is it run yearly - quarterly - whatever?

I became Plat July 1 08 for the 1st time. These offers have always been offered since. Copied right from Marriott.com:

Points: 25,000
For Elite Members Only $100 Marriott Gift Cheque

Save 8,000 Marriott Rewards points with this special offer on a $100 Marriott Cheque. Use it like cash at any of the Marriott family of brands.

Treat yourself to something special…or, give it as a gift to make any occasion a special one!
Offer valid through December 31, 2008.

$1000 GC Offer:
Marriott Cheques

* Points: 135,000
* Code: E195

For Elite Members Only $1,000 Marriott Gift Cheque

Imagine how much $1,000 would add to your vacation! Use it like cash to indulge in luxurious spa treatments.

Take on the challenge of par-defying golf. Enjoy spectacular dining experiences from dawn to dusk...or, give as a gift to make any occasion special. All at 25% off the regular point amount.

The choice is yours through December 31, 2008.


Hope that helps...

I do believe that "special" award has been around for a few years at least. So my guess is, it will stay around for awhile more. In fact, I think a few years ago there was a thread on whether or not this award is good a use of points.

My answer to your question is I don't know, but Gift Checks aren't that good a deal IMO. I know the UK, Euro, Florida, and Hawaii samplers all expire each year but identical new samplers show up every year. My GUESS is the Gift Check may work the same. I haven't paid attention because it is such a bad deal it is not something on my radar. And no matter how you spell Check/Cheque, it is still a bad deal - don't you love marketing.

135,000 points for a $1000 Gift Check = 0.7¢ per point. A 7-night stay at Vail Marriott during ski season for 130,000 points that would have cost over $3500 (2.7¢/pt); or Paris, London, Rome, or Moscow for 150,000 that could easily cost well over $5500 (3.7¢/pt). The best use of points is always for hotel stays, or Hotel + Air Travel Packages IMO. Points use in Major US cities, and resorts are also a much better deal than Gift Checks. Do the math against properties where you would like to use points for stays and make your own judgement.

I do keep some of those cheques around. They do expire within a year of issue. However, I find it cheaper sometimes for last minute bookings to use the cheques to pay for a room than using points.

Here is the previous thread I was referring to in my earlier post:

Marriott Check $1k

Quote:

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Originally Posted by aaupgrade (Post 10272528)

My answer to your question is I don't know, but Gift Checks aren't that good a deal IMO....I haven't paid attention because it is such a bad deal it is not something on my radar. And no matter how you spell Check/Cheque, it is still a bad deal - don't you love marketing.
..... The best use of points is always for hotel stays, or Hotel + Air Travel Packages IMO. Points use in Major US cities, and resorts are also a much better deal than Gift Checks. Do the math against properties where you would like to use points for stays and make your own judgement.

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As a general policy, you may be correct. But as you stated - when I do the math, the checks are a better deal at this point for what I need.

I need 2 rooms where the only availability is Stay Anytime - at a Cat 7! (and I have checked every day for 3 months) Definite bad use of points. To pay for the rooms is $400+ per night - need 4 nights X 2 rooms. By buying these certs I can get points for the stay, use PP's, and the points needed to get enough certs to pay the bill is less than what would be needed if I did the Stay Anytime.

I agree that the best use is usually the packages or just regular awards - but I don't need a package, I need rooms in NYC at no cost. At this point, this is the only option that will give me that..unless I just stay home! :D

We all do our own math when figuring what is a good deal. I'm sure some of the things that I've burned points on would raise more then a few eyebrows around here.

I first got excited thinking you would earn at least 41,000 points from this stay offsetting the 135,000 expenditure but quickly realized that you'll probably need 4 x 135,000 checks to pay for this. Ouch either way! Perhaps hold off and see if the new PLT benefits materialize? And I've seen these offers time and time again.

Yes, and the reason I added that caveate. It all depends on various factors including how much we travel, number of points earned and redeemed per year, source of points earned (self or employer - yes this IS a factor), single, couple or family, only being a few. For my current travel plans, if I were in the OP shoes paying $400 night for 4 nights would be the better option, but I am not and if it works for the OP then that is what counts.

I am doing SWP/Asia in Nov/Dec and have a choice of paying for 5 nights Sydney Harbour Marriott ($369 AUD/nt [$327.55 USD]) or 7 nights at Phukett Marriott (7885 baht/nt + 19.58% tax [$285 USD]). It would be 110000 pts for Sydney 5 nights, or 115000 for Phuket 7 nights. The kicker is all of Sydney Harbour Marriott award stays have a $ surcharge for Harbour/Opera House view, Exec floor, or Suite, the least of which is $80 AUD/nt, so it calculates out to the following: if I use points at Sydney I save $1283 or if I use points for Phuket I save $1995. I am using points for the less expensive property because the return is better. I also am using points for a week in Paris next May and a week at Vail in late March which are a much better return than either the Sydney or Phuket properties, so having enough points for Sydney is just not an option. If I were adding a $400 stay in NYC (where there was no standard award availability) to that schedule, then I would pay cash or pick a date when there was standard award availability if that was an option. Since I am single and don't have to take into account family member school and work schedules, I have that luxury. Of course if dates and reason for going to NYC was out of my control such as wedding, graduation, etc then that would not be an option.

As you can see from this example a lot of factors need to be taken into account when doing the math. Each person's situation is different, hence the suggestion of doing the math. As it is, in my case Phuket is getting very close to my lower limit on point usage based on its value at 1.7¢/pt (raising my own eyebrows). I think our need to maximize points is also based on the source of those points. If ones PAID stays are 90-100% paid by their employer it is much easier to rationalize using points for any and possibly all personal purposes. You folks are very lucky IMO. For those of us whose PAID stays are 90% personal out of pocket travel then there is much more pressure to maximize points to save net dollars spent out of our own pocket. Hence the reason for planning award and paid stays 11 months out, consistently watching room rates for specials and or rate drops, weigh paying for the $400 rooms and saving points ot use for the $800-1000 rooms.

In that light I should probably pay for both Sydney and Phuket, but my trip is already well into the 5 figures, so I am trying to minimize some costs; and saving $1995 for 115000 points isn't too bad.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by joshua362 (Post 10273332)

I first got excited thinking you would earn at least 41,000 points from this stay offsetting the 135,000 expenditure but quickly realized that you'll probably need 4 x 135,000 checks to pay for this. Ouch either way! Perhaps hold off and see if the new PLT benefits materialize? And I've seen these offers time and time again.

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Ok - I have to admit I never add up the points I will get - so I certainly hope you are right that it will be 41K! That will put a big :D on my face.

And I don't have to buy 4 checks - only 2. On each room: 4X4 =1600 -1000 =$600. I can apply 2PP's; which will take off another (roughly) $390 - am down to $210. Have 3 $25 VISA cards - down to $135. SO - I am paying $135 per room, plus 135,000K in points - for 4 nights at peak time in NYC. Is it perfect? No. But it beats the heck out of writing a check for 2K; which is about what it would be if I just used PP's and the Visa cards. And, as you stated - I will get some of those points back......

The options to change the date (or even the hotel) is not a possibility. At least I am known at this property - so I am paying the lowest rate, but know I will end up with great upgrades - otherwise the financial would be even worse!

The pound has been dropping against the dollar since mid-July. The current value of the pound on the forex market is about $1.83. So those 2 PPs will probably get about $366 at current FX value.

The cheques are in $50 denomination. Be aware they have to process each one seperately. They have to key in each of the numbers. So allow a fair amount of time for checkout. Especially considering the size of your bill.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by VA1379 (Post 10273946)

The pound has been dropping against the dollar since mid-July. The current value of the pound on the forex market is about $1.83. So those 2 PPs will probably get about $366 at current FX value.

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And it will probably drop further before the trip - but since I have no control over that, just have to deal.

Iwould shoot myself. The cheque(s) I ordered come in $1K denominations, so hopefully that will not be too bad - surely it cannot take them long to process 21

sorry, duplicate post