Is that based on check out date, check in date, or other? What happens to stays that span January 15? For example a stay from Jan 1-24.

If you want to use a category 7 travel package at a hotel that is becoming a category 8 you must book the reservation before the 15th.

In other words what counts is the category of the hotel at the time you make your reservation. For example if I were to make a reservation for the New York Marquis today, I would be entitled to redemption at the cost of a category 7 reward, regardless of when I order the reward. If you book after the 15th the cost in points for this hotel will have gone up and you will need to redeem a category 8 reward.


This is a good question. My Initial response is that it would be based on you check out date. Systematically it could be set up to divide the stay, giving a 30% bonus for nights leading up to the 15th and then giving 50% for all nights after. I am looking into how this will be set up and will let you know what I find out.

Ira

MC - I like the new title to this thread - it gives me quite a chuckle every time I see it now. :)

Sounds like I had better make my reservation at a 7 property that will become a category 8, this will give me more flexibility if I need it than the other way around -booking a 7 that will remain a 7.

Just to add to the confusion, or maybe I didn't read enough. Once the Cat-7 certificate is issued, do I have to see if there is a Standard Reward available at the hotel or will the hotel have to honor the certificate for any night they have availability under the no blackout dates policy?

I asked the Plat Concierge but she said that they haven't been really trained on that yet.

Just another question: Am i correct that the cost of the mileage portion of a travel package will not be affected by the upcoming changes? Therefore one should receive a higher "refund" if returning the hotel certificate of a travel package issued after Jan 14th ? Key question: Is the exchange rate MR points <> airlines miles affected by the Jan 15th changes ?

You will still need to book a reservation for reward redemption. (Having the reward just means you do not have to book your reservation before the 15th of January) Most often if there is a standard room available at the hotel you will be able to use you points; however, hotels will be allowed some dates where they will be able to limit the number of rooms they make available for reward redemption. Even though there will be many more rooms available for reward redemption it is still important to book your reservation for reward redemption as soon as you know you will be staying.

There will be higher refunds for retuning the hotel portion of a travel package. However, it still is a much better value to use the hotel portion rather than return it for points.

Currently, the least points you can get for returning a hotel portion of a standard travel package is 10 thousand points (4% of the original cost of category 5 package including 120 thousand miles). The highest amount is 75 thousand points (38% of the original cost of a category 7 package including only 50 thousand miles).

The range for returning a hotel portion of one of the new packages will be 45 thousand points (17% of the original cost of a category 5 package with 120 thousand miles) and 165 thousand points (57% of the original cost of a category 8 package with only 50 thousand miles)

Ira

Some questions
 

The Hawaii hopper...
do I actually have to have the stays booked before January 15th or can I have the certificates issued and then book the stay afterwards? I'm not sure which islands we're going to go to depending on where we can get ff tickets.. and that won't open up until sometime in February. Does the Marriott Waikoloa participate in the hopper as well as Maui?
My DH has a ressie for August for a week but hasn't had the certificates pulled yet. Will the ressie be recalculated after January 14th if he doesn't have the points pulled from his account?
TIA
Carolyn

Dear Ira,

Forgive me if you have already answered these questions in some form elsewhere in this huge thread but if you don't mind, I would appreciate if you could have another go at it.


It seems to me that Marriott is being a bit coy with the new rewards Category/Points Required graphic that is on its web site, as it mentions the new daily cost for a reward night. It also mentions the new 5th night free perk (like SPG's program). But what is left unsaid is perhaps more telling.

Aside from the new 5th night free award, are the multi-night hotel award stay (discounts) being eliminated?

If so, is the 7 night hotel award -- and not the travel package with its associated 7 night hotel award -- also being eliminated or will that remain?

I understand that the costs of the Marriott travel packages are also going up and that a new graphic has those costs detailed on Marriott.com, but nothing has been said on Marriott's web site with respect to the multi night hotel stay discounted awards.

I have additional questions which will be based upon your responses, so this will suffice for now.

If others can direct me to answers to these questions I would greatly appreciate it.

Thanks,

NJ

I issued a Hawaii hopper today without booking my hotels so I share this concern. I could not find the specific T&C for this award but I assume that the certificates are good at ANY property regardless of its present or future categorization so there should be no need to book before January 15th. At least that's the way that the European sampler worked.

Additionally, I would like to know if this award can be cancelled by returning all 3 paper certificates and get back the 150,000 points.

Could you please confirm both questions Ira?

MC - Shortening a booking after Jan. 15th
 

Ira, what happens if I have a booking and I want to shorten the number of nights after Jan. 15th? Will that be allowed and would I get back the points difference for the cancelled nights? or this will count as a new reservation and the new point structure will apply?

I strongly suspect that the new point structure will apply.

Quick Question Ira Please
 

And to everyone wondering about full week ressies...
if I read your post #475 correctly (and please correct me if I'm not understanding this), for all ressies MADE before Jan 15th they will be honored at the current point rate. These ressies could possibly be made BEFORE all points are actually earned.
an example... we currently have a ressie for this December in Hawaii... the points needed are a bit higher than the current amount in the husbands account. Will this ressie still be available for use after January 15th if he doesn't claim it PRIOR to January 15th.
Also in regard to the Hawaiian hopper. Should he order the certificate NOW and if he decides not to use it send back the certificates back to reinstate in his account.
Unfortunately since we were away in December we missed out on ordering the necessary certs for the European hopper. We don't want to miss out on booking Hawaii before the change.

Many thanks.
Carolyn

I have an award booked for Sept and do not have adequate points but will have them definitely by then. My reservation says:

"You do not have e-certificate(s) for this reservation. If you will not earn the required points in time, you may purchase the points you need.

Purchase points and order e-certificate(s).

If you have not ordered e-certificate(s) seven days prior to your reservation, customer support will contact you to discuss payment options."

It doesn't say that I need to have them by Jan 15.

Marriott Concierge, 2 questions
 

I am planning a 5-night stay at a Marriott property (currently listed as Cat 4). I already booked (prior to Jan 15, 2009) it for 4 nights on award, as standard stay in anticipation for the upcoming change.
Question: Will my reservation automatically add 1 free night; or do I have to re-book. If it is automatically added, will it add one night to the final night, or to the beginning of the first night?
Question: If I have to re-book it, any guaranty that I can book it as "standard stay"?
Thanks