MC I will appreciate your comments. Thank you.

3 days and still no response from The Marriott Concierge.

I'm in a similar situation to the OP, especially considering the new "downgrade". I have about a million points, so I'd think that I would be able to at least get away for a week to a few hotels next year. Also, being Plat, there is no fee for canceling the cert, right? This wasn't changed with the rest of the rules?

First of all you don't need hotel reservations now in order to cash in a Hotel Sampler award. They are paper certificates.

Secondly, there are 3 hotels exempt from Marriott Rewards award availability requirements including Rome Grand Flora and Capri JW Marriott. You can find more about this on marriott.com at item number 13 under Hotel Rewards at this link: http://www.marriott.com/rewards/terms/usetrms.mi#hotel - they will also be exempt from the new availability requirements.

Does anyone know whether this sampler (3+2+2 nights) has to be used on consecutive nights? Or can you have a 3 night Marriott stay in one place, stay with friends for a couple of nights, have a 2 night Marriott stay, etc.

Sorry if this has been covered before - I couldn't find the info with a search.

It can be used however you want to. The intended purpose was to be able to use it in different European cities.

Agreed. Just think of this as 3 separate awards. I also combined my use with a paid stay at one of the same hotels since the $ cost happened to be low enough a couple of nights that it made sense to use free nights at another property.

Someone pointed out to me this morning that I had overlooked this thread even though it specifically asked for my attention. I apologize, and here is my response:

1. Yes, this is a good plan. All hotels will have more rooms available on the 15th of January for reward redemption. Aaupgrade correctly identified which hotels will be not participating in the new no blackout date policy. Yet even though these are not participating in the new no blackout dates policy, they will open many more rooms for reward redemption than they ever have in the past.
2. You can do this. The key is to make sure you book a standard room. And then give guest services a call as soon the change takes place. Send me a personal message if you run into a problem. If you are planning to stay at one of the hotels mentioned by aaupgrade this may not work.
3. If you return all three portions of the certificate you will get a full refund on you points.

Mr. Concierge, would it behoove those of us hoping to stay in the Capri and Rome Flora Marriotts to call on, or very shortly after, Jan. 15? In other words, are those rooms first come, first served -- and therefore a call on Jan. 15 might be the first to scoop them up?

Many thanks.

Thanks, MC!

Another question. On the Marriott website, depending on how I try to find information, there are two different rewards - European Sampler (14EH) and UK/Ireland Sampler (564). Both cost the same 150,000. I am assuming that it would be better as an Elite to order the European Sampler, as that would also allow stays in UK/Ireland?

thanks again for the reply!

EDIT: Also, how far is Europe? Does Russia count for a European Sampler?

YES

NO. Anyway, you'd better spend those certificates at cat. 7 or 8 hotels while in Russia they are cat. 4 or 5.

Imagine how busy those phone lines will be during that last week?

My husband and I currently have a 7 night stay booked at the Vendome in May. He lost his job in Sept and we might not be able to make the trip until later in the year. If I understand correctly, we won't be able to change the hotel dates on our reservation after Jan 15, so for the sake of flexibility, we're better off cancelling that reservation and requesting a Europe Sampler(?)

I know we may not get the hotel we want, but at least our points won't lose value as long as we use the sampler this year. I hadn't heard of this award before, but know it's an elite award. Am I missing any angle on this?

Availability will be first come first serve, however also keep in mind that sometimes more rooms open later on, either because of cancellations or because the hotel opens more rooms.

Got in under the wire!

Looking forward to some travel in mid-September, and this should help reduce the cash-flow.