So the big benefit in the changes to MR is the promised "no blackouts". But there will be limited dates when standard rooms are limited. Let's use this thread to track the true results of this change.

Listed in my next post are peak-period dates when some hotels have no standard award availability for standard rooms prior to the MR change. Except where noted, the hotels do have anytime availability for these dates.

I'll update that post tomorrow, after the changes are in place, to see which of these dates have become available.

I'd encourage others to run checks on some other hotels today, and post the current results, so we can have more benchmarks.

No standard awards available on the following dates, prior to the MR change:

Post-change differences noted in green & red.

Park City Marriott (Cat 5)
ski season (after Sundance festival)
Jan 29,31 (still unavailable)
Feb 6-7, 12-18, 21-23, 25-28 (feb 12, 16-18, 22-23, 25, 27-28 now available)
Mar 4, 6-14, 16-20, 25-26, 28 (mar 6-14, 16-20, 25-26, 28 now available)

Vail Marriott (Cat 6)
ski season
Jan 17, 23 (jan 23 now available)
Feb 2-4, 6-7, 12-15, 19-21, 27-28 (no anytime 2-4, 7, 12, 14, 19-20) (feb 6, 13, 15, 21, 27-28 now available)
Mar 1, 5-6, 8-18, 20-24, 27 (no anytime 5-6, 13-14) (mar 1, 8-12, 20-24, 27 available)

JW Marriott New Orleans (cat 5)
mardi gras
Feb 20-24 (still unavailable)
jazzfest
Apr 24-26, Apr 30-May 5 (still unavailable)

New Orleans Marriott (cat 5)
mardi gras
Feb 14-15, 17, 20-24 (still unavailable)
jazzfest
Apr 24-25 (still unavailable)
(May 1-2 now unavailable)

NY Marriott Marquis (cat 7) (now cat 8)
NYC Holiday season
No standard or anytime Nov 25-Dec 18, Dec 21-Jan 2 (all still unavailable)

Renaissance Times Square (cat 7) (now cat 8)
NYC Holiday season
Nov 25, 27 (still unavailable, 26 now unavailable)
Dec 3-5, 10-12, 31 (still unavailable, 30 now unavailable)
(no anytime available Dec 4,5,12,31)

Louisville Marriott Downtown (Cat 4)
Kentucky Derby
April 30-May 3 (Only stay anytime)

Waikoloa Beach Marriott Resort & Spa (Cat 6)
Christmas/New Years Holidays
Dec 19-Jan 2 (Only stay anytime)

Key West Marriott Beachside Hotel

No standard availability for any Friday or Saturday in December 2009, or after December 23 to January 2, 2010.

Update 1/15 -Post 1/15 - no reward availability AT ALL anymore (not even the stay anytime available yesterday) for December weekends and after 12/23 UNLESS you start your stay on a Su,Mo,Tu,We,Th

Update 1/17 - Fridays and Saturdays now available in December until Christmas. Looks like this was resolved by Marriott. BTW, even Christmas weekend is available provided you arrive 12/23.

let me ask

anything prior to an award for Jan 15, 2010 would not be a fair comparison right?

shouldn't we be testing awards for after 1/15/10 b/c anything before that could have been taken/used under the prior system?? or am I wrong in that assumption

The award calendar currently only reaches 1/02/10.

My understanding is that MR has said that in most cases, there will be last-standard-room availability. In a few, limited cases, the hotels may limit the number of rooms available for awards, though there must always be some. But they haven't quantified what those few, limited cases are, and this thread is an attempt to test that. If a hotel still shows up tomorrow as unavailable, that would mean that those nights are under this exception and the award rooms are booked under the old system.

If the MR promise that this is an overall enhancement is true, though, many or most of the previously unavailable standard awards should open up.

Let's see if they are truly offering LRA or just blowing smoke.

I was told by Marriott that "at least 10%" of the rooms at each hotel would be available for use with rewards points. Not so many rooms, is it?

I don't think the above availability dates will change much after Jan 15th since they are running close to fiull occupancy on weekends. I did spot checking on the dates you provided above for the availability of Standard Rooms for a paid stay and only found a solitary date where a Standard Room was available for sale. Plenty of Lodge Rooms, Deluxe Rooms (w/fireplace), and Suites, but no Standard Rooms on most of those dates. I am at the Vail Marriott right now for 3.5 weeks and stay here every year and they do have a lot of Standard Rooms. These rooms are the first to go because they are the least expensive and also the ones available for award redemption. I also prefer them over the Lodge Rooms because they are closer to the ski shop and have direct elevator access to the Spa. The Lodge Rooms are 40 sf larger and have a reading chair and the bathroom has a separate shower and tub. The Standard Rooms have a combined tub/shower and no reading chair.

Okay, I had missed my stay-anytime check at this property, and have now updated my post. But I see many of the dates w/o standard award availability do have stay-anytime availability, including most of March. I see standard rooms for sale for cash those dates too (admittedly at prepay and/or very high rates).

I must admit I didn't check March. I already have 2 standard award weeks booked then.

Stay Anytime at the Vail Marriott is not a good measure of Standard Room availability as it does not utilize Standard Rooms; SA awards gives you a Lodge Room and breakfast for 2. I guess that will be a point or cash upgrade in the future since SA awards are going away. Time will tell. FWIW, I have never personally booked a SA award. I guess we are really splitting hairs here, and won't know what happens until after the new program is implemented. Probably a lot more important things to be concerned with, like tomorrow's ski conditions.

It is easy to see if there are Standard rooms available at the Vail Marriott, since when one is checking for Paid reservations the results make it very obvious by the STANDARD ROOM notation in caps.

It's 12:15a.m. on the 15th and there are still properties showing availability with stay anytime points.

I'm doing a search for Washington DC for the inauguration. There is no difference in availability now than there was an hour ago.

Who were you told this by?

St. THomas Marriott last weekend showed Anytime award availability for March 27th.

Search at 1/15 12:15 and 1 am: Anytime is gone , replaced with Standard awards that REQUIRE A 125-180 per night cash upgrade fee.

Marriott Grand Dunes, Myrtle beach, no new availability, the days that were not available are still not available (for the dates I checked (June 2009), however Anytime rates have now moved to standard.

Availablity, At Marriott Capri has opened up significantly, dates that had no availability (any time or standard) are now available . Pity it is now a category 8 and costs 60% more miles (90,000) for a weeks stay