Post 1-15 changes questions for MarriottConcierge
 

OK Ira and group-figure I would start a thread for questions on the changes we can all post in. I will start!

1-If I have a Travel Package cert, and want to make a reservation from 1-15-09 onwards, is it possible to just pay the "upcharge" in points? Or am I stuck?

2-What IS a "standard room"? Why are we seeing the rooms change to "standard guest room" and include "breakfast" so that the hotels can skirt the rules? How does this seem fair to your "loyal" members?

3-What else can we expect to see as a non-standard room? "Standard room" with "free water" not allowing rewards?

4-I have quite a few stays that I "may" use-without the certs ordered yet. They still show as the old points rate, when I go to order the certs, should I encounter any issues?


#2 is going to be a MAJOR issue! This seems totally unfair and just another way for the hotels to "skirt the system"!!! :td:

#1 -- Yes, you are stuck. Officially you have to return your hotel package for partial credit (as low as 10k if you redeemed cat 5 w/ 120k miles) and then redeem for a new, much higher, hotel night stay. Unofficially in the past they've helped people out -- but that's unofficial and up to the rep. I had to buy a bunch of points for cat 5 -- and had to buy more to get to cat 6. I rolled the dice and hope I can find a cat 5 within the next year to stay at.. since almost all my reward stays have been at cat 6 or cat 7 though. I did notice there are Fairfield Inns that are cat 5 so I'm not expecting a real luxury experience :(

I cashed in for a travel package and the hotel I wanted was "stay anytime". I called and asked what I could do. The rep said "call on Jan 15 because the hotel won't be stay anytime anymore". I did just that today and was able to use the hotel portion. Maybe I was given wrong info but that's what I was told and was able to successfully able to get my property.

Re: #4. I asked Ira yest & he said that reward stays booked but certs not ordered yet will go under the # of points at time of order, so if you booked before today the old redemption rate applies.

Cheers.

#2- That will depend on Marriott's enforcement of standard rule availability. I expect that Marriott gave the hotels a big carrot (higher reimbursement rates) to go along with a stick (they are not allowed to insert a small addition to a room and call it a non-standard room). Otherwise, it will generate a lot of ill will among customers. As customers, we need to let Marriott know about any property that chooses to game the system. This has been an issue at some Hilton and Starwood properties.

#4 - No problems here, unless you are reading this thread and forgot to lock in some reservations last night. :D

What seems particularly unfair is that people (myself included) purchased a 7-night travel package at a cat-7. Purchased last August, this should have given me 12 months to reserve ANY marriott hotel. 5 months later, I am now unable to use the award (or even even use it in part payment for many of the hotels it was intended for).

I don't know. Maybe I just got lucky; but I had the correct hotel reward that was needed and they allowed it. Again, the rep I spoke with earlier told me to call Jan. 15th or later.

To cut to the quick. Is the hotel you were presumably able to book with a Category 7 hotel award today, still a Category 7 or did it become a Category 8.

If it is the latter, it does not solve the Major's issue.

It may not solve the issue, but MC has been telling us since October that any RESERVATION made prior to 15 Jan would be honored at the old category/points/cert. If Major had a reservation booked by last night, he won't have any problems. If not, I think he is SOL.

I agree, however, BAGlady may have said otherwise. That is why she needs to be more specific in what hotel she was able to book after 1/15/09/

If it stayed in the same category, then he is SOL. If not, then perhaps not, and that is why I asked her for greater detail.

I do have a backup reservation in a cat 7 (now cat 8) made before the 15th. But the nature of my job means it can be difficult to commit to specific dates this far in advance.

When ordering the award (in Aug) it stated I could reserve in any Marriott hotel for the next 12 months. I was not informed that after 5 months my choices would be limited.

Anyway, hopefully I can meet my current reward and dates and not be inconvenienced too much.

Thank you for the replies though.

Sorry for not being more specific. I ordered a travel package for 120,000 miles and cat 6 property; hotel 870 cert. The hotel was cat 6 prior to Jan 15 and was still cat 6 today when I called so the 870 cert was still applicable and they were able to apply it to the res. I hope I answered everything. If not, let me know.

That makes sense. If you have your award reservation, you will be covered if the hotel is re-categorized upwards at a later point this year.

Questions 1 and 4 have been answered correctly by Pitflyer and SkiAdock.

Question 2 & 3: I understand your concerns here. I have no answers for you yet. The challenge with questions like these is that there are a lot of potential variables. If you run across hotels you feel are hiding inventory please send us a personal message and we will look into it.

Ira

In the last few days I had been told very clearly by several Marriott Rewards representatives that we could either order a travel package without a reservation or make a reservation for use with a travel package to order later by Jan. 14 (although one reservation agent on the 13th insisted to the contrary that MR rep told them both the res must be made and the package ordered with points deducted by 1/14/09). Ira, I'm confused by your answer on this one. I thought you said the only problem with not making the reservation for the t.p. by the 14th was with properties that increased in category this year?