Booking Category 8 Hotels Right Now?
Aug 10, 2018, 11:02 am
#16
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: Homeless
Programs: Hyatt Glob; Hilton Dia; Marriott AMB; Accor Dia; IHG Dia Amb; GHA Tit
Posts: 4,835
Aug 10, 2018, 1:43 pm
#17
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2018
Programs: Marriott Ambassador/United 1K
Posts: 68
Yup, I've got about 15M points.
Aug 10, 2018, 5:27 pm
#18
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: Homeless
Programs: Hyatt Glob; Hilton Dia; Marriott AMB; Accor Dia; IHG Dia Amb; GHA Tit
Posts: 4,835
This is FT after all so it should not be surprising to read about any fellow FTer trying to squeeze the lemon as much as possible, but personally if I had 15m Starpoints I would not worry too much about booking by blocks of 5 nights in order to get 5th night free. At the redemption rate in effect next week, with 15m Starpoints you could stay at St.Regis Bora Bora for almost three years straight without checking out. I don't think you need to pay for a hotel room any time soon regardless where you book and how many nights you book. Good for you, well done ^
And I thought with 4m Hilton points I was a bit on the heavy side. I will only last 50 days at Conrad Bora Bora
And I thought with 4m Hilton points I was a bit on the heavy side. I will only last 50 days at Conrad Bora Bora
Aug 10, 2018, 7:16 pm
#19
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2018
Programs: Marriott Ambassador/United 1K
Posts: 68
3 years at today's rates - but who knows what that will look like in 2019 
This is FT after all so it should not be surprising to read about any fellow FTer trying to squeeze the lemon as much as possible, but personally if I had 15m Starpoints I would not worry too much about booking by blocks of 5 nights in order to get 5th night free. At the redemption rate in effect next week, with 15m Starpoints you could stay at St.Regis Bora Bora for almost three years straight without checking out. I don't think you need to pay for a hotel room any time soon regardless where you book and how many nights you book. Good for you, well done ^
And I thought with 4m Hilton points I was a bit on the heavy side. I will only last 50 days at Conrad Bora Bora
And I thought with 4m Hilton points I was a bit on the heavy side. I will only last 50 days at Conrad Bora Bora
Aug 20, 2018, 10:58 am
#20
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: St. Louis, MO
Posts: 1,411
Has anyone tried to call in and convert an old SPG category 8 to a new Marriott category 7 yet? The way Marriott's handling the rest of this, I have my doubts that the previously made promises will be honored.
Aug 20, 2018, 11:08 am
#21
Join Date: Jun 2017
Location: Chicago, IL
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Gold, Airline Nobody
Posts: 64
Yes once yesterday and once today. Both times I was told that they were unable to modify the reservation on their end and I was asked to call back later - I know they're slammed but I'm stressing a bit on my end because I've got 120k points at stake. They've been nice but remarkably unhelpful.
Aug 20, 2018, 11:33 am
#22
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: LGA/JFK/EWR
Programs: UA 1K1.75MM, Hyatt Globalist, abandoned Marriott LTT (RIP SPG), Hertz PC
Posts: 21,166
My ambassador is working on it for me this week. Will report back.
Aug 20, 2018, 11:38 am
#23
Join Date: Dec 2016
Location: Dubai
Programs: SPG 100 Ambassador, LH M&M Senator, Skywards Silver
Posts: 250
Aug 20, 2018, 11:43 am
#24
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: MD/DC
Programs: Hilton Diamond, IHG Platinum, Marriott Titanium, TK Gold
Posts: 1,536
Yes once yesterday and once today. Both times I was told that they were unable to modify the reservation on their end and I was asked to call back later - I know they're slammed but I'm stressing a bit on my end because I've got 120k points at stake. They've been nice but remarkably unhelpful.
I'm just kicking myself on not trasferring all points to either side, as I could have just duplicate the reservation and not worry about it. But now that transfer is not an option (at least for now) I don't have enough on either side to do it. Lesson learnt.
Aug 20, 2018, 1:00 pm
#25
Join Date: Apr 2005
Programs: Starwood:Lifetime Platinum, Air Canada:Basic, Asiana:Lifetime Diamond Plus, ANA: Basic
Posts: 980
I tried the new Marriott/SPG site. Marriott took away the beloved date grid for points redemption so you can't browse to see what days have points redemption available. Why did they do that?
Aug 20, 2018, 1:36 pm
#26
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: LGA/JFK/EWR
Programs: UA 1K1.75MM, Hyatt Globalist, abandoned Marriott LTT (RIP SPG), Hertz PC
Posts: 21,166
Aug 20, 2018, 1:37 pm
#27
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: LGA/JFK/EWR
Programs: UA 1K1.75MM, Hyatt Globalist, abandoned Marriott LTT (RIP SPG), Hertz PC
Posts: 21,166
Aug 20, 2018, 1:39 pm
#28
Community Director Emerita
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Anywhere warm
Posts: 33,735
I'm hopeful that this is momentary. It was there yesterday. And today, after not being able to look at month at a glance, I couldn't even bring up specific dates.
Aug 20, 2018, 3:09 pm
#29
Join Date: Apr 2003
Programs: B6 Mosaic, Bonvoy LT Titanium (x SPG LT), IHG Spire, UA Silver
Posts: 5,844
Wednesday is the new target date to get the points refund for existing reservations where the amount of points required went down. I would not attempt to do it before then as when reservations are cancelled, the points don't yet go back into the account automatically.
Aug 20, 2018, 4:42 pm
#30
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: MD/DC
Programs: Hilton Diamond, IHG Platinum, Marriott Titanium, TK Gold
Posts: 1,536
Managed to combine the account and just create a new reservation. Now to see how to cancel the old reservation who had vanished in the transfer process.
