The Calgary Herald reported today that Mariott will be introducing a new Top Tier to their Rewards Program in May. Any word as to what this will include?
↧
New Top Tier for Rewards Program
↧
Spouse [gold elite]in room w/ platinum elite charged for breakfast Renaissance Charleston SC
In all our travels spouse has always been welcome with me in concierge lounge or complimentary breakfast when no lounge exists. The Charleston, S.C. Renaissance says spouse must pay for breakfast because new policy restricts breakfast to elite member on reservation only... We are registered as staying 2 in the room but only one may have comp breakfast.
Is this anyway to reward loyalty? this is outrageous, has anyone else run into this? How can we impact the system that so dreadfully mistreats it's best customers.
fyi, spouse is gold elite and I am platinum.
↧
↧
Requesting Upgrades During A Rewards Stay
Two quick questions from a Rewards newbie:
When a rewards stay is book, should we expect a lower tier room because we are not paying cash?
If we are a Gold Elite member, will the hotel honor the upgrade policy during a rewards stay? So has anyone in a Gold status been upgraded during a rewards stay?
I have only used my points once and it seems I was given a lower tier room. However, I will be staying at a Ritz Carlton and it would be cool if they honored the upgrade feature. To tell you the truth, my company pays a ton of money for my rewards, because most every city I travel to has a cheaper hotel alternative, and I am not talking about Red Roof Inns. So if I work a year to accumulate points and book a great hotel and get a below par room, I might just have to change courses. I know I am savings thousands of dollars by using rewards, but who wants to stay in the worst room of any hotel. I would much rather stay in a great room at a Marriott than the worst at a Ritz Carlton.
Thanks for you replies!
↧
Los Suenos and All-inclusive rate
Just booked our vacation to Costa Rica, which includes a return to Los Suenos. We have never utilized a Marriott vaca "all-inclusive" option and have some questions I did not find answers to:
- Will this option include snacks and drinks (juice, soda, sparkling water, non-alco. drinks) at anytime?
- I understand the idea of "premium" food upcharge, but do not see clarification for what can be eaten (ex: 4 courses)
- When we want to finish walking after dinner and find a spot to sit and have dessert and coffee, is that included?
- Under the Marriott vacation page, the whole page ad for CR Los Suenos all-inclusive says all taxes AND gratuities inc. Not so under rate rules when making my reservations.
Any input from your experience at Los Suenos would be great help. Not sure non-drinkers would be wise to choose the all-inclusive.
I love reading Insiders; learning much from all of you travel pros!
Thanks!
↧
Why are they putting video an audio monitoring in there hotels ?
i understand we are in a environment that needs to be watched sometime but i think if we are to stay at these places we should be told that it is going on before we stay there... that sounds very shaky to me that a nice hotel would want to listen an watch to see what there employees an PEOPLE THAT ARE PAYING TO STAY THERE are doing ...
↧
↧
50% Mileage Bonus from US Airways when transferring from Hotel Programs
Hello! Many of you wanted to be alerted when this came back this Spring. ITS BACK! (April 2013)
Great deal when converting a Travel Package. I am going to convert one for 120k miles and get 60k Bonus. Not a bad deal!
Have fun....
↧
Setting point saver alerts?
Is there a way to set a point saver alert for specific properties? For instance, if I have 3-4 hotels in Florida that I would be interested in staying in for a family vacation...but the points are too high at this point...is there a way to set an alert so that I would receive notification if one of those hotels was running a point saver special that might put it in our budget?
↧
Anniversary Certificate - No Leniency
I just received my Visa Category 1-5 anniversary certificate, so I called the Plat line to see if I could use it on an upcoming stay at the Ren. LHR in November. The certificate expires in October, and the property is going to be moved to a category 6 next month, so I asked if I could get an extension on the certificate... flat out NO. NOT POSSIBLE. Asked if they could offer me another booking with the certificate, I explained I'd have no other qualifying stay this year... didn't seem to matter at all. Very disappointed... Has anyone had better luck that I recently? Any tips?
↧
New Top Tier for Rewards Program
The Calgary Herald reported today that Mariott will be introducing a new Top Tier to their Rewards Program in May. Any word as to what this will include?
↧
↧
All-Inclusive Packages using Points
Where did the all-inclusive packages using points go, and are they coming back?
↧
Can Hotel Certificates Expired be reactivated?
Can Hotel Certificates Expired be reactivated?
↧
Platinum Premier - why?
Welcome to 2013. Another year of week in and out stays in a hotel room. Another year of being a MR Platinum Premier member.
As I reflect on my status, only given to the top 3% of Platinum members, I ask myself why. Why would Marriott send me a bathroom tote as a gift? Surely someone at Marriott must realize that I already have the travel accessories category figured out, given that I stayed over 160 nights at their hotel chain last year. I appreciate the sentiment of a gift, but the gift itself doesn't seem to fit. I suppose it might make more sense than a solar-powered USB charger. Gosh, was that two years ago? Oh yeah, last year there was an online subscription to the WSJ.
Why am I writing all this? Am I just another ungrateful traveler and rewards snob? Maybe I am, but maybe there's a point to this rant.
Marriott needs to put something, anything in writing that guarantees Platinum Premier members something more than everyone else. Sure, PP gets folks to the front of the line for upgrades (if they're available), but where is the REAL bonus? Why not offer some innovative features like what Starwood's tiered SPG program created? Platinum level is 50 nights, but you keep earning more GUARANTEED benefits by achieving 75 nights and 100 nights.
Dare I say it, why even have a PP tier when members who achieve that level of status may or may not actually benefit? Hilton Honors doesn't have any problem only offering 3 tiers and still has loyalty a plenty. When Delta implemented Diamond status three years ago, they also rewarded members with some tangible benefits (arguably diminished over time, but we're not talking about bathroom totes made in China).
C'mon Marriott Rewards. Reward me as a Platinum Premier. Quit toying with my fierce loyalty. This year I only plan to stay the minimum nights required to hit all the promotions (what's that, 75 nights?). Wouldn't you rather entice me to keep staying 160 a year? Maybe not.
Sincerely,
Steve
↧
Sudden and unexplained reduction in Marriott Rewards points?
Hi, has anyone suddenly had points deducted from your account today (1/31/12)?
My account went from well over 200,000 points to just over 80,000. I researched the issue and nearly every stay from now until 1/1/11 had the points deleted.
Marriott.com does not allow members to go further back than 13 months, so I don't know how many points were removed prior to 1/1/11.
I look forward to hearing from other Marriott Rewards members. Thanks.
↧
↧
Lifetime Points - Where on MR site?
Noticed a link today highlighting lifetime status with x number of nights stayed plus x number of points required. I can see where my lifetime number of nights are at on the site but any idea where I can find my lifetime points? Naturally, I've used a lot of what I have earned so its not in my current total.
↧
CNBC Airs "Hotel: Behind Closed Doors at Marriott" Wednesday December 12th
CNBC’S “HOTEL: BEHIND CLOSED DOORS AT MARRIOTT” WILL PREMIERE ON DECEMBER 12TH - CNBC
With my belief that Marriott is feeling their financial performance oats and thus making it more and more challenging to find significant deals or rewards perks, this show may be helpful in providing us with some insight into the corporation's thinking. The program shows the impressive worldwide operations of this highly successful firm, their effective Asian development strategy, and of great interest to me, "will explore the strange science of hotel pricing and explain why guests can pay wildly different prices for comparable rooms".
Pricing has become more segmented each year. Yesterday we discussed the Residence Inn Times Square offering prices for the exact same room ranging from the $269 AAA "Special" rate, $179 Standard, $152 Rewards Offer, and a before the scheduled time period, Seasonal Awards points discount; so it can be the wild west out there when it comes to pricing - buyer beware. Hopefully the show will better equip us as Insiders in helping each other maximize our travel dollars.
↧
E195 Checks
I am a PP member who stays 200+ nights every year in a Marriott. I choose to use Marriott because of the E195 ($1000 Marriott Checks for 135000 points). these are no longer offered. I use those checks to meet my family for vacations. I will now be shopping for a better deal at another company. It is STUPID to endanger loyalty, but you have. There are companies out there that will treasure my 200+ nights per year and treat me better.
↧
No hotels in Rome with availability that I can use points... So disappointed
I am so diappointed!
I obtained a Chase Premier Credit Card and began to use at great lengths to accumulate 80K points for a stay in Rome..... I went out of our way to dine at Marriott Hotels to get the extra points... At every opportunity I stayed at a Marriott even if out of my way.
Finally I reach the points I need and 3 months away from travel date. I was so disappointed that neither of the category 8 hotels in Rome are available.
I have never run into this with my AMEX Starwoods points CC... Generally how long in advance does one have to book a stay to get a reservation? Is ths common to not be able to use points 3 months out?
I am now rethinking what good are the points if all I can use them for is a level 3 or 4.
↧
↧
Marriott Gift Cards/Dining Gift Cards
Hi,
We'll be using our points for the first time this June. We are heading to Puerto Rico and will be there for 7 days. We are planning on staying for the first two nights at La Concha and the last two nights at the Stellaris. We have two children 6 and 8. Although the Stellaris seems to be more kid friendly from what we have read on this board, we did want to visit the La Concha as well. We'll also stay at the Courtyard Aguadilla for a night when we visit the caves and, hopefully, two nights on Vieques at Hectors . I've visited the rain forest in the past and will take the family there as well as to old San Juan.
My question is whether LaConcha, the Courtyard and/or Stellaris accept the Marriott Gift Cards and Marriott Dining Cards? The Dining cards cost fewer points but are seem to be more limited in use? Has anyone had experience using these at any of these locations? Can they be used for the extra charges that are tacked on to the room such as Parking, 16% Resort fee or Room Service?
I will also probably call each resort to ask but am interested in whether someone knows this information from first hand use? Calling can sometimes lead to bad information and whether it is yay or nay I would like to have the information ahead of time rather than finding out when we get there...
Also, any suggestions for inexpensive yet good local restaurants for breakfast or dinner within walking distance of the hotels?
Thank you in advance for your answers!
↧
Revised Requirements fr Lifetime Platinum?
I know Marriott recently reduced the number of nights down to 750. But we're the lifetime points reduced from 2,000,000?
↧
Missing Stays
Does anyone else have issues with missing stays? I continually have to go in and check my account to make sure I get credit. The bill will show my rewards number, but the stay does not show up on my account. Very frustrating!
↧