To all,
Since this discussion was never addressed by the community manager or Marriott in recent posts, I'd like to bring it up again.
The 48-Hour Guaranteed Availability benefit for the 3 levels of platinum (platinum, premier, and lifetime) is ambiguous at best. So far this year I've been denied a room with weeks of advance notice three times. That's three times even with calls to our special line and calls directly to the property to plead my case. Then, just today, it happened again. Really?!
This time was different though, a call to the property manager via the platinum line revealed a new twist. The platinum line representative relayed to me that the property manager would absolutely guarantee me a King room for 169$+tax. Mind you, the posted rate when I had checked a few days earlier was 139$ (this is for a reservation in two weeks). When asked why the price was higher the platinum line representative placed me on hold to ask the property manager. She returned with this answer,
"The price is higher for a platinum override when the hotel is sold out."
I was stunned. That seem more like a penalty than a benefit. Granted, I realize the property manager made it happen... but I', taken aback with the increased price for overriding.
Here is a recap of the rules and a brief observation of that rule I made in an earlier post:
Here is the rule as written on this website:
"48-Hour Guaranteed Availability
Traveling on short notice? We guarantee you'll always have a room for any paid stay. Just make a reservation at least 48 hours before arrival at any of our 3,600 participating hotels (Excluding Marriott Vacation Club. At Residence Inn and TownePlace Suites, applies to Studios only.) Thisoffer may not be available during certain limited dates or special events, so be sure to check on this when you book."
If I am reading that correctly, Marriott guarantees me a room, then immediately following that guarantee, states in a disclaimer that in case Marriott can't guarantee me a room, it is because the "offer" may not be available. Can they be any more ambiguous? Is it a guarantee, or is it an offer? There is a difference.
From merriam-webster.com: Guarantee - an assurance for the fulfillment of a condition.
To Marriott, if you're going to guarantee something, then do it! If you can't do it, don't guarantee it! My suggestion is to remove the '48-Hour Guaranteed Availability' as a benefit to MR members unless you can make this a meaningful benefit.
I have purposely left out the name of the property, and MR representative because my intent is not to throw them under the bus, rather, to highlight what appears to be the dwindling value of being a loyal MR member.
Troy