New Marriott Rewards Property Categories and Travel Package Requirements effective Aug '18

[Quilter]

Am I right in believing that attaching a reservation to a certificate has to fall between today and next July?

 

[jewls]

OMG! What number is everyone calling to get the packages. I’ve been on hold for 45 min. Spoke to someone last night who had no idea how to do it. She’s playing phone tag with a supervisor & myself.

 

[Saintsfanfl]

OMG! What number is everyone calling to get the packages. I’ve been on hold for 45 min. Spoke to someone last night who had no idea how to do it. She’s playing phone tag with a supervisor & myself.

Call MVCI. Do not call marriott reservations or customer service.

 

[Saintsfanfl]

Am I right in believing that attaching a reservation to a certificate has to fall between today and next July?

It has to be within the expiration of the certificate and within the open reservation windows. Right now July 13 is the farthest you can do for a hotel reservation.

 

[ACP]

Am I right in believing that attaching a reservation to a certificate has to fall between today and next July?

Thats the $64 million ??
At the moment, we have been able to extend up to a further year from the time you make the request. As an example if your had a Cert that was due to expire in Feb 19, if you called in Oct 18, they would usually extend for 1 year from Oct i.e. until Oct 19, however this was never written anywhere and dealt with on a case by case basis, the same way as being able to upgrade the category of hotel with additional points.

Hopefully this is going to continue, not sure anybody know, not even Marriott - not sure it will be a big deal for them going forward as TP will be very expensive to purchase so less of an issue for Marriott

 

[dansimms]

I am lifetime Gold and 100 nights away from platinum so I am peaked out on lifetime status when I move to platinum come year end. I purchased 30,000 SPG points discounted 35% to get add to my MRP. i will at 550,000. i have one cat 5 certificate in my account and plan to get 2 travel packages before Aug 1 to spend my MRP. If you were going to get any real value from MRP, it was to be found in travel packages. Come Aug 1, travel packages are devalued 20% or more so I will spend it now and figure out how to use it later. I figure I will lock in the miles no matter what. Anyway I came across an interesting view titled

What will happen to existing Marriott Travel Package certificates?

Full article
https://frequentmiler.boardingarea....xisting-marriott-travel-package-certificates/

cut and past of interesting guess (and only a guess from someone I have no clue knows what he is talking about)

My new estimate: 60%
By detailing various options Marriott has for dealing with existing un-booked travel certificates, I’ve concluded that exchanging the certificates for points makes a lot of sense. Other options are unnecessarily complicated and/or will piss people off. Merging multiple rewards programs is a huge task. By simplifying this one part of it, Marriott would save themselves and their members lots of aggravation.
It’s possible, of course, that Marriott will return some other number of points than the numbers I suggested. That would be simple too. But if they offered less than the number required today to book a 7 night stay, they’re going to make us mad. They don’t want us mad.
So, there you go. My latest guesstimate is that travel package certificates that haven’t been used to book a stay will be converted to points as follows:
Category 1-5: 150,000 points
Category 6: 180,000 points
Category 7: 210,000 points
Category 8: 240,000 points
Category 9: 270,000 points
Ritz Tier 1-3: 300,000 points
Ritz Tier 4-5: 420,000 points

Questions answered, 60% guaranteed*
If we take as a given that travel packages will be converted to points as described above, we can answer the common questions we’ve been asked:
Q: What will happen to unused certificates when Marriott and SPG merge programs sometime in August?
A: They’ll become points!
Q: Which packages are the best to buy?
A: Always pick from the packages on the right side of the charts (the packages that return the most miles). Then, if the points-return really happens, your net cost will be 120,000 points regardless of which category package you buy now. So, go for the category 1-5 certs so that you’ll have more points on hand for other uses in the meantime. One exception: if you have a specific use in mind, go for a package that maps closest to the category that your hotel will be in after the merger (just in case the point-return option doesn’t happen).
Q: Should we upgrade or downgrade our existing packages before the merger?
A: Downgrade if that would give you enough points to buy another package. Otherwise, only upgrade or downgrade if you have a specific use in mind where upgrading or downgrading will get you closer to the package you’ll need.
Q: When is the deadline for buying the packages?
A: My guess is that they’ll stop selling packages on August 1 even if the new program isn’t introduced until later in the month (this guess is unrelated to the other guesses above and doesn’t have the 60% “guarantee”*)
* Despite the guarantee, readers are not entitled to recompense or apologies if/when Greg is proven

 

[dansimms]

Can someone tell me how many points it would require for a 5 night stay at a category 1-5 plus 2 coach airfares from NY to Aruba ? It would be during the Easter Break if that matters. Thanks !

 

[MabelP]

Where can I find the five night travel package chart. I am a Marriott timeshare owner. Thank you.

 

[VacationForever]

Where can I find the five night travel package chart. I am a Marriott timeshare owner. Thank you.

https://owners.marriottvacationclub.com/timeshare/mvco/marriottRewardsOwnerSpecials

It requires a MVCI login.

 

[MabelP]

Thank you so much...worked like a charm!

 

[pwrshift]

I have two seven night category nine certificates I was worried about and spoke to a rep who said they will be good in the new system for up to their highest level category but must be extended before the expiry dates each year. Big relief.

 

[VacationForever]

Thank you so much...worked like a charm!

 

[dioxide45]

I have two seven night category nine certificates I was worried about and spoke to a rep who said they will be good in the new system for up to their highest level category but must be extended before the expiry dates each year. Big relief.

Not sure I would rely on a frontline rep for 100% accurate information.

 

[Saintsfanfl]

I have two seven night category nine certificates I was worried about and spoke to a rep who said they will be good in the new system for up to their highest level category but must be extended before the expiry dates each year. Big relief.

Cat 9 is no where near new Cat 8 so I wouldn’t count on that. Wishful thinking at best.

 

[Steve A]

We have a res for a cat 9 in London for May using the seven day travel package. It’s showing as a cat 7 in the new listings in post one in this thread.

 

[dioxide45]

We have a res for a cat 9 in London for May using the seven day travel package. It’s showing as a cat 7 in the new listings in post one in this thread.

That may be because they aren't going to start using the new category 8 or disclose which properties until 2019?

 

[rickandcindy23]

I would like to have been a fly on the wall while Marriott executives decided what values and categories to put on each hotel.

I have been trying to decide what to do with my SPG points for weeks, and now I am down to two days to decide about Amtrak. I could just wait and see.

 

[Steve A]

dixoide

There is only one hotel in London listed as a future cat 8, the Wellesley Knightsbridge. All the other current cat 9 will be cat 7.

 

[kds4]

Ugghh. On hold with Owner Services. Since DW's MR account is attached to our MVCI account and not mine, I cannot redeem the 5 night TPs (either through Owner Services or Marriott Rewards). Owner Services says they have the issue fixed and my MR number is now attached to my owner account and DW's MR number is attached to her profile in our owner account. However, have to wait 24 hours for the system to update. So, will try again tomorrow.

 

[NJDave]

Ugghh. On hold with Owner Services. Since DW's MR account is attached to our MVCI account and not mine, I cannot redeem the 5 night TPs (either through Owner Services or Marriott Rewards). Owner Services says they have the issue fixed and my MR number is now attached to my owner account and DW's MR number is attached to her profile in our owner account. However, have to wait 24 hours for the system to update. So, will try again tomorrow.

I want to transfer points (more than 50,000) from my wife's account to mine in case I want to book one more travel package. It is difficult to get Marriott to transfer points and book a 5 night package on the same call since Marriott Rewards generally don't know how to book 5 night travel packages and MVC reps have difficulties transferring points. I thus want to do this in two steps (i.e. transfer first) and then decide if I want a travel package later. Having the points in my account is better anyway since I have gold and she has silver.

I was thinking of calling Marriott Rewards to book a general reservation (not a 5 night package) in my name with points from my wife's account.

If I then cancel the trip, will the points transferred stay in my account.

 

[dioxide45]

I want to transfer points (more than 50,000) from my wife's account to mine in case I want to book one more travel package. It is difficult to get Marriott to transfer points and book a 5 night package on the same call since Marriott Rewards generally don't know how to book 5 night travel packages and MVC reps have difficulties transferring points. I thus want to do this in two steps (i.e. transfer first) and then decide if I want a travel package later. Having the points in my account is better anyway since I have gold and she has silver.

I was thinking of calling Marriott Rewards to book a general reservation (not a 5 night package) in my name with points from my wife's account.

If I then cancel the trip, will the points transferred stay in my account.

Since you are only transferring 50,000 points, can't you do that online?

 

[dsmrp]

I want to transfer points (more than 50,000) from my wife's account to mine in case I want to book one more travel package. It is difficult to get Marriott to transfer points and book a 5 night package on the same call since Marriott Rewards generally don't know how to book 5 night travel packages and MVC reps have difficulties transferring points. I thus want to do this in two steps (i.e. transfer first) and then decide if I want a travel package later. Having the points in my account is better anyway since I have gold and she has silver.

I was thinking of calling Marriott Rewards to book a general reservation (not a 5 night package) in my name with points from my wife's account.

If I then cancel the trip, will the points transferred stay in my account.

Two MR service reps (2 out of 3) told me they could only transfer 50K points between accounts in a calendar year. Only exception was for a scheduled reservation. One said he'd have to check whether he could do that for a travel package purchase. These 2 same reps said only MVC reps could book 5 night packages and since I wasn't a Marriott TS owner, I couldn't get it anyway. But the first MR rep I talked to last week said that anyone can buy a 5 night package even when I told her I wasn't a Marriott TS owner, but a Vistana one. Too bad I didn't have the MR points in my account to see if she would have sold me one. Probably Marriott is firming up the rules as the merging date gets closer??

 

[NJDave]

Two MR service reps (2 out of 3) told me they could only transfer 50K points between accounts in a calendar year. Only exception was for a scheduled reservation. One said he'd have to check whether he could do that for a travel package purchase. These 2 same reps said only MVC reps could book 5 night packages and since I wasn't a Marriott TS owner, I couldn't get it anyway. But the first MR rep I talked to last week said that anyone can buy a 5 night package even when I told her I wasn't a Marriott TS owner, but a Vistana one. Too bad I didn't have the MR points in my account to see if she would have sold me one. Probably Marriott is firming up the rules as the merging date gets closer??

You may want to try what I am suggesting if the points stay after the cancellation.

 

[NJDave]

Since you are only transferring 50,000 points, can't you do that online?

I need to transfer more than the 50,000 points. I had them transfer the 50,000 points yesterday which gave me enough points for one travel package. I want to transfer 230,000 more points so I can book one more. My wife has 234,000 points left. I have 7,000 left.

 

[Saintsfanfl]

I need to transfer more than the 50,000 points. I had them transfer the 50,000 points yesterday which gave me enough points for one travel package. I want to transfer 230,000 more points so I can book one more. My wife has 234,000 points left. I have 7,000 left.

The information that anyone can buy a 5 night package is false. There have been reports of some people buying them, especially in the beginning, but that is not supposed to happen.

There is probably no way to transfer more than 50,000 points to buy a travel package. The rule is the transfer must be for booking a reservation, and a tp is not a reservation. You cannot book the reservation unless you first have the the tp. It is a conundrum. The easiest way to buy a travel package is by calling MVCI but they definitely cannot transfer the points so the only way to get an exception is by calling marriott. I can see this ending in hours and hours of phone time with no result.