The Marriott Hotel Mobile Check in Saga

[WorldT]

If this is true, then this is just pure insanity. I am not sure if there was no other hotel that will allow the use of apple/android pay ( I don't use it) that will make this family end up sleeping in the car.
Also a word to be wise, get your wife a card too. I have forgotten mine a couple of times and used my wife's card to bail us out (not at a hotel though).
I know Marriott advertises mobile check-in for some locations I have visited. I have never used it.

Family Denied Marriott Room Due To Check-In Quirk, Forced To Sleep In Car

A family with a toddler was denied check-in at a Marriott over an unpublished rule, and was then forced to sleep in a car. This is wild.

onemileatatime.com

 

[claraj]

For Hyatt mobile check-in, you don’t need to swipe a credit card if you have a card on file. For certain hotels where you can unlock the room door with your app, you can go straight to the room. I usually stop by the desk to get a key card after checking in on the app and they only ask for ID.

 

[jp10558]

Wow. When I forgot my Wallet this Feb on the way down to Hilton Head Island, I had it FedExed overnight so I could check in to Ocean Oak cause I knew I'd need my ID. But the Double Tree in VA was fine with the mobile check in. I actually think I checked in with a photo of my ID that I have on my phone. And the CC was on file. The only thing I wonder about the story is - he 100% had to use the same credit card? He couldn't use a different one (like his Wifes or something)? I guess because they wouldn't take Apple Pay it for some reason had to be the same one?

IDK, I still think I'd be pissed, but I'd also just say - well F this, can I just make a new booking with what I have now? Or go to a different hotel and just pay to stay? I get being pissed about the wasted cost, but I would probably try a CC dispute over that.

 

[davidvel]

Wow. When I forgot my Wallet this Feb on the way down to Hilton Head Island, I had it FedExed overnight so I could check in to Ocean Oak cause I knew I'd need my ID. But the Double Tree in VA was fine with the mobile check in. I actually think I checked in with a photo of my ID that I have on my phone. And the CC was on file. The only thing I wonder about the story is - he 100% had to use the same credit card? He couldn't use a different one (like his Wifes or something)? I guess because they wouldn't take Apple Pay it for some reason had to be the same one?

IDK, I still think I'd be pissed, but I'd also just say - well F this, can I just make a new booking with what I have now? Or go to a different hotel and just pay to stay? I get being pissed about the wasted cost, but I would probably try a CC dispute over that.

I have used a different card at Marriotts to check in than the one the room was booked with many times. The article was very vague about this and commenters questioned it as well. I simply do not believe that a Marriott titanium member only carries one CC (or none in his case), or that Marriott wouldn't take another card.

 

[Brett]

I've used the Marriott app to check-in with no problems, you can use it to unlock the door

 

[WorldT]

I have used a different card at Marriotts to check in than the one the room was booked with many times. The article was very vague about this and commenters questioned it as well. I simply do not believe that a Marriott titanium member only carries one CC (or none in his case), or that Marriott wouldn't take another card.

If he had another physical card, he would have just cancelled the current reservation and book another one using the physical card he had or better yet tell the staff he wants to pay with a different card (I do this literally every single time for personal reasons). It is strange he didn't even have a debit card either. And his wife doesn't have ANY cards? Yes, it screams all kinds of weird.
However, the one thing I will fault Marriott with if the story is true is this: you can't advertise mobile check-in at a location and then be asked to produce the credit card. Marriott mobile check-in is supposed to allow you to open the doors too. I see it pop up a couple of times when I am staying at a Marriott but I just close it and go to the counter to check in so I have never ran into this kind of issue before.

 

[jp10558]

Yea I don't use mobile checkin because sometimes it doesn't work, but more often it's just that I have 1 or 2 people who want to come and go from the room that aren't me and don't have the app nor want the account to get digital key copies when it takes seconds on check in to get 2 or 3 cards.

 

[JanT]

Marriott absolutely will accept another credit card other than the one a person has on file. I just did that the other day and there was no issue.

I'm not sure that mobile check-in means you can skip the front desk, does it? I know you can check-in on-line and get mobile keys but is that the same as mobile check-in that might still require someone to present a physical card at the front desk? I check-in on the app but decline mobile keys so always have to stop at the desk to get keys. And I always have to present ID and credit card for swiping. That's standard.

Having said that, it seems improbable to me that because this person has some health issues, that they don't plan for that - such as having other credit cards (at a minimum a debit card) with them, or having the wife make sure she has hers or that he had his card with him. If they deal with this on a continuing basis, why weren't they prepared in case something like this happened? Who does that?

Forgive me, but I'm just so damned jaded anymore that my bullshit meter is going off like crazy on this. NO ONE in that situation, who knows they have "issues" that cause them to misplace things, etc. is going to be so reckless that they aren't prepared for a situation like this. And to sleep in the car? Why? Why not just go to another hotel?

It's a mean thing to say and God forgive me, but seriously....from where I'm sitting, it looks like the guy went looking for trouble and a reason to sue.

 

[dioxide45]

Marriott absolutely will accept another credit card other than the one a person has on file. I just did that the other day and there was no issue.

But what if you've already authorized the charge to a different card through mobile checkin? Perhaps they require the same card that was used during mobile checkin.

 

[JanT]

But what if you've already authorized the charge to a different card through mobile checkin? Perhaps they require the same card that was used during mobile checkin.

It doesn't matter if you authorized the charge to a different card through mobile check-in. I check in on the app and I have my Marriott CC on file for charges. On this particular trip, when I checked in on the app, I stopped to get my keys and didn't have easy physical access to that credit card but had my Citibank card in my back pocket. I presented that card and asked if I needed to show the Marriott CC card instead. They said, "No" and I swiped my Citibank card to authorize charges because it was easier. No issue at all. When I checked out, I made sure they charged everything to my Marriott CC.

 

[WorldT]

But what if you've already authorized the charge to a different card through mobile checkin? Perhaps they require the same card that was used during mobile checkin.

They can also reverse the room charge to the credit card in the mobile app if they insist on the physical card and you didn't have it but have another card. For some reason this guy didn't have any other cards and the wife didn't have any either.

 

[sponger76]

The alleged victim also states:

I am simply asking that advertising at this particular property accurately describe the conditions under which check-in is truly available.

A straightforward edit of the property’s amenity list—removing “Digital Check-In” or clearly stating that a physical card is always required—would resolve the inconsistency and protect both guests and Marriott from the risk of regulatory scrutiny.

But even if his ideas had been in place, it wouldn't have helped him as he didn't have his card with him and still wouldn't have been able to check in. Or did he book after already knowing that he didn't have his card, assuming that he would be able to still check-in without having the actual card in hand?

 

[DrQ]

Having said that, it seems improbable to me that because this person has some health issues, that they don't plan for that - such as having other credit cards (at a minimum a debit card) with them, or having the wife make sure she has hers or that he had his card with him. If they deal with this on a continuing basis, why weren't they prepared in case something like this happened? Who does that?

Reading between the lines, I think this is the crux of the issue. I think that the person denied the room did not have another credit card or a debit card with enough headroom to cover the charges.

 

[jp10558]

Forgive me, but I'm just so damned jaded anymore that my bullshit meter is going off like crazy on this. NO ONE in that situation, who knows they have "issues" that cause them to misplace things, etc. is going to be so reckless that they aren't prepared for a situation like this.

My BIL absolutely would be. When you have certain mental conditions like barely treated ADHD, it seems like it's near impossible to plan at all, so you can't plan yourself strategies to make up for lack of planning, or misplacing everything etc. That said, when you have these sorts of issues, sometimes you just have a bad time of it. Now, he's lucky that my sister isn't affected by ADHD and would make up for this, including having spare cards or insisting he show her his wallet before getting in the car to leave. But not everyone is that lucky, sometimes both partners have ADHD, or one isn't as good at making up for it as my sister, or whatever.

And to sleep in the car? Why? Why not just go to another hotel?

Well, if they actually managed to not have their wallet or any money, perhaps they couldn't pay for another hotel. IDK. I personally, in Las Vegas would have just drove around trying hotels till I could use my Apple/Google Pay to book a fricken room, but maybe they were exhausted after getting in. Who knows really.

 

[davidvel]

My BIL absolutely would be. When you have certain mental conditions like barely treated ADHD, it seems like it's near impossible to plan at all, so you can't plan yourself strategies to make up for lack of planning, or misplacing everything etc. That said, when you have these sorts of issues, sometimes you just have a bad time of it. Now, he's lucky that my sister isn't affected by ADHD and would make up for this, including having spare cards or insisting he show her his wallet before getting in the car to leave. But not everyone is that lucky, sometimes both partners have ADHD, or one isn't as good at making up for it as my sister, or whatever.


Well, if they actually managed to not have their wallet or any money, perhaps they couldn't pay for another hotel. IDK. I personally, in Las Vegas would have just drove around trying hotels till I could use my Apple/Google Pay to book a fricken room, but maybe they were exhausted after getting in. Who knows really.

No one knows because this is a typical internet "news" one sided puff piece lacking in facts that matter.