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Book your difficult Reward stays now - lots of availability!

Dave M

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Marriott promised no hotel blackouts after the new point structure takes effect on January 15. The problem with waiting is that it will cost more points under the new structure to book Reward stays.

I suggest that, even if you have recently tried unsuccessfully to book Reward stays for this year with "Standard Rewards", that you try again now. I have been able to book Standard Reward prime-time Reward stays today for two hotels, one of which as recently as yesterday had no Reward availability and another which had only "Anytime” Reward availability.

A third hotel that I have been trying to get for the past four months, for dates when there is a major event that will fill every room in the city, doesn't have Standard space, but it does have Anytime space, where none was previously available.

I tested what's going on with some other hotels, and generally found Standard Reward space where I would not have expected it. As just one example, the Paris Marriott Hotel Champs-Elysees has Standard Reward space for various weeks in July!

So give it a try. If Marriott has opened up the blackouts as much as it's going to do, now is the time to book - before the points cost goes up!
 

pharmgirl

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also lots of award availability for hawaii timeshares - mostly the lock offs but we were able to get full one BR side for points!!
 

LAX Mom

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Dave-
Have you been looking at domestic or international properties? I'm looking at some Marriotts in Europe and don't see major changes with availablity yet.
 

Dave M

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Both domestic and foreign.

One of my reservations is for the Berlin Marriott for the World Track and Field Championships this summer. There was no availability until today. Also, as I mentioned, the Paris Marriott Hotel Champs-Elysees is available in July, something that's almost unheard of!
 

vincenzi

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Both domestic and foreign.

Also, as I mentioned, the Paris Marriott Hotel Champs-Elysees is available in July, something that's almost unheard of!

Dave, after reading your post, my husband told me to book the Paris Marriott Hotel Champs-Elysees. I did it. July 18 - 25 for 150,000 points.:cheer:
 

applegirl

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vince,

that's terrific and amazing! Congrats!!! Sounds like a great deal you just picked up thanks to DaveM's timely posting.

One more reason we all love TUG!

Janna
 

Ann in CA

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We were surprised to have no trouble booking 7 days the Marriott Champs Elysees yesterday, but could not get the Rome Marriott Hotel Grand Flora until November. We were trying to link the May Paris visit with Rome, but finally booked Rome in mid Nov. for a few days. I'll check to see if anything has opened up today.

Thanks! If not for TUG, I would not have pushed myself try to work around our other trips, and use those points. The first I booked by phone, but after playing with the "alternate date calendar" for several hours I was finally brave enough to book Rome online. It was pretty easy actually, once I figured out how to use that to find standard reward days.

The only problem I have found is that it looks as if our 7 day air hotel pkg is not connected to the Paris reservation. The Rome reservation shows "e certificates attached", but the Paris one just says be sure to order your certificates. Which I did (and it shows in our account), but apparently did not get attached when I spoke to the rewards reservation line. I suppose I have to wait until Monday to correct that, as it says only automated lines over the weekend, and I have not figured out how to do that online.

Thanks again for all the great advice.

Ann
 

wegottago

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What about air?

So you got the hotel which is wonderful - I love Paris. But what is your airline strategy for getting there?

I would love to book a week but if there were no FF then I may pay a fortune for summer airfare to Paris.
 

RLG

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Dave, after reading your post, my husband told me to book the Paris Marriott Hotel Champs-Elysees. I did it. July 18 - 25 for 150,000 points.:cheer:

I hope you mean that you booked the "travel package" for 270k points which included the hotel?
 

Bizzyb

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I'm also going to Paris in May with a MR travel package! I was able to get the Marriott Champs Elysees and the FF seats on Air France through NW. I wasn't even considering doing this trip until I started reading on TUG about all the changes coming up. I didn't think I would find anything (air or hotel) with short notice. I just booked everything a few days ago.
We'll be celebrating our 30th wedding anniversay in Paris!
 

pwrshift

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I think I can see some of the smiles on the faces of those owners who purchased direct. :) :) :) I'm happy for us all.

Brian
 

Ann in CA

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I'm also going to Paris in May with a MR travel package! I was able to get the Marriott Champs Elysees and the FF seats on Air France through NW. I wasn't even considering doing this trip until I started reading on TUG about all the changes coming up. I didn't think I would find anything (air or hotel) with short notice. I just booked everything a few days ago.
We'll be celebrating our 30th wedding anniversay in Paris!


This (Paris) was supposed to be our 25th anniversary celebration last year, but we had a chance to go to Phuket (gorgeous Marriott!) instead. So this will be a bit early for our 26th wedding anniversary. I'm excited. My husband is not that wild about Paris, he preferred Rome. But as luck would have it (for me), I could not get the Rome hotel for dates we wanted. He'll have a great time once we get there!

We have not booked air yet as we are still deciding what we want to do before or after. What a fun surprise!
 

jmatias

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Thanks for the heads up Dave! Totally forgot about the changes.

Would love to take the family to maybe London/Paris. However, we are a family of 5. Anyone know if we will fit in 1 room?

Jen
 

rosepointe

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We were able to get 2 tickets on Hawaiian Air to Tahiti....a new partner for Marriott and a week at the London Park Lane for Thanksgiving Week. Have been working on these deals for 2 weeks. The ticket value alone was over $2400.

We are all out of points now...
Sue
 

thinze3

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No availability for me.

Bummer :(

Each year I book the same Courtyard hotel in Fort Worth for two nights during the month of October. It is a Cat 2 and cost only 19K points vs a little over $400 cash rate. I just checked and there is NO availability using points this year! There ARE rooms available for cash, however.

At 10 months out, this is really unusual even BEFORE the Marriott Rewards changes. I hope that after the points changes take effect next week there will be available rooms. In the mean time I just booked the Farfield down the street at a cheaper cash rate.
 

lovearuba

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Hi
Every year we try to use either points or that free hotel night from the visa card to book a summer night at the Marriott in Providence. They have a fire ice show in the area in the summer and staying over just makes for a really nice evening. I've tried two years in a row to get a room but have not been able to unless I paid cash. After reading Dave's post yesterday, I went in and booked it for 20K points. It was actually 5K less than it usually shows when they do have openings. Thanks Dave.
 

dlpearson

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Dang, I can see Marriott Champs Elysee for the latter part of July standard reward, but still not for the first week of August I need. Oh well, the Renaissance Vendome won't be bad, but I was hoping to be able to change it to the Champs Elysee before the 15th.

David
 

Latravel

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Dave, thanks for the information. Because you posted, I found some vacancies in the Grand Flora in Italy during June. I was able to book 4 nights, which makes me so happy!
 

Former Cruiser

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We booked the CasaMagna Marriott Resort in Cancun with points! (11-28 to 12-5) Got airfare from Cleveland for less than $300 each!!!
 

Carlsbadguy

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Just booked a 7 night stay in London as part of a travel package followed by 4nights in Paris at the Champs Property and tickets on American Airilines.
Unfortunately couldn't get business class on the flights.

American let me fly San Diego- stop in Raleigh Durham for a family wedding
Raleigh Durham to London
London-PAris
Paris- San Diego all on one frequent flyer ticket
 

pwrshift

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Only a couple of days left...

This is a very exciting thread to read all about your MR bookings. Keep them coming - let us all live vicariously.

Brian

ps... the point nay-sayers are amazingly quiet right now! :)
 

jmatias

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Hey Brian,

I'm working on it :)

Would love to take the kids on their first European trip this summer but since we are a family of 5 its looking a bit tough.

Maybe will just have to go with DH in the fall.

I'll see what we can get.

Jen
 

winger

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Not ticketed yet...but will be by Friday 1159pm!

Although we did not get a air/hotel travel package recently, we did have ff miles and a cat 7 certif from an air/hotel package from a year ago. we now have r/t air flights for DW and I for a Thanksgiving week + 1 day (that makes 8 night, 9 days) in Paris and are staying in the Champs as well!

for those with young children (esp ones with severe allergies), you can maybe relate how dificult arrangements can be, esp this being our first time away without the kids!!! well, we are holding hotel and air for a few more days...just in case we get wet feet and bail !

we would love summer in paris but we have 2 maui weeks in April, 2 in southern California with the kids which we would hate to give up. we actually are giving up a 3rd summer week in santa monica, california (at the nice Le Merigot Marriott) in exchange for Paris...oh well, choices choices choices.
 

vincenzi

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So you got the hotel which is wonderful - I love Paris. But what is your airline strategy for getting there?

I would love to book a week but if there were no FF then I may pay a fortune for summer airfare to Paris.

I received 120,00 miles from Marriott. And, I had some miles in my FF account with Delta that made up the difference.
 
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