Marriott Travel Pacages with FF

[Docklander]

I just spoke to a Marriott Rewards representative with a view to booking one of the Air + Hotel packages with points (specifically the one that gets you 120k FF miles & a cat 1-5 hotel for 7 nights). I was going to do the standard 'trick' of getting the package and then cancelling the hotel portion to leave me with FF miles at a better than usual rate. However, the rep. told me that if I was to cancel the hotel portion I'd only get 10,000 Marriott points back as the deal was heavily discounted. This would mean that 120k FF miles would cost 225,000 MRP or 1.875MRP/FFmile - I know this is better than the standard conversion rate but I was sure they gave a better deal than this....anyone else come across this?

 

[Dave M]

Marriott used to give 45,000 to 55,000 points (depending on the hotel Category) on a turn-back of the hotel certificate. However, they apparently figured out that too many people were getting the air-hotel packages solely for the FF miles.

Thus, last year they changed the points for turning in the hotel certificate to what you have found. There are several threads about this.

As you correctly stated, your plan is still the cheapest (in terms of points) way to get a lot of FF miles.

 

[taffy19]

The Marriott is getting too greedy with everything and it will backfire one day and certainly if they tank all future re-sale values too if they are going to change their internal reservation system with second class owners.

My motto has always been to buy where you like to go and forget all the extra perks because they are here today and gone tomorrow. Buying for MRPs or for exchanging is a crapshoot as they keep changing and taking away more than they add on and certainly for their supposedly "low value" customer (one week owners) which must be the majority still in their customer base. JMHO as I don't know for sure.

200,000 MRPs would give you a first class flight for a week stay in the highest category hotel anywhere in the world plus a rental car too but not now. At many hotels you don't even get a full week anymore in the highest category nor the airline fare or the car rental either.

They never even updated the amount of points that you will get if you exchange your timeshare unit for MRPs one year so the value of this perk has suffered a lot over the years for their loyal customers. They can even stop this program any time they want to so what is it really worth?

I hope people are getting enough of being nickel and dimed to death and buy from a developer who isn't so greedy but they all seem to be just as greedy.

Rent from an owner instead and let him worry about all the perks that are here today and gone tomorrow. Some of them are hurting so much that they will list a rental for $700 for a whole week while their maintenance fees are much higher and have a look at eBay as some rentals even rent for less yet. Unbelievable!

The Marriott should keep the re-sales values high of their timeshares and not let the MRPs program deteriorate as much as it has year after year. If they do this, they will keep their loyal customers happy so they will buy more instead of fearing what will happen to the re-sale price if they have to sell for a health or hardship reason. Most of us would gladly heir the timeshare(s) to the family rather than sell them because the resorts are very nice and in great locations too but greed is taking over by the Marriott Corporation! Eventually this will hurt them and even their most loyal customers will have enough of their greed.