Warning - No Nights Stay Credited for hotel stays booked by MVCI using TS Points

[MALC9990]

I recently stayed 5 nights at the Singapore Marriott. This stay was booked by an MVCI Asia Pacific Club Advisor for me as that is the only way these reservations can be made when using MVCI Asia pacific Club Points for the hotel reservation.

MVCIAP operates in the same way as the Marriott Vacations WorldWide Destinations Club. It provides a facility where a member can use their TS points to stay at one of a range of Marriott Hotels that are part of the MVCIAP Club Connections Programme. In the DC the Explorer Programme seems to offer the same Hotel Stay options.

Now since these bookings are NOT Marriott Rewards Points Redemptions - as a member of the MVCIAP Club I was always told by the advisors that these stays were eligible for Marriott Rewards programme benefits. (I know - it was a sales person and their lips were moving but why lie on a minor related benefit).

Since a stay at a Marriott Timeshare using my MVCIAP Club Points credits my nights stayed to my MR account and also with any points due for the spend during my stay - why not the same for a hotel stay using the same points - for which I have paid and also paid my MFs.

I have a meeting sceduled today with an MVCIAP advisor since we are on vacation at an MVCIAP TS Resort in Thailand and it will be interesting to get thier view on this and if they say I should get my nights then I will want it in writing.

The question I have for DC Points members(Trust or Enrolled) is whether they have used the DC Explorer Collection to stay at a Marriott Hotel using DC points and did they get their nights stayed credited to their MR account.

Whilst this is only 5 nights and will at the end of the year not impact my Plat Status renewal (I think) there is a situation here that needs to be clarified.

The following is an extract from the email received:

"Congratulations on your current Platinum Elite status.

I apologize if the Singapore Marriott Hotel did not award you the correct amount of credit for your recent stay with them.

In order to be eligible for Marriott Rewards credit, your reservation needs to be individually booked in the name on your account, you must personally check into the hotel, and pay the hotel directly for the stay (form of payment is not an issue, as long as you pay the hotel directly).

You are not eligible to earn credit for stays in another name (even that of a friend or family member), stays booked as part of a group or package (master bill), or stays booked and paid for through a third party (.com companies or travel agencies)."

This information is visible by clicking on the following link for the Marriott Rewards online terms and conditions."[/I]

 

[SueDonJ]

Very interesting. Good question.

I haven't looked that closely into the DC Explorer Collections but I hope a TUGger has so that you get an answer. The Marriott Rewards-related document for DC enrolled Weeks doesn't appear to say anything that guarantees or prevents Night credits for stays using the DC Collections. Nothing either at the little bit of info I found on my-vacationclub.com about the Collections.

 

[MALC9990]

Very interesting. Good question.

I haven't looked that closely into the DC Explorer Collections but I hope a TUGger has so that you get an answer. The Marriott Rewards-related document for DC enrolled Weeks doesn't appear to say anything that guarantees or prevents Night credits for stays using the DC Collections. Nothing either at the little bit of info I found on my-vacationclub.com about the Collections.

Despite what Marriott Rewards Customer Service have said in their email, my MVCIAP assoiciate and his supervisor have both confirmed that Marriott Hotel Stays booked through MVCIAP Club using their Club Connections option for using the TS Points, do qualify for elite night credits. I would assume the same applies to hotel stays booked using DC points.

Whilst the cost of the hotel room nights is paid directly to the Hotel by MVCIAP any items charged to the room account are eligible for MR points and the stay is eligible for elite night stays.

I have now advised MR Customer Services accordingly and provided a copy of my folio for the stay which shows that I personally checked in and also paid the account on checkout.

I now await a further development.

Should this not be resolved then I will deal with Marriott Rewards in the UK when we return from vacation.

 

[BocaBoy]

I would be shocked if a hotel stay booked with timeshare points got MR nights credit. When they started giving nights credit for timeshare stays it was only for timeshare stays.

 

[windje2000]

I would be shocked if a hotel stay booked with timeshare points got MR nights credit. When they started giving nights credit for timeshare stays it was only for timeshare stays.

Same as MAR not giving elite credit for hotel stays booked with the MRP obtained from exchanging a week, which IMHO is equivalent to a paid stay.

 

[kjd]

Good point about MRP's from exchanging a week. That is a paid stay IMO. Paid from our maintenance fees. To lessen the impact of it I will take the MRP's for four days. You get a fifth night free. Then I use a weekend rate for a paid stay. The weekend rates are really low in many places where they are primarily business hotels during the week.

Currently going to Atlanta for two weeks. Four paid nights on two weekends and ten MRP nights. Paid nights are $67 per night at the weekend rate. For a total of fourteen nights in Atlanta the room cost is $268 or $19.14 per night. At a Residence Inn to boot. Plus a current promotion gives you one free night for every two paid stays to use later.

 

[Luckybee]

In order to be eligible for Marriott Rewards credit, your reservation needs to be individually booked in the name on your account, you must personally check into the hotel, and pay the hotel directly for the stay (form of payment is not an issue, as long as you pay the hotel directly).

You are not eligible to earn credit for stays in another name (even that of a friend or family member), stays booked as part of a group or package (master bill), or stays booked and paid for through a third party (.com companies or travel agencies)."[/I]

This information is visible by clicking on the following link for the Marriott Rewards online terms and conditions."[/I]

I find this comment interesting, although I must admit I haven't reviewed the t & c's in years. Is this new re family/friends ? Dh and I have 2 different last names. Because of various memberships we have often booked under his name but provided my membership card upon check in and I have been credited the points. Should we be more cautious in the future ?

 

[MALC9990]

Has Marriott stopped giving ELITE Night Credits for TS stays?

I would be shocked if a hotel stay booked with timeshare points got MR nights credit. When they started giving nights credit for timeshare stays it was only for timeshare stays.

I disagree absolutely. I paid the MFs on these TS points. MVCIAP PAID the hotel for the nights with MONEY and so this was a paid stay. Marriott Rewards have again stated that there were no charges on the account that qualified for Elite Nights Credit.

SO my question now is - DOES this apply to TS properties also - be alert you may now find that the spinoff of the timeshare has an UNDISCLOSED impact that TS stays will NO LONGER get Elite night credits. It would seem that Marritt Vacations Worldwide (SPINCO) is regarded as a Third Party by Marriott Rewards and they now quote the following:

"Please note that any charges that are paid through a third party (such as a travel agency), or paid on a group master bill, are not eligible for Marriott Rewards credit."

So I would take this to mean that unless you book direct personally on Marriott.Com from now on any booking at MVW Timeshare will not get Elite Nights Credit.

I will of course follow up on this with Marriott Vacations Worldwide and MVCIAP.

 

[dioxide45]

It was my understanding that Explorer Collection packages were actually fulfilled by a third party. So I wouldn't expect them to get elite night credits. Also I believe that nights on preview packages are considered "wholesale" and don't get elite night credit. Marriott Reward stays have never qualified for nights since they are free. It is the hit you take when you trade your unit for MR points.

 

[windje2000]

I disagree absolutely. I paid the MFs on these TS points. MVCIAP PAID the hotel for the nights with MONEY and so this was a paid stay. Marriott Rewards have again stated that there were no charges on the account that qualified for Elite Nights Credit.

SO my question now is - DOES this apply to TS properties also - be alert you may now find that the spinoff of the timeshare has an UNDISCLOSED impact that TS stays will NO LONGER get Elite night credits. It would seem that Marritt Vacations Worldwide (SPINCO) is regarded as a Third Party by Marriott Rewards and they now quote the following:

"Please note that any charges that are paid through a third party (such as a travel agency), or paid on a group master bill, are not eligible for Marriott Rewards credit."

So I would take this to mean that unless you book direct personally on Marriott.Com from now on any booking at MVW Timeshare will not get Elite Nights Credit.

I will of course follow up on this with Marriott Vacations Worldwide and MVCIAP.

My directly on point experience is that I had a week stay in Manor Club earlier this month.

Elite night credit for the stay has already shown up in my account.

 

[MALC9990]

It was my understanding that Explorer Collection packages were actually fulfilled by a third party. So I wouldn't expect them to get elite night credits. Also I believe that nights on preview packages are considered "wholesale" and don't get elite night credit. Marriott Reward stays have never qualified for nights since they are free. It is the hit you take when you trade your unit for MR points.

Please read my posts. This was not an explorer package. No third party was involved. This was not a marriott rewards booking. This was a direct hotel booking using MVCIAP points. So just like using DC points to book a Marriott hotel. Booking was made by a Marriott vacation club associate in my name with the hotel directly and MVCIAP has confirmed that this stay IS eligible for elite nights credit. I have now asked MVCIAP to deal with Marriott Rewards according to the rules they operate on my behalf.

 

[dioxide45]

Please read my posts. This was not an explorer package. No third party was involved. This was not a marriott rewards booking. This was a direct hotel booking using MVCIAP points. So just like using DC points to book a Marriott hotel. Booking was made by a Marriott vacation club associate in my name with the hotel directly and MVCIAP has confirmed that this stay IS eligible for elite nights credit. I have now asked MVCIAP to deal with Marriott Rewards according to the rules they operate on my behalf.

I read your posts, just throwing this information out there as you asked how Explorer Packages worked. The difference between DC and MVCIAP is that one can't use DC points to book Marriott hotel stays other than those in the Explorer Package.

When you check a reservation it will indicate at the bottom "This stay will be credited to your Marriott Rewards account." Do you know if yours had this statement?

 

[MALC9990]

I read your posts, just throwing this information out there as you asked how Explorer Packages worked. The difference between DC and MVCIAP is that one can't use DC points to book Marriott hotel stays other than those in the Explorer Package.

When you check a reservation it will indicate at the bottom "This stay will be credited to your Marriott Rewards account." Do you know if yours had this statement?

Looks like I did not fully understand the DC facilities, not surprising since as a European Owner I an excluded from signing up which I would definitely consider were we able to do so.

The AP Club also offers the equivalent of the Explorer collection which it calls Packages - packaged trips in different parts of the world but also offers "Club Connections" which offers stays at Marriott Hotels where they have negotiated availability.The MVCI associate makes the hotel reservation and then deducts points from you AP account. It can be a good way to mop up unused and potentially orphaned points.

As to the wording on my Reservation. Of course it is now no longer on the system but I do have a paper copy whish does indeed contain the statement at the end "This stay will be credited to your Marriott Rewards Account".

 

[BocaBoy]

I disagree absolutely. I paid the MFs on these TS points. MVCIAP PAID the hotel for the nights with MONEY and so this was a paid stay.

Same rationale would apply to using MR points obtained from a timeshare exchange. They have never received elite night credits.

 

[BocaBoy]

SO my question now is - DOES this apply to TS properties also - be alert you may now find that the spinoff of the timeshare has an UNDISCLOSED impact that TS stays will NO LONGER get Elite night credits. It would seem that Marritt Vacations Worldwide (SPINCO) is regarded as a Third Party by Marriott Rewards and they now quote the following:

"Please note that any charges that are paid through a third party (such as a travel agency), or paid on a group master bill, are not eligible for Marriott Rewards credit."

So I would take this to mean that unless you book direct personally on Marriott.Com from now on any booking at MVW Timeshare will not get Elite Nights Credit.

This rationale does not hold. Marriott does not own many of its hotels either.

 

[rthib]

SO my question now is - DOES this apply to TS properties also - be alert you may now find that the spinoff of the timeshare has an UNDISCLOSED impact that TS stays will NO LONGER get Elite night credits. It would seem that Marritt Vacations Worldwide (SPINCO) is regarded as a Third Party by Marriott Rewards and they now quote the following:

"Please note that any charges that are paid through a third party (such as a travel agency), or paid on a group master bill, are not eligible for Marriott Rewards credit."

So I would take this to mean that unless you book direct personally on Marriott.Com from now on any booking at MVW Timeshare will not get Elite Nights Credit.

I will of course follow up on this with Marriott Vacations Worldwide and MVCIAP.

This rationale is just stupid and not correct.
Time Share stays both trades through II and those directly booked with points get elite night credit.

I would not expect any hotel stays booked through the program to get elite night stays. They are a different animal.

 

[dioxide45]

This rationale is just stupid and not correct.
Time Share stays both trades through II and those directly booked with points get elite night credit.

I would not expect any hotel stays booked through the program to get elite night stays. They are a different animal.

While I would agree (not about the "stupid part", that was unnecessary) when comparing to the DC program. The problem is that the reps as MVCIAP are indicating that Yes the stays should get credit for Elite nights and the reservations also indicates such. I think the OP has a valid argument.

You can't compare this to DC because in DC you can't use your DC points to book hotel stays like you can in AP. If a TS stay in AP gets elite night credits, why wouldn't a hotel stay? You are paying with the same currency.

I am not sure why your rationale is any better than that of the OP?

 

[MALC9990]

I can now report success

I pleased to say that MVCI Asia Pacific member Services in Europe (Cork)have responded that I am entitled to my 5 nights credit for the stay at the Singapore Marriott which was booked by MVCIAP Member Services in Cork and paid for using MVCI Asia Pacific Timeshare Points from my account.

So a result despite being pushed back twice by Marriott Rewards.

 

[dioxide45]

I pleased to say that MVCI Asia Pacific member Services in Europe (Cork)have responded that I am entitled to my 5 nights credit for the stay at the Singapore Marriott which was booked by MVCIAP Member Services in Cork and paid for using MVCI Asia Pacific Timeshare Points from my account.

So a result despite being pushed back twice by Marriott Rewards.

Do you have the actual night credits in your Marriott Rewards account?

 

[kfsong]

MALC9000

i have used the points for hotel stayed last 2 years and have no problem on the eligibility of the marriott reward points , maybe it is the Singapore Marriott in mishandling on this issue.

 

[MALC9990]

Do you have the actual night credits in your Marriott Rewards account?

Yes the nights are now in my account.

 

[MALC9990]

MALC9000

i have used the points for hotel stayed last 2 years and have no problem on the eligibility of the marriott reward points , maybe it is the Singapore Marriott in mishandling on this issue.

I got the points for my hotel spend - meals and drinks etc. The issue was the nights credit for my elite status.