Booked Paris on MR rewards last night before midnight!

jancurious said:

I know it will take more points to achieve the same goals after January 15th but are you saying that they won't be offering travel packages in the future? Might they come up with new and different types of travel packages?

If you book by January 15th, you do have to actually travel during 2009, correct?

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The new travel packages have huge devaluations compared to the current ones. As an example, the new category 7 package with 120,000 FF miles will cost 330,000 points compared to 270,000 points for the current one. Worse, some of the current category 7 hotels will be moved to a new category 8. That package will cost 360,000 points, creating a double devaluation whammy!

That devaluation trend will continue. Here is an off-the map example (see the last section of the post) of why devaluations must continue, for Marriott's fiscal health.

You must travel within one year of ordering the Travel Package, if you order one under the current program. No extensions beyond January 14, 2010 for the hotel certificate. Last day to order is January 14 (next week), which will be a very busy day for Marriott phone lines!

Cat 7 or 8

So if we have a cat 7 hotel - Renaissance Paris Vendome reservation with the cert from the travel package, but want to switch to the new Arc de Triomphe (assume cat 7 now but may become cat 8) later in the year, can the same hotel cert apply, or will they ask for more points because by the time I change the reservation the category has updated to higher?

sjnoble said:

So if we have a cat 7 hotel - Renaissance Paris Vendome reservation with the cert from the travel package, but want to switch to the new Arc de Triomphe (assume cat 7 now but may become cat 8) later in the year, can the same hotel cert apply, or will they ask for more points because by the time I change the reservation the category has updated to higher?

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As I understand it (and it is very confusing) with a travel certificate you need to book a hotel that is a category 7 at the time you make the reservation. So if you book something by Jan. 14 at a category 7 price, you can use your certificate without additional points. However if you change the dates, or the hotel to a different location after Jan. 14 you will have to pay the amount of points on the new points schedule.

Edited to add:
I have a category 5 certificate from a travel package. I have a reservation to use this in March. If I can't travel then, or change the location I'll be limited to whatever is a category 5 in 2009. I'm willing to take my chances that I'll be able to find someplace to use it.

This is from Marriott Concierge on flyertalk. (He explains it much better than I can.) from flyertalk:

Travel packages and hopper rewards: These rewards can be ordered without a reservation. Because of this, any travel package you request prior to the 15th will be good for redemption stays completed within one year from the day the reward was issued at the category the certificate specifies. This means if you order a category 7 travel package today you will have one year to use this reward, regardless of when you book your reservation. Keep in mind a handful of properties are becoming category 8. If you want to use a current travel package for one of these properties you must make your reservation prior to the 15th.

I also want to make sure we are clear about the date these changes will take place. On the 15th the program changes will be in effect. If you are planning to order a travel package, or make a reservation for reward redemption under the current award structure, the 14th is the last day you can do this.

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/marr...arriott-rewards-program-changes-reminder.html

sjnoble said:

So if we have a cat 7 hotel - Renaissance Paris Vendome reservation with the cert from the travel package, but want to switch to the new Arc de Triomphe (assume cat 7 now but may become cat 8) later in the year, can the same hotel cert apply, or will they ask for more points because by the time I change the reservation the category has updated to higher?

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If you don't have a reservation at a hotel before Jan. 15, then you will have to pay the higher point value. They will honor the existing point requirements (if the hotel changes) if the reservation is in place before Jan. 15.

By the way, both the Renaissance Vendome and Marriott Champs Elysee hotels are being moved to the new Category 8. So if you don't have a reservation at the Champs Elysee by Jan. 15 (to pay Cat 7) you're out of luck

David

LAX Mom said:

As I understand it (and it is very confusing) with a travel certificate you need to book a hotel that is a category 7 at the time you make the reservation. So if you book something by Jan. 14 at a category 7 price, you can use your certificate without additional points. However if you change the dates, or the hotel to a different location after Jan. 14 you will have to pay the amount of points on the new points schedule.....

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and MAKE SURE the certificate is ATTACHED to the reservation, just in case ...I've already had three instances this past year where the certificate was NOT attached to the reservation when it should have.

I had a problem today with a Cat6 package. The rep was obviously a junior and I ended up getting charged 395,000 MR pts for 125,000 FF miles plus 130,000 for the Cat6 hotel. 525,000 MR pts for a 250,000 pkg!

Didn't notice it until I checked my MR account a little later in the day, and had to call Marriott and get a supervisor to help clear it up. Took almost an extra hour for the clear up. The supervisor said the rep thought I just wanted the FF miles as I already had booked the hotel online and points were taken out automatically. It didn't dawn on her that I'd be paying 525k for a pkg worth 250k.

wanted them as separate parts not a package because I had already booked the hotel online and had the points taken out of the account instantly and must have not known how to change it from a hotel booking to a package after hotel points were taken out ... so she just ordered the miles as I had plenty of points in my account. Imagine.

The super excused it saying they are really busy right now with point redemptions that the reps are making more mistakes than normal. She also said the 'Rewards' people have caused them a lot of confusion by not allowing you to uncheck a box to not take out points when booking a hotel. So make sure you cross your T's with the rep when booking.

Brian

Have been saving points for a while and thought I better use them now.
Just booked a Cat 7 travel package for a hotel in London and American FF miles and also an additional 4 nights with another reward for the Marriott Champs Elysee in Paris. With other AA points I have was able to book flights San-Rdu(have to be in North Carolina for a few days)-London-Paris-San Diego

How is Paris in November or December in terms of things to do? From weather.com it looks coooold ! but we too are thinking maybe we should just 'blow' some pts and go there in Dec when the kids (5 and 7 yo) are off school.

How easy is it to get flights there (we need 4 tickets - coach is fine although business class would be awesome but too many points needed)? Any suggestions for a 2nd week (to get if we were to do a stop over to Paris) ?

Maybe week 1 in London (Marriott Hotel County Hall ) and week 2 in Paris (Marriott Hotel Champs-Elysees )

winger said:

How is Paris in November or December in terms of things to do? From weather.com it looks coooold ! but we too are thinking maybe we should just 'blow' some pts and go there in Dec when the kids (5 and 7 yo) are off school.

How easy is it to get flights there (we need 4 tickets - coach is fine although business class would be awesome but too many points needed)? Any suggestions for a 2nd week (to get if we were to do a stop over to Paris) ?

Maybe week 1 in London (Marriott Hotel County Hall ) and week 2 in Paris (Marriott Hotel Champs-Elysees )

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Especially with younger children, I think I'd hold off on such a trip at that time of year. For me, at least, the best way to enjoy those cities is to walk them, and if the weather is really cold, that may not be so easy.

That said, several years ago we wanted to take advantage of cheap airfares being offered to London in Feb. and my family (teenage daughters at the time and parents) thought we were crazy and didn't want to go, so DH and I went ourselves for a long weekend. Suffice it to say that we went there for long Valentine's weekends several times subsequently; it was chilly, but not too cold for us to walk the city wearing down jackets.

Call and double check everything. My Kauai hotel was booked and ready to go. The rep said the cert was attached, but the next rep said it wasn't (and she attached it).

This was a month ago.

I called again yesterday - all okay. I will call again the 14th a check again. I also wrote down the name of the person I spoke with. That always raises their level of concern (I am not insinuating that the reps are doing anything wrong on purpose -most of them are extremely pleasant).

I'm getting a little concerned with the time it's taking to get my 240,000 FF miles showing in my UA account...perhaps impatient due to the problems that 'might' arise getting corrections made after Jan 14. However, I've not seen it take more than a couple of days in the past, even if you didn't pay the fee for faster transfer of the miles from Marriott and it seems very slow this year. Anyone else experiencing this?

Brian

Who is the BEST person to talk to about rewards options?

Call the VOA?
Call Marriott Rewards?

Based on my experience, the BEST person would be the Marriott Rewards representative. They've obviously had more training on the changes than my vacation advisor.

I had some issues a couple of weeks ago and so I called a vacation advisor. I felt like I knew more than him about the changes so I hanged up and called a Marriott Rewards rep (for the first time) and I was truly impressed by her knowledge and creativity in getting me what I wanted.

Renaissance - Vendome vs Arc de Triomphe

pwrshift said:

I'm getting a little concerned with the time it's taking to get my 240,000 FF miles showing in my UA account...perhaps impatient due to the problems that 'might' arise getting corrections made after Jan 14. However, I've not seen it take more than a couple of days in the past, even if you didn't pay the fee for faster transfer of the miles from Marriott and it seems very slow this year. Anyone else experiencing this?

Brian

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When I booked the travel package the rep said it'd take 1-2 weeks for my UA miles to post, and indeed it took just over 1 week to see the miles show up in my account.

For booking business class air tickets, I think you really have to call as early as possible, because of a few days delay in getting the points, the Saturday return date didn't have any available business class award seats, but I was able to book one for Sunday return.

As for MR reservation, I currently have reservations at both Renaissance Vendome and Arc de Triomphe, but the travel cert is attached to the Vendome reservation. Maybe I will have the cert attached to the Arc de Triomphe instead. I'd prefer to stay at newer hotels, and the Renaissance looks more modern. The Champs Marriott location is good but reviews seem to indicate the hotel is showing its age.

What would you recommend in terms of area and convenience between the Vendome and the new Arc de Triomphe hotel? Are they both close to a Velib station for the bike rentals?

Latravel said:

Based on my experience, the BEST person would be the Marriott Rewards representative. They've obviously had more training on the changes than my vacation advisor.

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Normally, I would agree. However, based on some reports here (e.g., Hoc's experience) and at FlyerTalk, it would appear that the MR phone people are stressed from the last-minute overload or undertrained to the extent Marriott has added reps for this pre-January 15 crush or both.

Thus, I truly believe the best bet currently for discussing Reward options - and where you'll get the most complete and accurate info - is right here on this forum. We can provide links where appropriate.

I don't know about the amenities at the hotels but I can tell you about the locations. Place Vendome is very high end, one of the most expensive parts of Paris. It will be a little slower in terms of people traffic (but all areas are busy) than the Arc de Triomph area. You can walk to a lot of areas, such as the Tuileries Gardens, the Louvre, and my favorite shopping area. I believe it's where the Hôtel Ritz Paris is located. Lots of high end jewelery stores, too.

If by the Marriott Arc you mean the Champs Elysee, that is a very busy area with lots of opportunities to people watch. It's a very touristy, with lots of stores and cafe's. Most people go to just walk, hang out and be seen. That's where we go when it's 2 am and we don't want to go home (family has an apartment there). There's also lot's of pick-pocketers in that area due to the large number of tourists, especially in the metro stop Le Trocadero.

Both areas are amazing. You can't go wrong with either area.

Latravel said:

If by the Marriott Arc you mean the Champs Elysee, that is a very busy area with lots of opportunities to people watch. It's a very touristy, with lots of stores and cafe's. Most people go to just walk, hang out and be seen. That's where we go when it's 2 am and we don't want to go home (family has an apartment there). There's also lot's of pick-pocketers in that area due to the large number of tourists, especially in the metro stop Le Trocadero.

Both areas are amazing. You can't go wrong with either area.

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Thanks Heidi, I'm inquiring about the area where the new Renaissance will open in Mar09. It's 300m from the Arc de Triomphe
39 Avenue de Wagram
Paris, 75 017 France

This hotel doesn't pull up when you choose reserve by points, but it does show when you look up normal reservation by cost. I called and was able to make a reservation with 150,000 points (the value of my travel cert). But there are no reviews about the hotel obviously.

Wow. That looks like a very nice hotel. I have to visit it when i'm in France.

I think my comments still apply. I guess if you like to walk for longer distances you may be able to get to some big sites without taking the metro. The Marriott Arc has a metro stop right next to it which is a plus since all of Paris is accessible with the metro. In the Vendome hotel, so many sites are within walking distance but it seems like a smaller hotel. They are both in very nice areas. I guess it depends on which hotel you like better. Sounds like a great trip.

thinze3 said:

Who is the BEST person to talk to about rewards options?

Call the VOA?
Call Marriott Rewards?

Click to expand...

I had a very helpful person last night as I also booked a trip. I will send you his name, Terry. I had help from several people and all were really great but the guy last night did the second booking for me.

Dave M said:

Normally, I would agree. However, based on some reports here (e.g., Hoc's experience) and at FlyerTalk, it would appear that the MR phone people are stressed from the last-minute overload or undertrained to the extent Marriott has added reps for this pre-January 15 crush or both.

Thus, I truly believe the best bet currently for discussing Reward options - and where you'll get the most complete and accurate info - is right here on this forum. We can provide links where appropriate.

Click to expand...

Today I spoke with Marriott Rewards rep who told me that I could buy a 270K Cat 7 travel package and then extend it at the end of next year. She said that I could still use the Cat 7 cert for a 7 day stay in 2010. I questioned her and stated that I needed a 100% confirmation from a supervisor. She put me on hold and came back with a different answer, the one I expected. I could NOT extend the 7 day cert after all.

I agree that your best answers are here on TUG and not at Marriott.

iconnections said:

I had a very helpful person last night as I also booked a trip. I will send you his name, Terry. I had help from several people and all were really great but the guy last night did the second booking for me.

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I got it Emmy. Thanks.

Just curious, before I make a phone call to Marriott, how can I tell if my travel cert. is attached to my hotel reservation? This was my first time booking a rewards package and I want to make sure everything is in order after reading all the previous posts.

No wonder I'm confused! I'm trying to order a Cat 6 travel package, but I need to make certain the Waiohai is a Cat 6. I've talked to two different Marriott agents...Oops, I almost typed "Marrionet..and they both asked me when I wanted to go. I said I didn't know, and they told me I have to make a reservation first. What's up with THAT? I don't have dates yet, until I can confirm another Kauai week. Why can't I find a place that tells me what categories Marriott places are? ... Jean, going back to her padded cell.
..

LAX Mom said:

This is from Marriott Concierge on flyertalk. (He explains it much better than I can.) from flyertalk:

Travel packages and hopper rewards: These rewards can be ordered without a reservation. Because of this, any travel package you request prior to the 15th will be good for redemption stays completed within one year from the day the reward was issued at the category the certificate specifies. This means if you order a category 7 travel package today you will have one year to use this reward, regardless of when you book your reservation. Keep in mind a handful of properties are becoming category 8. If you want to use a current travel package for one of these properties you must make your reservation prior to the 15th.

I also want to make sure we are clear about the date these changes will take place. On the 15th the program changes will be in effect. If you are planning to order a travel package, or make a reservation for reward redemption under the current award structure, the 14th is the last day you can do this.

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/marr...arriott-rewards-program-changes-reminder.html

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See my PM to you Jean. Unfortunately, timeshares are not assigned to any hotel category and are not eligible for stays with a travel package. Hotels only (not timeshares) nfor the hotel portion of the Travel Package. See this separate chart for timeshare stays on points.

If you do order a Travel Package, you do not have to have a reservation first. If an agent told you that, he/she is mistaken. However, you must use the hotel portion of the Package within a year and cannot get it extended. Also, if you decide to stay at a category 7 hotel that will move to new category 8, you'll need to have a reservation by January 14. Otherwise the certificate won't be valid for that hotel.

To view all hotels by category, go to this page, select a category in the box at the top right and click on "Find".