Hotel Rewards Credit Card points
 

I am always trying to find a way to save a few bucks on hotels. My favorite of course is to use Priceline. On occasion, though, Priceline isn't an option when bidding a city during an "event" such as a concert, college football game, etc.

I found a way to collect enough Marriott points for our family to get numerous free level one hotels (i.e. Fairfield Inns) that are usable during these events and if Fairfield Inns are located in the cities I need.

Marriott has a current program that if you apply for their credit card you get 15,000 points + a free night certificate for a 1-4 level hotel. Right there I have 2 free Fairfield nights plus one night at a better hotel.

My wife applied for the card separately from me and gets the same 15,000 points on her number and the free hotel certificate.

If you happen to have a small home based business you can apply for a business Marriott card also and repeat the same deal.

Last year I did basically the same thing, all you need to spend is one purchase on the VISA card, I bought a tank of gas. After a few months cancelled the card to avoid annual fees that start the "2nd" year. Then the offer came out this summer again, I reapplied for the card and started the process over again. Maybe this isn't quite how Marriott planned it, but it works.

The Marriott card deal is good through September 30th. WWW.MARRIOTT.COM

I don't know what went wrong with that deal for us. We received that Marriott promotion also and both my partner and I signed up for the card since it was free for a year and we figured we'd not renew it when they charged. Anyway, we both got our cards the other day. But I didn't see the certificates. When I called, they told me I must have misunderstood -- that we're actually getting 25,000 miles (I think they told us) which is enough for a free night. But there is no extra certificate for a free night in addition. After we use the card the first time, we'll get those points and then can claim our certificate. Did you get both?

Er...you are proud of that??? @-)

Patrick,
Is this the offer you signed up for?

http://www.firstusa.com/cgi-bin/webc...&mkid=6FJY

It's the only current one that I know of. You're supposed to get 15,000 points for your first purchase + a certificate good for cat. 1-4 properties (or cat. 1-6 if you're a Marriott platinum member). There was another offer earlier in the year for 20,000 points but no certificate. Did you apply for the personal or business visa? I applied for the business visa as I already had a personal Marriott visa and am still waiting for the points + certificate. My husband applied for the personal card and got his certificate within a week of applying before charging anything. I think there are some issues with business card side sending out the certificates in a timely manner. If you read the discussion on flyertalk, all of the posters who applied for the business card have had to contact Marriott to get it sorted out.

BTW free nights at Marriott family properties vary from 7500 to 35000 points per night depending on the property category. For the point awards, you don't need a paper certificate unless you're gifting it to someone else. Awards issued for your personal use are mostly electronic now. The cat. 1-4 certificate is a little different from the point awards.

Patrick, we got the credit card in a different package from the free night certificate. But, ours was that you get 15,000 points with your first purchase.

4khansen,
Marriott awards are capacity controlled and during special events the hotel doesn't have to make any rooms available for redemption or they can choose to make rooms available for 50% more points (called the Anytime awards - a misnomer because they're not truly "anytime"). I tried to use 150% points to redeem 4 nights at the JW Marriott in Quito in May but couldn't because of the Miss Universe pageant even though I'm a Marriott platinum member. The only thing they could offer me was a paid reservation but at a rate I didn't want to pay. Same goes for other popular properties during high season. I couldn't get an award stay at the Lodge at Sonoma for any weekend in August unless I was willing to spend 50% more points.

Aside from those 2 situations, I would say overall I'm pretty happy with Marriott's redemption availability. But just be aware when trying to book during events and popular weekends. With the points you can sometimes override capacity controls by spending more points, but with the certificates there's no way to do that.

Message: Patrick--not exactly sure when you applied for the card, but they're always changing the promotion. When we got our card about a year ago, it was only 10,000 points and I don't recall a free night certificate.

We've had similar experiences to Patty when trying to use points during popular periods, but we've always lucked out in the end. Couldn't get into the Providence Marriott for a Water Fire weekend, but got a room at the Downtown Courtyard by Marriott, which ended up being a better location for proximity to the event. And when we tried to book a Lake Buena Vista Residence Inn for mid-March about 6 weeks before our stary and had no luck, we settled on the Residence Inn at SeaWorld, which ended up being a much nicer hotel. It was a category higher (5), which was a plus to me, even if it was more points.

We use our Marriott card for all purchases and quickly accumulate lots of points. My DH is also a platinum member, so he stays with them frequently. And I like that you can use your points for more than hotel stays. On that March 2004 trip, we used our points for 10 days at that Residence Inn, and to purchase 3 adult and 2 child 5-day Park Hopper passes for Disney. Combined with his Hertz points (free car rental) and his FF miles (free airfare), it ended up being a pretty inexpensive trip! And since that trip, he's already accumulated another 250,000 points. I call it my reward for having to deal with my husband traveling 2-3 nights a week!

OK, I just called Marriott Rewards again. This time I got someone who told me she had no idea why I was told what I was told before. She said that yes, as soon as we make a purchase with the card that we will each get 15,000 miles plus a certificate for the free night.

OO, your comment raises some questions from me. Maybe taking advantage of these offers isn't exactly anything to be "proud of" but on the other hand I'm not sure why one should be ashamed either. A business offers a special deal to encourage new customers. People take advantage of those offers. If the business they are promoting doesn't work out, or doesn't appeal, then so what? I wouldn't be "guilted" into continuing use of that product. How is this any different than a new chain restaurant offering a coupon for a free dinner and someone using it, knowing that it isn't the sort of restaurant they'll ever go back to?
I sign up for ATT long distance to get an extra 1000 FF miles each month for six months and then disconnect their service. I do very little long distance anyway, and although I don't like ATT, I'll take them up on their offer even though I know I'm not going to continue doing it. Their hope is I'll like it and continue, but if I don't, I won't!

Have you ever accepted a sample of a wine at the wine or grocery store, knowing that you weren't going to buy a bottle? Same thing only bigger scale.

By the way, the Marriott Rewards Visa is a pretty lousy card. They do add the 1% plus an extra 2% on all foreign purchases (bad for those traveling in Europe or Mexico or Canada). And their fees after that first year are high.

But hey if they're basically willing to give me two free nights for making a single purchase on a card that they called me to take, why should I say no? I'm not ashamed!

Oh, here's another good one. I'd never ever even if drunk and on drugs buy a timeshare, but if the mood was right I'd consider taking them up on one of those free weekend vacation deals knowing that I wasn't going to buy.

Your comment wasn't on the board when I wrote mine, Patrick. My comment was directed to 4khansen. It meant just as I said it...wondering if that is something to be proud of, something you'd post on a BB--as if to say, "hey, look what I've done--this is a great trick, why don't you get in on it too?" Shame isn't the opposite, but I can't imagine boasting about doing this. I'd be embarrassed I suppose, and certainly 4khansen would as well if Marriott knew how he was using their promotion--or I'd hope it would evoke at least that emotion!

I would use a free offer of course, and eat the freebies at the grocery when I'm famished, knowing I'll never buy the product, or have a glass of wine on the vendor, but this went further and there was far more at stake. You <i>did</i> use ATT long distance for 6 months, as well as collect the miles. I have no problem with people using a promotion, and certainly not with the way others have used it here--as it was intended, but I do with every member of the family (plus the business) getting the card for the sole purpose of getting the points and certificate, never with an intention of using the card with the exception of the one necessary purchase, <u>then</u> cancelling the cards, <i>turning around and doing the same thing all over again for more certificates and points</i>. That's 18 free nights total, and although I have no idea what a Fairfield goes for, I assume it's at least $70 a night so let's use that figure. That amounts to a bare minimum of $1,260 in goods--and a fair amount more when you take into consideration that there can be 6 nights in a level 4 hotel. Is that ethical? Not in my book. Surely not something I'd post under my name on a BB either...but, that's me and truly it makes no difference if it's hotels involved. If someone wants to take advantage of Marriott, it's no skin off my back, but I'm astounded to see it written up as it was.

There was something written either on here or BFT recently about PCLN customers being cheap, or that being the hotels' perception. I have no idea if that's true, but if so, perhaps this is the type of thing that helped paint that picture?

I don't see how anyone would find the original post to boasting. It is simply sharing information that others may find useful. If it's not your thing, so be it, but there is no reason to criticize someone for trying to let others in on a good deal.

I have a Hilton Visa and it really pays off with free stays. I am very skeptical and was surprised that it works.

It wasn't meant to boast, just a comment about the program and how it can work to your advantage..... hopefully someone might find it helpful.

I don't perceive the original post as taking advantage of a &quot;good deal&quot;, snowrooster--he has abused the intent of the promotion. Is this the <i>deal</i> Marriott intended? Hardly. Did 4khansen find and use a loophole? Absolutely. Is it ethica?. Absolutely not. Not any way you look at it.

It's one thing for Marriott to throw out a promotion, knowing some will use it and continue with the card, but many others will use it and find it's not for them. They needed an incentive, an immediate reward. That's what all promotions are about. I have actually bought some of those samples I tried at the grocery, and people do buy timeshares after free weekends, never dreaming that they would. That is not what happened with the card cancellation and then reapplication and it entails not just &quot;a deal&quot; but a fair amount of money.

I printed this off for my DH to read--after a sufficient lapse of time away from the office...:)...his words were way stronger than mine. I don't feel I have some highly developed sense of right and wrong, although honesty has always been of utmost importance to me. This is just plain wrong, in my book, anyway I look at it. Nothing more I can add to the discussion...my sense of right and wrong is what it is.

4khansen, thanks for this interesting travel information.

Olive Oyl, unless I'm mistaken,isn't your husband a Marriott manager?

Patrick my Fodor friend, I completely agree with you. Anyone with any kind of background in marketing will also. The percentage of people like 4khansen is slim compared to the profits Marriott will earn from those who apply and keep the card.

The cost to Marriott for this offer is pocket change.

Oh poor Marriott being taken advantage of by the greedy consumer. It is their offer and if they allow it to exist as is they shouldn't be surprised when it is taken advantage of. If it becomes a problem for them, they can change the rules so the same individual can't benefit more than once. I don't think the original poster has done anything wrong by saving money when the opportunity exists. Marriott is a big company - it's not as if he's stealing candy from a baby.

And it's not even Marriott that's being taken advantage of here (that's if you're of the opinion that any party is being taken advantage of). Just like airline frequent flyer programs, hotel frequent guest program sell their points to various companies like banks, telecomunications companies, etc. that use them as an incentive to attract new customers. Bank One is the one losing out if you don't use your card more than once since they're the ones paying Marriott for the points. Marriott makes money either way.

While I personally wouldn't apply/cancel/apply over and over again, I don't find a problem with someone else doing it. Afterall, Bank One can certainly put a stop to it if they really wanted to. All they have to do is check to see if you've applied for the card before and not offer the bonus to past cardholders. They know that a very small percentage of people will do this and have calculated it into their cost of doing business. When they feel that it's costing more than it's worth, then they'll change their policy.

No Wanderluster, he is not. He is the GM of a competitor, and one with no such promotion. Marriott's bottom line hardly concerns me--lol. Misuse of the intent of the promotion in the form it was presented is not ethical, plain and simple. The fact that few people will recognize the loophole and take advantage of it hardly makes 4khansen's post correct, does it? In fact, he has set out to ensure others DO find it. Terrific. My point was, it was nothing to be proud of. It's a sorry state of affairs, IMHO, when there are as many as there are here who appear to condone what he has done. A sign of the times, and a sorry one.

The bottom line is that there isn't a person here who can say with any degree of <u>honesty</u> (LOL) that this scheme is ethical. That's all folks. I haven't got another thing to add. I'm quite comfortable with my position.

So your husband is &quot;in the business?&quot; Even w/a different company w/different promotional plans, it makes sense that you would be particularly sensitive to a thread of this nature.

I guess I surprise myself, since I would normally take the very &quot;ethical&quot; position as OO has done. But why is it that this whole scenario doesn't bother me in the least? Maybe it's because I don't see it at all as being a hotel promotion. It is totally a Credit Card promotion, pure and simple. It is the credit card company doing the &quot;give away&quot; to try to lure new customers. And why am I not concerned by taking advantage of their offer? Maybe it's because for years now I'm plagued by solicitation calls night and day from these credit card companies, or because they spam me day and night with their offers. They send me actual credit cards in the mail unsolicited usually with the heading &quot;here is the credit card you requested&quot; Huh? They send me literature my the barrel begging me to take their cards. So if they are willing to give me something and set up the rules to allow me to take advantage of their system, I'm not going to sit up nights worrying about their bottom line or how I've &quot;used them&quot; -- they've been &quot;using me&quot; for years.

If I run a store (as I did for many years) and want to put an ad in the paper looking for new customers and saying that anyone who comes in on Monday will get a free gift, I'm smart enough to know that the vast majority of people will come in knowing that they have no intention of buying anything. And what's more I'm smart enough to know that there will be many people who bring whole families or friends in a car and enter one at a time to take advantage of my offer. As I said, I'm smart enough to KNOW that will happen. Is anyone suggesting that the credit card companies aren't smart enough to know that hundreds or thousands of people will also take advantage? They obviously feel it is still worth it to them for the advertising.

Yes, OO it is a sign of the times. But the unscrupulous practices of credit card companies is also a sign of the times. Sad maybe, but I'm not crying about how badly people like 4khansen are treating them.