I haven’t needed a LaGuardia airport overnight in a decade. Usually I find myself out by JFK. The Marriott is pretty close and seemed likely to be decent enough.
Recently I shared that this hotel and others were pricing for a lot less on Citi’s travel website than booking direct. I booked the night through Citi, even though that meant I wasn’t entitled to Marriott benefits during the stay.
- This is a ‘third party booking channel’ that doesn’t qualify for elite benefits or Bonvoy points.
- But I didn’t feel like I’d be giving up that much on a one-night airport stay anyway, so I preferred not to spend extra mone on those benefits.
- Still, just because the benefits weren’t guaranteed didn’t mean I wouldn’t receive them?
Sometimes those of us who know the rules can come out behind versus those who are clueless and just ask for things they aren’t formally entitled to. Since we know what to expect, we don’t ask outside that lane.
When I checked into the hotel, though, I simple asked the front desk clear, “do you have my Marriott Platinum number on file?”
- He said he did not
- But he happily entered it
- He told me about the club lounge and asked if I wanted the bonus points as my check-in amenity?
I considered booking the higher rate because lounge access might give me a free bottle of water. Then I realized I could buy the bottle of water with the room rate savings, and have money left over! Well, I went to visit the club lounge, which had a fairly sad buffet out in the evening. The door was open and the lounge was unstaffed, I suppose anyone could have gone in whether they formally had access or not. And there was a wall of bottled water to take as you wish.
There’s the way that the progam is supposed to work in theory – the rules say you aren’t entitled to benefits on third party bookings. But is the average member supposed to even know what this means? Does every hotel guest checking in even remember how their booking was made, or know what tool was used if it was made by an assistant?
David Flueck, who has run the program and who leaves Marriott next month after 22 combined years there and with Starwood before it promised when Bonvoy launched that third party bookings would continue to earn points and benefits. That lasted only a few months. But much of what the program promises doesn’t get delivered on-property. So is it any surprise that sometimes what the program say shouldn’t happen does?
My point is that you don’t have to say, “look I know I’m not entitled to this but…” Just ask as though it’s only natural to assume what you’re requesting is reasonable. The worst they can say is no! (Don’t argue if they do.) You might even save money on the rate, and earn 12 Citi points per dollar on the booking with a Strata Elite card to boot.
As long as Gary gets his free brecky, that’s all that matters… the rest of y’all can go Bonvoyourselves!
@Gene… what’s your hot take here?
Its BS — you STILL PAY THE HOTEL and are LOYAL to the brand — but bc you didnt buy it from them — you get NOTHING — NO MORE MARRIOTT —
@Don — It sure does feel like that: “You get nothing! You lose! Good day, sir!”
When I book using a Delta Stays or United Chase credit I either call or email the hotel beforehand and ask that they add my membership number to the reservation. They are always happy to do so. This often triggers a loyalty benefit without me even asking.
With IHG I often get a welcome amenity and/or upgrade out of it. With Hilton recently they recognized my Gold status and upgraded me to a club floor and gave me the breakfast buffet to boot. This was also a one night stay at an airport hotel in Amsterdam.
What’s the moral of the story? Ask politely, it often works!
There’s a Monday morning meeting at Marriott HQ where a development team is getting a talking to about the reservation system allowing this to happen.
@Don: When you book 3rd party, a good portion of your room rate gets retained by the booking portal. If you prefer the 3rd party loyalty program, book through them. If you want the benefits of the Marriott booking program, book through Marriott.
Don’t expect a lot of empathy for our plight specifically – but we airline crews get zero credit for all of the stays we have on layovers at Marriott properties, per Bonvoy policy (same for Hilton, Hyatt, and IHG hotels). We can get points for linking our Bonvoy number to the room and buying mediocre food at the hotel restaurants (Woo Hoo! $50 meal – 50 points!) but that’s it. We see our stays as any other form of business travel, but the hotels do not.
Even better – when we DO have some type of status (earned from activities outside or prior to our “airline lives”) many Marriott properties will tell us, “Your status doesn’t apply for a crew booking” and deny access to the club or any other amenities – even if Lifetime Platinum Elite.
Our airlines will buy between several dozen to maybe 50 rooms per night, every night, 24/7/365, at these places. We’re there when their bookings are slow. And if demand goes high, they can move us to another hotel and resell our contracted rooms. Local team in the playoffs, and the stadium is 4 blocks away? We are booted out and they resell the $100 room for 5x the price. Off season, and the hotel is mostly empty? We are loyally there, night after night, keeping them in business.
Yet, other than mandatory expedited check-in (we have FAA-mandated, legal requirements to get a certain amount of rest “behind the door” and the clock doesn’t start until we actually enter our room, and the company doesn’t want tomorrow morning’s flight delayed because the line to check in was 20 people deep. So they insist any hotel that we contract with give us a quick check-in) – there really isn’t any other benefit we accumulate or receive (“Free wifi!” Everyone gets that. “In-room coffee!” You’ve got to be kidding me…)
They tend to treat us like a burden – so I’m not surprised this type of treatment is spreading to their traditional customers as well. I’ve stopped playing the “loyalty game” with them all. Airline folks do a lot of travel when not at work. Many earn significant loyalty status perks on their own dine. But, Ii they are going to treat me like a nuisance (which they do) I’ll make it a point to take my business elsewhere when I get to choose where to stay. I avoid any Bonvoy-affiliated property as a result.
I just did this on a tour of Egypt. A certain high end hotel in Cairo with a special view.
Asked to add my Titanium number at check in and got lounge access, room upgrade to a suite, welcome amenity delivered to the room but no points or night credit. Lounge food and drink were great.
How terrible are hotels in USA that they might squabble over a bottle of water?
Years ago I frequented a certain Canadian Hilton property(*) Tried this “trick”. They knew the rule, but coded my key for lounge access, anyway. The front desk people knew me, much of the staff acted like family and extended that to guests. Lovely people, lovely property. An incredible hotel manager created that environment.
(*) Before the border skirmishes.
Why not do a BRG?
Last summer our BA fight in J from LHR to JFK was delayed for a mechanical reason and the connecting AA flight was cancelled due to heavy rain (the ticket was on AA stock). My wife contracted AA via twitter and got free hotel voucher for Garden Inn JFK. When checking in I asked front desk to add my HHonors Diamond number. We did not try breakfast at the hotel because we went straight to Soho lounge in the morning, but a day alter I found points for the stay + bonus points posted to my Hilton account. Of course, YMMV.
Not all third-party bookings qualify. Corporate bookings do qualify. Sad to see that David Flueck is leaving.
David Flueck is the latest in a long line of recent senior retirements. Word has it that delusion has set in. I for one don’t blame them
As a Marriott Employee this is false. You are entitled to all your benefits, late check-out out , lounge access, upgrades even if you booked via a third party website. The only benefit which does not count is points you would normally receive for room and tax if you booked via a third part. You will however still get your night credit towards your status.
It’s fascinating to watch the same crowd that bemoans miraculous jetway healing (at no cost to anyone) turn around and advocate “finagling” a benefit you knowingly chose to forgo in favor of a personal profit.
This is my experience as well. I always get my benefits. Which is funny for such a stingy company so willing to enforce or not provide Elite benefits WHEN I DO book through Marriott.
This hotel is good about offering the lounge. I work for the airline and we are on non qualified rates. I would say about 9 out of 10 hotels we stay at will give lounge across. The ones that don’t are definitely franchises. It’s about half of the hotels will give me breakfast voucher if the lounge is closed. I’ve been able to earn points on food charged to the room. Usually Westin and Sheraton will give the 1000 Welcome gift if you charge over $10. Marriott is very hit/miss on the 1000. This is nice because about half the Hilton hotels we stay at will NOT even take our HH # on a non qualified rate. Bonvoy is more generous in this area and is why I build my loyalty with them. I’m having dinner with a good friend who is a manager at Marriott Cancun tonight and I’ll ask about the back end on this why some hotels do and some dont.
Gary thanks for your articles. You have always been helpful to us, especially when writing about flight attendant union corruption.
That food presentation in the lounge looks disgusting. Shame on Marriott, who professes to be a “hospitality” and lodging company, with expertise in food and beverage, catering, and banquets.