Update 3/12/19: Marriott still isn’t informing guests that reservations have been cancelled or refunding points. Don’t worry though, it’s just nOiSe aRoUnD ThE EdGeS.
Update 2/24/19: Just a friendly reminder that Marriott doesn’t give care about their loyalty members. They still haven’t informed users with bookings that these bookings have been cancelled and points are automatically refunded. This is despite previously telling them the booking would be honored. This is absolutely pathetic and should be getting more attention.
Update 1/12/19: According to front line AccorHotels representatives they actually reached an agreement with Marriott/SPG, only for Marriott/SPG to then try to change the reimbursement rate agreed upon. Marriott is still not automatically refunding points bookings and is still not contacting customers about cancelled bookings. It seems now that AccorHotels is sending out e-mails to those with bookings to inform them of the cancellation and also offering a special cash rate when requested (still quite expensive). We’ve reached out to Marriott for comment, but they are yet to reply.
If an initial agreement was reached and then Marriott tried to change the terms of that agreement that is beyond pathetic. In my opinion this issue rests solely on Marriott, it’s absolutely ridiculous that honoring existing award bookings isn’t a standard part of a management contract with an agreed upon reimbursement rate. The fact that Marriott still refuses to inform their own loyalty members of cancelled reservations is also again absolutely pathetic. Keep in mind a number of hotel properties have also announced leaving the Marriott/SPG brands and I’d expect that number to increase as management contracts expire and in the fall out over the SPG data breach. Hopefully this isn’t a sign of things to come and Marriott makes this right.
Original post: On October 16th, 2018 Le Meridien Tahiti left the Marriott/SPG program and joined Accorhotels (being managed by Sofitel), also renaming to Tahiti la Ora Beach Resort. Originally customers with points, cash & points or employee rates were told by Marriott/SPG that there bookings would be honored. Reddit user duderduderes recently e-mailed the hotel to confirm the reservation, only to be told that booking has been cancelled. The official reason given:
- “…we were unable to reach an agreement with the Marriott group to redeeming the bookings made with SPG/Marriott points, cash & points and employee rates. We therefore have no other choice than to cancel the reservation with other arrangements such as transportation, activities, …. you made at our hotel”
I can understand why the bookings have been cancelled, although I do question why the hotel didn’t inform guests that bookings were cancelled. I’m surprised that SPG/Marriott doesn’t have a standard clause for existing bookings when a hotel leaves their management. It’s difficult to tell if SPG/Marriott was being cheap in this case or Accorhotels wanted an excessive amount of money to honor the existing bookings. I would have thought that SPG/Marriott would have a list of loyalty members with bookings at that property and could have also informed them when the negotiations ended without resolution that the bookings would be cancelled.
Another thing to note is that it seems like points bookings have not been refunded automatically. Shame on you, Marriott.
