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Marriott Changes Policy, Drops Free Same-Day Cancellations

June 16, 2017
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2 min read
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Marriott Changes Policy, Drops Free Same-Day Cancellations
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If you're not sure of your travel plans, it's nice to have the option to make a cancellable hotel booking (or two). That way, you have a place to stay if you need it — without having to pay last-minute booking rates — but you aren't stuck paying for the room if plans change. Just next Saturday, I've got hotels booked for three different cities — as I'm not sure which city I'll end up in. Thankfully, each of these hotels allows cancellations up to 6pm the day of.

Well, it seems that hotels are getting sick of dealing with these last-minute cancellations. Marriott silently changed its cancellation policy yesterday. Effective yesterday, new bookings will now have at least a 48-hour cancellation policy — with some hotels now requiring 72 hours.

Via View From The Wing, we first heard about this change from Twitter user @TravelJono:

We reached out to Marriott to confirm that there has been a policy change. A Marriott spokesperson responded confirming it and went into detail about where and why the new policy is going into effect:



Marriott International is implementing a cancellation policy at hotels in the Americas including the United States, Canada, Caribbean and Latin America, across all brands except for Design Hotels. The revised policy allows us to make rooms available to guests that would have otherwise gone unoccupied due to a last-minute cancellation.
The change: While cancellation policies vary by hotel, hotels whose policy is to allow guests to cancel their room reservations on the day before arrival without incurring a fee are faced with a significant number of unsold rooms due to last minute cancellations. Guests will now be required to cancel their room reservation by midnight 48 hours prior to arrival to avoid a fee. This will allow hotels a better chance to make the rooms available to guests seeking last minute accommodations.

This is a huge bummer for those of us who rely on these last-minute cancellations. However, it looks like this may mean more Marriott availability for last-minute travels. Hopefully these 48-72 hour cancellations will mean more — not less — cheap Marriott options on TPG favorite Hotel Tonight.

H/T: View From The Wing

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  • Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
  • You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
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  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
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  • $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
  • $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
  • $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
  • Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees.
  • Annual Fee is $325.
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