Marriott Confirms It Won't Increase Prices for Stays Booked With Points Advance
Saturday, August 18 marked the official launch of the combined Marriott, Ritz-Carlton and SPG program, and while it took some time for things to go live, the integration is continuing to move forward. While there are ongoing issues being reported, many readers have been able to combine their accounts, bringing their elite nights, points and existing reservations under a single member number. Unfortunately, this has revealed a concerning problem with certain reservations repricing.
The issue appears to be for those who utilized Marriott's Points Advance feature to book award stays prior to August 18 at properties that now require more points under the combined award chart. These members (naturally) wanted to lock in the lower rates before the new chart took effect, a practice that Marriott even encouraged prior to the integration:
"You can explore the full list of hotel category changes and decide if you want to book your trip before or after the updates take effect."
(Note that the program's comparison page has since been scrubbed of the pre-integration award rates, but you can still access all of the information in the Excel spreadsheet I compiled.)
Even though you have a confirmed reservation (and hopefully a confirmation email) showing the lower point requirements, since you didn't actually redeem any points, these reservations are repricing at the higher levels. Take TPG Reader Mike, who emailed us a screenshot of his five-night stay in London:
His original reservation reflected the old rate of 45,000 points per night for a total of 180,000 points (including the fifth night free). As you can see from his updated reservation, he's now supposedly on the hook for an extra 60,000 points.
Many other readers noticed similar occurrences with their reservations and immediately assumed the worst, and for good reason. The above quote from Marriott's integration site doesn't specifically address the points advance feature that allows you to book an award stay without the required number of points in your account. Do your reservations now revert to the new pricing simply because you didn't have enough points or chose not to actually spend those points?
Fortunately, the answer to this is no. I reached out to the Marriott team as soon as this came to our attention, and after a few follow-ups, a spokesperson sent the following statement to us at The Points Guy over the weekend:
"We are honoring the lower rates members booked for stays before August 18, even if they do not have a certificate attached to the reservation. We apologize for any confusion."
However, it's important to note that at this time, there are no plans for an automatic "fix" to these incorrect prices. While Marriott has indicated that it's continuing to reach out to members who don't have enough points to cover an award reservation (despite changes in the new program's terms & conditions indicating otherwise), I would strongly encourage you to proactively call Marriott support if you're in this situation. Marriott's spokesperson has told us that "representatives have been instructed to make sure the rate booked before 8/18 applies," so you theoretically shouldn't have issues getting the booking adjusted to the correct price — if you do, try hanging up and calling back for another agent.
But in the end, if you currently have a reservation that's suddenly showing a higher point total, as long as you leave the reservation intact and don't change it, you'll only need to spend the number of points from your original reservation booked before August 18. Just be aware that if you change the dates or otherwise adjust the reservation, you will need to pay the higher amount, so do your best to leave these reservations alone!
Bottom Line
I know there's a lot of frustration out there with regards to the integration of Marriott, Ritz-Carlton and SPG, and we're planning to report on a deeper analysis of these problems later this week. However, we can now definitively tell you that one of the major remaining issues — award reservations using Marriott's points advance functionality requiring a higher number of points — shouldn't be a concern. As long as you leave your booking completely intact, it will not use the new pricing, despite what's probably showing in your account.
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- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- 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.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $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.
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- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.
Rewards Rate
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | 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. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com. |
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You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.As High As 100,000 points. Find Out Your Offer.Annual Fee
$325Recommended Credit
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Why We Chose It
There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- 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.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- 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.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $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.
- Terms Apply.