A LoyaltyLobby reader sent us a note (and also left it as a comment) about a problem they were facing trying to use a gift that Marriott had sent them as a gift (the hotel claimed that they were not accepting them).
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Reader’s Email:
I received the promotional; $50 eGift card from Marriott on 22Nov2024.
I am platinum elite currently, and when this stay posts, I will be titanium elite.
I am on my last stay of the year.
I went to the front desk (at SpringHill Suites Las Cruces) to try to apply the $50 eGift to my stay and the front desk agent said they “don’t accept gift cards at this location – but she would confirm with the manager”. …Manager immediately told her not to accept it.
I called Marriott customer service and they “created a case”. Marriott customer service will take 3 – 5 days to reply – rendering the gift card virtually useless. Which is highly disappointing.
I say: “Thanks for sending me a useless gift card!” …so dumb. I have heard rumors that many front desk agents dont know how to apply the eGifts, but I have never heard of a hotel blatantly saying they “don’t accept gift cards”.
Marriott sent a promotional gift card ($50) to select members that expire at the end of the year (these don’t usually expire), and many must be trying to use them towards a stay during the holiday period.
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Unfortunately, it seems that these gift cards are plagued precisely the same problems as previously, which I also experienced earlier this year; some hotels have absolutely no idea how to use them:
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The issue is that hotels don’t use well-established networks to redeem them (read: credit cards such as Visa, Mastercard, or Amex), but there is an internal Marriott website where the front desk first needs to log in, then withdraw the card balance and post it to the guest folio.
This may sound easy, but many hotels rarely see these, and employees are not familiar with the Marriott processes how to handle them; and we have covered these issues several times:
The problems that I have encountered over the years:
- We don’t take them
- I don’t know how to redeem
- I don’t have a password to redeem
- Our password has expired.
- I have never seen one before
- Only the supervisor can redeem
- You cannot use them towards the room rate; only incidentals
On the positive side:
- Every hotel has, in the end, been able to redeem them correctly
- The exchange rate used is live, so you don’t lose anything when the card and folio are in a different currency
My best advice is to ask the front desk, already at the time of checking in, to withdraw the balance from the gift card and post it as a payment towards folio expenses, or ask the front desk to do it the night before your check out.
Conclusion
Unfortunately, Marriott hotels have a separate system with usernames and passwords that front desk employees must use with these gift cards.
As I have pointed out previously, I have ALWAYS been able to use them at the end, but I have indeed spent hours of my time making sure that this happens.
These were a good “deal” when Marriott sold them at 15% to 20% off of the face value, as the purchase codes Marriott, and you get a live rate when you use them (and if you use them in Australia and New Zealand they cannot charge additional swipe fees that they add to credit card payments).
I have a friend who also got one of these gift cards from Marriott. He also had to go through customer service to apply it to a hotel folio. I haven’t yet heard if he received a refund for his credit card or if the hotel withdrew the gift card balance.
Have you had a smooth experience with these Marriott gift cards? Please comment below.
