In 2021, TPG began receiving experiences of inaccurate redemption surcharges on choose stays booked with factors or free evening certificates from the Marriott Bonvoy program.
Sadly, experiences proceed to come back in from readers about extra properties which have imposed these prices.
In brief, in case you used Marriott factors (or redeemed certificates) for a lodge keep in the previous couple of years, it’s best to verify your invoice(s) to make sure you weren’t inadvertently charged for the privilege. And in case you had been, you have to be eligible for a refund of the surcharges and any related taxes.
This is the whole lot we all know up to now — together with what you are able to do in case you had been charged.
Overview of those added prices
As famous above, we have seen a number of situations the place TPG readers had been incorrectly charged for the privilege of reserving award stays with Marriott. In every occasion, utilizing factors or certificates led to an merchandise labeled “Rm Chrg — Reward Redemption” on the ultimate folio for every evening of the keep.
It is vital to make clear that these are not resort or vacation spot charges.
Whereas Marriott notably doesn’t waive these charges on award stays, they’re reliable prices — albeit ones most vacationers dislike. As well as, resort charges are usually displayed on the ultimate reserving display screen.
Lastly, these experiences additionally differ from what occurred at choose resorts in the summertime of 2021 — when three properties had been promoting “Marriott Bonvoy redemption charges” on award stays that clearly had been at odds with Marriott’s phrases and situations.
As an alternative, these charges stem from a “clerical error by the property,” as described by a Marriott spokesperson in an e mail to TPG — and it’s best to have the ability to have them reversed on the entrance desk or by calling the lodge after your keep.
Each day E-newsletter
Reward your inbox with the TPG Each day e-newsletter
Be a part of over 700,000 readers for breaking information, in-depth guides and unique offers from TPG’s consultants
The place have we seen these Marriott additional prices?
This challenge was first raised to TPG in mid-2021 by a reader who used factors to remain on the Perry Lane Lodge in Savannah, Georgia — a part of Marriott’s Luxurious Assortment. She booked a three-night keep (one with money, the opposite two utilizing factors), however when reviewing her invoice after departure, she was stunned to see a pair of $129 prices (labeled “Rm Chrg — Reward Redemption”) on the 2 award nights.
Word that the above screenshot clearly reveals the $32 “Vacation spot Amenity Price” together with the extra redemption surcharge.
Then, only a few weeks later, one other report of those surcharges got here in. This time, TPG reader Shannon spent two nights on the Westin Kansas Metropolis at Crown Heart in Kansas Metropolis, Missouri — and he was hit with a pair of $53 prices.
In December 2021, TPG reader Nicholas observed that he, too, was charged a price ($37) when redeeming factors on the Sheraton Springfield Monarch Place in Springfield, Massachusetts.
And sadly, experiences have continued to come back in as lately as this month.
In 2024 alone, readers have reported these inaccurate prices to TPG on the following properties:
- Sheraton Sioux Falls
- Le Meridien Dallas by the Galleria
- Ingredient Arundel Mills
- Ingredient St. Louis Midtown
- Sheraton Suites Wilmington Downtown
- Aloft New Orleans Downtown
- 4 Factors by Sheraton Nashville Airport
- Sheraton Salt Lake Metropolis
- Sheraton Kansas Metropolis Lodge at Crown Heart
- Sheraton Overland Park Lodge on the Conference Heart
- The Westin Wilmington
Every time, the extra price had the very same description (“Rm Chrg — Reward Redemption”), which is the important thing indicator that this isn’t a compulsory resort price.
These prices are completely incorrect, per a press release TPG acquired from a Marriott spokesperson:
A state of affairs like that is usually as a result of a clerical error by the property … If this happens, members ought to contact the entrance desk and/or the supervisor on obligation to have it corrected and faraway from their folio.
Whereas Marriott would not affirm precisely what these prices had been, business consultants informed TPG they’re most definitely associated to the price Marriott company is paying the lodge for the award keep.
The truth is, after we printed an replace to this story in June 2022, administration on the Renaissance St. Elm Dallas Downtown reached out to TPG to say that they’d by no means heard of this error till studying this story:
We weren’t beforehand conscious of this challenge and upon studying about it by means of this story, now we have recognized that there was actually a clerical error on a handful of folios. We’re fixing this instantly, and crediting anybody who has been charged incorrectly. We apologize to our company for the error.
Fortunately, it’s best to have the ability to get a refund for these prices.
Find out how to verify your personal stays
For those who redeemed factors at a Marriott property anytime throughout the previous couple of years, it is in all probability a good suggestion to evaluation your folios and guarantee these prices do not seem on any of them. You’ll be able to search again by means of your emails, however you may as well do that within the Marriott Bonvoy app:
- Open up the Marriott Bonvoy app (and log in if crucial).
- Faucet “Account” on the backside proper, then choose “Account Exercise.”
- Change the filter on the prime from “All Sorts” to “Lodge Stays” to see simply your accomplished stays.
- Faucet on the keep in query after which faucet “Lodge Invoice” to see an in depth breakdown of prices.
Sadly, on-line receipts are solely accessible for stays accomplished in latest months, so you will have to cross-reference your emails and bank card statements to search out particulars from earlier stays.
Alternatively, you possibly can go to the “Contact Us” web page of Marriott’s web site to request your receipt for any keep throughout the final yr. Choose “Copy of Lodge Invoice” from the drop-down menu and enter your keep particulars (together with a remark, which is a required subject). Then, click on “Submit.”
What in case you had been charged a price by Marriott?
For those who do discover a surcharge for redeeming your factors, your first plan of action ought to be to contact the person lodge. Attempt to get linked to the monetary workplace or billing division, and be armed with the total particulars of your reservation — together with the affirmation quantity and dates of your keep.
If that does not get you wherever, it’s best to escalate the state of affairs to Marriott Bonvoy customer support. Right here, I would advocate beginning with the web type, as it will robotically generate (and e mail you) a case quantity to your inquiry. This lets you preserve tabs on it in case you finally have to name.
This is the way to submit that type:
- Go to the “Contact Us” web page on Marriott’s web site.
- Choose “Compliments/Considerations A few Keep” from the drop-down menu, then choose “Concern.”
- Below the “Query/Difficulty Sub-Subject” menu, choose “Billing Accuracy.”
- Seek for your lodge, then enter the main points of your keep — together with your affirmation quantity and detailed feedback in regards to the cost.
- Click on “Submit.”
This can be a real-life instance of why it is so essential to double-check your lodge payments previous to checkout. It is usually a lot simpler to repair an error instantly than after you’ve got departed.
As soon as once more, I wish to stress that this does not apply to any prices labeled as a resort, vacation spot or amenity price. This steering particularly applies to company who see a “Rm Chrg — Reward Redemption” line merchandise on a invoice from a keep they booked utilizing Marriott factors or certificates.
Backside line
Redeeming lodge factors might be a good way to economize in your travels, particularly when money charges are by means of the roof throughout busy journey seasons. Sadly, a number of TPG readers have reported inaccurate redemption surcharges on choose stays at Marriott Bonvoy properties over the previous couple of years.
For those who lately redeemed Marriott factors for a keep, there’s an opportunity that you will have been incorrectly charged a price for doing so. Fortunately, this isn’t a change to the Bonvoy program however moderately a clerical error at particular person properties.
For those who do see a cost like this, convey it to the eye of lodge administration instantly — and in case you’ve already departed, comply with up with the property’s billing division to request a refund.
We’re additionally excited by listening to your experiences of those incorrect charges, so please e mail us at suggestions@thepointsguy.com with a screenshot or attachment of your lodge invoice displaying the cost.
