Marriott’s New Terms About Gifted Award Stays
Marriott’s Bonvoy program shifted to dynamic pricing yesterday. This change was announced ahead of time, and hopefully you already booked some of the properties that have jumped up in price.
With the Bonvoy program changes, Marriott has also updated some sections of its Terms and Conditions.
One of the changes regarding the official name for “Free Night Award”. That is now changing to “Award Redemption Stays”. Then there’s also new language that has to do with “Gifted Award Redemption Stays”.
Gifted Award Stays can be booked for another person, when you will not be present for the stay yourself. The terms indicate that Free Night Awards (now Award Redemption Stays) can’t be used to gift award stays. It’s also important to note that neither the member nor the recipient will earn any Points/Miles, Elite Night Credit, Qualifying Nights, or Qualifying Stays with Gifted Award Redemption Stay. In addition, the recipient will not receive any Elite benefits associated with the member’s Account.
Gifted Award Redemption Stays are limited to a total of 5 per calendar year. But it should still be possible to to add the recipient to a stay as a guest to get around some of these restrictions, at least for domestic stays.
Gifted Award Stays
Here are the the relevant terms (which can also be found here):
Gifted Award Redemption Stays (Third Party Transfers). Award Redemption Stays are valid only for use by the Member from whose Account the Award Redemption Stay was processed and are not transferable, except as set forth below:
A Member may request an Award Redemption Stay to be issued to another person and where the Member will not be present for the stay (each such stay, a “Gifted Award Redemption Stay” and, collectively, “Gifted Award Redemption Stays”), only when booking the Award Redemption Stay reservation through Member Support. All Award Redemption Stay Types listed under Section 3.3 of the Programme Rules are eligible to be gifted to another person, except for Free Night Awards.
A Member may book a maximum of five (5) Gifted Award Redemption Stays in a calendar year on a single Membership Account.
When booking a Gifted Award Redemption Stay reservation, a Member must provide to Member Support their Membership Number and name, as well as the name of the person who will be staying at the Participating Property (the recipient). Both names and the Member’s Membership Number must be provided to Member Support at time of booking the Gifted Award Redemption Stay and cannot be modified once booked. A Member cannot make an Award Redemption Stay reservation first and then contact Member Support or the All-Inclusive Resort directly to gift or otherwise transfer the Award Redemption Stay to another person. If a Member needs to make a change to an Award Redemption Stay reservation, the reservation will need to be cancelled and a new reservation booked (if available) through Member Support, and the Member is responsible for the changes to the Points or cash, as applicable, required to book a new reservation.
With a Gifted Award Redemption Stay neither the Member nor the recipient will earn any Points/Miles, Elite Night Credit, Qualifying Nights, or Qualifying Stays in connection with such Gifted Award Redemption Stay. In addition, the recipient on the Gifted Award Redemption Stay will not receive the transfer of any Elite benefits associated with the Member’s Account.
At check-in, the recipient of the Gifted Award Redemption Stay must show valid identification and provide a credit card or cash deposit to the All-Inclusive Resort for incidental charges.
HT: Loyalty Lobby
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The term “Free Night Award” relates to the type of awards earned from being a cardmember of Amex or Chase’s Bonvoy cards or choosing the free night from the 75-Night Annual Choice Benefit (reaching 75 nights in a calendar year).
From the Terms: “ Free Night Award examples include the Free Night Award option with the 75-Night Annual Choice Benefit (see Section 4.3.d) and the Free Night Award issued through certain Marriott International co-brand credit cards (see Section 6).”
Before this change you would have to book and add another person to reservation that seem to work but wasn’t a guarantee. This is a positive change but unfortunately they destroyed the award chart so probably won’t be able use mine any where worthwhile before they expire in June.
So what is a “Free Night Award” that can’t be gifted? If this the free night certificates from affiliated credit cards? If that is the case sounds like you can call and book an award for someone else using your points but can’t use the free night certificates on someone else? Am I understanding this correctly?
In any event I agree you could book it yourself and add someone to the reservation (especially if same last name like spouse or kids) and not have an issue (plus still get night credit, promotional points based on status and benefits).
Tell me if I’m totally off base.
This seems like a positive? Can still book for yourself with benefits, but now have the option to share it with someone else to make sure it’s used by the expiration period. I don’t have a CC that gives me any, so maybe I am understanding the current award nights differently?