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SPG off-the-chart properties are now bookable using Marriott points via the Marriott app. I’ve personally been struggling to try to make this work via website as well, but I’ve been able to get through to the point of booking in the app. Loyalty Lobby shares screen shots of confirmations. Oddly, you’ll want to book via Apple device. More on why below.
I haven’t been able to find any 5-night stretches where the St. Regis Bora Bora has availability. However, I did find Van Belle in Koh Samui and Mystique in Santorini both bookable via the Marriott app. When I tried in the SPG app, it wanted to redirect me to the SPG website, which wasn’t showing free night rates.
Unfortunately, I have not ultimately booked because many of these properties showed a totally nonrefundable cancellation policy when I was searching. I’m not sure I believe that a points reservation will be totally nonrefundable, but I wasn’t willing to commit 240,000 potentially nonrefundable points to a reservation nearly a year away.
However, when I mentioned that to Greg he told me that wasn’t true — he saw cancellation policies of ~30 days for some properties. That didn’t make sense to me — but we each pulled up the same property and date. Sure enough, I saw the same message shown above — but Greg saw this:
The difference? Greg uses an iPhone and I use an Android phone. I dusted off an old iPad that was in the closet and hasn’t been used for a couple of years, but I can’t get it to charge. Hopefully, I’ll get that figured out as I’d rather be able to screen shot a cancellation policy that shows refundable before typing up 240K points.
Update: A member of our Frequent Miler Insiders group has confirmed that she made a reservation via the Android app and the email confirmation showed the correct cancellation policy (i.e. not nonrefundable).
Still, if you’re looking to book the off-the-charts properties, it looks like it can now be done via app. I imagine that 5-night stays will be hard to come by within a few days as people scoop up availability. If you’re looking for one of the top places, book it while you can.
For more information on these off-the-charts properties, see this post: SPG’s Off the Chart Properties, and a Map.
H/T: Loyalty Lobby via God Save the Points
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I am also trying to book the Mystique for next June. I indicate points, but it still shows $ on the app. Actually, want to do a 7 day package here. Wish me luck.
[…] also want to take advantage of the fact that top-tier properties, including off-the-charts properties, will cost no more than 60,000 points per night (or 48K per night thanks to 5th night free) until […]
It’s still working intermittently through the app. I just booked Mystique for 5 nights. I tried the same dates several times earlier today without any luck, but it finally showed as bookable. At 60K per night with the 5th night free, it came to 48K points per night (240K points total), as expected.
Greg, do we know when these low pts redemption for these properties (specifically Mystique) will run up to (end of the year)?
I think they show 11 months out, so by end of Jan 2019 you should be able to book to the end of December 2019
[…] Off the charts bookable: Top-tier SPG properties available via app by Frequent Miler. Booking these properties was never going to be easy. […]
[…] Off the charts bookable: Top-tier SPG properties available via app by Frequent Miler. Booking these properties was never going to be easy. […]
I booked 5 nights in Feb at Bora Bora Meridien, standard room for total of 240k points total (OWB was a LOT more). St. Regis wasn’t available. Booked through Marriott app on iphone, and it showed that it could be cancelled. It was buggy though; I was trying to pick the best nights, and sometimes it showed availability, and then not, even sometimes not showing even one night available, so it wasn’t just that someone else was booking. I went ahead and just booked when the 5 mights came back.
Thanks for the tip!
Forgot to say that I’m going to just wait and see if I can get upgrade to OWB at check-in through being a Plat. I’m okay if we don’t get it, so it’s worth the risk. I’m mildly hopeful it might work since we’re going in the low season.
Sold out is not always sold out
Those former category 9 hotels may not have the same room type available for the number of nights you’re trying to book. That will return a sold out message. Calling SPG can be helpful depends on the rep experience. Otherwise, call the hotel reservation desk directly to have them put your reservation on hold then call SPG back to use your points. Keep in mind no rewards certificate is being issued till IT problems are resolved
Ummm…what do you mean? I’ve already got a confirmation number from Marriott for my 5 nite Al Maha stay I made yesterday. Shouldn’t I be good to go so I can book my flights now? Like, how is that not confirmed?
They were issuing them until Friday. I was able to get 2 nights + 1 night at The St Regis Bora Bora in the last 2 weeks. After calling the property myself on Friday, they’re kindly put 2 additional nights on hold for me so I can call SPG with the confirmation # to book them with points.
Due to the complexity of my reservations (3 separate bookings with different room types), A supervisor had to take my case, then I had her call the property to extend the hold till September 14. The extension request was due to the fact they have not been able to issue free night certificates at all since the integration. Confusing, but they are honoring them if they’re already booked like in your case. However, I was told the hotels are not getting paid. Therefore, as of Friday, any informed Marriott/SPG reps will not book rewards nights until IT resolves the issue. The same is true for hotel/Air package certificates.
No award bookings can be completed until IT issues are resolved. Per Marriott Rewards Supervisor, they cannot issue rewards certificate for possibly another 2 weeks.
Nick, just wanted to say thanks again for posting this! After transferring the remaining necessary points from Amex, I was able to reserve W Maldives for five nights in April.
I’ve tried multiple dates (one nighters just to test) across many months and used different devices (IOS and Android) and none of these properties come up anymore. Anyone have success in the last hour or so?
Seeing the same John. I made a booking yesterday but was checking for additional dates… no results even for cash bookings which is surprising. Maybe something went down?
I saw that too (that even cash bookings are down). My guess is they saw these award bookings coming in and freaked out. But it could just be shoddy IT to blame.
Remember that there are likely very few standard rooms at most of these properties, so it’s not surprising that it’s hard to find availability.
That said, I just now pulled up Mystique in the Marriott app. 5 nights bookable August 1-6, 2019 for 240K (48K per night since the 5th night is free).
Appears to be working again! Earlier no award OR paid rooms were coming up for these properties.
Although Vana Belle in Koh Samui looks incredible, note that paid rates are only around $330 USD per night. 60k points are better used for more expensive stays.
Booked the Al Maha for five nights in January. Can cancel without penalty up to a month in advance.
Booked 5 nights for January at the W Maldives…48k points each. St Regis in Maldives or Bora still not available
same here booked for 85k overwater when merged , decided to invite parents with 60k april. New to spg plat here but do my parents as gold will get breakfast with my booking ?
Probably not. Gold does not receive breakfast and your Platinum benefits are only supposed to extend to one room. It’s not impossible for the property to be generous and give it to you when you ask for it, but it’s not guaranteed that they will.
Nick, do you think a reservation booked w/ points can be later replaced with a reservation w/ FN certificate (say Rtiz-Carlton signup ones) without cancel+rebook?
That is what I am going to try to do. Heard they are having a hard time applying certificates so they are just manually refunding points that the certificate would apply to. Im waiting this out for a few months before I try to apply the 60K Ritz Nites to my St Reg BB ressie
I got them to apply my certificates to two nights at the St regis bora bora
Great Erika! Were your certificates attached before? Hubby has 3 and I have 2 but I booked the reservation since I am Plat until 2020. Not sure how I am going to make this work
Attached before? I dont konw what your asking, but I dont think so. I had to do a lot of finagling with the phone reps and then finally got a manager to do it via email. Took a lot of arguing about terms and conditions and standard rooms (they kept claiming the rooms weren’t available, but I could clearly see they were). HOwever, I only got two nights and since I booked, all availability disappeared for the three nights I was planning to add on. . . so I dont know if I will keep the reservation. Def not going all the way there for two nights.
When I try to make a reservation the app says I have to go to the website and then it errors out.
Suonds like you’re using the SPG app. Use the Marriott app. Update to the latest version if necessary.
Nope, using the latest version of the Marriott app.
Weird. A member of our Facebook group just commented about booking the St. Regis Bora Bora via the app and it showed the correct cancellation policy in her confirmation email even though it said nonrefundable in the app.
Same here, trying SPG app on iPhone and it keeps sending me to the website.
I assume you missed my reply above. You want the Marriott app, not the SPG app.
Odd, trying on Marriott app now and still getting the same issue sending me to the website. I’m trying to book W Maldives. Could it be only some of these properties are bookable on the app?
Odd. See the Loyalty Lobby post I hat tipped. He specifically booked that property and shows screen shots that are clearly from the app.
Could it be that iPhone and Android apps are functioning differently?
I have Android and Greg has iPhone. Both of us could get through to the final booking screen. Greg’s phone showed the flexible cancellation policy and mine didn’t.
The SPG app doesn’t get me to the booking screen — it redirects me to the website.
Which phone are you using?
I may have figured it out for me at least. I have roughly 200,000 points. If I choose 3 days (180k points), it takes me to where I could book it. If I choose 4 or 5 days (240k points), it wants to take me to the SPG site.
Ah, that’s it! You can’t book using a Marriott points advance through the app.
Same thing happens to me. It allows me to book through the app as long as I currently have enough points.
I don’t believe you can do points advance at all for SPG properties.
Oh, I didn’t realize they had not expanded that to SPG properties yet. Still, it appears the points advance is not possible through the app when attempting to book the Marriott properties either.
I’m not familiar with the points advance process. Maybe this feature was never available through the app, and you were always required to go online?
I booked 5 night at the W Maldives with my Iphone X