We’ve all been there before (my experienced elite members and travelers); showing up to the front desk with your confirmation paperwork from Expedia, Priceline, Hotwire, etc… ANNNND, you reservation is no where to be found. (or maybe your front desk agent found it but cannot check you in because they haven’t received payment from the 3rd party) whatever the case is, its a huge inconvenience, one that could have been avoided – I believe this is common sense for my more experienced travelers, but for those of us that are new, using 3rd parties to save money on your bookings does NOT save you money on bookings. In the long run, it creates more headaches and costs you to lose significantly on your ROTI (return on travel investment) [see my first post]. Most of my experienced Marriott Bonvoy Elite members know that you must book directly through the hotels website to receive the points (and now ALSO to receive the nights credit…a recent update that I’m sure some of you did not know!) INTERMISSION TIP: the MAJORITY of your front desk agents are not knowledgeable enough or kept up to date with the consistent changes to the loyalty program – while they are friendly and nice – don’t expect them to provide you with the most up to date and accurate information…that is what I am here for. If you’re an experienced Elite member and already have this concept grasped, good, I have more to tell you that you don’t know. I want to go into the ROTI concept a little deeper. I’d love to go into the math with you which if you want to message or email me separately I ‘ll be happy to offer you real life examples/equations, but if you stay at a Marriott branded properties more than 25 nights a year, booking directly through the hotels website WILL save you time and money in the long run. Approaching it from the long term point of view is what I will refer to from now on as ETV or Expected Travel Value. Your ETV greatly increases when you allow yourself the opportunity generate the most points, which I believe is the reason you’re here reading this right now. This starts with the points you earn from the rate of your room (tax is not included). Depending on your Elite status, there are percentage multipliers on the amount of points you earn, but what you need to know is that the third party rewards programs simply do not compare to Marriott’s loyalty system, benefit wise or in ETV. I truly believe the most important and first step to maximizing the amount of points you earn is familiarizing yourself with the intricate details of the loyalty program itself; this means knowing what brands participate in what programs, what statuses have what benefits, and knowing all of these things before deciding where you stay. For that reason I have attached a chart. (one that Marriott supplies only to it’s Marriott franchised hotels {someone please remind me on later date to discuss franchised properties vs Marriott International run properties and: how to find out if a property is a franchise, how to make a decision on whether to stay at a franchise, and how it could and DOES effect your ability to earn the most points}) This chart gives you an entire break down on how you earn your points. I would encourage you to use this chart like a bible when making reservations, know it better than the agent checking you in or out. I have changed entire trips around because of this chart. This chart has changed past experiences for me, and will change future ones I may not have had the opportunity to take had I not maximized my ETV by using it in the first place. Study this chart; I have a fun story for you soon of how it changed one of my most recent trips. To summarize: The points you earn do more for you than the money you save booking 3rd parties, don’t ever doubt that. 
The 1st step in maximizing your ETV is knowing where and how points are earned BEFORE  booking.