Marriott International has introduced for some large accounts corporate code verification for online direct bookings on Marriott's site or via the Bonvoy app, according to multiple buyers who spoke to BTN on condition of anonymity.
Individual hotel properties do not always verify whether travelers using a company discount code actually are employed by that company, according to travel managers, allowing savvy travelers to claim discounts for which they are not eligible.
"Hotels already expect these codes to leak," wrote Reddit user u/dannyinternet on his website GoCostGo, which not only counsels readers on how to use corporate discount codes but also maintains an updated database of codes for stays at several hotel companies. "Locking them down completely would require more staff time, slower check-ins, and more friction," according to the site.
According to the buyers who spoke to BTN, Marriott's three-letter discount codes are particularly vulnerable to misuse because they're easily guessed.
The new Marriott verification process called Corporate Qualified Rate Validation, or Corporate QRV, requires individuals attempting to use a corporate discount code directly on Marriott's site or via the Bonvoy app to also enter their corporate email address. They then must verify the booking attempt via email. The process essentially acts as two-factor authentication like one might encounter trying to log in to an email or banking account.
A page on Marriott's Bonvoy Help Center site explained that users don’t need their work email address to match the email used for their Marriott Bonvoy account, but they do need a corporate email for the Corporate QRV. Additionally, once company affiliation is verified, individuals do not need to re-verify every time.
Marriott confirmed the move to BTN. “By confirming eligibility upfront, we’re aiming to preserve rooms for our top accounts who have negotiated rates,” a Marriott spokesperson told BTN via email.
The buyers who spoke to BTN approved of the move by Marriott, and one said it "just makes sense." They had not received communication from any other hotel partners about introducing a similar code verification.
Not all large clients have encountered the verification process, however, and one buyer suggested it's being rolled out in phases.
"I’m a lifetime platinum guest and have used many corporate codes over the last 15 years," wrote one Reddit user in a post published a week ago. "Over the last week Marriott has started requiring a corporate email where they send a verification code. I guess the fun is over."
The Bonvoy Help Center site stated that reservations booked before Corporate QRV is activated for an organization are not affected.