Still waiting on a

Marriott

refund?

Whether you get your money back from Marriott comes down to the rate you booked, not just when you cancel. Across Marriott's Australian properties — Marriott, Sheraton, Westin, W, Le Méridien, JW Marriott, The Ritz-Carlton, Courtyard and more — each rate type carries its own terms. The cancellation policy shown at booking and in your confirmation email is the single detail that decides everything.

You generally qualify for a full refund when:

• Flexible / standard rate, cancelled in time — you cancel before the property's deadline (commonly 48 hours before check-in, though some properties require 24, 72 hours, or longer at peak).
• Refundable Bonvoy points booking — points are returned to your account when you cancel within the allowed window.
• Major failure under Australian Consumer Law (ACL) — the room is unsafe, unusable, or significantly not as described and the hotel can't fix it quickly. The standard rate terms are overridden and you're owed a refund.
• Event outside your control — such as a natural disaster, where the ACCC's guidance supports a refund subject to reasonable expenses already incurred.
• You were incorrectly charged — a duplicate charge, billing error, or a charge raised after a valid cancellation.

You generally will NOT qualify when:

• Non-Refundable / Advance Purchase / Prepaid rate — these are discounted in exchange for forfeiting the full payment if you cancel or no-show.
• Flexible rate cancelled late — cancel after the deadline and you'll typically be charged one night's room rate plus taxes.
• Change of mind on a non-refundable booking — under the ACL, change-of-mind alone doesn't entitle you to a refund.
• No-show — you fail to cancel and don't arrive.
• Peak season, holiday, or special-event terms — these can be fully non-refundable.

Tip: Under Australian Consumer Law, accommodation providers can't impose "excessive" cancellation fees. A Marriott cancellation fee should only reflect the reasonable costs the hotel actually incurred. If you believe a fee is excessive, you can raise it — see CHOICE on holiday accommodation rights and the ACCC's repair, replace, refund guidance.

Knowing how to get a refund from Marriott is mostly about acting before your deadline and keeping proof. Follow these steps.

1. Find your cancellation policy. Sign in to your Marriott Bonvoy account or open your confirmation email and check the exact deadline and rate type. See where to find your cancellation policy.

2. Cancel the reservation before the deadline.

• Online: Sign in at marriott.com, go to My Trips / Upcoming Reservations, select the booking, and choose Cancel.
• App: Use the Marriott Bonvoy app to view and cancel.
• Phone: Call Marriott Bonvoy customer service or the hotel directly.
• Save the cancellation confirmation number — this is your proof.

3. For billing errors or charges after a valid cancellation:

• Contact the hotel directly and ask for the Accounting / Finance Department (find the property number on its page on marriott.com).
• Or sign in and open the Contact Us form, select "Compliments/Concerns About A Stay" → "Concern" → "Billing Accuracy." See billing issue help.

4. Escalate if unresolved. Email customer.care@marriott.com with your confirmation number, dates, and a clear description of the refund owed. Find Australian contact numbers via Marriott Bonvoy customer service.

5. If Marriott still won't resolve it. Lodge a chargeback or dispute with your bank or card provider, keeping your cancellation confirmation as evidence. Then contact your state consumer body — for example NSW Fair Trading, Consumer Affairs Victoria, or the ACCC.

• Card refunds: Marriott's guidance cites 7–14 business days for a refund to appear on your statement, depending on your financial institution; some sources note 7–10 business days.
• Points bookings: refunded Marriott Bonvoy points usually return to your account quickly, often within a few days.
• What speeds it up: cancelling well before the deadline, having your confirmation number ready, and contacting the property's accounting team directly for billing errors.
• What delays it: disputes over rate type, charges raised by the individual property rather than central Marriott, peak-season backlogs, and cases "closed" without resolution — so always confirm outcomes in writing.

Under the ACL, when a refund is owed it must be paid within a reasonable timeframe, the provider should offer the refund (not just a credit voucher), and keep you updated on timing.

• Original payment method: the default. Refunds go back to the credit or debit card used for the booking, and this is what you're entitled to under the ACL for a valid refund.
• Marriott Bonvoy points: points used for award bookings are returned to your Bonvoy account.
• Credit or vouchers: in some goodwill scenarios Marriott may offer points or future-stay credit. For a genuine refund entitlement, you can insist on cash back to your original method rather than accepting points or vouchers.

Restrictions to know:

• Refunds typically go to the same card or account used at booking.
• Third-party bookings (Expedia, Booking.com, travel agents) must be refunded through that platform, not directly by Marriott.
• Non-refundable rates carry no refund method unless an ACL major-failure or billing-error exception applies.

• Charged after cancelling — guests cancel a flexible rate but are still charged. Always keep the cancellation confirmation number and a screenshot.
• "I wasn't told about the 48-hour rule" — guests hit with a cancellation fee they didn't know applied. Read the deadline on the booking page before you confirm.
• Promised refund never arrives — a property promises a refund, then goes silent or quietly "closes" the case. Get every promise in writing and follow up referencing your case number.
• Non-refundable rate confusion — booking the cheapest rate without realising it's Advance Purchase / Prepaid. The small saving rarely beats the flexibility if plans may change.
• Duplicate or mystery charges — billing errors where a card is hit despite cash payment. Contact the hotel's accounting department, then dispute with your bank if unresolved.
• Third-party booking confusion — asking Marriott for a Marriott Bonvoy refund on a booking made via Expedia or Booking.com. Those refunds must go through the platform you booked with.