"De Beers' Marriott code D86 is for the diamond mining and retail conglomerate. De Beers has a very small global employee base (under 10,000) concentrated in South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Canada, and London. The code is niche enough that US Marriott front desk staff have limited familiarity. No FlyerTalk or Reddit thread discusses De Beers Marriott verification incidents. The company's small headcount and non-US focus mean hotels are unlikely to encounter legitimate De Beers code users — or to scrutinize them."

"I also use AAA if the corporate is not available. In 10+ years of using AAA I had never been asked to show the card until last month in FL at two different properties. One was a HGI in Palm Beach Gardens and the other a CY in Stuart. Stayed at both since on AAA rate and wasn't asked."

"I have never been asked and I have 51 nights in a Marriott this year using our corp rate."