OK, all these threads complaining about service cutbacks while Marriott keeps rates high got me to thinking.

What if this is a deliberate business strategy? Suck up a few years of low occupancy to weed out all the freeloaders (for lack of a better term) whose loyalty is so tenuous that they'd jump ship over a free breakfast. Weed out those who will stay anyplace in town if the nightly rate is $5 less. Weed out those who have come to expect more than the published T&C for elite treatment.

What will be left will be three classes of traveler. One, the person who isn't even a member of a frequent guest program and who just stays wherever their business, conference, or vacation takes them. Two, the die-hard Marriott loyalist who sticks with them through all the changes. And three, the new customer who switches to Marriott because they (having never seen the flush years) see a solid product for the money. Can they then turn that into a sustainable customer set moving forward into the future?

All the nickel-and-dimers will have jumped ship to Hilton or Starwood or whatever, leaving concierge lounges less crowded (and those who are in the lounge are less likely to be the hoard-it-all types). These customers will be used to paying for things like weekend breakfast, parking, internet, etc. and don't mind the extra charges. And when the economy comes back, Marriott can ramp up the level of service (nicer spreads in the lounge, for example) which will thrill their customers--the same ones who are already high-paying, high-tolerance guests. At that point, Marriott may be able to claim a position in the market higher than their current competition in terms of service quality, positioning themselves as a Ritz-Carlton-lite chain.

Just thinking...