Originally Posted by
bpauker
I echo much (if not all) of what HappyCheesehead said. I travel for business about 150-180 nights a year and have complete control over my own hotel expenditures. When I first started traveling, I opted for Marriott due to the great rewards program, consistency of product across the different brands, and great worldwide footprint, etc.
The recent gutting of the MR program is what pushed me out the door to SPG, though. Cat 7 travel packages being 270k now going to 360k? Excuse me? A 33% increase in award cost? Right... Before the change went into effect, I booked some expensive hotels under the old scheme. I will enjoy my stay at the JW Capri this summer and then it's goodbye Marriott - at least until they get their act together.
I continue to keep an eye on the program and on comments here. However, the evident drop in service levels you are all reporting has only bolstered my confidence in my decision to drop Marriott. YTD I've only done 30 nights or so, but SPG has gotten them all. The particular Westin property where I spend my weeks has an awesome lounge with free booze - contrasted with Marriott's nickel and dime "honor bar" and lackluster or infrequently restocked lounge offerings.
It's too bad we couldn't make this relationship last, Marriott. We had some good times together.
THIS is what Marriott has to worry about, and pardon my cynicism, is why I believe they're re-evaluating their changes.
"Remember $$ talk - the rest walks."
I have no idea if Marriott can track you from your posts here, but if they can & they have realized you're dropping them big time/losing revenue (and extrapolate that), then that's a good reason they're re-considerating. Not due to wanting to do the 'right' thing by us (or they wouldn't have cut it in the first place).
But re-considerating what? A few more munchies, later hours, opening up on the weekends, offering b-fast certs?
And are they hoping that, by restoring stuff that didn't cost much but we expected due to our status/the program bennies, that it's being re-instated, we'll suddenly be grateful????
I have no problem w/ Marriott doing well by us, but I have a problem by them yanking away when they shouldn't have & then we fall all over ourselves saying thank you, thank you, as though they were the 2nd coming when they instituted stuff they took away.
And - oh yeah - lest we forget - the other chains are still doing. Is anyone naive enough to believe that Marriott would have kept these things if the others hadn't? No way.
I think they started to realize that they were indeed losing their best customers to other chains who offered the same or more for the same price, and this (whatever they offer) is an effort to offset that/get the customers back
OVMV. Cheers.