in individual cases this may hurt, yes.

but I did notice (to my and Marriott's favour):
- Marriott does inform early about changes (I had a res for the Orlando one for this sep, they did inform me months before and allowed me to cancel the prepaid rate)
- they get 'rid' of the 'less Marriott standard' properties
- Marriott opens more new ones than closing/selling old ones, so the balance is positiv

(Hilton never informed me when I had a res in New Delhi (near Connaught place) in may 98; three months before Hilton got that franchise contract from Holiday Inn, but before my arrival InterConti had already taken over. And at the airport (just before midnight arrival as always - big fight for fair taxi-cab rates as always - big worries and me not believing first when the taxi dispatcher told me "you mean to the InterConti", at an airport where all touristic guides warn you about taxi-scams .... I tried to get my HHonors-points for that stay (and the 1'000 www-booking bonus - but never got a reasonable answer, and yes, I gave up on this one).