I just received an email from Marriott Rewards to vote for the Freddies. How can I with a clear conscience even consider voting after hearing all of this news about Marriott diminishing their awards program with increased point requirements?

Personally, I feel like Marriott owes an explanation to each and every member of the Marriott Rewards program to either confirm or dispel the rumors.

Generally, I vote each year in the Freddies. This year, I will leave the hotel program portion blank and will not participate in the voting until I hear an honest and direct answer from Marriott Rewards regarding 713 and 714...and the future of Marriott Rewards.

If the Freddies mean so much to Marriott Rewards, perhaps they should place their best customers before the accolades. Marriott's best reward should be to make their customers happy. This will generate higher profits for a longer period of time. They will do this by not taking away from their program for the masses who have gone out of their way to stay in their brands and paid the extra dollars to eat in their hotel restaurants and make purchases in their hotel gift shops.

Marriott is a great company with a great product, however, it is not a bargain. And there are a lot of people who have been saving their points who have paid those inflated prices, who are going to be outraged that they need to save even more to earn Marriott's ultimate rewards.

There will be a point in time when the juice ain't gonna be worth the squeeze.