Maybe someone here can explain this one to me. I've got ~20-25 nights booked out through March at a Marriott. I called to match my status (SPG Plat, HHonors Gold) and received the standard offer of 18 nights in 3 months as an MR Plat to keep it. I say "sounds good" only to have them come back a moment later and tell me no dice because they'd automatically enrolled me in something called "Taste of Gold" last fall.

Thing is - I didn't ask for, didn't want, and didn't know anything about this. (and didn't care to - I wasn't staying at Marriotts last year). I'm now getting bounced back and forth between folks who see intent on saying "no" and "call back when you have 18 nights and we'll upgrade you manually".

Why the heck is it so difficult to get the same offer I could get if I simply opened a new account and called in? It's as though now that I'm bringing Marriott my business they arte intent on making it as difficult and pain-in-the-butt as possible.

Anyone have ideas?