Originally Posted by CapitalD

I am a former platinum (now Gold) Marriott Rewards member... will be staying at a Ritz-Carlton for the first time tomorrow.

Simple question: should I go through the process of converting my Marriott Rewards account to a Ritz-Carlton account? Are Marriott Gold customers treated at all differently from Ritz-Carlton Gold customers, in terms of upgrades or other accommodations? Has anyone had good (or bad) experiences as a Marriott Gold customer at a Ritz-Carlton property?

I understand one can convert from one type of account to the other, but don't want to deal with hold times and the hassle unless it's necessary. The FAQ on the Marriott website says that converting isn't necessary, but FAQs can be deceiving. Also worried that converting the account will screw up future reservations and already-enrolled promotions.

Thanks for any advice you can offer.