Originally Posted by
TrojanHorse
I realize that
I apologize since I wasn't very clear
I meant to say
I am no status at SPG right now; I don't like SPG without status as I don't feel I'm treated very well so I don't use them at all - Not a complaint as I don't expect anything without status but otoh, I am not going to stay where I don't like what I receive even if its all that I'm entitled too.
At MR, I'm LT gold; I don't do enough travel these days to earn the gold status annually but luckily once upon a time I traveled a ton, have LT Gold so I get the gold benefits which are adequate to me; Hence by bringing SPG under the MR umbrella, I'll eventually be able to use that LT MR Gold for my own personal gain at the current SPG properties; hopefully I'll be LT plat by the time that comes around as well (200K more points and I do have the MR Chase CC)
I win in that situation
I've been a devotee of Starwood/SPG for years as I grew up in their hotels and despite only becoming a member less than two years ago, I've been EXTREMELY well looked-after by their associates. I was on a trip to Minneapolis with two stays booked at the W and Le Méridien Chambers this past April and although I was a bottom-of-the-barrel Preferred Member with zero elite status history, BOTH hotels upgraded my stays after reading my reservation preferences about requesting rooms with just a little more space [I booked entry-level rooms at both hotels]. The W bumped me up a category to a gorgeous high-floor corner room and the Le Méridien Chambers went above and beyond and gave me a luxury suite bigger than some apartments I've lived in. Based on what I've heard from members on the SPG thread who are simultaneous elite members with SPG and MR, MR leaves a LOT to the imagination - perhaps even too much.
I'm very satisfied with SPG and, hopefully, will be ascending to Platinum [my first time ever at the top of a status ladder so I'm quite the small fry next to some of the heavy-lifters around here but no matter] after a few stays this week, and I wholeheartedly love this program as well as the strong and individual brands it offers. Marriott has some brands I truly love - Ritz-Carlton, Edition and JW Marriott, I'm looking at you - and I can only hope that both Starwood and Marriott work together to offer the world's most powerful frequent stayer/guest program befitting what will become the world's largest company rather than shamelessly pursue margins and dollars.
Time will tell soon enough.
khabah