First, lets remember this thread is titled for Marriott Platinum Premier AND Starwood.

Second, there already have been innumerable admissions by MR Plat elites that their top tier status means little at MR/RC properties...at least before the Starwood acquisition.

But once Starwood was acquired, some MR Plat elites became extremely defensive whenever SPG Plat elites speak about the better SPG elite benefits. Apparently, only MR elites are able to point out the obvious? The truth from "foreigners" hurts, I guess.

It seems that many MR elites previously were delighted to complain about their lack of loyalty status paying much dividends, almost as a sort of battle scar--we are elite, we don't get much for it, but we're proud anyway. I assume that's why there also are so many Hilton elites.

Then Marriott acquired Starwood, and MR elites quickly learned more about SPG from their new SPG elite brothers and sisters--and they didn't like what they learned. Many MR elites discovered they didn't have it as good as they thought they did compared to SPG elites, which makes it awfully hard to be as proud of being a MR elite. Many MR elites also discovered that the SPG customer base is more affluent on average and spends more at hotels on average than the average MR customer. That should have been obvious based on the portfolio of SPG vs Marriott, but apparently it wasn't and isn't. That's a big part of the reason why Marriott wanted Starwood in the first place--its more affluent and extremely loyal customer base. That in particular seems to have annoyed a lot of MR elites.

It feels like too many MR Plat elites here on FlyerTalk enjoyed sitting on top of their Marriott threads, feeling confident of their elite status and able to speak as the authorities they saw themselves as being in their Marriott world. They didn't like any outside challengers.

Then those pesky SPG elites came along and joined that Marriott world--and not by choice, remember! Then it turned out that the MR elites didn't have it quite as good as their SPG counterparts--and that pissed off many MR elites. But instead of attacking MR for the obvious contrast in elite benefits, too many MR elites instead have attacked the SPG elites that were delivering the bad news. That is where so much of the nonsensical defensiveness springs from. Talk about killing the messenger!

Whether or not MR elites like it, SPG elites have discovered how poorly Marriott and Ritz-Carlton treat their elites in contrast to how even St Regis (let alone other upscale and luxury SPG brands) treats SPG elites. When an SPG Gold is more likely to get a complimentary upgrade at a StR than a MR Plat Premier is at a Renaissance or JW Marriott, let alone a Ritz-Carlton, it's pretty obvious. When SPG Gold can get guanrateed late checkout at a St Regis but MR Plat Premiers can't get that at a Ritz-Carlton (or other brands), it's pretty obvious. We know better, and so we said so. That's why Marriott suddenly added guaranteed late checkout and is now trying out an elite concierge service--because it was obvious how little MR provided its elites compared to SPG.

This latest exchange began with me simply responding and educating a poster about the very simple and obvious fact that any Marriott Platinum Premier now matched to the entry level SPG Platinum 25 level actually has it better with SPG hotels than he or she had or has it with Marriott hotels. That seriously annoyed some MR elites here, but it's still true.

Every MR Plat benefit is matched by SPG Plat benefits...except that MR Plat gives 48 hr guaranteed room types vs 72 hrs for SPG. But in addition, SPG Plat ALSO gives suite upgrades as a guaranteed benefit based on availability. Until recently, MR Plats didn't even get late checkout guaranteed...while SPG Gold already had that! SPG Plat was and still is better.

Every MR Gold benefit is matched by SPG Gold benefit...except that MR Gold doesn't march every SPG Gold benefit! SPG Gold gets the same 72 hr room type guarantee...but MR Gold doesn't get any guarantee. SPG Gold had the guanrateed late checkout for years, not just recently. SPG Gold gets a welcome amenity, whereas MR Gold doesn't. SPG Gold is better even still.

If MR elites were smart, they'd be recognizing the facts about how much better SPG elite benefits are...and join the rest of SPG elites in pressuring Marriott to institute those into the current Marriott program or certainly into the new 2018 program. Instead, hubris is causing too many MR elites to just deny reality...and then get needlessly defensive about it.

Anyone is welcome and entitled to ignore me...but please don't ignore the simple facts. That's how we got Trump.