When any significant loyalty program undergoes a transformation , there will always be "winners and losers" - those who feel the program has been enhanced to better suit their stay habits/points earning/benefits and those who feel that the program has become devalued for their needs. Unfortunately , I find myself in the loser category or better phrased, in the IGNORED category, I was really hopeful that the new program would address, in my opinion , the missing link in SPG, MR, and the NEW program. That missing piece is the ability to earn status via spend . There are some of us who are moderate nights but high average daily rate/folio spend travelers. There simply is no place for us in the new program. Hyatt and Hilton allow status to be earned via base points which are determined via spend OR the ability to earn status through the stay/night mechanism. That compromise of an OR proposition is missing from the new program . I also hold the Ritz Carlton CC and will probably ditch that as I can't really see the benefit anymore because of the devaluation from Marriott OLD Gold (50 night benefits) to NEW Gold (25 night benefits). I will have LT Gold in the NEW program anyway. And, no I am not going to keep the RC CC and spend $75,000 to get Platinum - there are far better ways to spend $75,000 on a CC and maximize value. Hyatt will be the new "home" for me . Yes, the Hyatt footprint is smaller but I stay in places where Park Hyatts and Hyatt Grand and Andaz properties will fit my needs.
However, I will be watching this forum with great interest. I want to see what the new award chart will look like (will have close to 2,000,000 MR to burn, Additionally , I eagerly await the reviews of the guests at Marriott properties who will be requesting their comp suite upgrades at Marriott properties in major cities. Hopefully , it will go smoothly. When I was an active SPG Platinum many years ago, I found my overall success with getting suite upgrades to be quite high - occasionally a terse conversation or a call to SPG customer service had to be invoked to get the suite benefit but that was certainly rare. With everyone having access to smart devices and internet, the days of check-in agents saying "we have no standard suites" and having no way to confirm that information are in the rear view mirror. I can't wait to see how the rightfully earned suite upgrade benefit plays out at properties such Marriott Marquis NYC and JW Marriott in DC.