In general I agree. And don't want to make this a sSPG vs sMR argument that lasted forever with United. But this comment ignores the fact that there is no change from the SPG program with respect to "no blackout dates." I am fully accepting of the changes that have been made to align the program. I get that this is no longer legacy SPG. But it is also no longer legacy Marriott. The new combined program took some from both. And in this case the combined program chose a policy that "if there's a standard room available for cash, it's available for points." So I am not complaining that legacy SPG was better and being unaccepting of the new program. All I am asking is that the new program honor choices made and deliver on its T&Cs without me having to make several phone calls and feel like i am asking for an exception that may not happen next time i try to redeem. And this is not just a technicality hidden in the T&Cs, it is front and center on the "your benefits" page of the website.

This experience suggests not only are hotels not delivering against the program's T&Cs, the culture suggests there is no expectation to enforce the T&Cs on non-compliant properties. I agree that legacy SPG properties sometimes tried to skirt the T&Cs, but if pursued, that was met by enforcement efforts from SPG.

I'm open to the idea that this experience is merely a road bump and will not recur as more properties and agents are trained on the new policies. But if one of the "changes" to the program is that the T&Cs are merely guidelines, then that is indeed an unfortunate loss for the combined program. I don't know legacy marriott well enough to know if this is a shift for that program as well. But the lack of teeth in enforcement is certainly not (to bring it back to CO+UA) "a change that I'll like" as a legacy SPGer.