Marriott is offering a status challenge right now for those with top competitor status. You can call Marriott Rewards customer service at 801-468-4000 and tell them you want Platinum. You then have 90 days to complete some stays. Probably won't last for long.

I'm trying Marriott Platinum and am pleasantly surprised. Suites have been offered without a battle and the breakfast is on par with Hyatt. 4 pm late check out offered proactively. Welcome amenity. Way more hotels. Strangely, I felt valued.

Even better, Marriott only requires 50 nights for Platinum (compared to 60 Hyatt), and Marriott's credit card gives you 15 night automatic credit, which means you only really have to stay 35 nights for status equivalent of 60 at Hyatt (or 55 if you have the World of Hyatt credit card).

I think Hyatt has gone downhill lately. I'm disappointed by Hyatt gifting Globalist status to probably around 10,000+ people on American Airlines and want all of us to go out of our way to do 60 nights with them.

I think what really made me reconsider Hyatt is a recent trip to the Andaz New York. They recently reclassified all of their standard suites in a very phony way to show how little they care about Globalists. Before, Andaz Suites used to be standard suites for upgrades. Now, they have recategorized all Andaz Suites and claim the ones on the higher floors, above floor 4 I think, are Premium Suites (these were priced around $10 more than the standard suite), even though they are the EXACT same suite and used to be a standard suite before all of these World of Hyatt changes. What a joke! So now only the first few floors are standard suites to limit the number of Globalist upgrades. These kind of games are dishonest and driving me away from Hyatt. Literally same view, same room (not any bigger) just on a slightly higher floor. Mind boggling that they would go to these lengths (reclassifying) to try to avoid giving Globalists upgrades.

Has anyone else tried Marriott recently? Maybe the grass is greener...

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