As a former Marriott/SPG fan I am wondering how many others have decided to dump Marriott/SPG as your "go to" program. I say "fan" because I think the concept of "loyalty" is ridiculous - Marriott is a business, not a sports team. We all have our preferences as to where we like to stay, but the bottom line is that businesses do not show loyalty to their customer (rather they may reward them for buying rooms) and in turn customers deliver revenue to businesses that provide better service.
If you are now dumping Marriott in favor of another chain what was the straw that broke the camel's back?
- IT integration issues when programs were merged
- The most recent devaluation, i.e. massive hike in points needed for Cat 7-9 properties (incl. SPG Cat 7 and RC)
- Devaluation of SPG Amex points earned from everyday spend
- Poor customer service (telephone)
- Decline in perks for former SPG elites
- Reduction in status due to Rewarding events / UA elite match
- Decline in perks due to reduction in status (e.g. Plat->Gold) which resulted in loss of lounge access/breakfast
Let me know if I left anything out LOL.
For me it was the last one. Lounge access was a nice, useful incentive to stay at Marriott. Now that it's gone I will probably lean to Hyatt. Hyatt also has better ROI for hotel spend, particularly if you want to redeem for top category.