I have to say that as a long term MVC and Bonvoy (Marriott loyalty before) member I have noticed a horrible decline in service over the last 3 years. My complaints aren't the usual flat pillows dirty room, as suggested those get handled directly with the hotel. My issues are things like showing up and reservation was canceled without telling me (it wasn't canceled and they still debited my points, if not for heroic efforts of desk clerk we wouldn't have had a room as property overbooked and I had to essentially double pay to get that). Customer Service was useless saying not their problem. Got back from 2 different trips only to get an additional charge to my credit card, one over $1,000. Again customer service useless in resolving and so much for getting a 0 bill at the end of the stay. The status perks are routinely ignored and if you ask why they just change the subject.

I certainly understand that hotels are often franchises; in fact likely the rule, but I never used to hear that as a excuse. Now when I can use my points, or can't get a room as promised, don't get the room I booked, get over charged after the fact; I'm just routinely told sorry, they are a franchise nothing we can do if they don't honor the Bonvoy website or benefits. When we were shut out of using points at an entire region I was told blackout dates. I tried to make various reservations for as far out as the reservation app would allow and nothing. For an entire region for an entire year points were not allowed. That isn't blackout dates, that is they just don't honor the Bonvoy points. I've tried to complain about that and can't even get customer service to acknowledge my complaint beyond the original; franchises nothing we can do. Just crickets. Then the 48 hour room guarantee is meaningless. I get that could be abused, but we have never done that only trying to get a room months out, and never at something like say Times Square New Years or a convention. Just a hotel somewhere in a region next spring. We have never once succeeded in having that request fulfilled and never once been able to get the compensation spelled out in the agreement. In fact, if you ask for that as a requirement, they just pretend you didn't say anything and move on to something else refusing to even acknowledge the request.

I do try and be cognizant of the recent pandemic and all the issues. I don't generally bring simple, "wow has no one cleaned this hallway and emptied the trash cans in weeks" complaints to anyone except the hotel directly. These are complaints as above and the new Bonvoy website is a disaster type complaints. It is the slowest website I have ever seen, perpetually crashes, perpetually changes what type reservation you are trying to make (no I don't want 7 adults per room), but yes I did want the 2 double beds, not the single king. I am an ~70 night a year person and if they didn't have us trapped in the MVC (which used to be great), we would have just gone elsewhere a while ago.

So what is this? I guess a rant, but also letting the SPG folks know that it wasn't always this way. The pandemic has of course had an effect, but I do my best to compartmentalize and excuse issues from that. For original Marriott folks, the SPG merger has been just as big a take away of services as it has been for the SPG folks. That and it really seems to me that as I have reached Titanium Elite status, Marriott's attitude towards us has changed markedly for the worse. As just a Gold it was how can we get more of your business? How can we keep you happy? To a straightforward, "We've got your money and have you tied to us by all the things you would lose if you leave and we don't have to care about you anymore."