DL was the leader amongst the US3 because they believed they had a better product and that people would choose them despite having a poor loyalty program. (And time has shown that it’s mostly worked.)

Marriott must feel that they have achieved such ubiquitous scale, that they also don’t need to provide outsized value with Bonvoy. Whether that is going to translate in the hotel industry (vs the airline industry), where there are more options, is to be determined.