I love the sound of reality .

Marriott has not, does not, and will not care about elites beyond cursory efforts. This is not new to travel and has been going on for years. 15 years ago we all could fly 100k miles, spend 50 nights in cheapish hotels and be treated like rockstars as a result. Clearly that is never happening again. Even if there is a hiccup in travel the airlines and hotels will just tweak how they sell things. The properties all know that selling a suite for an extra $50 a night is better than just giving it to someone.

Personally I see more reasonable fees for nicer rooms. I booked the STR in Langkawi recently. The standard room was about $325 a night. For $75 more a night I got a suite with a private pool and breakfast for two. At the same time I am seeing places like The Sheraton in the Maldives have incredibly low room rates but the total cost of the room has not really changed the cost unless someone eats one meal a day and drinks water for the rest of the time.

the era of status is over. Sure, on occasion some will see some modest perks but overall there is no guaranteed way to get what you want unless you spend the money. The people who will succeed at getting what they want are the people who embrace free agency.