Starwood and Hilton loss = advantage Marriott
 

Me too, but I've been pretty happy with the Marriotts I've stayed in over the past 6 mos. Actually, I'd rarely stayed at Marriotts prior to that (primarily Starwood and Hilton), but started staying w/Marriott during the MegaBonus promo, and (in my experience) have found the quality of hotels/customer service to be at least, if not better than Starwood and Hiltons.

I was offered a 60,000 for 6 stays in mid 2005.

Noting in the round in Dec/Jan.

But I did just get the triple (really an added double) point promo. I wish I got the other instead becuase I usually have just one night stays so triple points is not as attractive to me.

I hate to say this but Marriott will never have an advantage having 75 stays to qual for top tier. I agree that their CSRs in utah are top rate. It seems to go downhill from there. If you have a corp expense acct and stay 75 nites a year with someone else paying for it great. Hilton allows regular people who spend their own money to reach Diamond with a little effort. The perks are great and the service is quite consistant. And 95% of the exec lounges are open on weekends ^

I got an email offer for the same period for TRIPLE points. @:-)

I hate to stay this, but advantage is still to Marriott
 

Not sure I agree with you about the service.. not at all.

I'm not a "regular" person I guess, because I do travel primarily on the corporate dime. And since it is on business, the corporate rates are actually often better than any of the area Hiltons (for which I don't get a corporate discount). So, for me (and for many other business travelers), advantage still is to Marriott

I agree with you regarding Marriott its just not the program suited to me
As a primarily lesisure/personal traveller I am able to maintain the top tiers in both Hilton and Starwood.
I just dont have the need to look at programs and basically ask " what have they done for me lately".
Its pure hogwash to say that Marriott is better than other chains in all respects.
In terms of properties a) SPG has far more in terms of superior hotels
b) Hilton is better in terms of numbers and in smaller demographic locations and citing revenue is basically a smoke screen, lets not forget the Hilton spent a ton on money on buy outs recently.

Like Canarsie seems to be saying basically to me promos are just icing on the cake as to my participation in a program. I can only have good words for the successes with the HH Diamond Desk especially regarding Diamond requests.

Over the years I have had excellent treatment at many top Hilton and Starwood properties, some of these places I would or will stay again, whether their programs offer me the latest triple point bonus or not and I am not that thin-skinned nor require my ego to be assauged to that I take the absence of the current offers as personally as some seem to do here. :rolleyes:

mike

Me too, I've only gotten 1 promo my entire life as a HH VIP and that was the 1000 pt online booking bonus that is still live...

I'd sure like to be part of one of those massive point bonus promos, but I guess it's ok since I don't have many biz trips planned in the next 3 months anyways. Only have one and that's a few days in the Caymans...and there's no Hilton...

That is exactly what I am saying.

It is frustrating to repeatedly not be chosen for a targetted promotion, to be sure. However, as I said, from the Diamond Desk to service in actual Hilton HHonors properties, Hilton has overall treated me very well over the years, and I cannot overlook that. For my purposes, Hilton is usually the best choice for me.

Still, it would be nice to be considered for a good targetted promotion sometime...

Agree but the fact is Im very happy with HH, If I never read FT I would never know all this stuff. Thus I would not be perturbed with it. BUT It sure is nice to be in the Know and call and whine and at least get 1/2 of what the targeted promos are: for free. Im staying at the Rome Hilton for three nites at easter for free thanks to the 5-10-15 whinning :D

OT Alert
 

I agree with everything you say EXCEPT, I have found most lounges closed on weekends....But, still given certificates for breakfast and drinks.

Canarsie, email Hilton and do the whining that rwill11 and I have done. They will give you a promo. I know you wish they'd target you w/o whining, me too... but I'm not too proud to accept a whined for promo. :D

I appreciate the advice.

I truly dislike whining, but I will at least keep an open mind and consider it...

Interesting thread! I guess I will watch my snail and e-mail and hope... and keep on with HH for the many great assists from the Diamond desk, hotel staff, etc. Perfect? No, but I get less with Starwood, and maybe I am missing something by not staying frequently enough at Marriott, but the last couple of Courtyards I stayed in could use some serious help :p - if they'd been like HGIs, I'd have been quite happy.

Pehaps I am a little luckier than you I am currently getting 1000 bonus points for online bookings until mid May. Basically that comes up to the same as double points based on most the rates I booked.

I do have five upcoming stays in Europe all booked under their Easter offer which I have gotten some great rates all under 100 euro for Hilton Prague, Hilton Vienna the two Hiltons in Budapest and the Paddington so except the places where I will be staying two days or more double points wouldnt have gotten me much more.

Heres one other thing lately i have been getting a tons of "extra points" on reward stays over 50K in the last year alone - Ok so that might be an error but I cant believe HH is not aware of it ( we have talked mucho times over the years on ftalk about this)
Ccompare that with SPG where often getting points is a hassle, no points for parking, no points for some of the hotel restaurants, you have to call in inccessantly even for some of Plat Amenity bonus points etc etc.

mike

7 years as diamond and never one targetted promo
 

And the fact that when some people call the Diamond Desk the agent says "you're not getting the targetted promo because you've already got X reservations", is pretty revealing as well.

I think when hilton (and *wood as well) used to have better promos (that were offered for everyone) 5-6 years ago, it was different. But to get nothing, year, after year, after year... while hearing about others getting them left and right, well, yes, it does kind of burn.

The strategy that Hilton and Starwood just doesn't make sense to me from a "want to keep your best customers" marketing perspective..

And yes, I stay at other places where earning points are not priority also (see earlier reference to Kimptons). But for earning points, Marriott seems to still have some fairly decent promos.

If anyone trys sending a letter to Hilton as I suggested earlier (rather than emailing or calling to get the standard carbon copy response), let me know what happens, and good luck!