Marriott Bonvoy? (Potential new program leak)
Nov 27, 2018, 12:26 pm
#211
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Minneapolis: DL DM charter 2.3MM
Programs: A3*Gold, SPG Plat, HyattDiamond, MarriottPP, LHW exAccess, ICI, Raffles Amb, NW PE MM, TWA Gold MM
Posts: 100,413
If the hotel is posting a name (first, last, or both) and room number, it would be a big problem and I would insist on a new room assignment and might even leave immediately.
If it's just a matter of stopping by the front desk for some goodies from the market or to claim some extra points, I don't see much of a problem. OTOH, I've seen guest of the day recognition involve a special parking space close to the front door which would be questionable as I don't necessarily want random strangers to associate my name, my appearance, and my vehicle. It's a (very) low probability personal safety and security issue that's a (very small) needless risk.
If it's just a matter of stopping by the front desk for some goodies from the market or to claim some extra points, I don't see much of a problem. OTOH, I've seen guest of the day recognition involve a special parking space close to the front door which would be questionable as I don't necessarily want random strangers to associate my name, my appearance, and my vehicle. It's a (very) low probability personal safety and security issue that's a (very small) needless risk.
Nov 27, 2018, 12:32 pm
#212
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Minneapolis: DL DM charter 2.3MM
Programs: A3*Gold, SPG Plat, HyattDiamond, MarriottPP, LHW exAccess, ICI, Raffles Amb, NW PE MM, TWA Gold MM
Posts: 100,413
I believe it is essentially hotel malpractice to speak a room number which comes from lawsuits where someone hears a room number and follows a guest. iIt's standard practice at all major hotel chains.
And ... on a slightly different topic, I left something in a hotel room and was unhappy that they didn't call me. The GM explained to me that they didn't call guests about lost and found items since some guests might be sensitive to someone knowing about their stay ....
And ... on a slightly different topic, I left something in a hotel room and was unhappy that they didn't call me. The GM explained to me that they didn't call guests about lost and found items since some guests might be sensitive to someone knowing about their stay ....
Only in the USA. Overseas there's much less concern with this, although American chain hotels are more likely to respect it.
What bugs me is that the same hotels where it's almost a fireable offense for a front desk employee to say a room number aloud think nothing of asking the guest to say the room number to enter a lounge, claim breakfast, use pool/health club facilities, etc. I've had battles over this when I respond that I will show them my room number or write it down but I will not say it aloud and I do not want them to do so either, in any language, and then the hotel employee proceeds to say my room number. Why the assumption that bad guys hang out only around the front desk?
What bugs me is that the same hotels where it's almost a fireable offense for a front desk employee to say a room number aloud think nothing of asking the guest to say the room number to enter a lounge, claim breakfast, use pool/health club facilities, etc. I've had battles over this when I respond that I will show them my room number or write it down but I will not say it aloud and I do not want them to do so either, in any language, and then the hotel employee proceeds to say my room number. Why the assumption that bad guys hang out only around the front desk?
Nov 27, 2018, 12:33 pm
#213
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: BOS
Programs: DL DM 2MM, Marriott LT Titanium, Hertz PC, Avis PC
Posts: 15,198
Another waste of time and money by Marriott... focusing on the rewards program name changing and making it more complicated instead of fixing the damned dysfunctional IT/Website and lack of customer service.
Nov 27, 2018, 12:38 pm
#214
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Minneapolis: DL DM charter 2.3MM
Programs: A3*Gold, SPG Plat, HyattDiamond, MarriottPP, LHW exAccess, ICI, Raffles Amb, NW PE MM, TWA Gold MM
Posts: 100,413
This will sound odd, but whenever i eat at a hotel bar/restaurant and charge it to my room, i sign the check with my room number etc, and then purposely wait for them to come back and pick it up and run it. I just want them to know that i am legit and who i say i am and that i am NOT dinning and dashing. Not sure why that is important to me but it is.
When I do a room charge, I'm always careful to keep everything face down if it's not in a folder and then to watch the waiter/waitress/bartender pick up the signed receipt, especially in/at a bar. I don't want some other guest to see or grab that piece of paper.
BTW, when I hear stories of people charging drinks to the room of some stranger, it reminds me of some movie where two backpacking young women crash the pool of an elegant hotel in Asia and are caught when they try to charge stuff to a room number that doesn't exist at the property. Some seemingly nice guy offers to pay for them as his guests and saves them from being arrested, but he's really an drug smuggler and recruits them........
BTW, when I hear stories of people charging drinks to the room of some stranger, it reminds me of some movie where two backpacking young women crash the pool of an elegant hotel in Asia and are caught when they try to charge stuff to a room number that doesn't exist at the property. Some seemingly nice guy offers to pay for them as his guests and saves them from being arrested, but he's really an drug smuggler and recruits them........
Last edited by MSPeconomist; Nov 27, 2018 at 12:49 pm
Nov 27, 2018, 12:42 pm
#215
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Southern California, USA
Programs: Marriott Ambassador and LTT, UA Plat/LT Gold, AA Gold
Posts: 8,764
This leak demonstrates only that some departments are working on the details for the Jan 2019 announcements that have been scheduled since the Aug 18 integration began. It’s a leak...so it has nothing to do with Marriott’s focus.
This leak has nothing to do with the fact that Marriott also is obviously working to fix the disfunctional IT and website issues. There have been many improvements already, while there still is obviously quite a bit to yet be done.
This leak has nothing to do with Marriott’s customer service issues, mostly related to the disfunctional IT and website issues noted above. When the IT and website are working properly, there should be a vastly improved customer service environment and ability for CSR to better do their jobs. Even then, Marriott is no SPG.
Last edited by bhrubin; Nov 27, 2018 at 12:51 pm
Nov 27, 2018, 12:47 pm
#216
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 1999
Programs: Marriott Lifetime Titanium
Posts: 15,353
Originally Posted by MSPeconomist
This will sound odd, but whenever i eat at a hotel bar/restaurant and charge it to my room, i sign the check with my room number etc, and then purposely wait for them to come back and pick it up and run it. I just want them to know that i am legit and who i say i am and that i am NOT dinning and dashing. Not sure why that is important to me but it is.
When I do a room charge, I'm always careful to keep everything face down if it's not in a folder and then to watch the waiter/waitress/bartender pick up the signed receipt, especially in/at a bar. I don't want some other guest to see or grab that piece of paper.
When I do a room charge, I'm always careful to keep everything face down if it's not in a folder and then to watch the waiter/waitress/bartender pick up the signed receipt, especially in/at a bar. I don't want some other guest to see or grab that piece of paper.
Stayed at a hotel last week that swiped my room card to process the room charge. That should be the norm.
Last edited by RichMSN; Nov 27, 2018 at 12:52 pm
Nov 27, 2018, 12:59 pm
#217
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: CLT
Programs: Marriott Plat, AA Gold
Posts: 1,076
Calling the top level Ambassador makes sense and I don't see a problem with Titanium, but Bonvoy? What the heck is that? Seems fitting I guess, making up words like their CSR's and hotels have been making up policies recently.
No the name shouldn't really make a difference, but they probably paid some consultant or something a hefty chunk of change to come up with this which seems unnecessary.
No the name shouldn't really make a difference, but they probably paid some consultant or something a hefty chunk of change to come up with this which seems unnecessary.
Nov 27, 2018, 1:10 pm
#218
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Floating around
Programs: UA 1K (1MM), DL Gold (1MM), Marriott LTT
Posts: 10,345
-RM
Nov 27, 2018, 1:20 pm
#219
Join Date: May 2003
Location: LCY
Programs: SQ Krisflyer, QR Privilege Club, MB LT Plt (1K+ nights thx MB)
Posts: 1,038
Good that they distinguish between P, PP and PP+AMB. Bonvoy? If they fill the Bonvoy program with some content and consistency I can be a member of Bonvoy any day but if it continue with resorts inconsistent interpretation of the "breakfast benefit" and cookie cutter one size fits all solutions ... Bonvoy I dont know ... who knows maybe it become a hit ....
Nov 27, 2018, 1:35 pm
#220
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Somewhere in Florida
Posts: 2,622
If the hotel is posting a name (first, last, or both) and room number, it would be a big problem and I would insist on a new room assignment and might even leave immediately.
<snip>
I don't necessarily want random strangers to associate my name, my appearance, and my vehicle. It's a (very) low probability personal safety and security issue that's a (very small) needless risk.
<snip>
I don't necessarily want random strangers to associate my name, my appearance, and my vehicle. It's a (very) low probability personal safety and security issue that's a (very small) needless risk.
Nov 27, 2018, 1:43 pm
#221
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Minneapolis: DL DM charter 2.3MM
Programs: A3*Gold, SPG Plat, HyattDiamond, MarriottPP, LHW exAccess, ICI, Raffles Amb, NW PE MM, TWA Gold MM
Posts: 100,413
I disagree -- Marriott's still not capable of keeping a functional reservations system nor functional website going in 2018. It's not like these are new concepts. MARSHA was created around 1972, some 46 years ago. Providing good customer service over the phone dates back some 60+ years, yet in 2018 Marriott is incapable of doing so. The only thing keeping this ship afloat right now are the individual hotels.
Even without a room number, I don't want such attention. In my line of work, we occasionally are working with some 'bad hombres'. I've had loaded guns pulled on me, death threats, etc. Bad guys don't like going to jail. If I saw such a sign and my name on it, I'd immediately switch hotels. Everyone's situation is different and I realize that mine's an anomaly compared to most. Some people probably would enjoying seeing such a sign with their name on it. I could care less if the hotel "recognizes" my status as long as they treat me well. Show me that you appreciate my loyalty rather than give it lip service.
Even without a room number, I don't want such attention. In my line of work, we occasionally are working with some 'bad hombres'. I've had loaded guns pulled on me, death threats, etc. Bad guys don't like going to jail. If I saw such a sign and my name on it, I'd immediately switch hotels. Everyone's situation is different and I realize that mine's an anomaly compared to most. Some people probably would enjoying seeing such a sign with their name on it. I could care less if the hotel "recognizes" my status as long as they treat me well. Show me that you appreciate my loyalty rather than give it lip service.
The more I think about the rental car boards showing last names, the more I can imagine situations where it's not at all a good idea. For example, in a small place with a limited number of hotels (especially if one can guess the type of hotel someone is likely to have chosen, for example someone who looks like a corporate traveler--please don't ask what they look like), it would be far to easy for a bad guy to observe a woman walking alone to a car with first initial and full last name displayed and later call a short list of probably hotels to find out where she's staying or make an obscene call.
Nov 27, 2018, 1:45 pm
#222
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: New York
Programs: MB-LTT , HH-Diam., HGP-Expl.
Posts: 778
BTW, when I hear stories of people charging drinks to the room of some stranger, it reminds me of some movie where two backpacking young women crash the pool of an elegant hotel in Asia and are caught when they try to charge stuff to a room number that doesn't exist at the property. Some seemingly nice guy offers to pay for them as his guests and saves them from being arrested, but he's really an drug smuggler and recruits them........
I was thinking of Ashley Judd in Double Jeopardy charging a Armani gown to the room of a guest whose name and room number she overheard while standing near the front desk.
Nov 27, 2018, 1:56 pm
#223
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Southern California, USA
Programs: Marriott Ambassador and LTT, UA Plat/LT Gold, AA Gold
Posts: 8,764
I disagree -- Marriott's still not capable of keeping a functional reservations system nor functional website going in 2018. It's not like these are new concepts. MARSHA was created around 1972, some 46 years ago. Providing good customer service over the phone dates back some 60+ years, yet in 2018 Marriott is incapable of doing so. The only thing keeping this ship afloat right now are the individual hotels.
Marriott customer service was never known for being as good as that for SPG, and that was just as true before the merger as afterward and before the Aug 18 integration as afterward.
For eveyone complaining that Ambassdor service is overrated, my Ambassdor has made the transition pretty painless for me and most fellow Ambassdor guests.
Also, I don’t stay at Marriott Bonvoy or Rewards just as I never stayed at SPG; I only stay in hotels. That was just as true before the Aug 18 integration as it has been since.
Nov 27, 2018, 1:57 pm
#224
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: home = LAX
Posts: 25,933
Now, of course, any other name which would have abbreviated differently (including MPG) would have solved that problem.
Nov 27, 2018, 2:12 pm
#225
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: KHOU/KIAH
Programs: AA EXP | Marriott Bonvoy Titanium| Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 11,252
Marriott’s reservations system has worked well enough for me since my first post-Aug 18 stay over Labor Day weekend. The website, while having had a few issues earlier on, has more or less been quite functional for me, as well. I realize that isn’t true for all members in all cases, of course, but I also recognize that this been the largest integration between hotel companies in history. For all the noise, I know all too well that this is still nothing compared to the nightmare integrations for UA-CO and AA-US.