[Unconfirmed] rumor : Bonvoy titanium to get more benefits
Feb 12, 2019, 9:27 am
#76
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: ORD
Programs: UA Silver, Marriott Platinum/LT Platinum, Hilton Gold
Posts: 5,594
Access to *some* kind of breakfast is a substantial benefit. Removing that from the 50-night tier would almost certainly push people to Hilton or Hyatt.
That said, it wouldn't surprise me if Marriott follows the Hilton model of removing *lounge* from the guarantee. I spent a couple years as HH Gold under that model, and it sometimes worked for you, sometimes against you. Domestically, the restaurant is often better than the lounge. Internationally, the lounges are usually better.
I can't tell where Marriott wants to go with their lounges. Some of them are pretty lame and you can tell the property doesn't even want to deal with a lounge, and at other properties they're actually building out newer, better lounges. Even Sheraton, which has some truly awful lounges, also has done some nice renovations to them in recent years.
That said, it wouldn't surprise me if Marriott follows the Hilton model of removing *lounge* from the guarantee. I spent a couple years as HH Gold under that model, and it sometimes worked for you, sometimes against you. Domestically, the restaurant is often better than the lounge. Internationally, the lounges are usually better.
I can't tell where Marriott wants to go with their lounges. Some of them are pretty lame and you can tell the property doesn't even want to deal with a lounge, and at other properties they're actually building out newer, better lounges. Even Sheraton, which has some truly awful lounges, also has done some nice renovations to them in recent years.
To be honest, access to international Marriott lounges is really the main reason I pursued a lifetime status. Breakfast was a close second. Domestic lounges third. The other benefits weren't really significant to me.
I visited my first Sheraton lounge just a couple weeks ago - Sheraton IAH - and it was "truly awful". Plus they overcharged me for the 4 glasses of wine the two of us drank. If they want to reduce Platinum lounge benefits, maybe they can start with just the Sheratons
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Feb 14, 2019, 8:58 am
#77
Join Date: Jan 2015
Programs: Marriott Platinum Elite; Hilton Diamond
Posts: 201
Unfortunately, I bet the dynamic pricing is here to stay. And it isn’t actually “dynamic”. Hilton has a true dynamic pricing now. They don’t even post a chart anymore, the points change like prices, no set standards.
They’re breakfast offering is still sub par compared to Hilton. Especially the CYs. The $10/night doesn’t even get you a standard breakfast & coffee. Hilton Gardens offer free breakfast or points, no money limit.
Marriott lounges are actually way better than Hilton lounges. Especially domestic. Domestically it seems like the 2 programs are going separate approaches. Hilton’s have slowly been closing their domestic lounges, and the handful that are still there are garbage. On the opposite end Marriott has been rolling out the M Lounges. Those are fantastic and they take more of an airport terminal lounge. They are also building them on the main floor, making for great advertisement to be loyal to Marriott.
All that to say, I would only expect a few minor tweaks at the end of this year going into 2020. I would like to see breakfast actually mean breakfast. Or get rid of having to pay the resort/destination fee when staying on points, or if you don’t do that, at least allow us to earn points for resort/destination and parking fees. That’s a load of garbage.
They’re breakfast offering is still sub par compared to Hilton. Especially the CYs. The $10/night doesn’t even get you a standard breakfast & coffee. Hilton Gardens offer free breakfast or points, no money limit.
Marriott lounges are actually way better than Hilton lounges. Especially domestic. Domestically it seems like the 2 programs are going separate approaches. Hilton’s have slowly been closing their domestic lounges, and the handful that are still there are garbage. On the opposite end Marriott has been rolling out the M Lounges. Those are fantastic and they take more of an airport terminal lounge. They are also building them on the main floor, making for great advertisement to be loyal to Marriott.
All that to say, I would only expect a few minor tweaks at the end of this year going into 2020. I would like to see breakfast actually mean breakfast. Or get rid of having to pay the resort/destination fee when staying on points, or if you don’t do that, at least allow us to earn points for resort/destination and parking fees. That’s a load of garbage.
Mar 3, 2019, 5:36 pm
#78
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: JRF
Programs: AA Gold, Marriott Platinum, Hilton Diamond, National Executive Elite
Posts: 1,784
Did any of this actually go into effect? Have an upcoming Ritz-Carlton stay, and I understand as Titanium we can get non-Club upgrades where available (as was the case with Plat Premier), but what's going on with the breakfast noises?
Mar 3, 2019, 6:12 pm
#79
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: SLC/HEL/Anywhere with a Beach
Programs: Marriott Ambassador; AA EXP 3MM; AS MVP, Hilton Gold, CH-47/UH-60/C-23/C-130 VET
Posts: 5,234
Mar 3, 2019, 8:47 pm
#80
Join Date: Mar 2011
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, Marriott Titanium
Posts: 1,171
Bronze
Silver
Gold
Platinum
Diamond
Ambassador
Mar 3, 2019, 8:56 pm
#81
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: COS
Programs: UA Gold/1.5MM (several years running now!), Marriott LTTE, Hertz Prez
Posts: 1,899
Awhile back I posted that it would be really beneficial if the nonsense Platinum overloading was to be rectified with new levels. At least one member shot me down and stated with great certainty that the then-current status levels were fixed into the foreseeable future. Obviously they were wrong (thankfully!), so I hesitate to repeat that same mistake...but I will go out on a limb and say that what we have now is what we have going forward - into the foreseeable future. I don't really see anything beyond entertainment value in conjecturing as to what would or will be the better breakdown and naming.
Mar 3, 2019, 10:47 pm
#82
Join Date: Jan 2018
Location: Milano (Italy)
Programs: Marriott TITANIUM, BWR Dia, IHG, Millemiglia Alitalia
Posts: 486
Could you please explain me why in the USA most Marriott hotel services and loyalty benefits seem to be progressively cheaper/reduced/cut off? I mean things like breakfast offerings (somewhere just coffee and a bowl of fruit?!), EXE Lounge offerings (charges for wine, no hot food), room upgrades, FD attitude?
I have no direct experience of that but I read a lot of posts about that, especially if compared to Asian or Europe services, and I think it's unbelievable!
Thanks!
Mar 4, 2019, 12:43 am
#83
Join Date: Mar 2011
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, Marriott Titanium
Posts: 1,171
Awhile back I posted that it would be really beneficial if the nonsense Platinum overloading was to be rectified with new levels. At least one member shot me down and stated with great certainty that the then-current status levels were fixed into the foreseeable future. Obviously they were wrong (thankfully!), so I hesitate to repeat that same mistake...but I will go out on a limb and say that what we have now is what we have going forward - into the foreseeable future. I don't really see anything beyond entertainment value in conjecturing as to what would or will be the better breakdown and naming.
Mar 4, 2019, 1:04 am
#84
Join Date: Jan 2014
Programs: Amtrak Guest Rewards (SE), Virgin America Elevate, Hyatt Gold Passport (Platinum), VIA Preference
Posts: 3,134
I agree....entertainment value only, however, I just read your post for the first time and what first popped into my mind is that Marriott wouldn't want to touch Platinum as a name and where it falls in terms of SPG equivalence for fear of upsetting SPGers. I don't don't like the term 'Titanium', or Bonvoy, for that matter. I wonder if Marriott ever sounds out these things with member focus groups before they consider implementing them?!
Mar 8, 2019, 12:39 pm
#85
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: MCI
Programs: AA Gold 1MM, AS MVP, UA Silver, WN A-List, Marriott LT Titanium, HH Diamond
Posts: 52,547
My problem with Hilton is that they've allowed a lot of extremely mundane properties to have very high caps, making them almost *never* a good award redemption. It almost never makes sense to use points at a Hampton Inn, HGI, or midscale Hilton/Doubletree. While I like saving my points for aspirational stays - the current booking I'm holding is for the Waldorf Astoria Maldives that hasn't even opened yet - I also like being able to use hotel points for those weird cases where you just need a room and rates are somewhat high. Hilton has taken that away unless the rates are *very* high.
Marriott still has value for me on that end. When I accidentally mapped out a family vacation that ran into the Champions League final in Madrid, I could still use points to get a Category 1 Marriott a 45-minute train ride away. It'll be a barebones stay in a less-than-ideal location, but it's 7500 points to save 240 euros. Hilton doesn't have that kind of option available at all.
I've been racking up a bunch of HH this year with my regular business stays...the sweet spot is definitely Conrads in Asia. And this insane-looking new WA in the Maldives...
Mar 8, 2019, 1:58 pm
#86
Join Date: Jan 2015
Programs: Marriott Platinum Elite; Hilton Diamond
Posts: 201
Mar 8, 2019, 7:18 pm
#87
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: BOS/UTH
Programs: AA LT PLT; QR GLD; Bonvoy LT TIT
Posts: 12,734
I agree....entertainment value only, however, I just read your post for the first time and what first popped into my mind is that Marriott wouldn't want to touch Platinum as a name and where it falls in terms of SPG equivalence for fear of upsetting SPGers. I don't don't like the term 'Titanium', or Bonvoy, for that matter. I wonder if Marriott ever sounds out these things with member focus groups before they consider implementing them?!
