Marriott Bonvoy Mid-Year Check-In
Jul 1, 2019, 5:45 am
#16
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: New York
Programs: AA, CX, Hyatt, Marriott
Posts: 1,484
I always get high floors per my request. However, your comment on elevators made me think- I request near the elevator, which I guess is less in demand?
Can sleep through anything, or worst case, will wake up once, realize it isnt important and sleep through, so elevators dont bother me at all. Hmm.
Can sleep through anything, or worst case, will wake up once, realize it isnt important and sleep through, so elevators dont bother me at all. Hmm.
Jul 1, 2019, 6:09 am
#17
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: NYC
Programs: DL DM; Marriott Ambasador Elite
Posts: 626
My stays are down a bit this year (51 YTD with $17,000 spend), but that is more a function of a knee injury early in the year and a long vacation in MR-less Oaxaca than it is exasperation with Marriott.
The corporate-level issues have largely been resolved, but there are a few remaining disappointments for me:
-Points much harder to use than under SPG. With SPG I could always book the hotel I wanted for the dates I wanted for my family, unless it was simply sold out. With Bonvoy, I’ve found it exceedingly rare that triple occupancy rooms are bookable on points, particularly in Europe.
-Ambassador is overworked to the point that I get almost no benefit from having one. She is extremely helpful when stays fail to post (which happens a lot because of one particular property I frequent); that’s about it.
-Not happy with corporate allowing individual properties to insert “gotcha terms” in their rewards cancellation policies.
On the positive side, Ambassador Elite now being visible as a distinct level at the front desk has resulted in improved recognition. I also do enjoy the vastly expanded number of properties in the program.
I have a few other minor gripes, but they are more property-specific (e.g. I never get upgraded at any of the hotels I stay at in the US, although I do consistently get spectacular upgrades in Europe and am 50/50 in Asia; there is also the aforementioned hotel that almost never posts my stays).
The corporate-level issues have largely been resolved, but there are a few remaining disappointments for me:
-Points much harder to use than under SPG. With SPG I could always book the hotel I wanted for the dates I wanted for my family, unless it was simply sold out. With Bonvoy, I’ve found it exceedingly rare that triple occupancy rooms are bookable on points, particularly in Europe.
-Ambassador is overworked to the point that I get almost no benefit from having one. She is extremely helpful when stays fail to post (which happens a lot because of one particular property I frequent); that’s about it.
-Not happy with corporate allowing individual properties to insert “gotcha terms” in their rewards cancellation policies.
On the positive side, Ambassador Elite now being visible as a distinct level at the front desk has resulted in improved recognition. I also do enjoy the vastly expanded number of properties in the program.
I have a few other minor gripes, but they are more property-specific (e.g. I never get upgraded at any of the hotels I stay at in the US, although I do consistently get spectacular upgrades in Europe and am 50/50 in Asia; there is also the aforementioned hotel that almost never posts my stays).
Jul 1, 2019, 6:14 am
#18
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: London
Programs: HertzPresCircle, Virgin Atlantic Gold,Hil-Diam, Europcar Elite Vip, Emirates Gold, MarriottTitanium.
Posts: 419
I have a few other minor gripes, but they are more property-specific (e.g. I never get upgraded at any of the hotels I stay at in the US, although I do consistently get spectacular upgrades in Europe and am 50/50 in Asia; there is also the aforementioned hotel that almost never posts my stays).
Jul 1, 2019, 6:22 am
#19
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: NYC
Programs: DL DM; Marriott Ambasador Elite
Posts: 626
Do you ask?! I just came back from Asia where even with Gold you get nice upgrade without ever asking but now back in Europe i got nothing aswell on first 2 stays. Only Platinum,soon titan right now but i was wondering if i should ask if i see the hotel isnt fully booked at all. Being the European i feel bad about doing so but maybe it's the only way to get things like that? Leaving for the US soon so was hoping to get some nice upgrades there too but if it's nothing like you then why bother so hard to get higher statuses. Esp you even being the highest rank and getting nothing.
I know there are properties in the US with great reputations for upgrades; unfortunately 90% of my US travel is for work and upgrades are rare at the properties I tend to end up at. Hopefully you have a better experience here.
Jul 1, 2019, 7:19 am
#20
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: DAY
Programs: Rapid Rewards, Skymiles, Hilton HHonors, SPG/Marriott Rewards
Posts: 4,940
I will completely admit I am a nobody when it comes to the Hotel loyalty game (would probably only ever earn silver organically). I earn most of my points/status through credit card spend. The change from 3pts/$ to 2pts/$ completely changed just about everything for me. My spend on my SPG AmEx has gone to almost 0. Hilton is where I look first now as their credit cards are much better for someone like me. It's not that I won't stay with Marriott if the hotel/price/location is right, but it is no longer where I look first.
Jul 1, 2019, 7:45 am
#21
Moderator: Mileage Run, InterContinental Hotels
Join Date: May 2004
Posts: 5,911
I spent 163 nights in hotels in the first 6 months of this year -- 106 Bonvoy, 40 Hyatt, the rest IHG and a handful of non-chain places, exclusively in Asia/Australia/Europe.
The first thing I'd say is that my Bonvoy experience has improved A LOT since the the chaos days of Aug/Sept 2018. Stays now mostly post automatically (I think I only had 3 missing/incorrect ones in the past couple months), phone wait times are down, and I usually end up talking to reasonably competent (if usually terribly unmotivated) agents.
My on-property experience has been fine overall. My upgrade percentage is down a lot, with only 24 nights in suites. However, I had some longer stays at hotels with high occupancy, and in almost every case I felt that the hotel made an effort to provide top floor/view/corner rooms. Often, font desk staff proactively apologized that they couldn't offer me a suite (I don't usually ask for one, as I don't spend much time in the room), and a few times I was offered an opportunity to move to a better room mid-stay. Zero success with SNA on the few stays where a suite would have mattered, unfortunately. Some lounges have upped their game, and breakfast has generally been fine, although almost every property without a lounge I stayed at now makes you give up the welcome points in exchange for breakfast. Only had one stay at a $10 credit brand, and will avoid those in the future.
I'm surprised by the huge numbers of Platinum+ guests, especially at properties that provide excellent value for money. I often ask when chatting with FD or managerial staff. It's not uncommon to hear that a place like 4P Singapore has 20% of their rooms taken up by Plats+. Really puts things into perspective, and might be useful to keep in mind for those who raise a stink when they don't get a suite (witnessed this 3 times this year while checking in).
Points earning for stays has been somewhat reduced -- I now mostly have to give up my welcome points for breakfast, MAGC is down by 2/3, and promos are weak. I still have the Amex and will keep it for the free night, but my spend has been zero. Redemption rates have continued to creep up, although numerous good values remain (Marriott points requirements were more reasonable than SPG at the outset, and those of us from the SPG side benefited from some great deals, but of course rates are creeping back up).
IT problems still occasionally occur with website downtime and limited functionality, but IME not much worse than what competitors have going on. Didn't receive anything about selecting my 50- or 75- night benefit. None of this is a big deal to me, but I'm scratching my head that they haven't made some simple fixes that were mentioned here (and at least in some cases brought up directly with the hotel) -- for instance, searching for Lake Biwa Marriott still brings up some sushi restaurant in Florida.
My biggest complaint (only serious complaint, really) is the BRG team. Some of the legacy Marriott folks (or new hires?) are lazy, incompetent, and sometimes rude. Rejections of legitimate claims (I do this a lot and know what I'm doing) are common, and it shouldn't be necessary to send back 2-5 emails for every claim. Supervisors and legacy SPG folks are fine, and almost all claims ultimately go through, but I've had a lot more frustration with Starriott BRG this year than with Hyatt and IHG (where, to be fair, I go in with lower expectations).
My experience with Hyatt, in contrast, has been spectacular this year -- I'm at 100% suite upgrades (without using any suite upgrade certs), great properties and staff, top notch customer service via twitter. Category adjustment with Hyatt over the last 3 years has been very modest, and there are some amazing redemption deals. I'd stay at Hyatt exclusively if they had a better footprint and (in some cases) more reasonable revenue rates. Even IHG has treated me well this year, with tangible upgrades at almost every stay, and the occasional unexpected large suite/club/breakfast benefit.
The first thing I'd say is that my Bonvoy experience has improved A LOT since the the chaos days of Aug/Sept 2018. Stays now mostly post automatically (I think I only had 3 missing/incorrect ones in the past couple months), phone wait times are down, and I usually end up talking to reasonably competent (if usually terribly unmotivated) agents.
My on-property experience has been fine overall. My upgrade percentage is down a lot, with only 24 nights in suites. However, I had some longer stays at hotels with high occupancy, and in almost every case I felt that the hotel made an effort to provide top floor/view/corner rooms. Often, font desk staff proactively apologized that they couldn't offer me a suite (I don't usually ask for one, as I don't spend much time in the room), and a few times I was offered an opportunity to move to a better room mid-stay. Zero success with SNA on the few stays where a suite would have mattered, unfortunately. Some lounges have upped their game, and breakfast has generally been fine, although almost every property without a lounge I stayed at now makes you give up the welcome points in exchange for breakfast. Only had one stay at a $10 credit brand, and will avoid those in the future.
I'm surprised by the huge numbers of Platinum+ guests, especially at properties that provide excellent value for money. I often ask when chatting with FD or managerial staff. It's not uncommon to hear that a place like 4P Singapore has 20% of their rooms taken up by Plats+. Really puts things into perspective, and might be useful to keep in mind for those who raise a stink when they don't get a suite (witnessed this 3 times this year while checking in).
Points earning for stays has been somewhat reduced -- I now mostly have to give up my welcome points for breakfast, MAGC is down by 2/3, and promos are weak. I still have the Amex and will keep it for the free night, but my spend has been zero. Redemption rates have continued to creep up, although numerous good values remain (Marriott points requirements were more reasonable than SPG at the outset, and those of us from the SPG side benefited from some great deals, but of course rates are creeping back up).
IT problems still occasionally occur with website downtime and limited functionality, but IME not much worse than what competitors have going on. Didn't receive anything about selecting my 50- or 75- night benefit. None of this is a big deal to me, but I'm scratching my head that they haven't made some simple fixes that were mentioned here (and at least in some cases brought up directly with the hotel) -- for instance, searching for Lake Biwa Marriott still brings up some sushi restaurant in Florida.
My biggest complaint (only serious complaint, really) is the BRG team. Some of the legacy Marriott folks (or new hires?) are lazy, incompetent, and sometimes rude. Rejections of legitimate claims (I do this a lot and know what I'm doing) are common, and it shouldn't be necessary to send back 2-5 emails for every claim. Supervisors and legacy SPG folks are fine, and almost all claims ultimately go through, but I've had a lot more frustration with Starriott BRG this year than with Hyatt and IHG (where, to be fair, I go in with lower expectations).
My experience with Hyatt, in contrast, has been spectacular this year -- I'm at 100% suite upgrades (without using any suite upgrade certs), great properties and staff, top notch customer service via twitter. Category adjustment with Hyatt over the last 3 years has been very modest, and there are some amazing redemption deals. I'd stay at Hyatt exclusively if they had a better footprint and (in some cases) more reasonable revenue rates. Even IHG has treated me well this year, with tangible upgrades at almost every stay, and the occasional unexpected large suite/club/breakfast benefit.
Jul 1, 2019, 8:25 am
#22
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: HSV
Programs: Hy Glob,Choice Dia, MR TIT,IHG SPR,HH Dia, Wyn Dia, UA Sil, WN Alis, Hert 5*, National EE
Posts: 1,188
79 nights ytd. I am not staying again unless they offer a better promo.
6 months in I have:
Marriott Titanium (79 ytd nights)
IHG spire (10 ytd nights)
Wyndham Diamond (40 ytd nights)
Choice Diamond (43 ytd nights)
Hilton Diamond (53 ytd nights)
Hyatt Discoverist (13 ytd nights)
Hyatt opens in my work area in September and will be getting my stays as soon as they open the doors.
6 months in I have:
Marriott Titanium (79 ytd nights)
IHG spire (10 ytd nights)
Wyndham Diamond (40 ytd nights)
Choice Diamond (43 ytd nights)
Hilton Diamond (53 ytd nights)
Hyatt Discoverist (13 ytd nights)
Hyatt opens in my work area in September and will be getting my stays as soon as they open the doors.
Jul 1, 2019, 8:29 am
#23
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2011
Location: NYC (LGA, JFK), CT
Programs: Delta Platinum, American Gold, JetBlue Mosaic 4, Marriott Platinum, Hyatt Explorist, Hilton Diamond,
Posts: 4,888
79 nights ytd. I am not staying again unless they offer a better promo.
6 months in I have:
Marriott Titanium (79 ytd nights)
IHG spire (10 ytd nights)
Wyndham Diamond (40 ytd nights)
Choice Diamond (43 ytd nights)
Hilton Diamond (53 ytd nights)
Hyatt Discoverist (13 ytd nights)
Hyatt opens in my work area in September and will be getting my stays as soon as they open the doors.
6 months in I have:
Marriott Titanium (79 ytd nights)
IHG spire (10 ytd nights)
Wyndham Diamond (40 ytd nights)
Choice Diamond (43 ytd nights)
Hilton Diamond (53 ytd nights)
Hyatt Discoverist (13 ytd nights)
Hyatt opens in my work area in September and will be getting my stays as soon as they open the doors.
Jul 1, 2019, 8:47 am
#24
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: NYC
Programs: Delta Gold, Marriott Platinum, Former Amtrak Select, Former Hilton Gold
Posts: 422
Not sure if it counts as a new card since it's a rebrand of the SPG Luxury card but I'm pretty happy with the Bonvoy Brilliant American Express after having it for just a month. I'm using it for work expenses almost off of which are hotel charges and restaurants (Airfares are billed directly to my employer)
The $450 annual fee has been effectively reduced to $20 on my very first statement with various credits ($300 Marriott credit, $60 credit for instant card number not being available, a $40 Marriott promotion credit, and a $30 restaurant promotion credit)
The $450 annual fee has been effectively reduced to $20 on my very first statement with various credits ($300 Marriott credit, $60 credit for instant card number not being available, a $40 Marriott promotion credit, and a $30 restaurant promotion credit)
Jul 1, 2019, 9:35 am
#26
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: HSV
Programs: Hy Glob,Choice Dia, MR TIT,IHG SPR,HH Dia, Wyn Dia, UA Sil, WN Alis, Hert 5*, National EE
Posts: 1,188
Jul 1, 2019, 11:23 am
#27
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: PA
Programs: AA-EXP, Marriott(T)
Posts: 208
Are you staying at Marriott less?
Yes about 50 percent less after a major sxrew up and no fix (miscalculated my spend and denied me ambassador with 150 nights)
Have you switched loyalty to another brand?
No just wherever works.
Are you spending more or less on the credit cards?
Less because of my hotel spend with Marriott. I put the other hotel on other cards.
you applied for the new cards?
Nope
If you were angry, has Marriott done anything to earn your loyalty back? N
I asked to have problems fixed but never got a response.
certain aspects of the program worse or better than you expected
Points post quickly and fairly accurately compared to last year.
Hotels are very stingy with upgrades even ones I used to frequent and often was upgraded.
Overall the technical issues have improved but the program is not a loyalty program. You have to fight for everything.
Yes about 50 percent less after a major sxrew up and no fix (miscalculated my spend and denied me ambassador with 150 nights)
Have you switched loyalty to another brand?
No just wherever works.
Are you spending more or less on the credit cards?
Less because of my hotel spend with Marriott. I put the other hotel on other cards.
you applied for the new cards?
Nope
If you were angry, has Marriott done anything to earn your loyalty back? N
I asked to have problems fixed but never got a response.
certain aspects of the program worse or better than you expected
Points post quickly and fairly accurately compared to last year.
Hotels are very stingy with upgrades even ones I used to frequent and often was upgraded.
Overall the technical issues have improved but the program is not a loyalty program. You have to fight for everything.
Jul 1, 2019, 12:38 pm
#28
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: TPA/DFW/K15
Programs: AA EXP, Mar AMB, HH LT DIA
Posts: 1,649
I'm tracking toward 200 nights in 2019 vs. 216 in 2018.
No.
I haven't noticed much of a change other than the ambassador mentions and a few more upgrades. We'll see tomorrow if my ambassador status will have any effect on getting upgraded at the Hotel Arts. I'm not holding my breath, since it is a 10-day stay during peak season in Barcelona. Maybe I'll get one of those 60K points back gifts. That would be nice.
I will say when the topic of "Bonvoy" comes up at my normal business hotel, rarely do I hear complaints like I see on this board. Most people when mentioning the program seem to like it.
Jul 1, 2019, 1:33 pm
#29
Join Date: Oct 2017
Programs: MR Platinum Premier
Posts: 43
How is Bonvoy treating you now compared to earlier in the year and right after the transition last year? Meh. I'm seeing more recognition of Ambassador status than I ever did Platinum Premier, which is nice, but very little seems to come of it. I haven't received anything special in my room, my upgrade rate has been non-existent, and my requests are regularly ignored. I'm not impressed in the slightest. I have a good relationship with my Ambassador and I can tell that she's working hard, but I see very little tangible results or positive impact to my stays from her efforts. Admittedly, I don't know what I don't know or what could lie in wait for me if I didn't have status.
The number of angry threads seemed to have died down a bit. Are you staying at Marriott less? No. My travel schedule has not diminished, unfortunately. I'm still loyal to Marriott, but perhaps not as enthusiastically as I once was.
Have you switched loyalty to another brand? No, I have not. (See above)
Are you spending more or less on the credit cards? No, about the same. Just putting hotel stays on my Marriott Rewards card.
Have you applied for the new cards? No.
If you were angry, has Marriott done anything to earn your loyalty back? I was not angry at the outset, I was very optimistic about changes, but that optimism has faded to indifference at this stage.
Are certain aspects of the program worse or better than you expected? Largely worse. I believe I had better service years ago when I was simply a Platinum. I received more upgrades and received more prompt service from the Platinum phone line that I do the phone lines now, even the Ambassador line. I was very hopeful that the changes would result in improvements or, at minimum, maintaining the status quo, but that does not seem to be the case.
The number of angry threads seemed to have died down a bit. Are you staying at Marriott less? No. My travel schedule has not diminished, unfortunately. I'm still loyal to Marriott, but perhaps not as enthusiastically as I once was.
Have you switched loyalty to another brand? No, I have not. (See above)
Are you spending more or less on the credit cards? No, about the same. Just putting hotel stays on my Marriott Rewards card.
Have you applied for the new cards? No.
If you were angry, has Marriott done anything to earn your loyalty back? I was not angry at the outset, I was very optimistic about changes, but that optimism has faded to indifference at this stage.
Are certain aspects of the program worse or better than you expected? Largely worse. I believe I had better service years ago when I was simply a Platinum. I received more upgrades and received more prompt service from the Platinum phone line that I do the phone lines now, even the Ambassador line. I was very hopeful that the changes would result in improvements or, at minimum, maintaining the status quo, but that does not seem to be the case.
Jul 1, 2019, 2:21 pm
#30
Join Date: Aug 2003
Programs: Bonvoy Amb; AA EXP
Posts: 1,136
I feel like I am generally positive lately and upgrades are happening more often these days.
Website: I don't like that I can't enter in an address and have the hotels sorted by distance, and I really miss the pricing grid from SPG where in a pretty simple grid format I could see the AAA/Prepay/Corp/Points pricing. Also, the ability for hotels to game the system by reducing the number of points eligible hotels is annoying.
My ambassador totally rocks, though. I don't use her for everything as I also have an admin at work, but for anything personal or out of the ordinary, she is great.
Website: I don't like that I can't enter in an address and have the hotels sorted by distance, and I really miss the pricing grid from SPG where in a pretty simple grid format I could see the AAA/Prepay/Corp/Points pricing. Also, the ability for hotels to game the system by reducing the number of points eligible hotels is annoying.
My ambassador totally rocks, though. I don't use her for everything as I also have an admin at work, but for anything personal or out of the ordinary, she is great.