GrayAnderson

70 - 80 - 90 - 100 Nights: Suite Upgrade or Points - Page 3 - FlyerTalk Forums

Starting around post 100 the discussion converted to this topic.

I've actually been musing about the logistics of maintaining Globalist and Titanium (the 48-hour force-in at Marriott is useful and Marriott has the broader footprint, as are the scads of points, but otherwise Globalist seems to have somewhat better benefits).

cfabar1

I too have been struggling....

In 2022, you only need 20 nights to reach Marriott platinum, whereas you’ll need 55 nights to reach globalist.... But, I keep going back to how quickly Marriott is reducing benefits, and have to wonder if Hyatt Explorist would still be more enjoyable, and consistent than Marriott Platinum.

MSPeconomist

With 184 Marriott-Bonvoy nights, are you close to AMB at $14,000 spend this year.....not that AMB status is worth much without an Ambassador?

UA-NYC

Hyatt Globalist night requirement has been cut in half years, so only 25 needed w/ a CC...you just wouldn't get the full TSUs unless you did the 55. That should make the comparison much easier

jimrpa

Sorry, I wasn't clear - when two organizations come together - even if a larger organization buys a smaller organization, there's a culture change. It's inevitable. Having suffered through many acquisitions and "mergers" both on the side of the big fish gobbling the smaller fish and the smaller fish being gobbled, I know well that, at the end of the day, despite any "corporate speak" of "bringing the best of the two organizations together" or "finding synergies that maximize value" or any other BS, the usual result is a bunch of petty little power struggles, masked in whatever the PC dialog of the era is and a new culture that is a random amalgamation that results from the different "winners". Nothing more and nothing less. And I'm sure the Marriott we know today really is no different. The only way this doesn't happen is if a behemoth absorbs something minuscule. Say Apple dropping a couple hundred million for a company that has some novel technology they want (Siri anyone )
And I was absolutely wrong on Moxy - I stand corrected. It was an experiment by Marriott to be "hip" in Europe and launched well before the Starwood merger. My bad.

r415

This is likely an artifact of the fact the legacy SPG properties did suite upgrades across all their high-end brands (Element and Aloft excluded, but they're not high end), including the St Regis and even the boutique Luxury Collection hotels, whereas suite upgrades in the legacy Marriott program were much more hit-or-miss per hotel. Some went above and beyond but suite upgrades weren't part of the brand standard and RC was always stingy on Marriott status benefits. That's why the legacy SPG brands tend to be more consistent about status benefits than the legacy Marriott brands.

I've gotten a suite upgrade at RC once (RC Marina Del Rey), out of dozens of stays at various RCs. The upgrade and elite treatment at St Regis and LC properties (and even Westins and Ws) is generally much more consistent than the legacy Marriott brands (though some individual legacy Marriott hotels within a brand do well).

lsquare

I don't deny the fact that it's going to be tough once the pandemic is in the rearview mirror. I don't think I can maintain both Marriott Titanium and Hyatt Globalist even though I put in more than 60 butt in bed nights at both chains. I'll probably stay with Marriott just because of its footprint. In terms of service and elite recognition, I haven't noticed any difference in my stays in the Greater China Region. I would say it's a tie.

lsquare

Again, it depends on where you're staying. I haven't noticed any difference between Marriott Titanium and Hyatt Globalist in the Greater China Region.

WasKnown

In a broad sense, I strongly agree. I think region also impacts things. For example, I have been upgraded to a very nice suite every time I visit the Ritz Carlton Shanghai Pudong and Ritz Carlton Xi’an whereas the St. Regis Tianjin has been much more of a coin flip. Outside of Asia, there’s no competition. RCs won’t upgrade.

mileageking

Agree in Asia, although must also say I have been upgraded few times in NA (eg in Montreal) but probably more as a repeat guest and possibly rate vs. Ambassador status.

lsquare

I feel like we have to remind people every day that elite recognition still exists. It's just not in the US but in Asia.

craigthemif

If everybody is elite then nobody is...

There's obviously the cultural difference, but I wonder how long that would last if Unionpay cards came with Diamond, Globalist or Titanium status...

lsquare

Indeed, it's true!

I don't think credit card programs are that lucrative outside of the US. Even Japan is pretty bad. I don't know how China will be better than Japan. Besides, I don't think China is going to go through the credit development process the same way that it happened in the US. The mobile payment revolution with Alipay and WeChat Pay isn't based on credit (at least that's how I understand it).

I guess enjoy it while it last? Seems like Asia and the Middle East have fantastic elite recognition. I haven't had any bad experiences at all. Who knows what will happen as Asia gets rich and home to the biggest economies of the world?

WasKnown

If a union pay card came out with Globalist or Titanium status, I would wager they would see more *proportional* sign-ups from expats vs. locals. WeChat Pay and Alipay are far too convenient and many places (ie many non-chain restaurants) don’t even have the capability to accept credit cards.

Regardless, agree complete with lsquare in that Chinese CCs are quite weak.


I would be more curious to see how credit cards play out in the UAE (where co-branded Marriott CCs are offered) and Thailand (where local versions of CCs like the Citi Prestige are all over the place).

I’m not convinced the better treatment in Asia is purely due to higher scarcity of elites (though it probably helps). In the Marriott Marquis Queen’s Park Bangkok, every person I saw check-in was platinum elite or higher. I just think labor is much more of a commodity in Asia so the hospitality teams have higher expectations to deliver satisfactory experiences.

My experience at top US hotels has been comparable to my experience at Asian hotels. It seems that the drop off comes at Premium/Upscale US hotels (Marriott, Hilton, Sheraton, etc).

lsquare

WeChat Pay and Alipay are indeed very common, but it's not built on a credit model. My understanding is that the Chinese person credit market is underdeveloped. The Chinese terminals probably don't accept credit cards especially foreign ones probably due to the interchange rate? I find that my credit cards are mostly accepted at higher-end Chinese restaurants and hotels.

Just look at Hong Kong as an example. It's one of the richest city anywhere in the world. It's a global financial center. Yet, for whatever reasons, HK card lineups are quite weak. Nothing really compares to the US.

I think Hong Kong also has a Citi Prestige. I recalled seeing an advertisement when I was there.

I agree. Thailand and Mainland China seem to have an endless supply of cheap labor.

Most people complain about elite recognition in North America and Europe. I rarely hear anything negative in Asia.