It’s painfully obvious that their customers are hotels and not guests, but he was unusually candid about it. The incentives just aren’t aligned. Individual hotels really don’t care much about people who are frequent guests at someone else’s property.

Thread 3 on this.. hmm.. any guesses how many more we'll get?

Ron.

I guess titling of articles could have been better.

When guests have loads of choices will the hotel that offers no benefits really be at the top of their list?

It seems weird that they’re expecting to keep their elites when they’re ready to tell them they don’t care about them and the property owners are what they care about.

Depends on how well they are labeled so that people can recognize them as the same.

Can you elaborate on that?

I love this CEO for his honesty. No sugar coating or using covid as excuse, just straight up facts that hotel owners are the real customers of Marriott. Hilton still hides behind covid and Hyatt footprint is too tiny. IHG doesn't even have any loyalty benefit. Marriott remains the only sensible choice for most travelers. SPG and its culture won't ever come back - it's just not good business.

Those over-entitled complaining owners are just noise around the edges that can be ignored.

So basically the customers are dissatisfied with Bonvoy, the hotels hate corporate, corporate doesn't give a s*** about the hotels or the customers.

I've been away from FT for a while but had to come back here to see what kind of damage control tacky Marriott was doing about that interview.

Personally, I totally agree with magendim that they're not supposed to say those things aloud but that's the attitude at MAR these days. They are just too big and greedy. They've long showed their contempt for customers through the lack of program transparency, hardly informative website/app, and reduced customer care - but now they are officially articulating that strategy.

Some that come to mind...

Marriott EEOs (elite exclusive offers) were BOGO weekend nights at most full service Marriott brands that came with full benefits. The EEO certs suffered a long and painful death along with "Marriott Concierge" here on FT.

Meaningful upgrades to a better room or suites that were actually available. No SNAs or groveling necessary.

Full selection of welcome gifts that had use and value. Fruit platter, desert plate, wine bottle, beer bucket etc. Most hotels had a welcome gift menu at FD so there was no disputing the guarantee.

Hot breakfast in lounge or restaurant. Now the T&Cs are changed to "continental breakfast".

Multiple MegaBonuses where you could add 100s of thousands of points each year.

Rollover nights.

PP elite that earned UAL Gold.

these comments are just baffling.

• admit SPG was better
• admit the customer is the hotel
• admit that thanks to a larger number of hotels, customers shouldnt expect much from loyalty because they have loads more places to go to!

sure we have more places to select from, but if we are not going to be rewarded for that loyalty regardless of which hotel from the larger portfolio we stay in, then loyalty erodes and there is no point to search for so-so marriott hotels anymore is there? i feel the lux end of the SPG portfolio would have attracted a certain type of customer, certainly me, and given marriott does not have much on their side of the house, well why continue staying at the lux side of SPG properties if it makes no difference to the in the long term?

Sadly, the bosses are not paying attention.

I think the idea is that you get rewarded by earning points more than by getting high touch service that makes you feel appreciated, and that there is a higher amount of luxury hotels to redeem at. And the fact is that by the numbers, Marriott had a lot �more� on �their side of the house� in terms of customer stays, number of customers, corporate contracts. There is a bit of customer rotation here, but the customer that benefits the most from Bonvoy is one that has a variety of stays, ranging from Courtyard to Marriott to St Regis, and now can combine all those stays in 1. I am guessing there were fewer of those types of customers at SPG but a lot at Marriott, a lot at maybe Hilton and Intercontinental and a lot that may have been free agents. Remember that there were far fewer SPG loyalists than any of those other categories I mentioned

interesting and i do not disagree, i just never thought of it.

i have no doubts that marriott was the bigger beast here. but the issue with these statements is it does ignore the portion who valued the "higher touch" which perhaps may have been the SPG people like me. but if the SPGs continue to or start to lean elsewhere then that isnt really a successful sign.


i will stay at a st regis when i feel like, i will stay at an edition when i feel like, i will stay at a belmond or rosewood or four seasons equally when i feel like. the bonvoy gamble has lost at least for the customer, which the CEO has confirmed it seems.

its not a complaint per se because these programs are free, it is just a bit sad i think. and not to mention the issue of low wages which is just reprehensible. but more endemic of the entire US model.