Too many Platinum guests in Thailand ?
Jul 31, 2022, 6:52 am
#106
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Parts Unknown
Posts: 10,053
There's nothing quite like being told that I can only stay in the lounge for 1.5 hours because there're too many platinums in the hotel and the elites must learn to take turns now.
Those who have been to hotels in Seoul will know what I am talking about.
I can only hope this practice doesn't spread to other countries.
Those who have been to hotels in Seoul will know what I am talking about.
I can only hope this practice doesn't spread to other countries.
Last edited by Aventine; Jul 31, 2022 at 7:02 am
Jul 31, 2022, 8:24 am
#107
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: Homeless
Programs: Hyatt Glob; Hilton Dia; Marriott AMB; Accor Dia; IHG Dia Amb; GHA Tit
Posts: 4,838
Worse, the premium elites who produced that additional revenue become disenfranchised by the crowding of lounges and absence of suite upgrades because of the glut of new Platinums and they abandon Marriott and jump ship to a chain that hasn't overwhelmed the system and gives them the experience they used to get with their Bonvoy elite status.
Jul 31, 2022, 4:17 pm
#108
Join Date: Apr 1999
Location: Montréal, Canada
Posts: 1,610
I have stayed in a Radisson in Bangkok recently (oh the horror) and was surprised about the quiet lounge access. A bottom of the barrel hotel chain, but which kept elite status fairly hard to achieve and therefore elite benefits not worthless. In Thailand Marriott is not the way to go at the moment - maybe in 2023 it will be a different story.
Aug 1, 2022, 10:18 am
#109
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: BKK
Programs: World of Hyatt Globalist; Marriott Bonvoy LTP; IHG Plat
Posts: 2,232
i'm local and i totally agreed that there are too many platinum elite members here in thailand.
i found a local fb page dedicated to something like 'the easiest and fastest way to achieve platinum member status with Marriott bonvoy' and it has about 23K members. possibly most of them are already platinum elite members or above.
my personal solution is just to AVOID Marriott hotels and move my stay to mostly hyatt hotels and other luxury hotels (like four seasons, mandarin oriental, aman, rosewood, etc.).
at hyatt hotels, it was crowded also but i felt it was much better experience overall. at luxury hotels, yes, you get what you pay for.
i found a local fb page dedicated to something like 'the easiest and fastest way to achieve platinum member status with Marriott bonvoy' and it has about 23K members. possibly most of them are already platinum elite members or above.
my personal solution is just to AVOID Marriott hotels and move my stay to mostly hyatt hotels and other luxury hotels (like four seasons, mandarin oriental, aman, rosewood, etc.).
at hyatt hotels, it was crowded also but i felt it was much better experience overall. at luxury hotels, yes, you get what you pay for.