bigguyinpasadena

I feel so bad for Marie having to be the voice of Marriott Rewards.
Ed French needs to be fired.

stallion114

Lesson learned on loyalty programs. Over the course of the year I concentrated on 2 programs united and Marriott. In the last 24 hours I have lost 100% rdm on united, and now probably the bogo at Marriott. I really wasted my time and money this year qualifying only to find the best features of both programs are now gone.

bdschobel

Doesn't this seem a little harsh? We don't even know what the changes are going to be.Who said that the BOGO feature is gone? In fact, Marie said exactly the opposite.

I don't know what they are doing, but maybe it's purely administrative, like setting up the BOGOs so that hotels can process them without making everybody on both sides of the desk crazy. That would be nice. Maybe they'll be electronic. Maybe they'll be limited to category 4 or something.

I really have no idea, but surely we are a long way from simple discontinuation of a very popular perk.

Bruce

bigguyinpasadena

They pulled the last trimesters BOGO's with NO notice at all-in fact the dates for the upcoming EEO's had already been announced. There have been no "enhancements"of real value in the time Ed French has been head of the MR program-nothing but cuts and the decimation of a once fine program.

This is the final straw-I am done with a hotel chain that I used to give over 50 nights a year worth of revenue.

TrojanHorse

Did I read that wrong, I interpreted it to say that they would not be putting any more offers out until they revamp the program. Now I would imagine if you have a BOGO reservation already in the books it will be honored? while that was not clear, I don't see how they could not honor it. If you haven't then you are SOL but that should really not be a huge issue regarding someone buying airfare tickets when they haven't arranged the lodging yet. That is the obvious caveat emptor if you do that.

While it is a net loss, I never got much use out of these anyway as I don't stay at FS properties on the weekends

annerj

I think we do need some clarification.

That said I'm too "deep" with marriott to give up at this point I'll have my 12 years in next year for lifetime plat....

SkiAdcock

They won't honor it, which is why people are canceling reservations & booking other chains. Bolding mine.

Because the dates had been announced previously, people had gone ahead & made ressies. But like UA with its change for 2012/folk not getting their current bennies past March instead of all year w/ notice yesterday, people are just now finding out that something they counted on because it had been announced by Marriott is now 'on hold' & their current expectations of getting one night free will not happen.

"Hello all,

Due to a re-vamping of the Buy-One-Get-One Elite Exclusive Offers for stay and dining, the offers have been place on hold. There will not be any BOGO's for stays or dining offered for the remainder of 2011.

We will keep you posted on offers for 2012.

Kind regards,
Marie"

Like others I found the BOGO to be quite useful. I'm glad they're not being eliminated entirely, but I always worry when something is being enhanced for our benefit that it turns out not to be so.

The main thing on this is that it's VERY BAD FORM to announce a couple months ago the dates for Q4 BOGO & then 5 weeks before it starts, eliminate the program for the remainder of the year. To me there's absolutely no reason they couldn't have done the revamping behind the scenes & introduced the new BOGO in 2012, while still keeping the current program through end of year.

Cheers.

SkiAdcock

Well I'm feeling the same pain on the UA program, with the loss of 100% RDM, CR1s and Lifetime RCC, in exchange for a spouse benefit I can't use.

However, the BOGO, while important, isn't totally in the same category, and as mentioned is just 'on hold'.

I agree that it's just on hold. And maybe I'm cynical (or trained by UA), but I get a tad concerned when things are going to be 'enhanced for our benefit'. Wasn't the pulling 1 night of evening receptions at RIs w/ more robust offerings the remaining 3 nights supposed to be that too, & yet most just saw 1 less night of reception?

My concern is that rather than just administrative, they'll enhance the program to be something like: the certs are not transferable or can be used one time only or drop the FS categories they can be used at; which, while still a bennie, is a reduced bennie. A true enhancement would be making them valid for quarterly, or expanding the brand of properties where they can be used or extending it more int'ly.

But as I've said previously, it's VERY BAD FORM to announce the dates for Q4, let people do their bookings expecting to be able to use them, & then put the program 'on hold' for Q4. There is absolutely no reason they couldn't revamp the program behind the scenes & kick it off in January, and let the current program exist for the reminder of the year since it had already been announced.

Cheers.

rylan

Look out... I saw the magical term "enhancements".

Nothing against marriott concierge, I know she is just providing us this info... but its Marriott that I am cynical about. We've been "enhanced" before and its just marketing spin for change+devaluation.

If it turns out to be an actual enhancement that makes them certs better and/or easier to use, then that would be great... I just fear more restrictions/blackouts etc if it becomes purely electronic (ie unable to use with any public discount or package rate)

ljknecht570

They were allowed to be transfered and used by friend family of those who were elites. That is what the Terms were.

I gained gold status back in 2008. I let my mom use some of the BOGO certificates. She fell in love with the program because of those. Since that time I have convinced 6 other people to put all of their stays with Marriott to obtain Gold status. That means Marriott got at least 300 additional stays because my family and friends stayed the required 50 nights to qualify for the GOLD. The BOGO was great advertsing for Marriott. Why take it away????

SkiAdcock

First, how would you know if someone using them had no status? Are you behind the desk checking their elite status on the screen each time you stay somewhere? Are that many people checking in/out the same time as you loudly saying, I'm using a BOGO?

Second, why would you even care? It's not like their using a BOGO is taking away from your ability to use the BOGO, even at the same property. Actually this should be the First.

Third, Marriott make the BOGOs transferable, so someone other than the elite person using them is 100% acceptable by Marriott (under the current program), so again why do you personally care?

Fourth, as others have mentioned, gifting them to others to use might get those others to stay at Marriott more (which presumably Marriott would like to have happen) or give revenue that weekend to a Marriott hotel that might have gone to a different chain.

Fifth, sometimes gifting them is a good karma thing. I had some friends who celebrated an anniversary this past spring. They don't have a chance to get out much, with kids etc, and wanted to go to Chicago for anniversary weekend. Prices were expensive in Chicago, even on the weekend. I gave them a BOGO as an anniversary gift (which worked w/ my budget at the time, which was & is still tight), and they got to stay at a nice Marriott for basically 1/2 price (which worked with their budget) vs some lesser, second tier brand of some lesser or no-name chain. Everyone was happy.

Cheers.

annerj

That is an EASY fix......

DavidAnderson

This is an amazingly poor decision, but I'm not entirely suprised by the appauling handling. It seems that over the last few years Marriott corp has turned off any sensibility filter and tuned out from it's customer base.

I agree with Sharon. Why not let the program run the remainder of the term? It is an extremely bizarre practice to can it in this manner, especially when the fallout is so obvious.

Add this to the withdrawal of the UK credit card during the MegaBonus and it all adds up to a rather unbalanced relationship in favour of Marriott this year.

Very poor show from a brand I really, really love! Shame...

Newman

When Marriott uses the word "enhance", run for the hills. If BOGOS ever reappear (and I would bet against it), it will certainly be as a big downgrade to what we are used to. Anyone who doubts it should check out the enhanced "My Accounts" page. UGH !

Newman

goldenbear

Major bummer here - going to have to move a couple of frivolous weekend stays over to another chain. Not sure why revamping for 2012 means cancelling 2011 BOGO's.