May be a good time to move ahead with this strategy, given the impending Marriott/Starwood merger. Marriott Plat could be worth quite a bit more going forward particularly if benefits are enhanced to match SPG Plat. At the very least it will move you to the top tier when staying at SPG properties.

There is still a lot to be determined. Just because the two programs have the same names for their tiers does not mean it will be a one-for-one merge. I'd guess the programs will remain separate for some time to come while they work out the details.

But if the added nights in the MR program will have benefit now, go for it.

I wonder if SPG nights will count toward lifetime Marriott status. That would help (though I need the points more). Worst is if they count SPG and increase the requirements.

Exactly my thoughts. Marriott plat should be worth a little more with the merger.

<Delete> Wrong Thread

True, but because they both have three tiers, it's most likely they'd align them to be the same. Requirements to achieve LT status could change post-merger, but anyone who already met the requirements is likely to keep the status.

I would not expect a merged Frequent Guest program until sometime in 2017.

Marriott benefits enhanced to match SPG? That's a huge longshot; odds are that SPG's program will vaporize and everyone gets rolled into the current Marriott program with no improvements.

Hotel owners/franchisees aren't going to want to offer additional benefits just because Marriott acquired SPG. If Marriott increases benefits, I'd expect to see properties leave Marriott for a different loyalty program. Additional benefits cost the owners/franchisees money.

Which SPG benefits do you think would be unrealistic for Marriott to adopt? Are there any Marriott benefits that you think SPG properties might not want to adopt?

Not necessarily. The entire premise of the benefits are that they increase revenue and profits to a greater extent than they cost.

(1) Suite upgrades (where available). While a lot may claim giving out suites does not cost property more... that is not always the case. Suites are usually larger in size = more time to refresh. Also most suites have additional amenities that a basic room might not have.

(2) SNA. Same as above

(3) Guaranteed 4pm check-out. At best, this means longer staff hours since guests may check out later. At worst, in-coming guests gets upset that rooms are not ready.

(4) Your 24 hours. Complicated and harder to manage inventory

(5) Crossover rewards with Delta since they have a partnership with UA.

None of these seem out of reach, especially if coupled with giving up a couple items. Also, more benefits don't necessarily cost anything... perks are intended to boost revenue and profits, not diminish them. In any case, it's largely speculative at this point. We'll know more as the months pass.

^^^

1 and 2. DEFINITELY toast. At best, I could see them adapting a suite program along the lines of Hilton's nor1 where you can buy an upgrade or opt to standby.

3 and 4. Also definitely toast, and you hit upon exactly why they're toast. Any late checkout will be at the hotel's discretion.


You need to step back and take a realistic look at this. PayItForward's list is spot on; it would have been the same list I would have posted.

The number one thing that is missing from the Marriott program IMO that both Starwood and Hilton offer is free breakfast. It really annoys me every time I forget and stay at a Courtyard property and find I've been nickled and dimed (or tened and twentied) to death and have to pay for breakfast. Also the BS about full service hotels that don't have a Club Lounge on Weekends and offer you a miserly 500 points.

I'm not suggesting Marriott will adopt the missing perks. I'm saying that they aren't that substantial when paired off against the ones that Marriott has and SPG lacks, and also that perks aren't designed to cost properties. But that's really a discussion for a separate thread...

Here we're discussing a way to boost Marriott status rapidly and cheaply. Even in the event that you're a SPG loyalist and believe you'll be getting less bang from the merged program, racking up enough nights to achieve lifetime status with Marriott via meetings is likely one of the most efficient routes to set yourself up for whatever is coming.

Except you can't get lifetime status on Marriott just via this program and meetings. You'd need to run a lot of real meetings - like 40 of them. (Elite Lifetime Status is determined by your total qualified nights stayed AND points earned.) [Not OR.] You need 1.2 million points in addition for Silver and 1.6 million for Gold and 2.0 million for Platinum. Unless you are really running meetings, it is hard to get points from meetings. Of my two *real* meetings a year only one gets me 50k points and the other got around 10k points this year.

In my experience most people have enough nights for lifetime status at Marriott before they have enough points. So, unless you think Marriott is somehow going to combine Marriott nights and Starwood nights and waive the points requirement and grant you lifetime status, I think this is a very risky strategy. If I were betting, I'd bet that they will combine the Marriott nights and Starwood nights and somehow try to figure out lifetime Starwood points to combine with lifetime Marriott points. But I think you would be looking at at least the current higher Marriott qualification levels. I can only hope that they grandfather Starwood people like me who already have lifetime Platinum (or Gold).