Marriott buys Starwood for $12bn
 

Just dropped onto the wires.

Did not see that coming.

Terrible news for SPG members, frankly!

Official release is here:

http://investor.shareholder.com/mar/...leaseID=942791

Marriott to buy Starwood for $12bn
 

Life as we know it is over :(

I'll be burning all my points and moving to my bomb shelter I built for y2k.

Wow... I am not much of an SPG girl, but I've had some truly great experiences with them, even without top level status. My upgrades with SPG have been far better than I've ever gotten with Marriott Platinum. I do think Marriott is a much better "fit" than some of the others that were interested, but I agree that it's not going to be pretty for loyal SPG folks. Maybe Hyatt will finally start offering matches/challenges again ;-)

Yup this is a disaster.

There is another thread about this in the Starwood forum http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/starw...l#post25719996

Marriott to buy Starwood
 

30 minutes after anouncement and I'm the first to post ?

no, #2 by 24-min
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/marri...wood-12bn.html

i guess..as a spg gold..i wonder if this will make a marriott gold...although by the time everything gets finished....i might not have spg status anyways...

Wonder what will happen with all those new brands...
W might become Renaissance
Luxury Collection a mix of JW and RC
St Regis might turn into RC
Westin a mix of JW and FS Marriott
Sheraton might become a mix of FS and Renaissance
Four Points might turn into a mix of Delta and Courtyard
Aloft might become AC by Marriott
Tribute Collection will certainly become Autograph Collection

Sheraton, Westin, Element and Aloft might also remain standalone brands

imho would depend on what's happening in each local market, not a global reflag between brands. Plus, many hotel management contracts have specific clauses limiting the same flagged brand from a hotel company within a certain radius/defined area, which might hamper any reflags. Also, a reflag comes with certain capital expenditure which owners may balk at having to pay...!

Acquiring more brands is a neat way of sidestepping these restrictions they include in their own management contracts which allows for additional growth in certain markets ;)

If you were in Hyatt corporate, would you offer matches/challenges? There are some alternatives to Hyatt for disgruntled SPG elites, but Hyatt's the best alternative. I would expect Hyatt to get enough new members that they won't need to offer a challenge.

Marriott to buy Starwood for $12bn
 

I'm ok with it if it doesn't mess with my LT platinum status with MR

Not much of a premium, only $2 a share in cash. More like a take-under.

Good deal for Marriott if it goes thru

I'm a Marriott Lifetime Platinum and only a SPG Lifetime Gold (only needing 125 more nights). If this merger happens, I am set!

(Except for any Starpoints which will prob be worthless)...