CJKatl

The direct quote is:
In the original quote, the claim is the benefit is not meaningful. In the revision, the claim is the lounges are themselves paltry. This is very different. Not meaningful means meaningless. As many have noted, the benefit is not meaningless. And your claim was not that the lounge was of less value to some, but the claim was the benefit is meaningless. Meaningless is a far cry from paltry or less value. Very, very different. The second quote is exactly what was originally posted. The new quote has nothing to do with that original statement. And the fact so many people refuted the statement in such a short time would indicate most posters, MR and SPG, think it is an important benefit.

And I never made the claim you attribute to me about SPG. I merely asked for an explanation for why SPG was mentioned in the reply because it seemed to make no sense. That question is still on the table.

OU812

I posted this in the SPG/Marriott merger thread since there is similar information there. Sorry for the double post, but just to be perfectly clear, the new Marriott Rewards/Starwood Preferred Guest program is not starting August 1. Marriott is giving a heads up in announcing details of the new program, status levels, related requirements and changes to benefits, over the next couple of weeks so that no one can say they were unaware of the changes! These changes will not go into effect until January 2019, and really won't impact anyone's status until 2020!

SPG and Marriott Rewards will continue to run as separate programs through at least December 31, 2018.

Regards,

RIP...

entropy

dynamic pricing is going to be a big problem if they enact it. Even the airlines (for the most part) aren't stupid enough to eliminate their "saver" fixed point awards.

SPG's biggest value proposition has always been the free night award, w/o restrictions on capacity for standard rooms. If the move to a dynamic pricing and push the awards into a straight % rebate (and rebate 1 MR point vs. 1 starpoint eqv for CC spend) then there's no reason to prefer Marriott over anywhere else and certainly no reason to put CC spend.

hockeyinsider

The full context of my statements, across multiple posts within this thread, was that most business travelers who can expense their food and beverage don't find North American lounges valuable for what they offer. Others responded that they find the time saved eating breakfast in the lounge as opposed to eating breakfast in a restaurant useful. Fair enough. I'll concede that the lounge is more convenient. But I stand by my assertion that the value of the food and beverage offered in North American lounges is in and of itself of little value when you can expense your food and beverage.

hockeyinsider

What is your source? This would confirm what I've said all along. All these rumors are fake news.

C17PSGR

Lots of wailing and gnashing of teeth .... lets not propagate fear on FT.

But extremely unlikely the program would change over mid year.

CHOPCHOP767

"Excessive" expensing, or expensing a food or beverage item simply because you can expense it, IME leads to reputation concerns. But, in that sense some industries accept this practice more liberally and others do not, which does not reduce the value of lounge to travelers who choose not to expense items. Sure, I could expense an $8 bottle of water, but I could just as easily go to the CL and get five bottles of water gratis. Personally, the convenience of the CL is a big issue for me and I conscientiously do select properties w/ one. This is only to say that losing complimentary access, depending on how things shake out in the new program, as a LT Gold is disappointing.

kaizen7

I still dont understand about dynamic pricing.

If Marriott set the fix exchange rate ... say 100MR = $1
Then let the hotel do their magic with their rate .... (increase rate when occupancy is high etc)
The members just need to pay with their MR according to the price set by the hotel
$400 RC room will need 40.000 MR on low occupancy ... and become $500 or 50.000MR on high occupancy

That would be dynamic pricing ?

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UA-NYC

This would describe me to a T...and when I'm using my points for vacation stays, I'm getting free breakfast in the restaurant anyways. I'd rather spend $8 at Starbucks vs. getting a somewhat mediocre breakfast at a lounge (absent something like an M Club, or some of those elevated Westin lounges).

Again, I think it's fair to say that, directionally speaking, lounges are less important to SPG loyals than Marriott ones.

UA-NYC

Yes...honestly less of an issue in hotels vs. airlines (the latter where that biz class ticket that's only 2x the points of economy is actually 10x in dollars), but still not good for us at all

HHonors OUTSIDER

This seems to imply SPG is changing this August instead of 2019?

jeanie

I have read this entire thread, and I don't recall anyone pointing out that if all members receive 10 points per dollar spent, that is actually an enhancement at Residence Inn and TownePlace Suites! In the past, those properties have only earned 5 points per dollar.

Previously, I have avoided stays at RI and TPS for that reason. If they earn the same number of points as the other hotels now, that would be nice! So if I am hotel hopping for purposes of earning more points on a promotion, I will start including RI and TPS in that rotation. More options!

HHonors OUTSIDER

Yes hopefully this change actually happens.

Willbur

Technically, yes. However I would guess they'd opt to go more band-like than fully dynamic with a pegged cent value. So a property might be 40,000 to 50,000 points depending on high/low times. And then maybe "anytime awards" like Hilton does for upgraded rooms so that there technically aren't any blackouts, but you're going to pay more.

pinniped

It varies widely by property, to me. I don't eat a *ton* of food for breakfast anyway...that's why I would never pay for a $25-30 buffet. I simply can't ingest that quantity of food that early. (And it's a rare hotel buffet that justifies its exorbitant price tag with high quality. We're talking piles of greasy sausages, undercooked bacon, and a big tub of scrambled eggs here.) The lounge is perfect for me - bagel, drink, out the door. At properties where it would otherwise be easy to quickly grab a bagel (in the hotel or nearby), the lounge doesn't mean much to me. In places where getting a small amount of food would be a huge hassle (suburban or resort locations), then the lounge is important. Hotels often aren't set up for the guy who wants a $2.50 bagel - they have restaurants where you can pay a lot of money for a huge breakfast. If you're lucky there's a Starbucks with its somewhat nasty food options.

Whether I can expense it or not is fairly immaterial.