I am quite disappointed with the member benefits for platinums for some time now. I have totally moved over to *wood and believe you me - their program is far superior than Marriotts. Once you make it to Plat the benefits are really amazing.
Examples:
Suite upgrade at the W Times Square - 90% of the time in the past year
When the hotel is sold out and I invoke my platinum guarantee they give me a room at my corporate rate, not the rack rate
Want to redeem points - no blackout date fine print or different # of points for blackout dates. If a room is available we'll let you have it.
One of the choices for plat amenity is 500 *wood points - equivalent to 1500 MR points

Got to admit though - Marriott bedside chocolates are better than *wood chocolates

So goodbye fellow MR'ers - the grass is definitely greener on this side. With no stays at a Marriott property this year I will be on the bottom rung of the Marriott ladder.
sincere thanks for all your recommendations and help fellow Flyertalkers.

Good Luck!!

See ya

I'm curious about what you will do the many, many times when there is not an SPG property around but there is a Marriott property, due to their much larger number of units.

I, too, comped over to SPG PLT and enjoyed W's, Westins, and even some nice Sheraton's this year. A no-blackout week at Steamboat over Xmas would not have happned elsewhere.

And yet, due to location and numbers, I have 90 nights at Marriott this year, with a handful to go. A vacation to St. Kitts - not an SPG (or anything else) in sight.

Solid quality, mass market - Marriott
High quality, fewer locations - SPG

It makes a pretty good combination - I can't see totally walking away.

Like my dad has always told me, the grass might be greener on the other side, but you still have to cut it.

Best of luck at SPG

...and believe me, while they both need cutting, it is MUCH easier to cut the SPG Yard....MR pales in comparison to SPG. I have been Platinum with both, and have stuck it out with SPG. When there are no SPG hotels around, I look for Hyatt, the MR, then Hilton.

Not so fast magiclamp! I did exactly what you did two years ago and haven't looked back. It was my best travel decision of the decade. But you will not be "bottom rung of the Marriott ladder" next year. That's because MR will only drop you one level per year, and that's without asking. I stayed over 100 nights at MR in 2002, since my comp and now earned Plat status at *wood, 4 nights at MR in the last two years. For Plat treatment there is no comparison but like others have said not as many properties in as many cities as MR. See ya over there.

I switched from *wood and brought my 100+ nights / year to Marriott. Couldn't stand how I was treated at several *wood properties and have had several outstanding Marriott experiences since I switched.

I have already requalified for Marriott Platinum and Hyatt Diamond this year.

I am very, very close on Starwood Platinum, and should just barely make it by the skin of my teeth.

I really like having all 3 because there are difefrent properties I like at different locations.

Happy Holidays.

I had all 3 this year and focused on SPG and MR - maybe it's the locations I travelled to, but I rarely had to go outside of those two (and the Hyatts where I travelled were not the same caliber). I managed to get to HY PLT and HH Silver almost accidentally, but I'm going to stay focused 2.