Status Match - Marriott, Here Is The Answer, It's No!
 

Mr. XXX,

Please be aware that there is not currently a status matching aspect in the Marriott Rewards program. Elite levels in the Marriott Rewards program are earned by having the required amount of Elite nights posted to a Marriott Rewards account. I apologize to inform you that our program does not currently have an aspect that rewards members for nights spent at our competitors.

For Silver Elite status you must stay 10 paid nights per year, Gold Status requires 50 paid nights per year, and Platinum status requires 75 paid nights per year.

In depth investigation of every aspect of the Marriott Rewards program shows that it is extremely competitive with other hotel chain programs, when looked upon as a whole. Some of the other programs offer specific benefits at lower night requirements; however, the programs require more nights or stays to earn free nights.

Please visit the following link that explains how you earn free nights with the Marriott Rewards program sooner:

http://marriott.com/rewards/memspec/hereFasterPop.mi

Hopefully, our hotels exemplary service and our Marriott Rewards program will keep our members loyal to Marriott.

Thank you again for your input and we hope that you will continue to stay at Marriott hotels.

Sincerely,

XXXX
ICS
Marriott Rewards

For you the answer is no. For the next person with a different CSR it might be different.

What UpgradeMe said...

Looking to get status by mere association with a number of other hotel chains isn't going to get you in. Trying to prove to Marriott that they want your business will get you further along.

Just like everything in this corporate world it's a business decision they have to make. Does fronting status to you going to get them business & revenue, or are you seeking to merely get status for the sake of having status?

Try to prove to them that you want to give them business by showing a recent stay history with Marriott, how much business you can give them and make some future bookings and they may look to give you some status.

I hope not!!

True. I have a co-worker that was comp'd status last year. We were on a project that got a major extension. He phoned MR and talked to a CSR. Based on his stays up to that date, future reservations already in the system and anticipated stays due to our extension he was comp'd Platinum. I believe he was close to gold when he did try for the comp and he was top tier with another hotel chain (I forget which).

I'm of the school of "No Comps, Earn It!".

I believe that answer is short-sighted and does not make good business sense. I'll give you a non-hotel example: After close to two decades flying Delta as my #1 airline and with 2.5 million lifetime miles, as well as multi-year Platinum status, I decided to switch to United early in 2001. I simply wasn't going to walk in as a no-status flyer. If United had refused to grant me any status, I probably would have stayed with Delta. But United gave me instant Premier Executive (1P) status and became my #1 airline ever since. Half a million miles later, we're both very happy they did.

Why shouldn't Marriott do something similar to attract customers who clearly are going to be profitable for them? How can they possibly lose?

Bruce

By handing out status to everyone who asks, they completely devalue the program, those of us who actually stay 75 nights start running into "sorry, our club level is full", "sorry, no award rooms are available", etc., and we leave the program.

Every request should incur an analysis of the incremental and cumulative value and impact. Sure it makes sense in some cases, but not all.

My question is what value proposition OP provided to Marriott. Just "I'm SPG PLT, so please match my status", should earn this type of a reply.

As people are tired of hearing me say, I got comped to Plat. That year, I did 143 nights in Marriott, and I'll do about 125 this year. So, from their point of view, it was a good decision.

A colleague of mine, who I turned on to Marriott, actually had a longer history with Marriott and more stays planned. He was comped to Gold.

So it does matter who you talked to. I wound up sending my documentation along with the business case to SLC. I didn't demand any particular level, just asked if they could do anything. I was quite surprised when they came back with a platinum comp.

But it was definitely not a case of getting status just to have status. And as far as using up all the award space, there isn't much of a club in Fairfield Inns (where I do all my nights), and I have yet to do an award stay at a Marriott property

I agree that it is all about the business case. At my work, if we can prove a valid business case for something (say, a transfer overseas), it will most likely be done if it benefits both parties. Same should apply here.

They lose because they base their status on nights stayed.I would like Marriott to consider Revenue paid.I will be a 40 night stay person this year and will lose Gold status.My stays are averaging over $200.00 per night(not including meals,parking and other extras.(Almost all stays are at full service Marriotts)I will be close to 10K in total revenue to Marriott for 2005.
IMO,that s/b worth Gold status. :)

And there are people that spend 20k in Courtyards....I know, I'm one of them. I'll venture out and guess that they don't ALWAYS go by the number of nights you stay and that revenue does play a factor in your status.

Take Hertz for example, they want 40 rentals for President's Circle...But they also have a secret criteria for revenue and days rented. It never hurts to call and ask but don't feel mistreated if they choose to stick by the rules. Maybe they will give you a challenge of sorts to get back to gold.

I stayed away from the issue of Courtyards and Fairfields for one of the reasons you note. ;)
I own a business,revenue and profit are 2 items of importance. :cool:
I will not feel too mistreated as I understand the rules as they currently
exist.That is why I would request Marriott consider looking into my( and possibly yours and others) scenario.

Could Marriott have a secret criteria for revenue and stays as well? :)

It isn't the number of nights. It is the number of stays. I realize I am only silver but that meant a lot to me.

I stayed more nights than needed but it is the stays that count. So I am staying at a Marriott this weekend to keep Silver.

Next year will be a busy year and I will earn it easily. When I sent an email to Marriott Rewards they said there was nothing they could do for me. I didn't like the answer but will do another stay to keep my Silver.

Safetymom,

Marriott Rewards Membership levels are based on the number of nights (not stays). E.g. 10 nights regardless of the number of stays will earn you silver (or having a MR visa). Perhaps you are confusing it with Hilton?

--Jon