One has to wonder if Marriott is charging the hotels more for the points they issue. You got to give something in order to get something... The hotels pay Marriott more for the points they issue and in return the hotel gets more "revenue" from award stays due to the point increases or being bumped up a category or two.

Ditto to your title and analysis. I've got a million.five and have never used more than a handful of points for a weekend at a RI or SHS in the past. I've been banking them for these great "travel packages" I've read about here now that I'm a few months from giving up the road and might have more time and energy to travel to exotic places in the future. I've boasted to friends that I have enough points to travel anywhere in the world for a week at least 5 times. Not true anymore! What a screwing. But I knew this anyway, dabbling in "currency" subject to the whims of a corporation founded on greed. Perhaps a re-reading of this thread is in order?

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showp...97&postcount=4

Marriott made a Huge mistake imo by floating this idea with descriptions of what arguably are real enhancements without at the same time also presenting the accompanying very significant devaluation of the travel packages. If they did focus groups (surely they would before making these changes wouldn't they?) and presented the whole package of changes proposed, I have to believe all of this negative reaction would have come out then.

Since the packages are considered to be the Ultimate Prize by many Frequent Marriott guests, this hits many of Marriott's best customers really hard, in spite of the other real improvements. And, indeed the travel packages serve to distinguish Marriott from other hotel guest programs.

I thought Marriott Concierge said this wasn't so in an earlier post. MC - is Travelslots correct?

I have referred you to the FAQ which explains what MR means when they say no blackout dates. Let me quote from that:
"What does it mean to have “No Blackout Dates”?

Starting on January 15, 2009, hotels will have standard rooms available for redemptions every day. Blackout dates traditionally refer to a limited number of dates on which a hotel could choose not to accept redemptions. With our new “No Blackout Dates” policy, hotels will no longer have blackout dates for redemptions. Hotels may limit the number of standard rooms available for redemption on a limited number of days."

So as you see, per Marriott's own FAQ, hotels may limit the number of rooms available for certain "limited" number of days per year.

Does not matter what Marriott Concierge posts here with all due respect, when the MR own FAQ says it clear.

To say again, even with stay anytime awards you actually could have situations where you cannot get rooms while you still see such rooms offered for revenue. So why do you think this will be better now with the new MR program (and stay anytime awards were higher than the new point levels)?

Simply it is an issue of demand and offerings. If the hotel cannot sell the rooms, they will accept awards instead of having the rooms go vacant.

To understand the Marriott original thinking here, go back at that old Washington Post article about the Marriott family and see how Mr. Marriott tells the story on how they were turning single guests away saying hotel is full, at the early days of Marriott, when they had a promotion of selling rooms for $8 "per car" plus $1 per person. Single travelers got turned back... as per Mr. Marriott own words!

Do you really think this enhancement will change the corporate culture? :-) Even the Marriott Concierge was stating he wished he had called his boss saying his own health has been "enhanced" by a virus and not show to work the day after the news about the new MR program went out... !

However, if the economy is bad next year (and it will...) many rooms will be empty, perfect timing to 1) get rid of the MR huge balance by pushing people to use awards next year, 2) help the hotels through this by providing some income through the awards revenue (lower than regular revenue but still something). 3) create a notion that indeed awards are easier to get, while this will be only for next year for those who try, since economy will be bad and less people will travel anyway. Genious!

So Marriott Concierge why don't you ask your manager and confirm such here for all of us to see ? :-)

TL

Its good to see you too understand the ridicule of the way MR has chosen to notify members of the worsening of the MR program.

TL

Everything you wrote could be true, but I don't see how it is any different from the attempts of certain Hilton and Starwood properties to wiggle out of their award requirements by limiting the number of standard rooms at a property. Devaluation can come in certain forms, namely:

1. Point expiration - Marriott and Hyatt do not do this, but SPG and Hilton have it.
2. Category creep - Every chain has this, and in my experience, it has been somewhat less at Marriott than at Hilton (try finding opportunity or category 1 properties).
3. Large scale changes in programs - I would put Marriott's proposed changes here.

Marriott has become everyone's favorite target since this announcement, but I can assure you that devaluation is an ongoing process at all hotel chains. Is Marriott the worst place to earn awards? It depends what type of awards you are after, what your stay patterns are, and what you value in an award program.

People complain about the new category 8, but the biggest devaluation is the reduction of less points for longer stays at one property. Going from category 7 to 8 is only an additional 5,000 points/night. This is about a 14 % increase. When Hilton created their Waldorf=Astoria properties, the point increase was 50 % (except for low season, which is less than a third of the year).

Devaluation is a constant in award programs and most paper currencies. Hotel programs are better than airline programs because there is extra capacity for redemption. I am sure this upcoming change will move some people to other chains. Will everyone leave? No, and not everyone should for most devaluations (I will exclude US Air's gutting of their elite program from this statement.).

Travelslots and I are NOT the same person!

Read the article at the Washington Post web: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...601413_pf.html

Mr. Marriott talks proundly about the Marriott early days, when they had just one first hotel ("Motor Inn"):

"Rooms were $8 a car, with $1 extra for each person. The more people in the car, the more money the hotel would make. If one guy drove up, Marriot says they would tell him, "Sorry, we're full." To a family of four, they'd say, "We have a very nice room for you."

I have many times noticed when asking for another room, and me, Platinum Member, becuase the one given to me is noisy, the front desk person saying sorry we are full, and only after looking around and seeing rooms are not occupied yet, and asking for the hotel GM, were I moved to a different room. Small thing, but just to tell you about the culture?

On the other hand, the famous Marriott booklet with the Marriott "basics" shows all fine principles, such as "I do more", etc. that the associates repeat daily (each day has its own daily Marriott Basics").

Now we got the new "enhanced" MR program as a result of "listening to us".. please... Mr. Marriott - do not insult our intelligence!

TL

I would put it more at 98% of the relevent comments running towards the negative.
But you are right about the lack of censorship for now.

would be nice if MI actually had someone answering some of the questions -but that would indicate that they actually gave a damn.

Ed French is the face of Marriott Rewards at the Party Randy Peterson and friends throw every year for the Freddies.
So I think I am within reason to ask him,or another Marriott exec to come forward and answer some of the questions posed by FT'ers.
Marie and Ira-you have done/are doing a splendid job-but this should never have fallen on your shoulders.
I am betting Drew is glad he is out of this now!

So"man up"Marriott!

I am sorry we had to meet under such poor conditions-But please stick around and explore the other forums here on FlyerTalk-it really is a great group of folks.

I could not agree more. You both are GREAT! ^

Searching for a thread about feedback brought me to this
http://flyertalk.com/forum/showthrea...light=feedback

Our hopes are now smashed and ground into despair.

bigguyinpasadena-.
Marie and Ira-you have done/are doing a splendid job-but this should never have fallen on your shoulders.
I am betting Drew is glad he is out of this now!

What happened to Drew?

Agreed - double ^^ for Marie and Ira....