It's one thing for Marriott to reward customer loyalty by helping those truly committed to the Marriott brand. It's another thing for someone to cry "help me Marriott" because I'm not going to make status because I've been maintaining status with other brands and spread my stays too thin because the economy went south. I realize there are two camps here and the one camp is truly affected by the economy. However, I have exceeded the requirements for stays and status this year by reading ahead and consolidating my stays with Marriott. I've been platinum since the late 90's and will admit, Marriott has treated me well and earned that loyalty. My beef is going to be with those who try to milk the system, plead for Marriott's grace, while ensuring they maintain status with another chain. Then it will be these same people who complain that can't get award rooms or upgrades because the system is so watered down with Platinum's earning bonus points. It's almost like those who exceeded their capacity with mortgages now expecting the government to bail them out of their misfortune, realizing that those who followed the rules are the ones paying to correct the mistakes of others. I realize Marriott has no way of distinguishing between the two camps, and truly helping those who previously have demonstrated loyalty and cannot make status because of the economy, but the other side of the coin is frustrating to those of us who truly call Marriott our home away from home.

+1...My EXACT scenario. Would've thought it was me posting if not for the name bucs... Go Skins! .... I'm at 46 nights, been plat the last 3 years and just logged in and showed currently renewed for 2009... Thanks Marriott...

Copilot23 nailed it on the head. Especially for the folks who didn't even qualify for gold, it seems like EXCESSIVELY good customer service to renew them for plat. And while those individuals will of course be very happy, it does water down the benefits (such as room upgrades) that can be offered to those of us who continue to give Marriott the kind of business that we always have in the past.

Maybe I'll change my tune come renewal time, as I didn't make 125 nights this year ("only" 106, all but 3 in full-service properties) and am not looking forward to reverting to basic platinum.

I know that Marriott has unofficially given platinum to those who have missed a few nights (I got my platinum status a few weeks early for the first time in May 2006 before the 75th night posted to my account, and this was before the rolling calendar for initial qualification was in place). The Marriott manual audit of long time platinum members looks at the prior 3 years of stay history.

My guess is that Marriott will cut members more slack if they have done 100+ nights in the prior 2 years and have fallen short, rather than those who have done barely 75 nights in the prior 2 years and have only cracked 20 nights for the current year.

Happy now!!! MR giving Plat out for less than gold requirements

Again, I reiterate MR Conceirge, what can you do for me if you are giving away the farm for nothing and the next time I stay at a MR and lose an upgrade to another plat who stayed 40 nights last year..

what a load of crap.. if the economy is in the tank this year (09) then lower the 09 requal thresholds.. and you guys wonder why I spread the wealth and maintain top tier at three other chains and mid tier at two other chains.. :rolleyes:


do you know this or are you just making a random guess?

I'll have 73 nights come Jan. 1. I'm assuming Marriott will renew me as it will be my third year as a Plat and 4th as an elite (gold year before).

If not, who cares, I'll get 2 more nights in early Jan. and renew on the rolling basis anyway, but I still don't expect to lapse.

Of course that plat might have had 150 nights the year before and was pissed that he missed out on upgrades to some plat who stayed 60 nights plus credit card. Such specific scenarios are conjecture at best.

+1

No one on this thread gave enough information about their particular circumstances to become angry over Marriott giving them platinum status. All we know is that Marriott took the initiative to reward their best, most loyal customers by renewing (not upgrading) their platinum status. I have been lurking on these boards for quite awile, and I know one of the chief complaints I always read about is Marriott supposedly not caring about their best customers. Why take offense when they show the initiative to reward the most loyal customers?

I guess the old cliche is proven to be true: You can't please everyone all the time.

I have 68 nights (in this slow economy), never been Plat, only Gold for the past two years. Apparently no bump unless you have been Plat before, even if you have more nights than others bumped up.

I could easily have been Plat (based on stays at other hotel chains) but Marriott has no hotel options in some of the cities. Marriott should consider giving you credit for other hotel stays at major business and vacation locations where there is no Marriott option but most of the other major US brands have hotels. (say one fax or send copy of receipt).

Example, Perth, Australia (PER) - major business location in W. Australia - all the other brands - Hilton, Hyatt, Sheraton, IC, Holiday Inn, etc. Also, none in vacation location CNS (Cairns, Australia). Marriott is big in other Australia business and beach locations.

Also - what do others view as the big difference between Gold and Plat - both get lounge access. Do Plat's get suite upgrades?

So are the the statements that these people may have had 100+ the prior years; my point is MR made the rules public that if you have 75 nights that you get plat.. no where does it say that if you have 40 nights and 100 (or insert number) the prior one or two years that you get plat; i can only play by the rules posted as I would adjust my stay patterns if I knew the rules were different

as for the dude who missed an u/g from a 75 nighter with 15 CC in those 75; well that 75 guy met the qualifications posted; the 40 nighter did not; and if that 150 nighter is truly valuable, they will take care of him anyway; maybe i'm a 75 night profitable guy and the 150 is a govt rate FI type of guy so your point is not any better either

Wrong; when MR gives it out at 40 nights (which is not all that loyal-the rest is just excuses); I have every reason to be upset. I went out of my way including OOP nights to make 75; they did not.. they should not be rewarded. We are not talking a guy at 73 nights and then 9/11 occurred which virtually shut down travel. We're talking about a recession where IMHO the real slowdown was late 2008 and in 2009. Its 2009 that should have the reduced qualifications or some sort of 2X stay credit or similar.

Factor in the changes for 2009 in reward redemptions

and the whole pot is now full of BS

Come on MR; do something for me; I still have choices in 2009 and right now they (choices) will be spread out among all the other chains; MR has not given me a reason so far to give them any more business than I have too... and I'm the type that would give "extra" nights to those who earn it; right now MR is not earning it

Full disclosure: As the example "forty nighter," I should point out that I've been a platinum since 2004, and averaged 120+ nights/yr 2005-2007. In 2005, I also provided one property with fairly significant aid (in the form of time and labor) during an emergency situation, for which I was given a large number of MR points and a very nice personal thank you note from its GM. I don't know whether Marriott keeps track of that kind of stuff (I kind of doubt it), but it may have been considered as part of my requalification.

Please excuse the fuzziness on the numbers below, but generally, there have been few differences. As a PM, the one perk that I've leaned on several times is guaranteed availability at Marriott properties with 48 hour notice. This year alone, I've needed to stay in the PGH Ren, BVT CY, and NYC Anyhotel when they've been booked solid. The PM Guaranty got me into each, albiet at a high price.

Prior to being PM, I needed to be in Ft. Meyers on three days notice. (2001!?!) The only hotel I could get was a very expensive Motel 6. The noise. The uncomfortable bed. The lock didn't work correctly, so I wedged a chair under the doorknob. The PM guaranty is my safety net against that happening again.

Another advantage is the PM Welcome Gift. I've chosen the points, split my stays between full service and non-full service, for an average of 375 points on ~50 check-ins, for a ~22,500 bonus points as a PM.

Going forward, though, PM will received 50% bonus points, as opposed to GM, which I believe will still receive 25% bonus points. On 90 nights at an average of 2,000 points per night, that comes out to approximately 90,000 bonus points per year, versus 45,000 for GM. Added to the welcome gift, that comes out to an additional 65,500 points per year for being PM instead of GM.

There are surely additional differences that other people can think of, but these are the differences important to me. Many people are into getting room upgrades, but I have not found those to be more forthcoming as a PM than a GM. They've been few and far between either way.

Marriott's allowing people who technically didn't qualify to get PM status might make sense. MI has to come out financially ahead on a 40-nighter who stays at JWs than a 75-nighter who only stays at TownPlace Suites. Rewarding those profitable customers with status makes sense.

Perhaps a bonus when you reach a level from nights stayed (Butt in Bed) would alleviate the sting for those who feel cheated. Perhaps a bonus 2,500 for reaching/renewing SM (10 nights, Butt in Bed, so not including CC or bonus nights.), maybe another 5,000 for reaching/renewing GM (50 nights, Butt in Bed), and maybe another 10,000 for reaching/renewing PM (75 nights, Butt in Bed). Yeah, I'm liking that phrase this morning!That would be a total of 17,500 bonus/PM/Yr. That gets you a full extra night in a Level 3 or lower hotel, or halfway to a free night at a Level 7 hotel.

I think you've been proven wrong.

I guess we can agree to disagree - I remember learning the lesson of Matthew 20:1-16 as a child and it must have stuck with me. I've happily introduced frields and co-worker to various challenges/status matches/double stays promos over the years and have always been happy when they achieved status.

I looked this up and it is an interesting story. Certainly the vineyard owner (Marriott) is free to do whatever it wants with its money. Once, I guess.

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/...atthew+20:1-16

But what happens the next day? Does the same "sucker" work for 11 hours (or as hard) when he now knows the next guy might get the same pay for a hour's work? Does the owner move onto a completely new bunch of suckers (guests) time after time, killing any loyalty?

Why doesn't the US government just mint more money and hand it out to those who don't want to work? Then what motivates the baker to get up at 3am and produce something to use that money on?

Same concepts, different scale.