Marriott Bonvoy? (Potential new program leak)
#286
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Toronto
Programs: UA 1K, AC MM E75, Marriott LT Ti, IHG Dia Amb, Hyatt Glob
Posts: 15,510
I guess this should be retitled as the Marriott Marquis BKK thread!
#287
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: La Jolla, CA
Programs: Marriott Ambassador, Lifetime Titanium, Delta Plat, Hilton Diamond , Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 2,615
I don't think Marriott "forces" hotels to not exceed the standard, but they definitely do make recommendations like that.
Check out the following post (a while back, but from Marriott's official representative): https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/11062254-post41.html The post was almost 10 years ago, but I think Marriott still manages this same way. They don't "force", but they will encourage and recommend. And of course, Hotel management takes it and tells regular staff this is what Marriott Corp is telling us to do (i.e. forcing us.)
Check out the following post (a while back, but from Marriott's official representative): https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/11062254-post41.html The post was almost 10 years ago, but I think Marriott still manages this same way. They don't "force", but they will encourage and recommend. And of course, Hotel management takes it and tells regular staff this is what Marriott Corp is telling us to do (i.e. forcing us.)
Wow. This says more about the different cultures at MR vs SPG than maybe anything I’ve seen before.
Per the Marriott Concierge:
“hotels were also encouraged to not “over achieve'”,
WTH?
Last edited by damon88; Nov 29, 2018 at 5:36 pm
#288
Join Date: Mar 2010
Posts: 1,324
I was thinking the same thing but according to another post in this thread a Focus Group was given 3 names to choose from one of which was Bonvoy. I think one of other choices was BonBon but I don't know for sure. Hopefully someone could post the other 2 potential names??
#289
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: body: A stone's throw from SFO, mind: SE Asia
Programs: Some of this 'n some of that
Posts: 17,263
Well, if a manager said so, then it must be true. Not.
I’m sorry, but I do consider the source when I consider the veracity of any assessment such as this. Your manager may very well believe that, but that doesnt constitute any sort of proof whatsoever. It’s convenient to blame Marriott for not exceeding a brand standard. It’s convenient to blame the merger for any issue with any legacy SPG hotel. It’s convenient, but that doesn’t make it true.
No, I finished my drink and exited the GM's cocktail reception. What a sorry state of affairs that was.
#290
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: body: A stone's throw from SFO, mind: SE Asia
Programs: Some of this 'n some of that
Posts: 17,263
Then you clearly hadn't been in the lounge this entire calendar year at the minimum.
#292
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Southern California, USA
Programs: Marriott Ambassador and LTT, UA Plat/LT Gold, AA Gold
Posts: 8,764
Of course, if you don’t trust the veracity of said statement, it does beg the question of why you’d share it.
Last edited by bhrubin; Nov 29, 2018 at 9:08 pm
#293
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: CPH
Programs: UAMP S, TK M&S E (*G), Marriott LTP, IHG P, SK EBG
Posts: 11,071
I was thinking the same thing but according to another post in this thread a Focus Group was given 3 names to choose from one of which was Bonvoy. I think one of other choices was BonBon but I don't know for sure. Hopefully someone could post the other 2 potential names??
#294
Suspended
Join Date: Jun 2005
Programs: Delta Diamond, Marriott Ambassador & Lifetime Titanium, Hertz President's Circle, United Silver
Posts: 6,334
That's not what the terms say.
#295
Suspended
Join Date: Jun 2005
Programs: Delta Diamond, Marriott Ambassador & Lifetime Titanium, Hertz President's Circle, United Silver
Posts: 6,334
Except there are multiple reports from multiple elites of multiple properties that previously exceeded brand standards reducing what they provide to the absolute minimum with each of these properties saying Marriott is forcing properties not to exceed brand standards.
#296
Suspended
Join Date: Jun 2005
Programs: Delta Diamond, Marriott Ambassador & Lifetime Titanium, Hertz President's Circle, United Silver
Posts: 6,334
Imagine if McDonald's allowed some of the franchisees who own and operate the vast majority of restaurants to give you an extra order of French fries just because they wanted to do so. It's kind of the same thing, I think.
What concerns me is the international properties, which have almost always been better than North America properties, will be forced to reduce their over-and-above offerings to match their North American counterparts. I hope this isn't the case, but since Marriott manages more international properties than it manages North American properties it would be easier to make drastic cutbacks in, for example, lounge offerings.
#297
Except there are multiple reports from multiple elites of multiple properties that previously exceeded brand standards reducing what they provide to the absolute minimum with each of these properties saying Marriott is forcing properties not to exceed brand standards.
I've experienced this at JW Marriott Dongdaemun 3 or 4 years ago when they stopped giving Plats buffet breakfast after opening a few months. Lounge breakfast or 49,000 won per person extra for Taviolo 24 buffet.
#298
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Minneapolis: DL DM charter 2.3MM
Programs: A3*Gold, SPG Plat, HyattDiamond, MarriottPP, LHW exAccess, ICI, Raffles Amb, NW PE MM, TWA Gold MM
Posts: 100,369
What do they charge the public for breakfast there? I'm wondering whether the surcharge for those with lounge access is any different.
#299
In memoriam
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: MAN
Programs: Marriott Lifetime Titanium, IHG Spire, UA Silver, Dennis The Menace Fan Club
Posts: 1,457
Marriott isn’t really a hospitality company any more, it’s a hotel brander. With 30 different brands now tightly maintaining brand standards is very important especially following the merger where the difference between say a Marriott and a Sheraton, or a Renaissance and a Westin can be little more than the guests personal perception. Tightly maintained brand standards are vital to control a difference between these brands that really are tripping over one another.
What I think Marriott fails to recognise is whilst in North America the flagship full service brands, Marriott, Sheraton, Renaissance and Westin hotels have been built to a pretty vanilla 3.5*, outside the US they’re frequently 5*, and hence brand uniformity will either result in cuts internationally or improvements stateside. I guess Marriotts following the cutting route - shock, horror!
What I think Marriott fails to recognise is whilst in North America the flagship full service brands, Marriott, Sheraton, Renaissance and Westin hotels have been built to a pretty vanilla 3.5*, outside the US they’re frequently 5*, and hence brand uniformity will either result in cuts internationally or improvements stateside. I guess Marriotts following the cutting route - shock, horror!
#300
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Southern California, USA
Programs: Marriott Ambassador and LTT, UA Plat/LT Gold, AA Gold
Posts: 8,764
What I think Marriott fails to recognise is whilst in North America the flagship full service brands, Marriott, Sheraton, Renaissance and Westin hotels have been built to a pretty vanilla 3.5*, outside the US they’re frequently 5*, and hence brand uniformity will either result in cuts internationally or improvements stateside. I guess Marriotts following the cutting route - shock, horror!
N American full service hotels get renovated and refurbished eventually. It’s more expensive to do that here and in Europe than it is in Asia, of course.
Most of these hotels are 3.5 or 4 star hotels. There is a small number of 4.5 almost 5 star hotels. There are very few proper 5 star hotels among those brands.
This also has nothing to do with the name of the new loyalty program.