kavok

Starwood Lurker

At this time, this is what I can tell you, regarding the combination of nights between the two programs:

In August, when members combine Rewards and SPG accounts, their lifetime nights across both programs count toward Lifetime Elite status in the new combined program. To be included in at previous thresholds for Rewards or SPG, members will have until December 31, 2018, to complete stays in order to achieve the Lifetime Elite status.

My apologies that I can offer no further clarification at this time.

Best regards,

William R. Sanders
Social Media Specialist
Starwood Hotels & Resorts LLC

[email protected]

sfosyd

William,

Is it possible to confirm that those who reach Lifetime Platinum in the Marriott program by 12/31 will be grandfathered in as Lifetime Premier Platinum?

I just got off the phone with Marriott and they are telling me there will be a one time grandfathering into LTPP which will happen in August for all existing Marriott Platinums. After that, you can indeed earn status via the old way but ONLY in the new program i.e. lifetime Platinum but not lifetime LTPP.

This is really frustrating for loyal members of both programs who simply want to book travel. Thank you for your support.

Starwood Lurker

I think that everyone seems to be missing the point that I can't clarify anything if it doesn't appear here or here first. If it isn't already in print and available to the public, there is nothing more I can tell you at this time.

Best regards,

William R. Sanders
Social Media Specialist
Starwood Hotels & Resorts LLC

[email protected]

Medved

I have been dreading since merger was announced that my SPG LTP would be only 2nd tier membership. That is exactly what happening. To hedge, I was making sure that I had 750 nights and 2MM points. Didn't help.
I doubt that Marriott will change anything at this point -- they had 2 years to figure out all possible variables and scenarios. And yielding to demands would be a sign of weakness and an acknowledgement of prep work done poorly. SPG LTPs 750+/2MM+ strictly before Aug 1 may believe in a miracle (case by case basis, exceptions, additional considerations). Anyone with less than that before Aug 1, IMHO, is completely out of question.

Maybe in 2019 a way to qualify for LTPP will be announced. I expect at least 1000 nights and a spending minimum similar in scale to announced Plat 100+ -- like 5 years at $20K each. On the positive note -- I expected SPG LTP downgraded to combined program LTG. At least we got Plat light.

jrothenb

The more that I think about it, that is what I believe is going to happen with SPG LTP. A growing number of us are being told (in writing and on the phone) by Marriott CSRs (who at least in my case said they ran it up the chain and received confirmation from supervisors or leadership) that SPG LTP are going to be grandfathered as LTPP, not LTP. In at least 4 or 5 cases I have read about on this board, folks were told that they had to merge their SPG and MR accounts in order for this to happen. I have been trying to think about why this is.

Now in my case, a mention of needing 750 nights and 2MM points was not mentioned, but for others, it was. So let's for the moment presume that it was just an omission in my written reply, or that the CSR had information about my account that I'm not aware of (for example, I have no idea how many historical SPG points I have earned, but I suspect it's a lot), and that the SPG member would need to have achieved comparable MR activity to qualify.

In all of the cases posted where folks received info from Marriott stating that SPG LTP had a path to LTPP, it was mentioned that once you link your MR and SPG accounts, all members across all programs are viewed as Marriott, not as SPG/MR/RC, etc. My CSR said specifically, "you have linked your programs, so according to us, you are Marriott, you are no longer SPG." What I think this means in practice is that MR LTP will indeed by the dictionary definition be the ones grandfathered as LTPP, but that on August 1, all members in all programs who have linked their accounts will have their activity converted and standardized, and if that member has achieved the MR historical requirements for LTP, they will, in that instant, become a true legacy MR LTP, prior to the granting of the grandfathered status, and will thusly be eligible for LTPP.

I believe that in practice, this will mean that a member with 750 nights and the equivalent of 2MM points (taking into account SPG * 3) will, upon conversion, become a true MR LTP, and that will be the justification for aligning all programs. Not even sure if I can get there personally, and it may be that they ultimately decide to convert all SPG LTP to LTPP, but having read everything in these threads, and trying to think logically, this is the most likely scenario in my mind.

sfosyd

This makes a lot of sense and is the fairest thing to do.

Let's hope SPG/Marriott will offer direction on this sooner than later!

Canada101

Based on the answer provided by the Starwood Lurker just now in the Wiki in the Official Announcement thread, the Marriott CSR responses that have been provided to several members on this forum are incorrect. I have pasted the Starwood Lurker's response below:

Will the SPG member be able to earn LT status based on the old program until 31-Dec-2018?
Members will have until year-end 2018 to achieve Lifetime status under the current, separate policies. Beginning August 2018, members can also achieve based on their combined nights and tenure the new Lifetime criteria threshold beginning August 2018. <added by Starwood Lurker 19Apr18>

Always Flyin

The big disadvantage is that you now have another status level above you that did not previously exist, which should you push down the upgrade list below them. That is what will happen.

That will include the Marriott Platinum members grandfathered in, with no means for an SPG member with an equal number of nights and spend to do so.

This is the same thing United did to its Million Milers while they gave Continental's similarly situated lifetime members a bump up. It unnecessarily creates some very, very vocal and unhappy people. Take a look in the history of the United board for the numerous threads. It wasn't pretty.

RogerD408

One thing you can count upon is William will tell you how it is and not spout speculative responses. There may very well be action in the works to address SPG LTPs getting MPG LTPP status. But until it's in the official channel, he's not likely offer that up. I am hopeful they will address the issue and change their stance. I think they should combine the accounts and then assign the tiers according to the numbers and not even bother with this If you're this tier today, you will be that tier come August. In my case I am LTG in both, I have over 2M MR points, over 10 years SPG Plat, and over 1,200 nights combined. I can make LTP in either or both if I had to, but my business travel as gone to zero and my personal travel is near zero too (ok, maybe they don't want me as a customer anymore, but I'd like to have the perks when I do travel).

Hurry up and wait mode engaged.

Jaenks

Marriott should one time 'grandfather' to LTPPE all SPG LT holders(including LTG), who achieved 750+ and 10 years Platinum combined by Dec.31st, not only SPG LTP members. But at first of course SPG LTP members. They would win a lot of loyalty with that and keep a big number of key customers satisfied and not look towards other hotel chains. Even if the difference is currently only 25% in points and 48 hours room confirmation, it is more psychological matter and respect than the perks. I am sure they look into the numbers(quantity and spending) of those members and make the right decision. MR own LTPPE grandfathers do not lose anything after that.

X-ON

Hmmm, it seems that there are a lack of coordination in terms of communication ... anyway a matching of the accounts on an equal footing make perfect sense just hope they do a basic validation/audit of the migrated SPG point accumulation, in my experience for older SPG accounts there are a lot of missing data points. If they indeed are serious of matching in this manner I wish that they would publish the official point accumulation for the SPG accounts asap, i.e. print it to the your SPG profile.

yosithezet

Just got my Master Spreadsheet from my Ambassador. It does back to 2005. I have seen information earlier that went back further, but it didn't include the revenue and points.

When looking to compare with the 2M points Marriott required for LTP status, is the general consensus that we multiply our SPG earned points by 3?

X-ON

Yes multiply by 3, with respect to the missing data just do a quick check and see if your master statement balance i.e sum all the debit and credit and see if you infer your current point balance.

UA-NYC

I'm amazed that there seem to be so many Marriott LTPs with 750+ nights but whom are well short of 2MM points. I get that many didn't use the credit card for everyday spend like "we" did...but looking at 8.5 years of master statement for me, despite about $250K in AmEx spend during that time, that was less than 1/4 of my generated points. So still about 4MM converted MR points w/o that.

My 650 revenue nights over that time had an ADR of $210...good enough for Ambassador with 100+ revenue stays but tough going forward with award and CC nights eating up some of my 100.