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Marriott/Starwood merger closed; FAQs; Status Match; MR & SPG accounts can be linked

Old Sep 22, 2016, 11:20 pm
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Last edit by: SkiAdcock
Deal closed Sep 23 - http://news.marriott.com/2016/09/marriott-international-expanded-loyalty-benefits/

FAQ :
http://members.marriott.com/faq/#will-rewards-and-spg-be-turning-into-one-program

Will Rewards and SPG be turning into one program?
These are two of the best programs in the industry, and we want you to benefit from everything that makes SPG and Rewards great. We dont anticipate that the two programs will come together before 2018, and we will keep you informed of any updates. In the meantime, theres no change to how you book reservations, manage your accounts or earn Elite night credits, points and miles in the current programs

Status Matches
MR Platinum <--> SPG Platinum
MR Gold <--> SPG Gold
MR Silver <--> SPG Preferred Plus
MR Member <--> SPG Preferred

If your status changes (i.e. Gold->Plat) in one program, your status in the other program will be automatically upgraded within 24 hours per Marriott FAQ

You can now link your Marriott Rewards or Ritz-Carlton Rewards account with your SPG account.
To link your accounts, log in to either account at:
http://www.spg.com/linkmarriott
http://members.marriott.com/

It will be a 3:1 transfer ratio between MR-SPG

If I have Lifetime Status in one of the programs, will I also get it in the other program when I link my accounts?
This is the Official Answer : "We appreciate your loyalty! Lifetime Status is specific to the program that you earned it in. While linking accounts will not result in Lifetime Status in the other program, your Elite status will be matched to the same Elite tier in the other program. Any existing Lifetime Status you already hold within either program will still be enjoyed within that program. Were working on more ways to recognize your loyalty and Lifetime Status as we work towards harmonizing the programs, which we dont anticipate happening until 2018."

Transferring points from SPG to MR does NOT change lifetime MR points.

Transferring points from SPG to MR does NOT count as activity & therefore does not extend the expiration date of points.

SPG platinum member matched to MR plat and now interested in the MR - UA Silver status match ? Check here.


Updated Terms and Conditions for the two programs can be found at
http://members.marriott.com/terms-conditions/
http://www.starwoodhotels.com/preferredguest/legal/spg_terms.html

Complete listing of all the hotel brands in the in the merged company :
http://www.marriott.com/marriott-brands.mi#ourbrands
http://www.marriott.com/Images/Brands/brands_page_2016/global_architecture_images/US_MAR_SPG_brand_architecture.png
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Marriott/Starwood merger closed; FAQs; Status Match; MR & SPG accounts can be linked

 
Old May 18, 2017, 10:29 am
  #856  
 
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Originally Posted by banzani
Just back from the IMEX event and sharing some impressions:

- consolidated Marriott stand which included Starwood was a zoo. Too many people !
- interesting split between 'standard' brands and a separate stand for 'luxury' for which StR, LC, and W made the cut (personal view on W: I'd say their yields to Marriott may feel luxury, but not sure if the experience does for the guest in all cases)
- as indicated previously, apparently no intention to consolidate brands
- still working on integration of loyalty, and indeed may slip past 1/1. Key issues seem to be requalification and treatment of LT members.
Nevermind. I see StR is now in Luxury. I didn't see them there before. I still think W is misplaced in Luxury.
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Old May 18, 2017, 12:52 pm
  #857  
 
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Originally Posted by banzani
- still working on integration of loyalty, and indeed may slip past 1/1. Key issues seem to be requalification and treatment of LT members.
I'm two years short on SPG lifetime Platinum but imagine that I would qualify for Marriott's program immediately (I will have 750 nights this year and definitely have enough spend on hotel generated points to qualify).

I would prefer a program that is just night based that night + stay based. Do any programs in industry treat nights differently based on category?

i.e. 0.5 qualifying nights for Cat 1 - 3, 1 qualifying night for 4 - 5 and 1.5 for 6 - 7?

Would seem like a nice way to drive loyalty to high revenue clientele.
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Old May 18, 2017, 3:47 pm
  #858  
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Originally Posted by yvr76
i.e. 0.5 qualifying nights for Cat 1 - 3, 1 qualifying night for 4 - 5 and 1.5 for 6 - 7?
AFAIK - no. Some hotels do nights or stays for elite status. Some (like Marriott) do nights only. I've never heard of an algorithm for Cat stays.

Also, on the Marriott side, the categories are based on a combo of revenue + award stays. If a property gets a lot of award stays that might push it up, even if the revenue push isn't always there. Example, some properties are sold out at certain times of the years/cost a fortune, but other times are empty/cost very little, but enough people redeem it for the high time that it ups the category. Also Cats vary depending on where in world, etc.

It's not like the airline revenue chain that the airlines are doing now.

Cheers.
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Old May 19, 2017, 1:07 pm
  #859  
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Originally Posted by banzani
still working on integration of loyalty, and indeed may slip past 1/1. Key issues seem to be requalification and treatment of LT members.
feb 16 2017 >
Originally Posted by Sorenson
different rules around qualification for Elite level...You certainly should not expect that we will have one program anytime in 2017. Whether we will in 2018 is something we will work to maximize the chances for, but we don't have a date to give you yet.
Originally Posted by Oberg
One credit card agreement expires in 2018, the other one expires in 2020.
which credit card is 2018?

files.shareholder.com/downloads/MAR/4088793841x0x928688/D97DF6AB-FF5C-433D-9817-7D5084FF22DC/MAR_TRANSCRIPT_Q4_2016_FINAL.pdf
marriott.com/rewards/terms/default.mi >
"no earlier than 2018"

may 9 2017 >
on track to...realize a common technology platform for reservations and loyalty programs in late 2018.
which i dont think addresses a unified loyalty program?
files.shareholder.com/downloads/MAR/4500513364x0x942606/0BAFA91B-C733-406D-8A75-8122F3B0F0FC/MAR_TRANSCRIPT_Q1_5-9-17_Final.pdf
also talks about sheraton and standards
contrary to Sorenson, marriott residences can be on airbnb

Last edited by Kagehitokiri; May 19, 2017 at 1:27 pm
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Old May 20, 2017, 5:36 am
  #860  
 
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Originally Posted by banzani
Just back from the IMEX event and sharing some impressions:

- consolidated Marriott stand which included Starwood was a zoo. Too many people !
- interesting split between 'standard' brands and a separate stand for 'luxury' for which StR, LC, and W made the cut (personal view on W: I'd say their yields to Marriott may feel luxury, but not sure if the experience does for the guest in all cases)
- as indicated previously, apparently no intention to consolidate brands
- still working on integration of loyalty, and indeed may slip past 1/1. Key issues seem to be requalification and treatment of LT members.
Interesting that integration may slip. Personally I wouldn't be unhappy with another year of the same (since I assume post integration some benefits will be lost).
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Old May 20, 2017, 7:19 am
  #861  
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Originally Posted by TravelinSperry
Interesting that integration may slip. Personally I wouldn't be unhappy with another year of the same (since I assume post integration some benefits will be lost).
I've never seen anything stating a time in 2018 and it's always been tentative at that. 1/1/18 was a speculation and continues to be.

As for benefits, yes, MR has a history of devaluation, but just maybe, they will surprise us all with a better program after everything is put together.
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Old May 20, 2017, 8:25 am
  #862  
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Originally Posted by RogerD408
As for benefits, yes, MR has a history of devaluation...
First, I'd ask which of the major programs hasn't had any devaluations over time?

Second, I'd actually say a more accurate statement would be "MR has a history of more limited devaluations than many of their competitor programs...".

Both Hilton and IHG have had much more pronounced devaluations than anything Marriott has done. And from all the complaining I can see in the Hyatt forum, it looks like Hyatt must have come down with a pretty hefty deval recently.
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Old May 20, 2017, 1:21 pm
  #863  
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Programs have to devalue: at a constant number of points/$, as the average spend goes up (with inflation), the points required for redemption must rise. Otherwise, what started out as (e.g.) a 10% (on average) rebate, will rise to 20%, 50%, . . .

They could slowly decrease point earnings (e.g. from 5 points/$ to 4.5 points/$, to 4 points/$, etc.) but that favors people who have stayed with them in the past rather than those who will stay with them, and gives people less incentive to "use up" points now, leaving the liability on the books.

For that matter, increasing the redemption prices looks like a lump of profit.
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Old May 20, 2017, 1:51 pm
  #864  
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quotes say it may be 2019, longer is better for most here

"technology platform" in "late 2018" is that before/after/unrelated to program itself?
for example, could it be one website where it takes you to either/both your accounts?
or purely behind the scenes in terms of CRM or whatever software they have running?
and of course if "late 2018" is Q4/december, can easily/likely be delayed into 2019
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Old May 22, 2017, 1:11 am
  #865  
 
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I had SPG Gold and got matched to Marriott Gold

I have re-qualify SPG Gold for next year but not yet on Marriott

Assuming no more stay till the rest of the year, will I still be Marriott gold for 2018 ?
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Old May 22, 2017, 9:01 am
  #866  
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Originally Posted by sandyph
I had SPG Gold and got matched to Marriott Gold

I have re-qualify SPG Gold for next year but not yet on Marriott

Assuming no more stay till the rest of the year, will I still be Marriott gold for 2018 ?
I suspect you will find your MR status renewed once they sweep the accounts next year. Since you haven't "earned" gold with MR, there's no event for them to send a notice.
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Old May 24, 2017, 12:39 am
  #867  
 
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Originally Posted by RogerD408
I suspect you will find your MR status renewed once they sweep the accounts next year. Since you haven't "earned" gold with MR, there's no event for them to send a notice.
noted, guess will need to wait till next year to be 100% sure though
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Old Jun 2, 2017, 10:33 am
  #868  
 
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https://www.wsj.com/articles/america...313901?tesla=y

An article in the WSJ on the Hilton/Amex deal notes:

While Hilton is now in AmEx’s win column, investors are also awaiting news about the fate of its Starwood relationship. Marriott International Inc. completed its acquisition of Starwood last year and the hotel is reviewing several scenarios, including whether to merge the Marriott and Starwood credit-card programs, or to leave them separate.

Marriott’s credit cards are issued by J.P. Morgan Chase. A decision will likely be made about the Marriott and Starwood cards by the end of the year, according to a person familiar with the matter
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Old Jun 3, 2017, 9:49 am
  #869  
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id think amex would have talked to marriott.. maybe hilton offered more, or marriott was less enthusiastic.. or, perhaps we can be optimistic that marriott was ok with amex doing hilton too, and it is simply part of ongoing discussions. amex can always try and beat the deal marriott has with chase.

finally linked my accounts, current confirmation email from SPG says >

we don't anticipate launching a newly combined program until late 2018 at the earliest
which again adds to official/executive/etc quotes i posted earlier

Last edited by Kagehitokiri; Jun 4, 2017 at 10:28 am
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Old Jun 3, 2017, 1:08 pm
  #870  
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Thanks for the heads up re: the message you received when linking your accounts. Good to know.

I read earlier that one of the credit card agreements was due to expire this year & the other in 2020 (don't know which is which though). Presumably the one expiring this year would be putting together a good deal to stay the c.c. of choice.

Cheers.
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