Starwood program not worth trying vs. Marriott
Apr 2, 2018, 3:29 pm
#61
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Join Date: Jun 2007
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Apr 2, 2018, 4:06 pm
#62
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Location: MCI
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Apr 5, 2018, 5:05 am
#64
Join Date: Oct 2012
Posts: 6
Duplicate post
Last edited by eleen; Apr 5, 2018 at 5:06 am Reason: Duplicate post
Apr 5, 2018, 5:05 am
#65
Join Date: Oct 2012
Posts: 6
I tried Marriot "only" for almost 20 months after being a long time SPG platinum. I was intrigued by having a single program due to my travels sometimes taking me to the hinterlands and SPG coverage outside of cities is poor. I did about 100 bed nights with Marriot over that time, plus 7 or 8 small meetings (10 elite nights is a great benefit). 80% of my stays are at Ritz/Luxury Collection type properties in a few locations and it covers me making platinum each year. This year I went back to SPG full time this year.
I learned a few things in my time in Marriot land.
SPGs customer support is light years ahead of Marriot's. Small issues with Marriot would be painful to resolve on the phone and major issues could be sorted out via Chat with SPG. Lately, I tell the service people at SPG I hope they take over or at least influence Marriot when things are combined, but I am not hopeful.
Marriot low-end properties (Courtyard/Springfield-Fairfield Inn/etc...) really suck. Granted SPGs are not that great either, so I'll just be a free agent in the hinterlands and book the best hotel be it Hilton or Best Western (Had decent stays with them, lol) or Marriwood.
Marriot has some great boutique properties.
Redemptions in big cities are better for Marriot than Starwood. Redemptions in peak vacation destinations are vastly superior with SPG.
Platinum recognization is better with SPG.
Points generation is better with SPG.
I learned a few things in my time in Marriot land.
SPGs customer support is light years ahead of Marriot's. Small issues with Marriot would be painful to resolve on the phone and major issues could be sorted out via Chat with SPG. Lately, I tell the service people at SPG I hope they take over or at least influence Marriot when things are combined, but I am not hopeful.
Marriot low-end properties (Courtyard/Springfield-Fairfield Inn/etc...) really suck. Granted SPGs are not that great either, so I'll just be a free agent in the hinterlands and book the best hotel be it Hilton or Best Western (Had decent stays with them, lol) or Marriwood.
Marriot has some great boutique properties.
Redemptions in big cities are better for Marriot than Starwood. Redemptions in peak vacation destinations are vastly superior with SPG.
Platinum recognization is better with SPG.
Points generation is better with SPG.
Apr 5, 2018, 9:01 am
#66
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: SLC/HEL/Anywhere with a Beach
Programs: Marriott Ambassador; AA EXP 3MM; AS MVP, Hilton Gold, CH-47/UH-60/C-23/C-130 VET
Posts: 5,234
I absolutely concur. SPG CS tend to be consistently good. It is really like comparing SIA service to some others arlines I am not going to mention here. I am really considering checking out the other hotel chains, though I am still hanging on to the hope that the SPG programme, and the Starwood hotels service level will be retained. The lousy service from Marriott and the condition of some of their properties are a real put off.
What are people calling customer service about that they are differentiating between Marriott and SPG?
I do like the lurkers here!
Apr 5, 2018, 12:09 pm
#67
Join Date: Feb 2017
Programs: LT Marriott Titanium, Hyatt Globalist, Hilton Diamond, IHG Plat, Hertz Prez Circle, United Platinum
Posts: 767
I absolutely concur. SPG CS tend to be consistently good. It is really like comparing SIA service to some others arlines I am not going to mention here. I am really considering checking out the other hotel chains, though I am still hanging on to the hope that the SPG programme, and the Starwood hotels service level will be retained. The lousy service from Marriott and the condition of some of their properties are a real put off.
I have zero problems staying at either hotel chain, but to disparage Marriott service and property condition compared to Starwood is quite humorous. Your personal bias is showing.
Apr 5, 2018, 12:12 pm
#68
Join Date: Feb 2017
Programs: LT Marriott Titanium, Hyatt Globalist, Hilton Diamond, IHG Plat, Hertz Prez Circle, United Platinum
Posts: 767
I'm find comments about corporate customer service comparing Marriott to SPG in these threads interesting. I have several thousand nights at Marriott and a few hundred in Hilton, SPG, etc. Yet the times I've called corporate customer service at any chain over these several thousand nights is certainly less than 20 ... maybe less than 10. I know I've called SPG customer service twice as a plat and didn't get help on a trip diversion/cancellation inside the cancellation window. They just said they would check with the hotel and then came back and said I was out of luck (I've never had this issue at Marriott). I've probably called Marriott a few times and they've always accommodated me on cancellations and maintaining my status while deployed.