CodeAdam10

"lol"

Rowyourboat

I think it's a pretty reasonable mistake to make. At every hotel you see those cards that say SPG/Marriott/Ritz, now one family or program or whatever. OP is probably a normal traveler who didn't read the rules carefully and assumed their nights would add up.

The OP definitely overreacted, and his tone might have been part of being shot down. I remember when I was doing a platinum challenge that I was short a few nights but had them booked for a week or two outside my window. The SPG desk decided to grant me platinum status because I was so close and because my SPG+Marriott history (combined) showed I could sustain Platinum level. They didn't have to do that but asking nicely goes a long way :-)

MarkOK

When I decided a year ago that I needed to stop being a freelancer and had enough travel to start concentrating nights, I decided Hyatt was the way to go for me, because their program I think is great and the so called limited footprint doesn't matter to my travel patterns (they have nice destination locations for just about anywhere I want to vacation, and if anything, Hyatt's are usually the most convenient for much of my work travel at conferences, which are 1 out of 4 times at Hyatt Regencies themselves).

Anyways, I was rather dumbfounded and still is about this one-company, two-programs thing going post merger. SPG appears to me to have a 'decent' top program and great portfolio of hotels in bigger city centers, but when I looked city after city of my travel patterns, SPG wasn't appetizing in many places (with just Aloft, not great Sheratons, and four points as options). But, in those places there are great Marriott branded options. In other places, SPG would be preferred. I felt that getting top status in either would be a frustration in choosing status or choosing the better hotel. In most of these places, there was at least a Hyatt Regency though. Anyways, I 'get' the OPs frustration from the standpoint that you can't be great customers to both, you have to choose one. Marriott should fix this

C17PSGR

I actually get OP's issue. If he stayed 100 nights at both, I would think they ought to make an exception. In the old days, I remember getting gold at MR even though I only had 48 nights. It's definitely worked to their advantage as I'm now a 125-150 night a year guy.

I'll confess I'm having a hard time understanding how OP managed to not qualify as a plat in either program. I think we're actually a pretty sharing group and would have given advice to OP on how to best qualify.

As for me, I was checking out a few different SPG properties over the year and realized in the fall that I only had 80 nights in Marriotts and 25 nights in SPG and was worried about not requalifying for PP since I know the two don't get combined so I shifted my stays back to mainly Marriotts. One hopes that since we are supposed to have a combined program in 2019, they might start to disclose if they are going to do anything different with 2018 nights in both programs ...

So, the rules are pretty clear and surprised that OP didn't qualify with 100 nights but agree that not giving some leeway under the circumstances does seem shortsighted. That being said, the Plat Challenge in one of the programs might be a quick solution. I'm also Diamond at Hilton but don't have a good enought sense to compare to Hyatts where I stay a few times a year but don't have any status.

hockeyinsider

Getting off-topic, but I think there are two reasons for why it is taking so long to combine three programs into one:

(1) Pushback from owners and franchised management companies, particularly Marriott legacy properties, like resorts, that don't want to extend benefits that SPG offered.
(2) They had a program designed but saw the debacle with Hyatt's new program and re-did it to avoid a Hyatt-esque disaster.

mahasamatman

And I'm sure there are plenty of SPG legacy properties who don't want to extend benefits that Marriott offered (like free brekfast for Gold members).

hockeyinsider

I think you offer gold members a continental breakfast or, if there's a lounge, breakfast in the lounge. For platinum or whatever the top level ends up being called, you offer a restaurant breakfast. Maybe not even buffet, but just one entree and beverage. If Marriott did this and standardized breakfast at resorts and Ritz-Carlton properties then I'd be happy.

The combined program needs to get breakfast right because there are too many Marriott properties, particularly Autograph Collection properties, breaking the spirit of the breakfast benefit by offering a voucher that barely buys anything off the menu.

RZR

Op should have posted , " Jeez , I was I would have read the terms and conditions to reach top tier status" , not come on hear and rant about how he feels he got screwed.

dunno282

so wait.... you made your own rules and you're mad that SPG/Marriott isn't willing to accept it? I've had over 330 nights a year (long-term stay for work) for the past 3 years. By your definition, I'm supposed to be a super elite customer but I don't expect SPG/Marriott to bend the rules for me. If next year I only get 49 nights and don't make it to PLT, it's on me...not SPG.

mahasamatman

I'd like to see that, but I'm sure even that's a lot more than SPG properties would like to include. Some properties even do whatever then can to refuse lounge access to Platinum members!

yosithezet

Folks,
Many of the posts in this thread discuss the character of the poster rather than the facts at hand. Please remember that FT rules expressly prohibit getting personal with other posters. Please keep the discussion to the merits of the content rather than the intentions of the poster.

Thanks,
yosithezet
Co-Moderator, SPG Forum

tkelsay

Can anyone confirm that Hyatt is actually doing status matches now? I'm somewhat reluctant to believe OP based on the short post history but I guess I see no reason for him to lie that Hyatt is matching him. I tried to status match for months and no-go so I've decided to slog it out with nights. From recent data points, Hyatt appears to not be matching status but I suppose that could have changed just recently.

Eastbay1K

They did make things right, i.e., I assume you have mid-tier elite status in both programs. SPG Gold provides my most important benefit, i.e., 4pm checkout. (As a Lifetime Plat, I need not worry about this as long as SPG remains alive, but even in my approximately one year of Gold during the program, I'd have been a fool to give up my Gold late checkout out of spite, had I missed status by a short bit.)

Slatco

What's the big deal with a Platinum challenge? 9 stays in 90 days is easy. You're platinum all through the challenge. Lounge access, upgrades and all the other benefits. It would have been nice to have them grant you status based upon your stays at both properties, but I suspect there's legal reason for not doing so. They do it for you, they have to do it for everyone - hence the Platinum challenge offer. It offers an easy solution to an uncomfortable situation. I don't see how you're losing out here. You're still Platinum through the 90 days of challenge.

Dave510

You don't get Platinum while doing the challenge.