escapefromphl

If you have 50 nights total this year (or either separately last year) in Starwood & Marriott you should be good for Platinum. Credit card nights count as well. The Marriott business card is still giving 15 nights upon opening.

SS255

Lounge access is not a guarantee for HH Golds. If you choose breakfast as your "My Way" benefit, you will get at least a Continental breakfast, which is more than what you will get as a Marriott Gold beginning in August.

HH Golds who are upgraded to Executive Floor rooms do get lounge access. Additionally, many Hilton properties will confer lounge access to Golds even if they are not on an Executive floor. The important point to remember is that it is not guaranteed. I have been pretty lucky getting lounge access when not staying on an Executive floor -- particularly for repeat visits.

For those of us who obtained our current Marriott status through either a UA match or an SPG Gold match and who are also Hilton Gold (present company included), the lounge-accessibility factor is likely among the factors which we weigh in choosing whether to stay at a Marriott or a Hilton. I often go for Marriott over Hilton, due to the guaranteed lounge access. If my status is downgraded in the new program to where I no longer receive lounge access or breakfast, Hilton will win.

The Rewards Plus program has been great for me. I hope it continues, but I can understand why it would not (or why the newly-combined program would not give UA elites Marriott Platinum status). It really has not been a fair trade, as Marriott Gold (and future Marriott Platinum) status is worth more than United Silver status in most instances. On the other hand, I think that United Gold status is worth far more than current Marriott Gold (and future Marriott Platinum) status, so I don't really think that there is a way to make the crossover program truly equitable.

United and Marriott are businesses, so they will likely weigh the business justification for continuing the program -- and what that will look like -- more heavily than how equitable the rewards are for each company's beneficiaries.

Kacee

+1
In fact, "equity" is not really a relevant consideration from their perspective. It's all based on the determination by Marriott and UA whether the benefits they receive are worth the costs of participation. Dilution of benefits to those who have "earned" status is likely one consideration on the cost side of the ledger (particularly for Marriott).

SFOdelayed

Aussienarelle

Well I thought I had been granted lounge access due to my Gold Status when I stayed at a Hilton property in London at the beginning of the month. I needed to be in the Mayfair area and the price was right. However, there was a bit of a mixup with my original reservation but I did have lounge access for my whole stay which was four days. In reading other comments in the thread I may have been mistaken about why I had lounge access and although I am not complaining I will not assume that benefit.

Due to some of the places I travel, France and Vietnam, I am also using Accor hotels. I am fairly hotel agnostic but the Marriott lounge access did result in me choosing Marriott many times.

I am not a fan of Airbnb after a bad experience. I do use vrbo for stays of longer than a week as I like the ability to spend time somewhere other than my room (which is why I like lounge access). The largest downside to me is the deposit - I understand the reason it is just expensive.

I totally understand Marriott is a business and makes decisions based on the number of people that will choose their chain rather than another hotel. I had assumed this is why 1K members received Gold status since 1K folks travel so regularly. I am not sure Marriott chooses based on the reciprocal benefits to their members - I may be wrong in that analysis but that would be my rationale for the original business decision. Driving more travel business to Marriott. They know 1K members travel and have a spend.

nomad420

As LT HH Gold that is definitely true. On rare occasion I have been thrown a bone and given that benefit. But you are entitled to a free breakfast and depending at where you are staying that can be a nice benefit.

cova

As HH Gold through AmEx Plat card - I have been usually been given lounge access at a foreign hotel - like Australia, London, etc. where there is likely not as much competition for lounge access. USA I am usually at a Marriott. I would agree though, if you had a choice between Marriott/SPG or Hilton and Gold in each program, and are in a foreign country, you are likely better choosing Hilton for at least a chance at lounge access.

As UA 1K I have been offered Marriott Silver - but obviously don't need as LT MR Plat Premier.

Kacee

Very likely, yes. The "rule" is that they don't have to give you lounge access unless you're upgraded to an executive room, so either (i) you were upgraded to one of those (often only difference from normal room is the name), or (ii) they gave you lounge access either as a perk or because it's cheaper than giving you breakfast in the restaurant.

havefish007

Ah, so i'm not alone. Ever since I got the status match, I've always stayed in a Marriott rather than other hotel chains. Previously, I have always preferred Hyatt, Not sure if it's just happened to be my personal experience or not, Hyatt seems to be more willing to upgrade you to an actually nicer room, while Marriott doesn't really quite offer much except for higher level rooms. Of course, Hyatt usually have fewer properties and are generally more expensive which is also part of the factor why I moved to the Marriott family. With that said, for most of us who have statuses with airlines, we certainly travel a lot more than casual travelers, and actually bring businesses over from other hotel chains that creates a change in Marriott's market share. Hopefully Marriott would get to hear our voice and value our business.

IAH-OIL-TRASH

Boraxo

Yes, it will be hasta la vista to Marriott as soon as the lounge access is gone. Because at that point I will select purely on price and (for family trips) room size. Of course ROI for points will still be a factor but Hyatt provides better ROI and IC is looking much better as points needed for top Marriott properties will start to approach Hilton. Marriott was normally default choice for business trips but no more now as there are many higher quality hotels on our corp preferred list.

Karl-MDW

I am retired now and not flying very much these days. It is an old, well-known story that many Million Mile Flyers like me did not like the way we felt United downgraded us after the merger. I am thankful for the benefits that remain - like the Marriott Gold match. I have always split my hotel stays between Hilton and Marriott, but the United/Marriott Gold match moved me more toward Marriott.

However, I do not feel as strongly about the possible loss of Marriott status as I did with United's downgrading of my old Premier Executive status. My recent Marriott Gold status was a delightful reward (gift) which in the past I had earned and lost moving back and forth from Marriott to Hilton. My old Premier Executive status as a Million Miler, however, was earned and my "loyalty" seemed to have been disregarded.

nomad420

I believe HH now has an offer of being HH Diamond through one of the AmEx cards (I believe it is AmEx but not sure) which many who are HH Diamond now say is diluting the benefit which they had through hotel visits to now being able to achieve Diamond status with simply purchasing a CC. To stay on topic I am not sure if Diamond members get unfettered access to lounges world wide as I have never achieved HH Diamond status but I am sure others here will know.

kmersh

I also have Hilton Honors Gold Status through the AMEX Platinum and the wife and I have been given lounge access pretty much every time we have stayed at a Hilton property outside of the USA. With that said, we have reliably been given lounge status as well domestically, but in some cases we had to ask at check-in.

Where Hilton seems to shine is the quality of their lounges outside the USA, we still marvel at The Cavalieri Hilton Lounge (when it was still a Hilton) which is probably the best lounge that I have ever been in, full stop. We have never visited a Marriott family hotel lounge that nice and my gut says that we never will either.

SFOdelayed