Marriott (Ritz) and Starwood merger?

[George K]

Got an email this afternoon:

The Ritz-Carlton®and Starwood have great loyalty programs. We intend to draw upon the very best of both Ritz-Carlton Rewards and Starwood Preferred Guest® (SPG®) to provide even more value to our members.

Here are just a few of the future opportunities we're excited about: • Giving our members access to our collective portfolio of 5,500 hotels and resorts in

more than 100 countries. • Offering even more unique benefits to help members pursue their passions and

greater opportunities for exclusive, once-in-a-lifetime experiences. • Personalized and relevant service before, during and after the hotel stay. In the meantime, we’re actively exploring ways to build bridges between the programs to further enhance your experience.

I wonder if I'll be able to use my AGR points at the Ritz?

 

[jis]

Actually it is Marriott acquiring Starwood. Marriott already owns Ritz. Now let us see how they shuffle the loyalty programs. So far Marriott has kept the Ritz program separate from the Marriott program.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

So far Marriott has kept the Ritz program separate from the Marriott program.

Ritz-Carlton hotels are operated separately and their training and management are superior, but both companies pull from the same labor pool and their loyalty programs are largely interchangeable at this point. Ritz hotels are simply considered another tier above Marriott's own brands. Marriott's written benefits are among the least generous in the hotel loyalty market and soon Marriott's reward benefit methodology will be part of Starwood. Most of what Marriott provides to loyal customers comes from individual hotel management rather than the primary loyalty program itself. It's a shame that this merger is being allowed.

 

[George K]

Last month I transferred 30K points from my Chase Sapphire program to Marriotts.

Just tried to book a Ritz room (New Orleans). It said I needed more points (which I could purchase) to reach a threshold of 50K.

So, I would appear that Marriott and Ritz points are interchangeable.

Hopefully, Starwood will be as well.

 

[Manny T]

I've been a member of Marriott Rewards for 20 years or so and could not be more satisfied. It's brought me to Marriott properties all over the world where there is a very high quality, uniform standard of service--the training is service oriented and company-wide. There are about a dozen different brands from very basic to resort-style, some cater to families, others to business, many suitable for long term stays. The Ritz hotels are a very small part of the equation. Don't know where Marriott ranks on the "generosity" scale because I don't belong to another hotel program; but I do like one feature of their rewards--if you use loyalty points to book 4 nights, they give you a fifth night free (no additional points). To me that seems generous.

What the merger with Starwood will bring imo is some hipness to the chain, by bringing the W hotels into the fold. I for one can't wait. If Amtrak service was half as customer-oriented and consistent as Marriott, no-one on this forum would be complaining imho.

One year I was Select on AGR and Platinum on Marriott Rewards. By Dec. 31 I didn't have enough points to renew either. On Jan. 1 Amtrak knocked off my Select status. Guess what Marriott did? Marriott renewed my Platinum status for another year. That's generous!

 

[willem]

I was mostly indifferent to hotel chains until I had three bad experiences at Marriott properties, almost in a row. I recognize that this could be coincidence, but Marriott has lots of competition.

Don't know where Marriott ranks on the "generosity" scale because I don't belong to another hotel program; but I do like one feature of their rewards--if you use loyalty points to book 4 nights, they give you a fifth night free (no additional points).

Hilton does this, too. It is nice.

If Amtrak service was half as customer-oriented and consistent as Marriott, no-one on this forum would be complaining imho.

Unfortunately for me, I can't walk away in a huff and take my business to Amtrak's competitor.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

It's brought me to Marriott properties all over the world where there is a very high quality, uniform standard of service--the training is service oriented and company-wide. There are about a dozen different brands from very basic to resort-style, some cater to families, others to business, many suitable for long term stays.

I've stayed with every major brand Marriott offers and I've seen some surprising disparities over the years. That being said, compared to highly inconsistent services like Amtrak staying at a Marriott brand is nearly identical to every other stay at that same brand.

What the merger with Starwood will bring imo is some hipness to the chain, by bringing the W hotels into the fold. I for one can't wait. If Amtrak service was half as customer-oriented and consistent as Marriott, no-one on this forum would be complaining imho.

The W chain is "hip" in a way that seems focused on folks in their twenties while being priced for guests in their fifties. I still don't understand the concept to be perfectly honest. Unless the W is primarily intended to appeal to snooty trust fund babies. In which case it actually makes perfect sense.

I was mostly indifferent to hotel chains until I had three bad experiences at Marriott properties, almost in a row. I recognize that this could be coincidence, but Marriott has lots of competition.

Marriott had a lot more competition before they were allowed to swallow up Starwood. Today Marriott is so large that competition from other hotel chains is probably among the least of their concerns.

 

[sechs]

I think that we can be assured that Starwood Preferred Guest will go away in the next couple years. The question is, which of it's positive features will Marriott pick up.