This is going to be a short post about the Marriott Rewards big announcement on Monday April 16 in NYC. I did not want to wait until tomorrow’s post because by then it could have been really stale news. I will share with you some of the best blog posts that I came across in my blog roundups and some of my thoughts, enjoy!
TBB Blog Mission: To Educate. Entertain. Inspire. In That Order!
Support TBB by applying for CREDIT CARDS, shopping with our AMAZON AFFILIATE LINK & clicking our REFERRAL LINKS
First, I want you to know that I was not invited to the party by Marriott as many other bloggers did. I heard they were wined and dined and even had a private concert by some dude named Keith Urban. You know what this brings to mind? George Stephanopoulos asking Comey if he thinks Trump has been compromised. Ummm, yeah. I also find it amazing that some bloggers posted about the changes even before the meeting was over! Which means they had all the details but were asked to hold off. TBB is not compromised so I ‘ll give you my two cents…
First, some of the posts I found to be the best quality on this topic.
DansDeals – Marriott Got Almost Everything Perfect, But The Starwood AMEX Cuts Are Just Too Painful
Doctor of Credit – Marriott & SPG Merger Details – What You Need To Know
DansDeals – 3 Starwood AMEX Cards In The New Marriott Program: A Comparison Chart Of The Good, The Bad, And The Horrific
Rapid Travel Chai – Marriott-SPG: The Types of Travelers that Lose Out Look Familiar
Here is the official announcement by Marriott, if you are into corporate speak that is.
You can stop wasting your time reading other blog posts, these are all you need to know. I may add to them as the day goes by…
A few of my thoughts:
I am NOT a Marriott fan. I never was. The conservatism of the whole company always turned me off. The fact they win every single award in these Frequent Flyer awards always turned me off. They always had ridiculously high elite requirements. And they remind me of Delta. You know, not to be trusted. Buying SPG was like losing your buddy from childhood. Or something like that.
You know how the rumors started coming out in the past few weeks? I have no doubt they were deliberate (hey, bloggers serve a purpose!) so the Marriott management can get a feel how much to cut after they work out the tech issues with the merger of three programs. I have no doubt they seriously plan to implement some of these things they threw out there for testing purposes. Like instituting a minimum spending requirement for elites. Killing the airline transfer feature. And much more…
The other fact is that the Amex SPG cards become sock drawer cards in August, why would you put any spend on them if it gets just two Marriott points per dollar? If your mother in law never had the SPG cards you can still get them (with my links of course!) before they are taken away, at 25,000 SPG points each good for 75,000 Marriott Rewards points or 30,000 airline miles.
I am shocked they are keeping the airline transfer feature and they may be expanding it. I thought for sure that will be gone. Remember, we are still in the goodwill “lets not piss off the SPG members” phase. Give it some time and I expect in 2019 that this too will be gone.
Same with the airline packages benefit too so better grab those soon as they are sure to be devalued starting in 2019. As is everything else.
The off-peak and peak categories sure sounds like revenue based burning to me. Again, I am suspicious of Marriott so you know where I stand 🙂
Getting Platinum via credit card spend will require a ridiculous amount of money. When you can get Diamond with Hilton’s Aspire card. Yeah, yeah, I know, you are not guaranteed them suites. But the bottom line is you were likely going to get them at Hilton anyway. I noticed some chatter that members will be leaving for Hilton. Please don’t as I think about doing that myself (going all Hilton) as that will impact my upgrades lol.
I said something controversial a week ago. Is it time to go free agent on hotels? Aspire to stay in Airbnb and rent places? The old days of staying in luxury for free are gone. Signup bonuses may get you one free luxury night these days, that’s it, boo! With travel rewards bank restrictions out there, does it make sense to waste premium card slots in hotel rewards credit cards? I am not so sure anymore. Of course what I am saying will not help my own conversions here because I am not out to fake my enthusiasm about these things so I can sell more plastic as most bloggers do. Maybe that’s why my conversions are so low lol!
I need to burn some of my last SPG points (thanks to son!) and maybe I pick up a Marriott business card for the occasional stay I may have…
The end…
Now watch how bloggers whose livelihood depends on the future of these loyalty programs soften everything up and then pump the credit cards. Because…conversions!
If you do go for the cards, throw me a bone here please, thank you.
And that’s all TBB wrote. I am NOT compromised!
And I leave you with this…She is desperate!
TBB
travelbloggerbuzz@gmail.com
Follow TBB on Twitter @FlyerTalkerinA2
You can subscribe to TBB below, winners only!
Opinions expressed here are author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.
First!
SPG… So long, farewell auf wiedersehen goodbye… it was nice knowing you…
In all seriousness, the Airbnb thought is very true. In planning an upcomg vacation I opted to spend seven nights at an Airbnb rather than a hotel, saved me over 60%
Does Marriott still ban soft porn at its properties?
And what’s the best credit card to use to pay for soft porn?
I’ll answer that one-a VGC.
Thanks for the.links!
It started already…
OCAAT
“INCREDIBLE” in headline and “HUGE” in body of post about SPG redemptions LOL
Are they paid to distribute the “information” or is it about access to power and maintaining “inside” information? Or is it about selling the dream and get paid when the new CCs come out?
I am especially surprised that Frequent Miler could see so many “wins” (“The huge wins in yesterday’s Marriott announcement”). As a travel hacker, devaluing the SPG AMEX card is hugh loss. Only salespeople stay >50 nights at a Marriott.
The biggest loser: AMEX.
Respect to DD.
Holy Pump!
9 Reasons I’m Now Focused on Earning Marriott Points and Elite Status – The Points Guy
Amazing…These guys have no nerve…what do they see in the mirror? Probably the conversions meter LOL
As of now I have about 585k Marriott points… I’m seriously considering calling in today and doing 2 packages of 7 nights at cat 5 + 120k Alaska miles. Any thoughts?
The hiltonization of TBB continues… You can’t seem to mention hotels without bringing up team H.
On a side note… no chance the super high-end SPG properties will become bookable at 60k, calling it right now, no matter what the cc pumpers say.
Check it out, Ethiopia Danakil Depression. Had never heard of this place:
https://www.theatlantic.com/photo/2018/04/travel-monday-a-photo-trip-to-ethiopias-danakil-depression/558128/
@ArtemisLongFellow: Is this a first First? Congrats! Soon, when we are all out of hotel points…it will be the Airbnbization phase 🙂
@MrNice: Thoughts and prayers for the Amex SPG cards starting in August. SPG program in January 2019.
@Sam: I did not want to mention the porn ban too 🙂
@Dml: Thanks again. One day soon when I see your comment I will look outside and it will be Spring. But, at the moment, it is snowing again.
@ABC: When you receive free anything from businesses that your own business depends on…what do you expect? This ‘hobby” is all about selling the dream = conversions by big businesses masquerading as uncompromised objective (lol) friendly bloggers helping readers and their friends and families travel for freeeeee.
Elite bennies will go to company salespeople on company dime, true road warriors…the way it should have always been but took almost a couple of decades to get to it. Just like airlines took care of the elite bennies for them requiring $$$ spent and butt in seat miles.
Not surprising Amex will lose that one. But staying in the picture means….no signup bonuses in points but small $ credits, boooooo!
@ Brenton: If I was you and had that many and could use them I would definitely do this sooner rather than later. As in…before 2019!
@Phil: I really like Hiltons! I despise Marriotts and was always opportunistic about Starwood properties, more miss than hit with them. If I had that many SPG points I would still not burn them in their high end properties. But that is just ME! I am actually considering dropping the Amex Business Plat card once and for all and getting the Amex Hilton Aspire card and going exclusively Hilton going forward. But I would not recommend it as I totally understand the ridiculous devaluations of the Hiltons. But, again, I really like my Hilton stays man! Or going the other way…as in going full blown free agent and just picking off totally free stays opportunistically as we have been doing for two decades lol.
@Cool pics, dude: Thanks! I have featured this place before. With some of the pictures on your link. But it looks like they may have added to them so it is definitely worthy to share here. Consider this an HT in advance 🙂
I was never a big Marriott person either. The only two things I cared about were SPG Amex card changes and the future of airline transfers (straight and hotel + air pkgs).
The Amex card is now a lead balloon. Not even sure if it will be worth keeping for the annual night, but it sure as hell won’t be a top of wallet card now. So sad. A shame since the airline options are greater with SPG transfers than UR, MR, or TYP.
Like you, I’m sure the airline transfers will be devalued at some point – probably announced around Jan 2019 or so. Not that it matters much with the loss of CC earning. I saw somewhere in all this that Marriott mentioned it will be making the Hotel + Air Pkgs “simpler and more consistent”. We all know what that really means – take the least valuable package level of today and that will be the ratio for all, or at least more, airlines in the future.
I’m hotel free agent and have been for awhile. Doesn’t mean I don’t take advantage of the programs on an ad hoc basis, but I don’t go out of my way anymore.
That’s exactly where I’m at. Even if Alaska devalues their award chart, I’m worried that Marriott will do more damage when they get rid of everything that credits 120k vs 85k in the packages.
It is shocking that Alaska has not followed the big boys in their big devaluation mode yet!
Amex card – lead baloon.
George, excellent roundup of Marriott nonsense. I am amused as I read the comments on blogs, Reddit etc and see “the whining, the screams, the vows of how could Amex due this to them, I am cancelling my Amex Platinum” The funny thing here is that most people like myself poached Gold Status with the Amex Platinum not by staying at Marriott. Marriott is just “culling the herd” and dumping the deadbeats.
I am more of a Hilton person. Maybe, once or twice stayed at Marriott and enjoyed the lounge and free breakfast. I do not do Airbnb as an owner of rental units and put in the lease NO renting out of your unit. Many Airbnb are illegal operations w/o owner consent and would rather not have to sneak around on my travels.
Remember “When things are good you make the most of it, when they change you move on” As this is not France, you will get no cheese with that whine!
Interesting on your Airbnb stance. My kid and his friends do not look at hotels at all these days, hostels and Airbnbs only!
I love feta cheese #fortherecord 🙂
I have enjoyed the private room in hostels. I also thinking exposure and liability. If someone stays in an illegal Airbnb (like in one of my units) fall and get hurt. If they sue me, I don’t want to take the chance of not being covered due to it now being a commercial establishment not a private home. Like with the Game we play everyone has to decide their tolerance level.
I agree with Phil — the possibility of cheaper award redemptions for ultra-deluxe properties that everyone is gushing about isn’t gonna happen.
Another thing that everyone seems all optimistic about that I don’t see happening (or it will be very short lived):
Placement of Starwood properties in the lower categories. I think you have to add about one to the category of former Starwoods that all the bloggers are predicting.
All of a sudden everyone is all excited about the free Marriott night with the CC. While I agree there might be a couple new nice options with Starwoods, people seem to be forgetting how hard to get decent value out of those it had become with Marriott inflating the levels of hotels. Yeah, you can get your suburban/interstate Courtyard for the $89 fee instead of regular $135. Yawn. They inflated/devalued the really good places long ago. I’ve tried, but never could really justify keeping the Marriott cards more than a year and I don’t see that really changing much.
I agree with pretty much everything you wrote.
Expecting the worst and hoping for the best.
Looking at the guys running Marriott, I am sorry, I always expect the worst…
George, 3 things:
1. A press embargo is not a thing to mess with if you want to keep getting insider news invitations to events. I wasn’t wined and dined by Marriott because I’m not important (#sadface), but when it happens, I do comply with the requests.
2. Not sure when you say it’s easy to get upgrade to suites with Hilton. I was Diamond for a year and stayed at HH a few times — never an upgrade to a suite, unless I paid for it (in BKK). If anything, I did get a few suite upgrades as a Gold with Marriott, CC, and even SPG (in Lima).
3. I’ve found myself staying in Vacation Rentals more and more, but don’t just stick with Airbnb. Being a free agent means checking more options. I’ve found that the same exact properties can be cheaper at Airbnb, Homeaway, or Booking.com. The prices are all over the place, so do your research.
I never get the invites man…Maybe they don’t trust I will be a good fan boy. I don’t know. Bottom line is: You write stuff they do not approve and you won’t be getting any more invites to these events 🙂
I always felt Hilton hotels were happy to see me there and SPG/Marriotts always made me feel I should be happy I am privileged to stay in their properties. I don’t know what it is. I have good record in Hilton upgrades. But maybe my expectations are lower so when it happens it makes me feel really good. This game is really set about…expectations. Like my latest Kimpton stay…I expected the moon and got coal!
I am very interested how to move on from hotels with vacation rentals, etc. Maybe it is where the hotel loyalty game goes…Time always tells.
George, I owe you lunch in AA.
I call this “A huge devaluation in disguise”. 33% on SPG points earned with CC, which is the main way how you gain these points. Higher categories Marriott hotels, currently 45000 MR points will not map to the same level of points, but one of the highest new levels (60000 points or higher). This is an educated guess. The combination of both devaluations is going to be a killer.
AMEX is a loser in this transaction. Business owners the put all the spent in the SPG business card will look for other cards. I don’t understand how after the Costco fiasco, AMEX let this happen.
Anytime, let me know.
I think Marriott is still in the “lets not pissoff too much the SPG members” phase and it is going to get much uglier in 2019.
Yeah, I know, AMEX is being taken to the cleaners again…something is wrong in management #rotten