Marriott started its new program on Saturday, with the Marriott Rewards, Starwood Preferred Guest, and Ritz-Carlton Rewards programs all converging on a single set of rules for earning, redemption, and benefits.
All three programs keep their own names until next year, but they’re now essentially the same for better and for worse.
Starwood Preferred Guest has moved onto the Marriott IT platform. Marriott brought their system down on Saturday to transition everything over. (Loyalty programs always do these things on Saturdays for good reason.)
IT is hard, and things haven’t gone as smoothly as we would have hoped. Awards haven’t been redeemable at all properties, and for some it’s been sporadic. However for the most part systems are now largely functional on Monday afternoon. But not for members whose accounts show the wrong status.
The new program is confusing to some members who don’t know what their status is supposed to be, since the new program largely keeps the Starwood nomenclature — 25 night status is Gold while 50 night status is Platinum, and 75 night status is a level above Platinum (now “Platinum Premier”). Marriott called 50 night status Gold and 75 night status Platinum.
The way to understand what status you’re supposed to have is to ignore status names and pay attention to number of nights. If you earned 25 night status, that makes you gold. If you earned 50 night status, that makes you platinum. If you earned 75 night status that makes you platinum premier. If you spent $75,000 on a Ritz-Carlton credit card and became platinum that was 75 night status, so it maps to platinum premier.
However this isn’t quite showing up correctly for all members in Marriott’s systems. For instance some folks that should only be Gold appear to have Platinum status. That was a nice surprise in their accounts.
@garyleff @OneMileataTime @FrequentMiler @LoyaltyLobby This is NOT how a former MR Gold (matched from a lowly 10 stays SPG Gold) is supposed to map into the newly merged MR/SPG program, right? Hoping for the best, though! 😀😀😀 pic.twitter.com/ZkBoJXrPWg
— Roni Walakandou (@roniwalakandou) August 20, 2018
However others found that Marriott shows them with a lower status than they’re supposed to have. For instance some Platinum Premier members appear just to be Platinum.
They’re working on resolving this. Calling will generally not help, and Marriott knows this. If you’re checking into a hotel and your account shows a higher status at that time, you should receive the benefits of that higher status.
If you are checking into a hotel and your account shows a lower status than you’re supposed to have is a little more interest. Marriott tells me, “If a member has been mistakenly moved down in status, we have advised our properties to recognize their correct status once notified by the member.”
In other words, hotels are supposed to take you at your word about your elite status level right now.
- You won’t get advance room assignments based on your correct status, since you’re going to be having this conversation at check-in.
- It’s unclear how consistently hotels will deliver on the status benefits you tell them you’re supposed to have.
- However they’re supposed to simply take your word for it. Why can I envision Marriott check-ins all over the world going something like a conversation with Jon Lovitz?
Marriott expects to bring the ability to bring the ability to combine your accounts online this afternoon. Starwood members are now on the Marriott platform, and existing SPG account numbers now map to a Marriott-style account number. Anyone that wants to combine an account from more than one program has to do that on a self-serve basis (even if you’ve already ‘linked’ your account sometime since the merger closed). Combining accounts will mean combining elite qualifying activity from both accounts. That means some members will qualify for higher status.
If you’re a legacy Starwood member looking to qualify for Platinum status with 25 stays this year that’s still allowed and combining your accounts won’t interfere with this. You’ll just have to make sure all 25 stays are at legacy Starwood brand properties. You cannot count Marriott bookings towards the stay-based qualification method.
In the meantime if Marriott isn’t showing your proper status online and you’ve got a check-in coming up before they sort it out you’re just supposed to tell the hotel that and they should provide the benefits associated with your level like upgrades, breakfast, lounge access, and late check-out.
For as long as this situation remains (and I have to think it won’t be long) my plan for Marriott check-ins is going to go something like this:
What a mess. For hotels that upgrade elites early in the day, they’re going to give the better upgrades to *fake* Platinums while *real* Platinums (Platinum Premiers) have to hope for an upgrade at check-in. Whoever thought it was a good idea to do this integration during the summer should be fired. This could’ve waited until October/November.
So my status on Marriott rightfully says Platinum. My status on my SPG account (with new Marriott number) incorrectly says Platinum (it should be gold). So when I check in to my two rooms next week, I’ll let them know I’m platinum and my mother-in-law is platinum premier 100. (she’s never stayed in a Marriott hotel)
Also, I have no idea where my points from my last AMEX SPG statement closing went? It didn’t go to my SPG, now Marriott account. Is it just in limbo?
Good grief people, there are bigger issues in the world today than if you don’t get status for a stay or two. It will all work out in time. It’s technology. How many times have you rebooted your computer or phone in your lifetime? It’s not the end of the world.
I may have to book some stays now that I’ve stepped up to Platinum. 😉
IT system is completely FUBAR’d. LT Plat and haven’t been able to get into account or book on app or website for 3 days now. You would have thought they would focus getting their elites up and running first, but it appears its random who can access the system.
Gary: I achieved SPG Platinum based on 25 stays prior to the integration. After the integration the SPG app shows I need an extra 15 nights to achieve Platinum Elite for next year. Is that a mistake or Marriott won’t honor Platinum status for 2019 that was achieved based on stays?
All of my SPG points have disappeared. My reward stay for Nov. 30 is gone. Cannot even log onto my SPG account anymore, it sends me to Marriott, and my account is empty. It is now 2:00pm CDT and the merger accounts are not working.
Both apps need to be updated to access the websites.
It’s amazing how people forget that when you take tens of millions of accounts across three platforms, and combine them, and each has new and different characteristics and criteria it may take some time. Just document what you see along the way with screenshots and when the dust settles, if something isn’t right, contact them.
Yikes! I logged on and suddenly I am Platinum Elite! Will they catch the error and downgrade me? Should I not say a thing? I was Gold through my AmEx cards previously.
The only reason why Marriott kept the Starwood nomenclature was because they wanted to devalue the gold status, which is earned by a lot of credit cards and the RewardsPlus partnership. The new Marriott Rewards program is a complete disaster, and it’s not just due to IT. A lot of confusing changes were made with the motivation being to devalue everything everywhere but make it hard for people to find out. And the way that they’re handling category 6 and 8 travel packages is a complete disgrace. I will not be booking any Marriott hotels in the future. I’ve already booked 2 Hiltons and a Hyatt since finding out that I overpaid 30k points for my category 8 travel package.
I am gold with Marriott and platinum elite with Starwood on my two separate logins. Status nor points combined yet.
@Gary – To earn ambassador status (P100 without $20k spend), do all nights have to be in legacy SPG properties through 12/31?
Trying to figure out whether to avoid Marriott proprieties the rest of the year… Thanks
@Gary – My Chase Ritz Visa MR Gold status doesn’t appear to have translated to the new MR Platinum … as of Monday 8/20/18.
Hopefully this clears up…
I’m missing all stays from July 18th forward. Showing 55 nights versus the correct 65.
Its a disaster the titanic merger of the century.
My Starwood stays can no longer be seen at all
My status is lower and I’m a lifetime Platinum
My Starwood points are missing completely hundreds of thousands missing points
There is no way to link merge or eliminate one account number as originally promised
I’m prepared to go to court and sue if need be to fight these criminals
Shame on Marriott and their horrible customer service
They should have taken their time and been fully prepared to launch this with great execution
Had my travel agent cancel all my overseas SPG/Marriott booking to play safe
They suck!!!!
First thing this morning, my Starwood status was correct (Lifetime Gold) and my Marriott status was Platinum Premier (incorrect).
Now, when I log in to spg.com, all my points are gone, my upcoming stay in Austin this Thursday is not showing, and my status is gone. When I log in to marriott.com, same thing. In both instances, it’s taking me to the Ritz-Carlton page.
Should I be concerned – especially about my Sheraton reservation in Austin that is now NOT showing up anywhere?
This is dreadful!! I miss SPG already.
My SPG account now shows my Marriott points total and stay numbers, my SPG points seem to have vanished.
Was Platinum with Marriott prior to integration (and comped SPG Platinum), and shows Platinum still. I thought the chart published prior to integration shows Platinum Elite will be Platinum Premier Elite after 8/18. Am I missing something?
My lifetime status was SPG Gold and both sites show me aaa working toward lifetime silver with no earned lifetime status . Ugh
Forget about calling – looooong hold times – just wait it out .
“A lot of confusing changes were made with the motivation being to devalue everything everywhere but make it hard for people to find out.”
In that respect, this merger has been a complete success! Making the change during the summer travel season instead of at the end of a status-counting year was extra brilliant. This is even more entertaining than the Continental/UA merger.
” if Marriott isn’t showing your proper status online and you’ve got a check-in coming up before they sort it out you’re just supposed to tell the hotel that and they should provide the benefits associated with your level like upgrades, breakfast, lounge access, and late check-out.”
@Gary: Did you have to suggest this? When I check into a Marriott next week, am I going to have to wait in line behind a dozen people claiming they’re entitled to the Presidential Suite and a “welcome gift” bottle of Krug?
This comment board is hilarious to read. Thank goodness none of you fools work in an ER or the patients would be dead on arrival. This is not something to panic over; it’s an IT glitch. It certainly isn’t something of a Titanic proportion.
Anyone cried wolf lately?
At least I got some good laughs today!
I spent $10K on the Ritz card by mid July. My status shows as “Platinum Elite” on the Marriott website. Is this correct, or should it be “Platinum Premier”?
I love how a silly little regular Marriott/SPG member like me that hasn’t even stayed in any of their properties, somehow got bumped up to silver elite status post-merger despite never being close to qualifying.
I just checked in to a Delta by Marriott. although my app says I’m platinum Elite, there system shows I’m gold member. which is the correct status.
re: Santastico. I too was under the impression from earlier discussions via blogs, Marriott Q and A’s and Flyertalk that by achieving 25 stays before August 1st, 2018 I’d be Platinum Elite at minimum until Feb. 2020.
I want to recall seeing it would be Platinum Preferred Elite due to a status match from SPG 2019 (SPG gold to Marriott Plat, SPG Plat to Marriott Plat Preferred) but am struggling to find that wording from earlier this year.
Would love to hear an educated reply to this scenario: where do SPG Platinums who achieved via 25 stays before Aug. 1 land in 2019 / 2020?
Thanks in advance.
On Friday I had 74 SPG nights and 1225 Lifetime nights (17 years Platinum), Luckily I took screen shots of my account info. (learned that from the UA/CO Mileage Merger!)
Never got the e-mail from SPG/Marriott informing me of new #
Logged on to SPG this am and was informed of new number. Fine.
Looked at my profile and Boom – 64 Qualification nights. Huh?
Apparently Marriott does not count Award nights as a Qualified Night.
Contacted my Ambassador and they were stumped too…
The mystery Continues.
Interestingly, I never had a Marriott Rewards account, yet this morning I got 200 additional lifetime nights!
The Mystery Continues…
This is a mess. As a Lifetime Platinum SPG, my biggest fear was not being credited as such. Instead, I am Plat Elite? Marriott said we’d receive Lifetime Status when they merged. I DO understand that these things take time. However, I recall how many of us Lifetime folk asked specifically. SO many. I would think that getting that Lifetime Plat Status would be a priority. And I have 2 stays this weekend and an SNA pending. I’m not even sure whom to contact, as I’ve never been a Marriott fan. I just hope it is fixed by the weekend.
About 10 hours after you post this blog, my status has finally reverted to (a pretty much useless) Gold, as expected …….
@Roni —> Yup…Saturday I was Gold; Sunday _________; yesterday Platinum Elite (even my card in Apple Wallet showed that status level); and today, Gold Elite….
The Marriott giveth, and the Marriott taketh away.
I’m kind of surprised that these mistakes aren’t being fixed. And despite directions, I’m unable to view my old SPG account. The points are wrong. There are more but not TRIPLE the amount. And I stayed at Sheraton on Saturday night- nothing posted from that stay. The worst though, is getting my status wrong. I’m a Lifetime Plat, not a Plat Elite. In addition, I have no idea how to contact them, or if I should even try? I have 2 stays this weekend and just hope the SNAs go through. But given that I have a new number, a lower status, and less points, I’m not counting on it. How long do we wait for corrections?
@dwondermeant
Holy drama queen!! Tell me a major IT systems upgrade/merger that has gone smooth with no issues? Calm down and let them fix everything before you jump off the cliff.
My status is still showing Platinum when it should be Platinum Premier with Ambassador based on my 2017 SPG activity. This downgrade happened after I combined accounts, it was fine after the migration, in fact it was showing Platinum Premier on my SPG account and the linked Marriott account.