Tag Archives for marriott.
Log into your American Express account and scroll down, there’s a new ‘Amex Offer’ that appears to be widely available that many cardmembers can opt into by adding it to the card account of their choosing: $50 back when you spend $200 or more with Marriott by September 21.
The J.W. Marriott Phuket, whose ownership group also has the St. Regis Bangkok, believes that Marriott is mismanaging their resort property. The hotel failed to reach budgeted goals between 2013 and 2018 and there hasn’t been a budget agreed to since. Even before the pandemic they were doing less revenue today than they were in 2013.
They want out of the Bonvoy program, and Marriott won’t let them leave.
Masks seem to have some effect limiting the spread of Covid-19. Even if their efficacy is overblown that shouldn’t be a reason not to use them. They’re something easy and low cost we can do, and they’re one of the few things within our own control besides staying completely isolated.
U.S. airlines now require masks. And Marriott has become the first to announce a mask requirement for all guests in on-property indoor spaces and not just for employees. This requirement goes into effect July 27. I expect the other major chains will follow.
In India hotels have pivoted to deliver meals and are making commitments about the quality and lavishness of what you’ll receive. India has one of the world’s worst Covid-19 outbreaks. In the U.S. we do food delivery and contactless pickup from great restaurants. In India the great restaurants are actually in hotels.
I haven’t spent a single night with Marriott so far this year, but I now have 55 elite nights in my account. Others have even more elite nights than I do without staying once. What a strange year this is (and this is perhaps the least of the reasons why).
These bonus elite nights count towards lifetime status. And by earning over 50 nights I should receive a Choice benefit that would even give me 5 more free elite nights too.
Marriott’s TownePlace Suites near George Washington’s home at Mount Vernon in Virginia caught fire at 1:13 a.m. this morning. A hotel guest – standing outside the property at the time – notified the manager who called 911. Since the fire was on the roof, there was no smoke alarm.
Marriott is offering points with the biggest bonus we’ve seen – you are effectively prepaying for stays at a discount.
A 60% bonus on purchased points, that began May 18, was set to end June 30. This has been extended to run through July 15. The best previous deal I’m aware of was a 50% bonus, though of course Marriott points aren’t worth as much as they used to be either. They’re willing to sell you points at a cost per point of $0.0078.
Three months ago Marriott laid off Ambassador customer service staff as part of customer contact center closures, effectively gutting the personalized nature of the Ambassador program – which still requires customers to spend at least $20,000 annually, even with this year’s reduced elite requirements.
Now Marriott has gone a step further and just announced the closure of two call centers.
Marriott has about 100 hotels in China. To do business there is to acquiesce to the country’s leadership. Marriott has consistently towed the party line, as it did two years ago when spanked by the Chinese government for listing Taiwan as a separate country. They fired an hourly worker who ‘liked’ a tweet supporting Taiwanese independence and proactively removed banned books from hotels.
Now the CEO of the hotel chain Arne Sorenson is giving interviews on China’s effectiveness in containing the virus, adopting the country’s talking points and effectively assisting President Xi Jinping shore up a key vulnerability as he prepares for re-election by the Communist Party.
Marriott is making it easier to qualifying for a higher level of status this year – and a side effect is all current elites get free credit towards lifetime status, and many may receive additional ‘choice’ benefits without even staying at any hotels.
The Bonvoy program is also putting award nights on sale for stays through July, by letting you book rooms at off-peak redemption prices this month.
Gary Leff is one of the foremost experts in the field of miles, points, and frequent business travel -- a topic he has covered since 2002.
Co-founder of frequent flyer community InsideFlyer.com, emcee of the Freddie Awards, and named one of the "World's Top Travel Experts" by Conde' Nast Traveler (2010-Present) Gary has been a guest on most major news media, profiled in several top print publications, and published broadly on the topic of consumer loyalty. More About Gary »
