marriott

Tag Archives for marriott.

Marriott’s View of Loyalty Prevails: Al Maha Won’t Charge Guests for Meals, Activities After All

by Gary Leff on January 9, 2019

Jan 09 2019

Hotel loyalty programs face a unique challenge that airlines don’t. Airlines set the rules and provide the product directly. Hotels have to get properties which are often owned and even managed separately to comply, with benefits like upgrades delivered consistently by individual employees at a front desk perhaps thousands of miles away. They rely on individual hotels and even employees to comply.

Embedded in a loyalty program as well is a philosophy of how to treat guests redeeming their points.

Marriott Shares New Details on How Bad Their Data Breach Was

by Gary Leff on January 4, 2019

Jan 04 2019

Marriott has provided additional information on their massive data breach. We’re supposed to be comforted that it’s ‘only’ 383 million and not 500 million records that were accessed.

Marriott still hasn’t told us anything about their notes on your as as a customer that were taken.

Marriott Paid Actual Money For This New Logo When They Should Have Just Invested in Fixing Their IT

by Gary Leff on January 3, 2019

Jan 03 2019

Unfortunately they’re investing in bad marketing when they need to be investing in fixing their IT — merged accounts that still aren’t right, elite status trackers that say members need only 75 nights for Ambassador status, and missing 75 night elite benefit options.

And if they are really that short of ideas for where to invest these dollars, to deliver strong branding, they might try putting the money into training customer service agents to give out accurate information.

Marriott Says They Won’t Let Hotels Ignore Suite Upgrade Rules (Crack Down on JW Marriott Guanacaste Resort)

by Gary Leff on January 2, 2019

Jan 02 2019

The JW Marriott Guanacaste Resort published a policy that they would not upgrade Marriott Platinum members to suites despite terms and conditions of the program saying Platinums are entitled to suite upgrades if available.

There are always going to be hotels that are more generous than others with respect to elite benefits. However this wasn’t just a non-compliant hotel, their policy not to comply was explicitly outlined on the Marriott website and in the Marriott app.

The Greatest Attempt to Abuse Family Boarding and What Marriott Considers an Elite Breakfast

by Gary Leff on December 31, 2018

Dec 31 2018

A roundup of the most important stories of the day. I keep you up to date on the most interesting writings I find on other sites – the latest news and tips.

You Can Still Get Points Back For Marriott Travel Packages

by Gary Leff on December 29, 2018

Dec 29 2018

Yesterday Mark Ostermann wrote that Marriott travel packages can no longer be cancelled for a partial points refund.

I wanted to find out whether that was an(other) unannounced negative change or a(nother) case of wrong information from Marriott customer service. It turns out it was bad information from a customer service representative.

What You Don’t Realize About the Marriott Data Hack: Good Marketing and Bad Breaches Go Hand in Hand

by Gary Leff on December 27, 2018

Dec 27 2018

Good marketing is something that all of us welcome: useful information that connects us with something we actually need or want, and even better information that comes to us right when we want it, to help us make a decision.

When someone says they don’t like marketing what they mean is they don’t like bad marketing. They don’t like receiving information that isn’t relevant to them, that doesn’t speak to them in their language, that isn’t what they’re interested in.

The world is full of bad marketing.

One Mile at a Time and Frequent Miler Miss the Point on Marriott v. Hilton

by Gary Leff on December 25, 2018

Dec 25 2018

With all of the problems that Marriott has had launching their new program and integrating 3 loyalty programs into one, many customers are frustrated. Starwood members in particular have been disappointed by the customer service standard over the phone with Marriott, and with the way many Marriott properties are implementing the benefits that have been promised. In short, Marriott has failed to deliver.

Two high profile blogs take issue with my argument that as much of a hash as Marriott has made at things, the grass isn’t greener at Hilton Honors. They’re wrong.

To Everyone Leaving Marriott for Hilton: You’re Nuts

by Gary Leff on December 24, 2018

Dec 24 2018

I’m as disappointed as anyone with the way Marriott has delivered on their new loyalty program. The technical side of combining Starwood and Marriott accounts has been frustrating — my account still isn’t right. Customer service has been poor — I’m waiting for a reply to an email from September. And most of all the delivery of benefits and redemptions hasn’t matched what was promised.

However that doesn’t mean you should abandon Marriott. In fact you shouldn’t. Here’s why.

New Marriott Loyalty Program Continues to Disappoint Members

by Gary Leff on December 19, 2018

Dec 19 2018

What happens when hotels change award categories without notice — right as members who have been waiting for months have been allowed to redeem? And how are some hotels ‘complying’ with Marriott’s elite breakfast benefits?

The problem I think is that the chain’s CEO describes the frustration of his best customers as noise around the edges rather than tackling the problem with open arms. Bill Marriott said the purpose of the Starwood acquisition was to give them scale and leverage. I noted at the time this included leverage over customers.