Marriott Rewards today announced award category changes that will take place on March 5, 2019.
There are 258 hotels moving up one category and 37 that will move down. Marriott currently has 6,900 hotels open. These changes thus affect roughly 4.3% of properties.
Marriott Rewards & SPG Choice Benefit that went dark unexpected in early January and was reactivated in mid month. Marriott then extended deadline until February 7, 2019 for members to make their choice.
Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG) launched Choice Benefit first for those staying 50 nights and later introduced second gift at 75 nights. Marriott Rewards incorporated this into the combined program last year.
Marriott Rewards has launched an Advance Purchase Rate for stays at select hotels in Japan.
Members that book anywhere 14 to 90 days in advance can save up to 30% off of their stay.
Marriott Rewards yesterday processed Lifetime Platinum Premier (soon Titanium) statuses to those that qualified under the legacy rules that were in place only for 2018.
When I wrote a piece yesterday morning (read more here), Marriott had at the time processed the status for my legacy Marriott Rewards account but hadn’t for my SPG one (had qualified under both). Now, the status is correctly applied to both.
A LoyaltyLobby reader sent us a Compensation Clinic-case from a stay at Marriott affiliated Aloft property in London that had rented out their pool to “Waterbabies”.
Remember that you can always email us, send a message via Facebook or use Twitter and include photos too. We’ll try to cover a Compensation Clinic case here once a week, every Sunday.
A LoyaltyLobby reader alerted us that his Marriott Rewards (soon Bonvoy) account has changed today from lifetime Platinum to Platinum Premier (soon Lifetime Titanium) and so had my Marriott Rewards one as well.
Members had until the end of 2018 to qualify for this Platinum Premier lifetime status that is no longer available. Going forward only Silver, Gold and Platinum ones are.
American Express today announced changes to its SPG card portfolio that is moving under Marriott Bonvoy branding effective February 13, 2019.
Card design is changing among some of the benefits. You can information about available cards below.
Marriott Rewards has finally managed to update former SPG members accounts with the appropriate status extension and lifetime status appropriation if they qualified with 25 stays at SPG brands in 2018.
SPG/Marriott has previously implemented an exception that allowed SPG members to qualify for their 2019 status based on legacy criteria of the original program which allowed qualification based on stays instead of nights.
Seems that yet another legacy Starwood property is heading for Marriott system exit on January 31, 2019.
W Beijing that opened its doors back in October 2014 no longer accept reservation past January 31 on Marriott’s website. There is no note on the website that the hotel would be leaving the system or being reflagged.
Marriott Rewards & SPG launched on Monday a 7-Day up to 25% off Flash Sale for stays at participating hotels in Japan, Korea & Guam that is about to end.
The sale is valid for stays through April 30, 2019 and must be booked by this coming Sunday January 20.
The SPG App is now displaying a warning notice upon login that it will be discontinued on February 13 when Marriott’s new BonVoy program goes live.
Customers who wish to use the app functionality for their Marriott accounts will have to download their app in order to use that one instead.
Marriott today finally made the official announcement of the combined name for the existing programs (Marriott Rewards, SPG & Ritz Carlton Rewards) Bonvoy that we have known already since late November (read more here). The logo that was published previously on trademark applications (read more here) was unveiled too.
The new program name will replace the existing ones on February 13, 2019. Marriott will also replace Platinum Premier Elite with Titanium and Platinum Premier Elite with an Ambassador just with Ambassador.
Here’s look at the top 5 most lucrative hotel promotions that you can take advantage of this month.
Remember that it really pays to take advantage of bonus and promotional offers from hotel loyalty programs. You can supercharge your point earnings!
