2018 was a year of ups and downs. Most of the ups were improvements in the Hyatt program. The downs were mostly owned by Marriott. Here’s a brief look at my year in hotels and what I think the future holds.
Hotel Elite Status
Hyatt Rolls Out Milestone Rewards, New Benefits For Elite Members
World of Hyatt is rolling out a handful of changes that should make loyalty to Hyatt more rewarding. From earning benefits sooner to new treats like a $100 Hyatt gift card, these changes should be met with a smile by most members.
I Need Your Help. Should I Mattress Run?
I’m pretty sure this is the last hotel elite status decision I’ll ever have to make. And, I could use your help. What would you do?
It’s Time, Marriott
Two weeks is enough time to work out the kinks on the Marriott/SPG integration, right? How about two months? Apparently, that’s not long enough, either. While members continue to have these issues, Marriott sits mostly silent. They do find time to tell investors things are great. It doesn’t seem they’re spending the time to ask customers if that’s actually the case.
Marriott Quietly Removes Elite Benefits From Online Travel Agency Bookings
Marriott quietly made a change that’s likely to have a big impact on frequent travelers. Loyalty program members will no longer have elite benefits on stays booked through online travel agencies (OTAs). Will all Marriott properties be enforcing this rule, or will it be selectively enforced? Are you willing to risk it?
How To Combine Your Marriott Rewards And Starwood Preferred Guest Accounts
Over the weekend Marriott and Starwood Preferred Guest combined their loyalty programs. Here’s how to combine your Marriott Rewards And Starwood Preferred Guest Accounts.
An In-Depth Look At The Competing Forces In The Marriott Acquisition Of Starwood
There were a lot of competing forces at the table as Marriott worked to fold Starwood Preferred Guest into a consolidated program with Marriott and Ritz-Carlton. This article takes an in-depth look at how they threaded that needle.
How Hyatt Is Helping Me Get Higher SPG Status (And Why I Chose Suite Awards, Again)
Suite Night Awards, credit cards, elite status, ambassadors. So many changes, so many decisions. What do you think of my choices?
My Hyatt Concierge: My Opinions At The Midway Point Of 2018
If you’ve followed along my little corner of the internet, you know I’m a pretty big fan of Hyatt. I generally find them to fit my needs better than any other hotel chain. In many ways, my relationship with Hyatt has been very rewarding. Consistently, they go above and beyond to make my stays more enjoyable. Some have criticized me for being too positive about Hyatt in general. I don’t think that’s necessarily true, but I always welcome criticism. I thought about the proper way to frame this post. We’re midyear 2018 […]
Marriott Will Launch Their New Program On August 18th
The next step of the combination of Starwood Preferred Guest and Marriott Rewards will take place on August 18th. Here’s what you can expect….
