Marriott Rewards Program Integration Weekend

Well, we’re finally past the Marriott Rewards program integration weekend!  But things don’t appear to be over yet.  No, things are still a mess.

Integration day has been something I’ve been looking forward to and dreading for quite some time now.  I knew that integration would bring with it tons of changes that both SPG members and Marriott Rewards members wouldn’t like.  But, at the same time, we’d finally be able to earn points and EQNs across both Marriott and Starwood brands under one account.  And it was Marriott’s hope that the entire process would be complete by mid-afternoon Eastern Time on the 18th. That, however, doesn’t appear to be the case.

Integration Issues Persist

As of last night Hawaii Time, things still don’t appear to be back to normal.  Once the Marriott site came back online lat Saturday, I was able to merge my accounts.  And while that worked, things there were supposed to transfer immediately didn’t.  For example, my points balance reflects my pre-merger balance.  All reservations, though, are appearing under my merged account, at least via the websites.

On the mobile side of things, things are still entirely different.  My account on my Marriott App has all of my pre-merger reservations, points, EQNs, etc.  While, on my SPG app, my account shows my Starpoints, though under their new, Marriott value, and my existing Starwood reservations.  As far as Elite status goes, my account now shows Platinum, though it doesn’t yet show my lifetime status.  I should be Lifetime Silver (which is a joke of a status), but as of last night, I didn’t have Lifetime Status.

Oh, and those negative Marriott Rewards terms and conditions changes I mentioned last week?  Apparently, they were accurate.  Sort of.  As it turns out, Marriott is still working on their new terms and conditions, so expect to see additional changes in the coming days.  I expect to see most of the negative changes to remain after this, though.

Things to Do

I spent the weekend at The Laylow Waikiki and will have an update post shortly.  However, in the coming days, I’ll be watching to see how my stay posts to my account.  Especially since I checked-in as a Gold under the old program and checked out as a Platinum under the new program.  Not that should make a difference, but I was still treated as a Gold throughout my stay.  Kind of.  But more on that later.

Aside from my recent stay, I also have an existing reservation with Starwood I made months ago.  One night is an award night, while the other is a cash night.  So I’ll need to call in to have my award night pricing adjusted.  That’ll save me TONS of points.

Marriott Rewards Program Integration Weekend, Final Thoughts

Though integration day has come and gone, things are still far from over.  And even if the remaining issues are worked out soon, remember, more changes are still on the way.  In 2019, we’ll finally learn the name of the new program and will see the implementation of Category 8 (85,000 points), as well as peak and off-peak award pricing.  And once everything is all set, then we can see how the new program will truly operate.  Though, again, I expect to see further negative changes in the future.  So, whether or not I continue to be loyal to Marriott remains to be seen.