Marriott is adding new benefits to its loyalty program. (Image: Marriott)
Marriott Rewards is planning to make a big announcement on Monday about new benefits and options for members — but today it offered a “sneak peek” at the news, which it is calling the Fab Four.
So here are the four parts of the plan:
1 Members can book a reward stay at Marriott and Ritz-Carlton properties even before they have accumulated sufficient points to cover the cost.
2 Starting October 12, both Marriott Rewards and Ritz-Carlton rewards members will be allowed to transfer up to 50,000 points per year from their account to the accounts of family members or friends.
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4 Starting early next year, the program will implement a cash-plus-points option that will let members use a combination of both to cover the cost of redemption stays.
4 And get this one: Effective November 1, Marriott or Ritz-Carlton Rewards members who pay for reward stays with points will earn elite night credits for those stays.
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What I don’t understand is why hotel rewards programs don’t operate like airline programs when someone else books and pays for the room. I spend 12 nights at a Marriott every June, but get no credit at all because the nights are paid by a master account. It would be fine if they got the points (the organization that pays) but they don’t either. No one does. The airlines don’t operate like that, so why do the hotels? One time my sister charged two rooms to her credit card – my room and hers – because it was easier, then we discovered that by doing that neither of us got credit for my stay. (That was at a Hilton.) I don’t get it. The first hotel chain to change that will get my loyalty. Or if there is one that doesn’t do it that way I’d like to know about it.
This looks like great PR for very little cost. If I can afford to spend points at the Ritz, I don’t need the credit on the nights… The one practical thing I think it does do – is incentivize people with a small number of points into an experience they might not otherwise have, which has a dual purpose of getting those points off of Marriott’s books.
Sorry but I don’t buy any of this.
Sounds good on paper, but the bottom line it’s harder to accumulate the points, but the cost of a room, specially a Ritz Carlton is massive.
So it just doesn’t add up and for a person that stays in 50 marriot rooms a year, it’s now really not worth it because it’s so hard.
I try to accumulate my points for two years to have enough for a three night stay in a London hotel. That’s all you get for the 100 nights you stay.