Excerpt:
The company resolved one major issue involving elite-night credits earned from credit card spending just last week, more than three months after the integration. That problem left many members in limbo, unsure of how close they were to hitting elite-level thresholds before year’s end.
For hotels, the loyalty program is the glue that binds dozens of different brands together. For frequent travelers, it’s in many ways the most crucial part of selecting which hotel to book. Without its loyalty program, Marriott would be 30 different brands and 6,700 individual hotels world-wide. With the loyalty program, tens of millions of travelers have a reason to seek out anything connected to Marriott, where they know they can earn points, receive upgrades, free nights and perks like lounge access and free breakfast.
The loyalty program also becomes the backbone for multiple credit card rewards. (Payback on one popular card
declined significantly after the merger, angering many SPG loyalists before the computer issues began.)
Marriott says the computer problems revolved around four main areas: accurately showing elite status, redeeming suite upgrade awards, getting points restored when award reservations were canceled and missing credit for stays.
For some, Marriott’s lack of communication has been the most frustrating thing. While hotels are often quick to throw extra points at loyal customers and offer apologies for leaky faucets or noisy remodeling work, Marriott hasn’t always acknowledged problems or offered compensation for time and troubles, they say.
“All they’ve said is, ‘We’re working on it,’ ” says Mr. Stedman, who travels for government contract work and decided this fall to stay at Hiltons and Holiday Inns until Marriott sorts its problems out. “They haven’t been proactive at all, and it kind of ticks me off.”
