We are an independent publisher. Our reporters create honest, accurate, and objective content to help you make decisions. To support our work, we are paid for providing advertising services. Many, but not all, of the offers and clickable hyperlinks (such as a “Next” button) that appear on this site are from companies that compensate us. The compensation we receive and other factors, such as your location, may impact what ads and links appear on our site, and how, where, and in what order ads and links appear. While we strive to provide a wide range of offers, our site does not include information about every product or service that may be available to you. We strive to keep our information accurate and up-to-date, but some information may not be current. So, your actual offer terms from an advertiser may be different than the offer terms on this site. And the advertised offers may be subject to additional terms and conditions of the advertiser. All information is presented without any warranty or guarantee to you.

This page may include: credit card ads that we may be paid for (“advertiser listing”); and general information about credit card products (“editorial content”). Many, but not all, of the offers and clickable hyperlinks (such as a “Apply Now” button or “Learn More” button) that appear on this site are from companies that compensate us. When you click on that hyperlink or button, you may be directed to the credit card issuer’s website where you can review the terms and conditions for your selected offer. Each advertiser is responsible for the accuracy and availability of its ad offer details, but we attempt to verify those offer details. We have partnerships with advertisers such as Brex, Capital One, Chase, Citi, Wells Fargo and Discover. We also include editorial content to educate consumers about financial products and services. Some of that content may also contain ads, including links to advertisers’ sites, and we may be paid on those ads or links.

For more information, please see How we make money.

Even Hotel Employees Are Confused Following the Marriott-Starwood Loyalty Program Merger

  • Million Mile Secrets

    • Signing up for credit cards through partner links earns us a commission. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. Here’s our full advertising policy: How we make money.

    I recently had my first Marriott stay following the merger of the Marriott and Starwood loyalty programs.  My wife and I spent a few nights in Portland at The Nines, a Luxury Collection Hotel.  We used points for 2 nights and booked the 3rd night through AMEX Fine Hotels & Resorts.

    As many folks have already noted, the technical glitches during the Marriott-Starwood integration were annoying.  But I figured once we got past the IT upgrades, things would be back to normal and I could continue enjoying my free award stays and Platinum status perks.

    It Might Be Time to Reconsider Chasing Marriott Elite Status Based on My Recent Experience at The Nines, a Luxury Collection Hotel in Portland

    Unfortunately, I think the merger of the loyalty programs has created confusion for hotel employees as it relates to what perks elite status guests can enjoy.  Specifically, I’m referring to lounge access.

    As a guest with Platinum status, one of the benefits I enjoyed most in the past was access to hotel lounges.  Instead of eating outside of the hotel, it was nice to enjoy a free hot breakfast in the lounge.  So I was somewhat surprised to learn I couldn’t use the lounge at The Nines.

    During check-in, I was advised by the front desk associate that following the loyalty program merger, lounge access was reserved exclusively for Platinum guests staying on the same floor as the lounge.  And because no lounge floor rooms were available during our stay, we’d have to miss out on the benefit.

    I certainly realize missing out on a croissant and cappuccino in the lounge is not the end of the world.  But what frustrates me is that the changes to the newly integrated loyalty program do not appear to be properly communicated to hotel employees.  For example, the Marriott webpage dedicated to summarizing Platinum status perks clearly states lounge access is a benefit.  And the fine print doesn’t have exclusions about which floor you’re staying on.

    Hmmm…According to the Marriott Website, Platinum Guests DO Get Lounge Access. And the Terms & Conditions Don’t Seem to Be as Restrictive as What the Front Desk Associate Told Me.

    Even more irritating was the fact the hotel did actually have available rooms on the lounge floor during our stay as the below screenshot shows.  If I wanted, I’m sure I could have made my case to the hotel manager.  But my wife and I didn’t plan on spending much time in the hotel anyway.  To me, it was more about the principle.

    The Front Desk Told Me Rooms on the Lounge Floor Were Unavailable, but That’s Not What the Marriott Website Showed

    I’ve reached out to Marriott for clarification regarding the lounge access benefit.  Perhaps I still have a bit to learn about the lack of benefits for guests with status.

    In any event, I’m definitely rethinking my hotel elite status strategy moving forward.  As my colleague, Joseph, recently wrote, switching to Hilton certainly seems compelling.

    Have you had any negative experiences after the Marriott-Starwood integration?  Let me know in the comments below.

    Editorial Note: We're the Million Mile Secrets team. And we're proud of our content, opinions and analysis, and of our reader's comments. These haven’t been reviewed, approved or endorsed by any of the airlines, hotels, or credit card issuers which we often write about. And that’s just how we like it! :)