WITH Marriott’s acquisition of Starwood still in flux, concerns are being raised about the future of the two hospitality giant’s existing rewards programmes, according to a study by Phoenix Marketing International.
About two in three Marriott Rewards and Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG) members have voiced various concerns, with 58 per cent worried that rules will get more complicated, 57 per cent concerned that points will expire sooner, and 56 per cent thinking it will be harder to reach elite status.
When looking at elite members, 68 per cent of Marriott Rewards users overwhelmingly wanted the new programme to still come under Marriott Rewards, as opposed to 41 per cent of SPG users who stated they prefer the new loyalty programme to maintain its current form.
In fact, 45 per cent of SPG’s elite members indicated their preference for the Marriott Rewards programme.
Commenting on the findings, David Pluchino, vice president, Phoenix Travel & Leisure, said: “Marriott has always been a leader in guest rewards programmes, and often sets competitive baseline requirements for the benefits that members receive, with other programmes following their lead.
However, as more hotels consolidate, it will be important for Marriott to “strike the right balance between the two programmes to avoid loyalty churn and status matching with other programmes”, he stressed.
