I recently wrote about some of my recent experiences with Marriott Rewards following their merger with Starwood. There have been numerous issues, mostly around information technology while programs combined. The same day I wrote my post about some of the issues I’ve experienced, Marriott Rewards sent out a letter to members that seems to attempt to apologize for the issues experienced in the process of the merger. It didn’t make me feel any better. The opposite actually. The letter I received is below:
While I appreciate the holiday greetings, I interpret this letter just as mostly some corporate talking points, which don’t address the real, ongoing issues at hand.
“…for some, the integrations presented challenges, and we apologize”
The issues are with Marriott’s systems, clearly they were (and remain) unprepared for the scale of the support required for something this massive. Mr. Flueck doesn’t address these issues at all, and instead talks about their brand portfolio and their new brand name. I don’t think I could be less excited for this name being announced. Even without these ongoing challenges, the rumored Marriott Bonvoy name does nothing for me. More than anything, Marriott should acknowledge their error and show a path forward to fix things. I don’t have high hopes.
I had thought some of these issues had been getting better, but based on my experiences, comments on my last post, and this Flyertalk thread, many issues remain.
Are you as frustrated as me with how this integration has gone? Will it cause you to change your travel patterns? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
