AMEX SPG: That bad?!

[Anonymous]

My wife just got approved for the AMEX SPG Card. The main reason was the SUB, which will get us into a Ritz-Carlton for free, and of course the large number of properties we could collect and redeem points at.

Now, I’m reading about all the horror stories since the Marriot merger, and wonder if we made a mistake applying for this card. Can cardholders share their experience please? Have things been getting better?

[wasCB14]

What exactly are your concerns?

I have the SPG Luxury card but don't use it much outside of spend promotions.

[simplynoir]

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@wasCB14 wrote:

What exactly are your concerns?

I have the SPG Luxury card but don't use it much outside of spend promotions.

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Believe the OP was worried about the IT concerns. FWIW I haven't had any major issues since the merger on my end. Been keeping a close eye on it especially with reward trip at the end of March.

[Anonymous]

I’m reading that people are having trouble redeeming their points for hotel stays. There are stories about bookings cancelled by the hotel without even refunding the points.

[Loquat]

OP, I haven't had any issues with Marriott post merger.  I can still book award nights without issue.  No issue with getting points returned when cancelling either, actually it's as close to instant as possible.  

As I type this response I'm in a Marriott property in Atlanta that I booked without issue.  The customer service wait time has drastically reduced...in the rare event I have to call I'm not on hold long.  It was pretty bad for the month or so after the merger but all seems to be okay for the moment.  

Just as you'll find folks who say that have problems I'm sure you can find the equal amount such as myself who haven't had any.   Congrats on your new card and I hope you enjoy it and the rewards system.

[red259]

I'm not sure what your concerns are. I have been a marriott member for years and have held the spg & marriott card in the past. The only downside I see is I think there is a marriott devaluation coming up, so the SUB may be less valuable than originally thought, but not worthless. The IT issues should be sorted out by the time you have the points in your account and are ready to make redemptions.

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[Anonymous]

To piggyback off everyone else, I haven’t had any issues since the merger. What horror stories are you hearing? 

[simplynoir]

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@Anonymous wrote:

To piggyback off everyone else, I haven’t had any issues since the merger. What horror stories are you hearing? 

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Wondering if OP was reading stories of how bad the IT was immediately post-merger and was just wondering if the problems have persisted after all this time. While there are still problems I haven't really heard anything that enough report on to be an issue.

[bondsandloan]

I have moved away from SPG/Marriott after the merger and will not be returning. No more chasing gold & platinum.

Just have to figure out best way to burn the 300K Marriott points in near future.

If your aim is to use your spg SUB and Marriott points for a couple redemptions here & there, you'll be fine. Just not worth it on the hamster wheel for Marriott anymore.

[Anonymous]

Well there is a Marriott devaluation coming up, and both Amex and Chase are revamping their co-branded card lineups, there is some shake up going on over there.  My guess is that looking at the benefits for the new cards (they only grant Silver Elite, not Gold) and with there being no more lifetime PPEs being handed out, that it was looking pretty top heavy.  After the merger you had long time loyalists that were SPG Platinum 100s mixed in who ended up in the same level as someone who had gotten that level with a credit card and a challenge.  SPG Platinums were guaranteed upgrades and they washed that language out so now it just says Enhanced Room, and the hotel gets to decide what that is -- not corporate, so there must have been a lot of push back from the hotels.

All in all, it was a terrible merger for the customers.  Not really sure how it made sense for the hotels themselves, either but - Starwood was just a little to elite to mix in with the Residence Inn crowd and there not be some hurt feelings.