Two years ago Marriott International bought Starwood Hotels, and in August the merger of their rewards programs--Marriott Rewards and SPG, along with The Ritz-Carlton Rewards--was completed. Some of the major changes include the ability to book hotels across the brands using your newly combined point balances, no blackout dates, new elite status levels and benefits, and all room rate and incidentals now count towards earned point totals. Simply log into your account to see your newly updated status and point totals. At this point the names of the programs are staying the same, with a new program name announced sometime next year. As is often the case with major technical endeavors such as this, there have been some issues with members receiving the incorrect status level, missing points or stays, or conversion errors. Be sure to double check your account to ensure everything is correct, and if you notice any inconsistencies contact the program’s customer support. |
