Marriott reveals new loyalty plan not all guests will like | Official Website of Louis Velazquez, entrepreneur, finance guy and tech innovator

Hotel loyalty programs are not what they used to be.

There was a time when it seemed like if you stayed a few nights at a hotel, you’d get one for free.

Programs like Hilton Honors and Marriott Bonvoy made me loyal to those two brands because with either, it seemed like I could build status pretty quickly. Plus they both have properties for every budget, and they offer a military rate.

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Even if I didn’t acquire enough points for a free stay in a given year, being a member gave me access to free Wi-Fi, parking, and other perks.

That’s no longer the case.

Like restaurants and retail, the travel industry was hit hard during the Covid pandemic. Hotels emptied overnight, and social-distancing mandates kept us all home for months on end.

Things have slowly returned to normal in terms of volume, but now as far as hotel stays go, hotel visits are not the same.

Take housekeeping. Just a few years ago, whether you stayed at one of Hilton’s budget-friendly brands like Hampton by Hilton (aka Hampton Inn), or a Marriott mid-brand like Courtyard, you could expect daily housekeeping service. Now you have to request it, and there’s no guarantee you’ll get daily service, even with a request.

Many mid-level hotel brands also offered complimentary breakfast buffets, plus amenities like toiletries, rooms stocked with pens and notepads, and coffee makers — all little touches that made being home away from home a bit more civilized.

Luxury hotels are more likely to have maintained some of these services, but there’s no guarantee.

Something else hotels have changed: loyalty programs.

Marriott just made changes to its loyalty points program.

Image source&colon; Shutterstock

Marriott made changes to its rewards plans

Most loyalty programs are free. So the idea that you will get something for, well, nothing is perhaps misguided. But besides free Wi-Fi and free amenities, many hotel loyalty programs include automatic upgrades.

For example, a top perk of being a Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite (or higher) member is the chance to score a complimentary room upgrade.

The upgrade could mean a view of something more scenic than an alley, a higher floor, or even a bigger room. These are the sorts of upgrades that can make a stay feel more luxurious, at no additional cost.

But actually getting that upgrade can sometimes feel like a game of chance, one that depends in part on the friendliness of the person behind the check-in counter.

Now Marriott is rolling out a new automatic room upgrade system aimed at removing some of the guesswork. Elite members no longer have to sweet-talk the front desk or cross their fingers in the hopes of getting a favorable room assignment upon check-in.

Instead, the system will begin processing upgrades before check-in, giving members a better idea of what to expect before they even arrive.

How Marriott’s Nightly Upgrade Awards work now

Here’s how Marriott’s new award system works now: For those with Nightly Upgrade Awards, the system will start processing upgrade requests five days before arrival (three days ahead of time at luxury brands like Ritz-Carlton and St. Regis). Then, beginning at 3 p.m. the day before check-in, the platform will automatically assign eligible complimentary upgrades to elite members.

After the system makes its selections, hotel staff still need to finalize and confirm each upgraded room, so the new program is not entirely automatic.

According to Marriott, early feedback from the pilot program was “overwhelmingly positive” among both hotel employees and Bonvoy members, as reported by The Points Guy.

Of course, the new system doesn’t guarantee you’ll get an upgrade — just that the process is more transparent and a bit more efficient. If there are more elite members than available upgraded rooms, someone’s going to miss out.

If you want to improve your odds, Marriott suggests redeeming Nightly Upgrade Awards, which put you into the upgrade pool earlier in the day, though approval is still subject to availability.

Nightly Upgrade Awards are also only available at some Marriott brands.

Another option: use points or a co-branded Marriott credit card to pay for premium room upgrades in advance.