Points enthusiasts and sports enthusiasts have a lot in common. There’s the glory from booking an award redemption right before the devaluation cutoff and the agony of defeat from believing that a good deal has been locked up. (reference Northern Iowa who had the worst meltdown in the NCAA ever or Michigan State as examples of good things gone bad)
I started feeling good about myself when I heard that Anbang trumped Marriott’s offer to kill my favorite points program. The buzzer had not sounded as Marriott had until the 28th to counter. It only took them a couple of days to do so. Now, once again, the wind has been taken out of my sails.
Is this merger going into overtime? Or is this the end of the Cinderella dream of keeping Marriott, the Duke of hotel chains, from taking down a mid-major.
Only time will tell.
Oh good! We really need further consolidation in the major hotel chains. After all, it worked so well with the airlines. Just ask anyone who lives in Cleveland, St. Louis, or Memphis.
Sorry, this is a really bitter pill to swallow. All the more so because this may be the precursor of Hyatt going away as well in the consolidation rush.
Clearly it’s becoming political as TPOL so wisely inferred…http://thepointsoflife.boardingarea.com/spg-to-marriott-just-say-no/