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In short: The data breach was not as bad as we originally thought, but it was still pretty bad, and fairly big.
Deanna Ting, Skift | 4 years ago
Starwood Preferred Guest elite members thought that not getting full stay credits would be the absolute worst of this mega-merger.
It's particularly bittersweet that the hotel largely responsible for bringing boutique lodging into the mainstream no longer bears the "W" brand. Its fate also serves as a cautionary tale for hoteliers on maintaining relevancy in hospitality: Just because you were cool before doesn't mean you always will be.
Patrick Clark, Bloomberg | 4 years ago
How much do we want to bet that the new loyalty brand that debuts next year turns out to be Marriott Preferred Guest? Or better yet, just Marriott Rewards?
Everyone suspected the efficiency and consistency of the Marriott "machine" would be a perfect match up for Starwood's creative and innovative lifestyle brands. While it appears to be working for Aloft and Element, the true measure of success will be what Marriott can do with a brand like Sheraton.
Deanna Ting, Skift | 5 years ago
Despite the challenges facing the industry, Sorenson remains optimistic and determined to make sure Marriott's $13.3 billion bet on loyalty pays off.
Yet again, Steve Wynn keeps winning, as are his gaming counterparts. Marriott CEO Arne Sorenson, who managed to win an all-out battle for Starwood last year, was the top-ranked non-gaming CEO.
We'll definitely be keeping our eye on what develops as far as Marriott's decisions for its reservations and loyalty platforms going forward. But we're still not so convinced they're keeping all 30 of those brands over the long term.
Hotel by hotel, Marriott is transforming the Starwood legacy business into something more reflective of its own hospitality management style, meaning going asset light all the way.
Marriott really, really, really wants SPG members to know it won't forsake them as it tries to combine all three of its loyalty programs into one by next year.
Deanna Ting, Skift | 6 years ago
