Winners, losers of Marriott's $12.2B acquisition of Starwood

Foxnews.com ^ | November 16, 2015 | Patrick Clarke

[BlueStateRightist]

Marriott International is all set to acquire Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide in a $12.2 billion deal.

The two companies announced that they have reached a definitive merger agreement that will result in the world's largest hotel company, boasting a whopping 1.1 million rooms in more than 5,500 properties around the globe.

[BlueStateRightist]

The combination of their rewards programs allows great benefits to business travelers.

[tcrlaf]

“The combination of their rewards programs allows great benefits to business travelers.”

Wrong...
Just watch how much HARDER it becomes to get anything from the program, just like the airlines.

I remember when presenting your Frequent Flyer card a the gate actually meant something.

[SamAdams76]

With 800,000+ points with the Marriott Rewards program, this is great news for me. Now I get a much better selection of places to stay when I travel.

[ilovesarah2012]

I love the song on the Marriott commercial.

[mkjessup]

I remember when presenting your Frequent Flyer card a the gate actually meant something.

I remember when the airlines (and many of the larger hotel chains too) had their OWN independent credit cards (unaffiliated with VISA/MasterCharge), I had TWA, National Airlines and Eastern, and a Hilton card (used to do a lot of travel).

[Shark24]

I’m Platinum and still can’t get peanuts on a flight.

[surrey]

I’m with you. Of all the reward programs, I don’t think Marriott has made it more difficult to cash in your rewards. My husband is a lifetime platinum and it’s got great perks. I’ like this.

[Vermont Lt]

I once hit a million points.

My wife asked where we could go on vacation. I said, anywhere but a Marriott. I could recite the right half of the menu, the part that is that same in all Marriotts.

I think I stayed there too much.

But they treated me like a God. Once the put me in the Presidential Suite for a week in Palm Springs. I told the guy that wasn’t necessary...I wasn’t going to be entertaining anyone. But it was nice.

[tcrlaf]

Up until the Delta merger, I carried a FF Card that still had my original Republic Airlines number on it, 6 digits, beginning with 00.

The agets used to freak out, and ask a super how to enter it.

Having been a super myself, I used to snicker about it...