Marriott finally merges its rewards with Starwood's

Ever since Marriott International acquired Starwood Hotels & Resorts a year and a half ago, members of the two companies' rewards programs have wondered how long it would take for the plans to be combined — and what perks they'd lose in the bargain.

The wait ended last week, when Marriott announced its new, integrated loyalty program, unveiling a benefits package that allows customers to keep lifetime status earned under the old programs, and increases the rate at which they earn points through hotel stays by an average of 20 percent.

Members had "a lot of anxiety around what's going to happen when you merge the programs," said David Flueck, Marriott's senior vice president in charge of loyalty. "What will be welcome news, and almost surprising, is that we didn't use this as a time to make the programs less rich — we're actually investing more in our members."

Marriott's takeover of Starwood created the world's biggest hotel company, with 30 brands and more than 1.2 million rooms. The company's loyalty program serves as the glue that holds the sprawling empire together. More than half of Marriott's room revenue comes from loyalty members, most of whom book stays directly. Marriott Chief Executive Officer Arne Sorenson called the loyalty program "the name of the game for the future."

• A common points currency that allows customers who had been members of either program to earn and redeem points at properties under 29 brands.

• Expansion of an initiative, called Marriott Moments, that lets members pay for concert tickets, sporting events and other curated experiences with credit cards or loyalty points.

• Status earned based on room nights only, eliminating the Starwood option for number of stays.

• Room upgrades start at 25 nights booked in a year, suite upgrades at 50 nights.

• Checkouts at 4 p.m. for guests with 50-plus nights.

• New co-branded credit cards with American Express and JPMorgan Chase that give holders the equivalent of 15 nights annually toward membership status.

Hotel owners pay Marriott for points awarded through stays, so increasing member benefits theoretically could raise their expenses. Flueck said the company reduced the cost to landlords by 15 percent.

While the changes start in August, some of the program's features haven't been announced or won't roll out until next year, including a plan to charge more points for free nights during peak travel seasons. Marriott has yet to say what the new program — one of the industry's largest, with 110 million members — will be called.

"It's the vacation stuff that matters," said Alex Diacre, a longtime Starwood loyalist who held his wife's purse so she could get closer to the stage for Urban's performance. "I can handle the grind of work travel if I get to use points in my personal life."

Some Starwood Preferred Guest members will find things to complain about. Obtaining the highest tier of benefits is tougher, requiring at least 100 nights and at least $20,000 spent at Marriott properties within a year. But the result "is the best possible program that anyone could have reasonably expected," said Gary Leff, author of the travel-industry blog View From the Wing.

It would also buck a trend in the lodging business. Historically, smaller companies — such as Starwood — have lavished frequent travelers with rich rewards to convince them to go out of their way to stay in the company's properties. Bigger players such as Marriott didn't need to provide the same level of perks, since the company could fill rooms simply by having hotels in places where travelers needed them.

"Starwood was strong on the elite side; Marriott was stronger on earning and redemption," Leff said. "They have basically stapled the Starwood elite program onto a version of Marriott's earn-and-burn proposition."