We’re over two weeks out from the merger of the Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG) into the Marriott Rewards (or whatever the new name will eventually be) program. Members of both programs were asked to “link” their accounts together months ago. Linking accounts had several advantages:
- Matching status from one program to the other
- Point transfers between the two programs with 1 SPG point = 3 Marriott Rewards points
Besides these reciprocal perks, the programs remained separate. Points earned at Starwood hotels were added to your SPG balance and the same for Marriott hotel stays earning Marriott Rewards points. You weren’t able to combine the stays or nights from both hotels to achieve a higher loyalty status level, a lingering problem that left many travelers who stayed at both brands feeling a little left out.
While the plans merged in August 2018, you are now able to “merge” your accounts. What’s the difference between “link” and “merge” and why didn’t they do this automatically? Here’s what Marriott’s saying:
Yes! Account linking offered a status match between the programs. But by combining your accounts, your earnings will be added together. So rather than just a match, you may get a status boost.
If you already linked your accounts, that’s a great start. You created a connection – but they’re not yet one account. Now, by combining, you’ll only have one login to remember and be able to earn and redeem points across all 29 participating brands with that single account.
Heck if I know what that means. What I do know is that Sharon and I merged our accounts already and everything seems fine. While that’s not the case for everyone, here’s why I went ahead with merging our accounts.
Continue reading “Reasons You Should Merge Your Starwood (SPG) and Marriott Accounts”
