Marriott confirmed today they are changing Marriott Rewards to the ridiculously named BONVoY which was leaked last November. The name change is official as of February 13, 2019. As if to drive another nail into the coffin of what was a decent program under Marriott and a great program under SPG, Marriott probably paid millions to come up with this stupid name and logo. My first thought when I heard that Marriott Rewards was being renamed BONVoY was BONVoY-age, yet I’ve decided to try it one more year. 2019 is the year that I need Marriott to show they are going to be as loyal to me as I am to them.
BONVoY will continue to have 5 levels:
- Silver – 10 nights
- Gold – 25 nights
- Platinum – 50 nights
- Titanium – 75 nights
- Ambassador – 100 nights
The press release is pure gold. Here are some of my favorite lines with my commentary:
Marriott International today unveiled Marriott Bonvoy, the new loyalty brand replacing the current loyalty brands – Marriott Rewards, The Ritz-Carlton Rewards and Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG) – and reflecting the unmatched benefits, single loyalty portfolio and experiences announced last year.
By unmatched benefits, I think they mean that they don’t offer consistent benefits across their brands, don’t guarantee breakfast for Titaniums, don’t offer breakfast at some properties, won’t guarantee suite upgrades, let their hotels play games with redemptions, haven’t fixed their IT since the merger, and are apathetic to their members.
Represented by a simple, bold and modern logo, Marriott Bonvoy is welcoming and optimistic.
The first thing most people think of is bon voyage. Sure, that can mean get away (like on a vacation) but it makes me think of leaving the program, probably not what they were looking for. Also, this isn’t my definition of bold:
Marriott Bonvoy will usher in a new mobile experience.
I certainly hope it works better than their website or the current app
Ultimately, I’m disappointed they decided to invest in a new name (what was wrong with Marriott Rewards) and logo instead of investing on what members really want, functioning IT. Since the Marriott, SPG, and Ritz Carlton programs merged last year, stays have been missing for weeks or months, points don’t always post correctly or don’t post at all, and redemtpions have not been available (when they should be) or mis-price.
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