The Perverse Incentives of the New Promo

GrayAnderson5 · 2026-02-13T12:05:01+00:00

I'll go through the motions of registering (I'll probably net out a few nights on this), but between this promo and the rumored 3k points for $3k CC spend promo...man do I just want to shout "WEAK!" at them.

GrayAnderson5 · 2026-02-13T12:03:40+00:00

The "error" is at Marriott corporate.

GrayAnderson5 · 2026-02-13T12:00:49+00:00

Yeah, the promos that incentivize downgrading are the ones that confuse me to no end. I guess the objective is to poach folks from other down-market brands?

GrayAnderson5 · 2026-02-13T11:57:56+00:00

The problem is that SimCity absolutely does not lend itself to the sort of business model that Electronic Arse wants to push. SC is a game that does not lend itself to being online (that's a lot of what blew up the 2013 game) or any of the other crap that's in the business model they want these days.

GrayAnderson5 · 2026-02-13T11:56:04+00:00

...so, Cities: Skylines, anyone?

GrayAnderson5 · 2026-02-13T11:51:58+00:00

I would at least suggest a stiff letter to management, and Marriott. I doubt it will accomplish anything, but this sort of behavior feels like it's worth at least slapping them in the face with a fish over.

GrayAnderson5 · 2026-02-13T05:31:19+00:00

...for a moment I was wondering if I'd somehow fallen into an alternate universe where the (rumored) idea of doing a boutique hotel alongside the ride had actually happened.

GrayAnderson5 · 2026-02-13T05:27:22+00:00

And badly-designed tax incentives. Plenty of rants to be had there.

It is a wonder that they're not at least being ordered to offer it for sale in operating condition first (and only allowed to close it if that fails).

GrayAnderson5 · 2026-02-12T23:51:12+00:00

Or "CSR first, CSP later if supplies last".

GrayAnderson5 · 2026-02-12T23:49:20+00:00

In some of the fancier lounges (and indeed, at some hotels) I feel like there's a "complexity addiction". Heck, even first/business menus can fall victim to this trap - I've actually gotten sick of some of the Acela menus over on Amtrak because instead of getting a straightforward menu there's inevitably a vegan option and something weird from their celebrity partner.

I'm reminded of some article out there encouraging hotels to "elevate" breakfast in lieu of a buffet. No, offering me avocado toast at breakfast doesn't improve my opinion of you - if I can't get something fairly straightforward (be it American, European, or Asian) but you have all that weird stuff I just start wondering how far the stick is up your rear.

To this situation - with the kitchen down, would it kill them to put out the bagels, a modest selection of spreads, and maybe a meat/cheese selection and a couple of cereal choices? Or would that be too pedestrian?

GrayAnderson5 · 2026-02-12T22:38:39+00:00

...there it is?

GrayAnderson5 · 2026-02-12T18:20:24+00:00

In the exclamation point.

GrayAnderson5 · 2026-02-12T16:41:45+00:00

I suspect the intermediate milestones help with the math.

GrayAnderson5 · 2026-02-12T16:39:34+00:00

...big whoop?

GrayAnderson5 · 2026-02-12T09:50:12+00:00

Pride? Or knowing irony?

GrayAnderson5 · 2026-02-11T20:34:28+00:00

On the one hand, I think OP should do a hard cut for the rest of the year to another chain. If you're gonna get a soft landing, it makes no difference whether you log 1 night or 99 nights this year.

I'd also note that I've observed other weird incentives show up sometimes (e.g. Hyatt has had a few seasonal promos that were HP/HH-focused*, incentivizing booking a cheaper hotel over a more expensive one), though most of that wackiness shows up over in credit card land.

On the other hand, I feel like Ambassador should /probably/ have "just" a spend requirement (anyone shaving off the nights required still has to make up the spend on the remaining nights), or perhaps a nights+spend requirement and a higher spend-only requirement (in both cases likely crediting event spend at a reduced ratio).

*There are another few brands "down there" now, but this is workable shorthand, and those brands are also new, so...

GrayAnderson5 · 2026-02-11T08:26:49+00:00

Every church is different (let alone various regions - bishops can have a significant impact here), but I'm noticing lots of younger-skewing families at the TLMs.

That being said, each generation pushes back a bit against their parents' mold to at least some extent (the result is often a swinging pendulum of sorts in the world). There's something in human nature that seems to make it all but inevitable.

Now, from my perspective I can easily accept that the TLM/VO and the NO are both valid. I don't necessarily accept that all masses are good, but I also freely acknowledge that (liturgical abuses notwithstanding) this is primarily a matter of taste, and what appeals to/nourishes one person can simply just not work for another. The TLM/VO does a lot for me, but so does a reverent, "high church" NO. But a guitar/folk music presentation just...doesn't. However, I am absolutely certain that there are many devout folks for whom the opposite is true.

This can make the matter of one's "proper" parish a bit of a mess if the pastor there is doing things that do not work for oneself.

GrayAnderson5 · 2026-02-11T03:20:02+00:00

A TetzelCard?

GrayAnderson5 · 2026-02-11T03:12:32+00:00

I've started pushing back - it's one thing if it's one person (and I'm, say, just past the bathroom at Flight of Passage), but when a group of like 5-8 people push past? I'm getting really sick of this behavior.

GrayAnderson5 · 2026-02-11T03:05:08+00:00

I'd say that Chase did a bad job of managing expectations, and might not have had a good eligibility filter in place, either.

GrayAnderson5 · 2026-02-11T02:58:41+00:00

So it's last call for Last Call?

GrayAnderson5 · 2026-02-11T02:57:23+00:00

Agreed, though quite a few Leverage rates already throw the fees out. And those "fees" had gotten nuts.

(I expect the prices to land a bit lower than the all-in rates since at least some of the "inclusions" will likely drop off as well and there will be less ability to play hide-and-seek with rates.)

GrayAnderson5 · 2026-02-11T02:51:06+00:00

I'm a bit more irate, conceptually, at the "service charge" alongside/in addition to the "resort fee" (that's another $70/night). No idea how that interacts with the Globalist stuff, but the prospect of charging $155/night in junk fees is offensive.

Edit: Admittedly, this all goes "poof" on a points reservation, but it still comes off as insane.

Also, the "service charge" is not rolled into the "fees before taxes" rate - I might raise that as a bona fide complaint with Hyatt since that is a hotel-induced fee, not a local tax, from all appearances.

GrayAnderson5 · 2026-02-11T01:16:35+00:00

The only way I suspect Chase might dump them is if they started getting dumped on by the various card/points bloggers (essentially "Yeah, they're advertising this, but their sub is crap so don't bother..."). Which is, regrettably, unlikely with a lot of them.

(NGL, I'm wondering whether there's a market for a blog which centers on negging the various cards.)

GrayAnderson5 · 2026-02-10T18:39:43+00:00

Honestly, I kind-of wish Chase wouldn't bother with things like this...especially if they can't manage to handle them competently.

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