After 22 years with Marriott, I think we're blaming the wrong people.
I've been staying with Marriott for over 22 years, and the company today is very different from the one I remember.
The biggest change isn't the employees. It's the corporate culture.
Everything feels more focused on cutting costs, standardizing operations, and maximizing revenue. Hotels have less flexibility, employees have less authority, and many of the little touches that made Marriott stand out have disappeared.
What frustrates me most is seeing guests constantly take it out on front desk associates and other hotel staff.
Stop blaming employees for decisions made by Marriott headquarters or by hotel ownership and general managers. The person checking you in didn't create the Bonvoy program. They didn't write the elite benefit rules. They didn't decide breakfast policies, staffing levels, parking fees, renovation budgets, or whether a hotel has enough housekeeping staff. In many cases, they aren't even allowed to make exceptions because their hands are tied by company policies or management directives.
I've seen people leave one-star reviews because they didn't get a suite upgrade, because breakfast wasn't what they expected, or because they couldn't have a late checkout when the hotel was full. Those reviews often hurt the employees and the individual property, even when the issue is completely outside their control.
There are certainly hotels with poor management, and some general managers absolutely deserve criticism when they fail to support their teams or maintain their properties. Likewise, Marriott corporate deserves criticism for policies that leave both guests and employees frustrated. But directing that frustration at the front desk associate making $18–$22 an hour isn't accomplishing anything.
The reality is that the employees are what make these hotels work. They deal with upset guests, long lines, staffing shortages, maintenance issues, overbookings, and system outages every day. Most of them genuinely want to help, but they can only provide what they're authorized to provide.
Something else that seems to get overlooked is this: staying at Marriott is a choice. We choose where to spend our money. If you genuinely believe Marriott no longer provides the value or experience you're looking for, there are plenty of other hotel companies to try. Hilton, Hyatt, IHG, Choice, Wyndham, and countless independent hotels are all competing for your business.
Constructive criticism is important, and Marriott should absolutely hear when something isn't right. But repeatedly bashing front-line employees or giving an otherwise good franchise a terrible rating over policies they can't control doesn't help anyone. It hurts the people who are working the hardest with the least amount of control.
Marriott still has incredible associates and excellent hotels. They also have properties that need improvement and corporate policies that deserve to be questioned. But if we're going to criticize the company, let's criticize the people making the decisions, not the employees who are simply trying to do their jobs.
I'd be interested to hear from both long-time Bonvoy members and current Marriott associates. Have you noticed the same shift over the years, or do you see it differently?