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Tagged With "Marriott"

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Re: Marriott buys Starwood for $12.2 billion...what's in it for loyalists?

Ron B. ·
Received this e-mail this morning. Today we're excited to share the news that Starwood Hotels & Resorts will join together with Marriott International to create the world's largest hotel company. For our Starwood Preferred Guest® (SPG® members, this will mean even more choices in even more places, giving you access to 1.1 million rooms across 5,500 hotels and resorts in more than 100 countries. We will work to bring you the very best of SPG and Marriott Rewards®, two of the most...
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Re: Marriott buys Starwood for $12.2 billion...what's in it for loyalists?

Paul Heymont ·
I'm hopeful, since I think the last thing in the world Marriott should want to do is to signal Starwood loyalists that they aren't valued. Wonder how long before SPG rewards will book Marriott rooms...that could be a quick thing to do!
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Re: Marriott buys Starwood for $12.2 billion...what's in it for loyalists?

Ron B. ·
As I'm also a Marriott rewards member, I wonder when I'll get an e-mail from them.
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Re: Marriott Teleports Guests to a Marriott Future

DrFumblefinger ·
It looks quite cool! If someone actually goes to one of the places its being displayed, please post a comment so we can hear directly how the experience was.
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Re: Marriott Teleports Guests to a Marriott Future

PortMoresby ·
The "bleeding edge"? Ouch. Is that akin to hair-brained? Maybe not.
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Re: Marriott Teleports Guests to a Marriott Future

Paul Heymont ·
I can’t remember who coined the term, but it was intended to convey a sense of being so far out on the “leading edge” that one might easily cut oneself on some unfortunate reality…
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Re: Hotel desks disappearing in mobile age

DrFumblefinger ·
I like having a desk in my hotel room. A sofa or easy chair would work, but I dislike working in bed. I hope we're given some options.
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Re: Check Your Statement! A Big Hotel Credit Card Breach...

DrFumblefinger ·
You would think the cost of all this fraud would be more than enough to validate new chip and PIN rollout in the USA. Can't quite understand why the US banks are so resistent to this PHeymont. Have you an understanding of what their reasons are?
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Re: Check Your Statement! A Big Hotel Credit Card Breach...

Paul Heymont ·
It's been a long path. For a long time, observers thought it was because they were committed to contactless (RFID) technology as the next step...but that hasn't advances as fast as some predicted, and it has big security issues, too. Now that MC and Visa have set down a "you must comply or you will be responsible for fraudulent charges" rule for next year, we're seeing motion. BUT...so far most issuers have been sticking to chip-and-signature, not and-PIN, which guts the whole process.
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Re: Check Your Statement! A Big Hotel Credit Card Breach...

PortMoresby ·
I don't quite see why using a pin would prevent fraud of the type we're seeing on a large scale. Presumably, if the hackers continue to target terminals, the pin would be compromised too. Yes, we could change the pin but it would need to be done immediately, before the damage is done. What am I missing?
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Re: Check Your Statement! A Big Hotel Credit Card Breach...

DrFumblefinger ·
As I see it, PM, mostly they are just stealing the data off the magnetic strip. Or the PIN in the card has data that can also be copied, but that's a little hard than just scamming the read off the strip. With a PIN, that data, validated by your unique PIN (which you pick) are encrypted and sent off to the bank for approval. Not just the strip data, but the two together are the key. I have a credit card with a Canadian bank (chip and pin) which I prefer to use over the swipe and sign USA...
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Re: Check Your Statement! A Big Hotel Credit Card Breach...

Paul Heymont ·
In the most secure system, the PIN is known to you, the user, but is not in your records at the issuer. That's why if you forget your PIN, a new one can be generated, but no one can send you your "lost" PIN the way that passwords can be. In the PIN system, the first communication takes place at the terminal. The terminal reads the PIN from the chip on your card, and asks you to enter it on the pad. If it matches, the terminal does NOT send the PIN to the clearing house or merchant...it only...
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Re: Check Your Statement! A Big Hotel Credit Card Breach...

PortMoresby ·
So, if I understand it then, even if the hackers can read the entered pin keystrokes from the terminal keypad which we enter, it cannot be used without the card with the unique chip, which cannot be duplicated as a magnetic strip can be duplicated?
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Re: Check Your Statement! A Big Hotel Credit Card Breach...

Paul Heymont ·
That's correct. It is, of course, not totally impossible to create a duplicate chip, but it takes major equipment, not $5 worth of RadioShack parts...and it would also require much more information than can be harvested easily. The relative security (and it is relative) has driven over 80% of the world's credit card fraud toward the U.S. as other areas become more difficult. And once everyone is on board, the Trojan Horse mag stripe can come off the card as well.
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Hotels change in response to Entertainment on Demand

DrFumblefinger ·
Some good news from the hotel industry!  In response to Marriott's customers requesting greater entertainment options, the big hotel chain is rolling out a trial of NETFLIX at several of its properties.  NETFLIX, one of the greatest...
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Marriott, Hotel Lobby, drop request to allow WiFi jamming

Paul Heymont ·
Marriott, which last year was fined $600,000 for blocking private WiFi hotspots at a convention hotel (forcing participants to pay up to $1000 for hotel service) has withdrawn from a petition it started (along with the American Hotel and Lodging...
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Marriott enters the Travel Magazine business

DrFumblefinger ·
    In a change to its usual consumer outreach, Marriott corp, one of the world's largest hoteliers, will begin publishing an online travel magazine.  Marriott sees it as a way to expand it's brand and, hopefully, attract new guests to...
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Marriott on track to reduce water consumption by 2020

DrFumblefinger ·
Marriott hotels has set a corporate goal to reduce it's water consumption significantly.  Year 2014 over 2013 saw the giant hotelier reduce water use by 5.3%, and 16% since 2007.   The company set a target in 2007 to reduce its water...
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Travel Agents Not Happy With Marriotts Direct Booking Campaign

Travel Rob ·
The President of the American Society of Travel Agents, Zane Kirby, released this statement about Marriott's Direct Booking Campaign.   "Suppliers have the right to market their product however they choose, as long as the advertisements are legal...
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On the way out: Hotel porn videos

Paul Heymont ·
Personal entertainment is putting a crimp in revenue from in-room movies   Hyatt announced this week that it will be joining Marriott and a number of other hotels in dropping porn videos from its in-room on-demand entertainment systems. ...
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Hotel Mega-merger in the works? Looks likely...

Paul Heymont ·
Now that the big airlines have gone through their versions of love and marriage, it seems to be time for the hotels. Starwood, owner of such brands as Westin, Sheraton, W Hotels and more seems to be the object of everyone's affections.   In...
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American, Marriott Tops Again in Loyalty Awards

Paul Heymont ·
American Airlines (for the third year in a row) and Marriott (for the seventh) have taken the Freddie Awards for best loyalty programs. Winners in other categories included KLM, Southwest and Virgin Australia. The awards are named for the late Sir...
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Marriott Teleports Guests to a Marriott Future

Paul Heymont ·
Marriott Hotels has teamed up with companies at the bleeding edge of virtual reality to allow guests to be "teleported" to distant destinations, where a future Marriott awaits them along with local attractions in Hawaii, London and more. It's a...
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Marriott-Starwood are one: What about your points?

Paul Heymont ·
With the merger complete, Marriott shares news on how it will handle the two loyalty programs.
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Check Your Statement! A Big Hotel Credit Card Breach...

Paul Heymont ·
White Lodging, which operates hotels under a number of major brands including Westin, Marriott, Sheraton and Holiday Inn, has acknowledged a major theft of customer credit card information including names, numbers, security codes and more. The breach...
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More hotels push for direct booking

Paul Heymont ·
A growing number of hotels are offering discounts and free Wi-Fi when customers book direct.
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Marriott buys Starwood for $12.2 billion...what's in it for loyalists?

Paul Heymont ·
Starwood Hotels, parent of such brands as Sheraton, Westin, Four Points, W, Le Meridien and more has agreed to be acquired by Marriott for $12.2 billion in cash and Marriott stock. The result will be the world's largest hotel group, as shown in the...
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Hotel desks disappearing in mobile age

Paul Heymont ·
The hotel guestroom desk is starting to disappear as hotels find that most travelers prefer to work on their beds, or especially in the lobby.
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Starwood/Marriott merger on hold; new bid on table

Paul Heymont ·
A last minute bid by Chinese insurance consortium Anbang has put Starwood's sale to Marriott on hold. Marriott has 10 days to match the bid.
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Anbang drops bid, Starwood-Marriott deal on again?

Paul Heymont ·
With the Chinese Anbang group abruptly dropping its $14 billion bid for the Starwood Hotels group, it appears that a planned merger with Marriott is on.
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Re: More hotels push for direct booking

Travel Rob ·
I still don't know if it's any cheaper booking direct. For instance, on Hyatt site , It's 10% off is off standard rates. I often see higher % discounts on booking.com for Hyatt hotels.
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