Program

As the constantly traveling head of a San Diego investment fund, Shubhayan Mukherjee looked forward to the free breakfasts, room upgrades and late checkout that came with his elite status in the Starwood Hotels & Resorts loyalty reward program.That all ended last summer, he said, when Starwood’s perks were folded into by Marriott International, which acquired Starwood in 2016 to form Called Bonvoy, the combined reward program has 125 million members, more than any other hotel loyalty operation.“Suddenly, everything went downhill,” Mukherjee said.Marriott International Inc. Representatives acknowledged via email that the new combined reward program has been plagued with problems, including members who haven’t been able to get room upgrades or free nights they’d earned. Marriott is investing in technology fixes and increased hiring and extra training for call-center workers to fix the program, the representatives said.But Bonvoy members, who book some of the world’s most luxurious hotels, are not waiting patiently. Many are protesting online.Mukherjee, who joined the Starwood program in 2000, was so incensed about Bonvoy’s failures that he helped create a website, where members can air their gripes. The site, created last month, already has more than 600 entries.His Bonvoy problems began, Mukherjee said, when he traveled to Russia last summer to see World Cup games and found he couldn’t get his usual free breakfast, among other perks. “They still don’t fix anything,” he said.

The problems are the result of a rush to merge the Marriott and SPG programs together without investing in a necessary software program and providing call-center associates only a few hours of training, according to Mukherjee, who said he received an email from a woman who described herself as a former Marriott employee.The woman told Mukherjee that each time a loyalty reward member contacted the call center with a problem, the associates were instructed to create a “case” that must be resolved in three to five days. When she quit the company, the woman said in the email, there were cases that were unresolved after four months.Not everyone is upset about the Bonvoy rollout.Joe Brancatelli, who writes an online column on business travel and is an elite Bonvoy member, said the program has worked well for him. He also dismissed the 600 complaints on Mukherjee’s website, saying they represent a fraction of the millions of members who use the program.“The complaints do unquestionably point to some systemic issues,” Brancatelli said, “but, man, the numbers are tiny compared to the member base.”To read more about the travel and tourism industries, follow on Twitter.

Omni is committed to employing a diverse workforce that includes the talents of soon-to-be and recent graduates. As an employer of choice, Omni attracts college graduates from across the country.“Starting my career with Omni was one of the best decisions I have made.

Starwood Management Training Program

I began my journey as an intern at the corporate office and have since had the opportunity to open 2 fantastic properties in Dallas, Texas and most recently Nashville, Tennessee. Through my experiences with Omni I have had the chance to work with many people from around the country. Omni recognizes the potential of college graduates and strives to develop these young professionals into hospitality leaders.

Marriott Employee Training Program

Omni is a strong advocate of promotion from within; it’s a wonderful feeling to know your company has a vested interest in your future!”Caitlin Bay, Benefits Manager, Omni Nashville HotelTexas A&M University, 2011, B.S., Human Resource DevelopmentDiverse and dynamic learning opportunities are available to all of our Associates; however, Omni’s unique commitment to recent graduates is evident through its Leader/Manager in Development program.' Transitioning from college into the real world is an arduous task. Finding the perfect job with a quality company can be challenging, but through Omni, the transition was smooth.

Starwood Hotels Management Training Program

I was inspired by the Omni culture, which invests in employees while promoting personal development through strong leadership and continuous training. The Leadership in Development program matched my desire to learn with unlimited opportunities to grow as a leader and develop key competencies in the Sales field, leading to my first management position.'