I am now officially lost trying to figure out how to maximize all of the hotel offers being thrown around and which hotel provides the best service to its highest level members (two distinct questions I realize). Also, I know this is not the hotel forum, so please no comments about the location of this.

Q1. How to maximize the offers? From what I can tell about the offers I personally
have recieved, I can get 15,000 Starwood points for 5 stays. No min rate required. Easy. Then there is 50,000 HHonors points for 4 stays, Double Dip rate required. Double Dip rate? I will have to be "creative" with expenses to get the double dip rate but I will probably try to get this as well. Hyatt. No stay + bonus promos that I can find. I am probably going to get forced to move hotels mid week for the next month to get both the Starwood and HH promotions.

Q2. Premium levels. Again, personally, I am Starwood Platinum, Hyatt Diamond, and Hilton Gold (I have not activated this yet as this stauts is due to the the promotion). I am more satisfied with Starwood's top tier than Hyatt's (better service and except at the W always a suite) but would love to hear from HH Diamond members as to their experiences vs the other top tiers. One the thing about HH and why I have been reluctant to stay there is that everthing seems to be realted to a Corporate or more expensive rate. I realize this is all subjective, but I am the reason I am asking is I am trying to evaluate my own hotel loyality.

Thanks!

[This message has been edited by auh2o (edited 10-12-1999).]

I should also add that I am most concerned with (in order)

1. Room quality.
2. Room upgrade.
3. Hotel Service.

Also assume all points will be used for free nights at top tier properties (Starwood level 5).

regarding question 1, it seems the Starwood and Hilton offers are roughly equivalent to me. Hilton asks min 10k pts for 1 free night & 75k pts= 1 air tick, while Starwood asks only 2k min for 1 weekend night (lowest category) and only 25k pts for free air ticket (recall exception only 20k using Starwood Optima CC bonus/conversion). Hilton requires 1 less stay but all are at a possibly/likely unnecessarily higher rate contrasted with Starwood at 1 more stay but with all at any rate! Starwood would be superior for sure if you use a Starwood Optima and Hilton would be superior if you had 4 one day stays during a crowded midweek period when you could not get a better rate!

Regarding question 2, I'm only Gold at Starwood and Hilton and only Marriott Black, having recently lost my Platinum status at Hyatt- so I can't really comment.

Goldwater, thanks for asking this---as up on frequent flier miles as I am I just can't get excited about the frequent stayer programs--they seem so complicated and only slightly useful (I'm not going to stay clear across town if they're the only hotel in town having a deal)

jl

auh20

All I know for sure is that when you stay at the Hilton Hawaiian Village, you will receive a very special gift from all of your female admirers from Seattle.

I am sooooooooo jealous

Oh Rudi, don't be jealous. I assure you that John's presents in Hawaii will make you happy, just like your presence in Hawaii will make me happy! You'll see.

Just so you don't think you're getting off that easy, Hyatt has Nights after Nights between November 15, 1999, and February 29, 2000 ...

Hyatt has fired up their Nights-After-Nights program this fall/winter. See the web page for more detail, but it is mighty tasty. For example, elite members can get a bonus certificate good for up to 5 nights at _any_ worldwide Hyatt property. Others can get 3 free nights at non-resorts.

As for exchange ratios, if you like to use your points for decent properties, you have to spend $2600 (any rate) to get a free weekend night at a top Hyatt property, $3500 (corporate rates only) for a top Hilton property, not including bonuses.

I'm Hyatt-Diamond, Marriott-Gold and Hilton-Gold (very soon) so I'm very interested in this discussion as well.

I'm Hyatt Diamond. I'm interested in the Starwood suite upgade. Do you get it outside the US also?
Do you get Club privileges Too?
Thanks.

As a general rule, with the possible exception of acceptance of cert's, I've been treated better almost universally at NON-US properties and find most Hiltons, Hyatts, Marriott and Starwood properties are generally somewhat nicerbetter too!