Starwood Preferred Guest - Upgrade benefit for top tier

I've recently studied upgrade benefit of hotel programs and have found SPG is, unfotunately, poorest one among them.
1. SPG Platinum
Best available room including select suit
without access to a lounge/breakfast.
2. HHonors Diamond
Tower or executive floor room including
complementary breakfast and access to
exec. lounge. If there is nothing
available room or a lounge you can get a
complementary breakfast at their
restaurant.
3. Hyatt Diamond
Regency club floor including access to a
lounge which means including free
breakfast, upto 3 nites per 1 stay.
4. Marriott rewards
Upgrade (not sure exactly catagory) and
access to a lounge with free continental
breakfast for weekday stay.
*All of them are on availability basis at check-in.
All of them except SPG Platinum are telling those benefits on their official terms & conditions. Why SPG can't compete with those FSP? I know there is an operation-wide(depending on hotel policy) of upgrade (except tower floor)& access to club/executive lounge except tower lounge for SPG Platinum members if there is.
I mean why SPG can't mention these benefit officially. If I always book a tower room (yes I do always), I can get a loung-access and free breakfast at there easily. But if I'm an HHonors Diamond (yes I got it recently by comp)and can book a standard room only, I can get a tower floor room with a lounge access and free breakfast that is less cost than SPG.
Now I would like to ask all of Platinum members of what you think.

I disagree as a breakfast is only a few extra $$$, where I have gotten better customer service and easier reward booking at a Starwood member.

------------------
www.MyPriceLine.com (http://www.MyPriceLine.com)-a message board where others share winning airfare, hotel, or car rental bids from priceline.com.

SPG is definitely weak on breakfast but strong in so many other categories.

Actually, I much prefer a nice suite over a standard room on a club floor (unless its a Ritz club floor) - especially with the recent closures and cutbacks of club rooms. Having said that, I find Starwood very inconsistent in offering an upgrade on check-in; sometimes they recognize my elite status (Platinum) and have upgraded me before arrival, and other times they don't acknowledge it even when I wave the card in their face - and I have to grovel for an upgrade. For this reason, I much prefer Hyatt's 1-800-CHECK-IN, which gets me a room assignmnent (and upgrade) in advance of arrival. By the way - Starwood (or at least Westin) used to be most generous with breakfast, giving even new members with no status in their old program two breakfast coupons upon arrival (for each night of their stay). Ahh- the memories.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by QuietLion:

SPG is definitely weak on breakfast but strong in so many other categories.</font>


---

Absolutely agree! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

I was Hilton Gold HHonorrs, Hyatt Diamond and Mariott Rewards Gold

I had to constantly fight all three to get stays posted. I'm done with it now as when I didn't requalify for any of them the last time due to stays Missing - I consolidated all my travel to Starwood properties over the last 4 months. At this point I've made Gold and will make Platinum before the end of Nov.

I've yet to have a SINGLE Starwood property stay fail to post to my account.

I've been upgraded several times when I had NO Starwood status as the staff at some properties noticed I had stayed there several times.

My only Gripe with Starwood is the Run down Sheraton properties world wide... (e.g. Arabella Sheraton's in Dusseldorf and Frankfurt Airport)

In my many conversations with frequent flyers Starwood always comes out on top, primarily because of the regularity of recieving benefits promised without having to fight for them. Like many other PLT's I have had spectacular upgrades throughout the world and I have never asked.

FYI, last night in PHX, upgraded to Club, given free breakfast voucher.
Tonight in Las Vegas @ the L.V.Hilton Barely an upgrade, this room is very 70's and No breakfast. I hold equiv. status in each program.

Nickp, all Arabella properties seem to suck.

There are only eight good rooms in the Las Vegas Hilton and you aren't going to get them unless you're a high roller. Then there are the three penthouse villas I haven't even seen. The rest of the rooms are in serious need of renovation. But it's cheap!

The Achilles Heel of the Hyatt Diamond program is that the enticement is guaranteed access to the Regency Club. While the Regency Club is no big deal in the Continental US, in resorts outside the Mainland and hotels in foreign locations the Clubs are a big deal -- free deluxe liquor, exceptional food in the afternoon, nice deserts in the evening. However, in all the years that I was a Diamond, I never was upgraded to a suite. So with all the Clubs closing what's left for the Diamond's?

Sinnene analysis is superficial at best. Simply reciting the rules which he hasn't done properly is meaningless. What's important is how are the rules administered? That's where this forum is important. Do Starwood hotel consistently provide Platniums with significant upgrades? If it does, it's unique, it's a great program.

The points are quite valuable as hotel currency, and what program offers a 25% bonus on transfers to airline programs?

To be a little more clear, Starwood does upgrade to club levels excpet for in a very few properties where those levels are butler equiped. However, at those properties my experience is you usually get upgraded anyway.

Recently, Hyatt announced they will start upgrading Diamond to suites as well when available.

But the Hyatt Diamond suite upgrade is only valid through Dec. of this year.

I have right now SPG Platinum, Hyatt Diamond, Hilton Gold and Shangri-la Executive (2nd of the three tiers). I used to think SPG to be the best but with a bit of different treatments I get from one property to another, I am not so sure about it.

As others say, SPG Plat. can't beat Hilton Gold (not to mention Diamond) for breakfast. Shangri-la even offers continental breakfast to all the members, around the clock, and including room service, too.

[This message has been edited by Chiangi (edited 10-16-2001).]

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by mtacchi:

Tonight in Las Vegas @ the L.V.Hilton Barely an upgrade, this room is very 70's and No breakfast. I hold equiv. status in each program.

</font>

Actually, the LAS Hilton is only too happy to provide free breakfast to their valued Diamond and Gold HiltonHhonors members:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum57/HTML/002271.html

The precise way they are handling this seems to be in a state of flux but two weeks ago they told me that they had set up their computer to automatically deduct the charge from the bill and it did indeed work as advertised.

Regarding upgraded accommodations, Diamonds are typically offered third floor "Lanai Suites", which may be a bit dated but are typically very spacious. Good luck on obtaining non-smoking rooms, though.

A reason why I was wondering why SPG can't mention an operation-wide upgrade and others in their terms & conidtions was as follows:
1. The other hotel programs are saying they
can upgrade top tier members to their
highest floor with a lounge access if
available.
2. HHonors has mentioned their second
treatment way for HHonors Diamond/Gold
members when first way is NOT available.
3. I know that Starwood properties located
in North America can treat SPG members
well. But the other area such as Mid-East
or Africa is not same as North America
about upgrade or welcome amenity in
sometimes.
4. I want SPG to be NO. 1 in the world as
honest program. Because I love to stay at
any Starwood hotels.
If SPG can mentions well about upgrade in their terms & condiitons, I don't need to fight with a staff of checkin counter. I want SPG to give all possible benefits mentioned automatically without question whenever we check in.
That's all.

As a Starwood Plat, Hyatt Diamond, Hilton Gold and Marriott Gold, I find the service level from the Starwood Plat reservations people to be light years ahead of the rest. I do like the 1800 Check in service from Hyatt but I find if Starwood is doing their job, my room upgrade is generally blocked in the morning anyway. Seems to me the Marriott program is the easiest to accumulate points but it's a lot easier to redeem Starwood. The BIG difference to me is that you always know you are in a Marriott whereas the Starwood hotels have enough distinction to not seem like a chain hotel all the time.