Starwood Preferred Guest - Do Free Weekends Count as A Stay

I'm sure this has been covered but can someone give me a quick answer on this?

Only if you are VERY lucky! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif

Never in my experience.

I think in the old days they did - but they're worked out this catch and last years certainly did not.

Mine did last year. Be sure to charge something to your room, which will result in a Starpoint posting. Posting = stay credit.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by DFW DL:
Be sure to charge something to your room, which will result in a Starpoint posting. Posting = stay credit.</font>

I must beg to differ here. It's true with Hyatt, but not my experience with Starwood. Every award stay I've had has given me POINT credit for my charges, but never STAY credit. Only paid rates have counted towards actual stay credit.

Sometimes. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif

You will get Starpoints for anything charged to your folio during a Free Stay, but Starwood has corrected the computer glitch which used to credit free stays as part of your elite status requirement. It may still happen since nothing is foolproof, but it certainly is not happening this year as it did last year.

I thought that i could outsmart the computer when i thought i would use a Free Friday and then book two more nights at the SF Palace. However, the computer is smarter than i thought and they only recorded my stay as a two nights stay.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by Shareholder:
You will get Starpoints for anything charged to your folio during a Free Stay, but Starwood has corrected the computer glitch which used to credit free stays as part of your elite status requirement. It may still happen since nothing is foolproof, but it certainly is not happening this year as it did last year.</font>

I may be one of the lucky ones. I calculated and recalculated - I had my Free Friday count as one stay ! Went through all the bills, statements, etc. no mistake possible.

I had my Free Friday count and charged nothing to my room. Odd. I guess I was lucky.

My stay count on SPG.com is higher than my paid stay count- but since I've already renewed Platinum and earned free weekends on paid stays, I don't know if those stays really count towards anything.

cea

My Free Friday stay posted yesterday - points for room service yes - but NO increase in number of annual stays.
I think that sometimes they post if the hotel charges the cost that SPG pays to the room and then credits it back.

I just had an awesome stay at the St. Regis Aspen using the Condes Nast promotion (for Platinum Members). The two nights counted towards my annual requalification as well as a stay. Oh yeah and 1100 points! Okay now is everyone going to start saying how I should call customer service and have them taken off because "they were posted in error" http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/rolleyes.gif