Starwood Preferred Guest - Comp to Platinum from SCC Ambassador

Hi,

I am planning to do some travel and stay in Sheraton Hotels. They look pretty good, the only point that makes the switch from Interconti hard to me, is that I have Ambassador Status in the Six Continents Club (not to be mixed up with the Priority Club). That gives me upgrades to suite, free minibar etc.

Does any one have experience on being comped to Platinum Status with SPG?

Thanks in advance!

Marc

I am also a SCC member with no status. Therefore I have never had a need to request a comp at Starwood. This board has a very active Lurker from Starwood. I am sure William will contact you directly if your e-mail address is provided in your profile. I just got my renewal notice from SCC and will not renew for this coming "year". The reason. I have no idea how their points system works. It has been confusing to me. FYI and IMHO

Don't get your hopes up:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum74/HTML/004678.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum74/HTML/003207.html

Sorry, just top elite status with Hyatt, Hilton, and Marriott are considered for complimentary status to Platinum. Also, this is only done one time and is not available to anyone that may have already earned Platinum previously.

Sincerely,

William R. Sanders
Customer Service Coordinator
Starwood Preferred Services

guest.forum@starwoodhotels.com

Seems like that policy could use some work. SCC Ambassador requires 50 nights or $25k in spending at Intercontinental or Forum properties. Anyone who gets that status is probably spending at least as much as anyone who is staying at Hiltons.

d

Thanks for the answers. I will give it a try. According to William it won´t work, which I don´t understand. Ambassador means 30 nights within one year, than your a new membership year is started and you need another 50 nights (in three hotels) within a the new year.

Me personally did over 100 nights since last September. If the status is not comped, I will stay with IC. I personally think, that Ambassador is quite hard to reach compared to HH Diamond etc. This is because there ist absolute NO promotion like: "Call us, give us promotion code 12345 and you will be Status A or B".

Cheers

Marc

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by Doppy:
Seems like that policy could use some work. SCC Ambassador requires 50 nights or $25k in spending at Intercontinental or Forum properties. Anyone who gets that status is probably spending at least as much as anyone who is staying at Hiltons.

d</font>

Yes, but do not forget Holiday Inns and Holiday Express and other such hotels. Starwood does not even compete in the Holiday Inn Express market.

I believe SCC status is earned only at InterContinental Hotels. Ie., Westin level or higher. Holiday Inns don't count. I'd comp this guy....

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by BoSoxFan45:
I believe SCC status is earned only at InterContinental Hotels. Ie., Westin level or higher. Holiday Inns don't count. I'd comp this guy....</font>

Holiday Inns and Crowne Plazas don't count. Only Forum and Intercontinental hotels. I would also agree that reaching Ambassador status is more difficult than Hilton Diamond or other top-tiers. Still, it is Starwood's decision to make ...

Of course it's their decision to make, but I just think it's likely this guy is a very valuable customer.

I would still recommend writing "Justin the Intern" a letter, attaching a copy of your credentials and SCC history for the past year and make your best case. I have found Starwood to be pretty flexible about their rules when it comes to common-sense decisions and you may just get an exception made in this situation. Stranger things have certainly happened with SPG -- particularly in recent months. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

SCC is a much more exclusive elite program than any of those offered by the major US chains, including Plat in Starwood, Diamond in Hilton or whatever in Hyatt or Marriott. But Starwood is a bit more focused on US model programs and must be unfamiliar with the SCC one. As noted, ICs have higher yield per room and elite status requires greater spend.

ICs are equivilent to Luxury Collection and top end Westins and Sheratons. SCC elite status cannot be earned on the cheap [at Crowne Plazas or Holiday Inns], whereas Starwood and the other US ones can be by staying at low-end properties like FourPts and Hampton Inns.

While I generally don't like comping, I think anyone with elite in SCC should be comped by Starwood. SL, your policy is most short sighted. These SCC guys really do represent high yield customers because SCC is a class program, often in hotel amenities knocking the socks off even Platinum SPG.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by BoSoxFan45:
Of course it's their decision to make, but I just think it's likely this guy is a very valuable customer. </font>

I fully agree.

Folks, I am sure that mcdos is everything you say he is, but Platinum Concierge has been given guidelines to follow and Six Continents is not one of the programs we offer matching top elite status to, so I know what the answer is going to be already.

If mcdos wants to take it up with the Starwood Preferred Guest Corporate Office for further review by them, that is fine. Perhaps it will bring the addition of Six Continents for consideration at the Platinum Concierge level. I really can't say one way or the other.

Sincerely,

William R. Sanders
Customer Service Coordinator
Starwood Preferred Services

guest.forum@starwoodhotels.com

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by BoSoxFan45:
Of course it's their decision to make, but I just think it's likely this guy is a very valuable customer. </font>

It is their decision, but at the same time this is degrading SPG brand equity in my mind. On the one hand SPG is falling all over itself to give out status to people with colored credit cards or relatively easy to achieve hotel status; on the other hand it's denying people who really spend a LOT of money in hotels that are better than many SPG hotels.

d

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by zakami:
Yes, but do not forget Holiday Inns and Holiday Express and other such hotels. Starwood does not even compete in the Holiday Inn Express market.</font>

The abovementioned hotels have nothing to do with the Ambassador status in question.Only Forum and Inter-Continental hotels count. I agree with the other posters that SCC Ambassador is one of the hardest status levels to reach..much harder than Hyatt Diamond, Hilton Diamond ..etc..

A quick suggestion would be to get Hyatt to comp you Diamond and then with Diamond in hand get Starwood to comp you. Kind of a pain, but should work.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by Harmsy:
A quick suggestion would be to get Hyatt to comp you Diamond and then with Diamond in hand get Starwood to comp you. Kind of a pain, but should work.</font>

Except for the fact that we ask for the most recent statement to be included with the request, which should show how many stays and nights they actually have with the program we are being asked to match. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif

Sincerely,

William R. Sanders
Customer Service Coordinator
Starwood Preferred Services

guest.forum@starwoodhotels.com