Starwood Preferred Guest - To those of you that get a targetted promotion

Could you please keep it to yourself?
Starwood isn't going to allow any exceptions.

Threads that announce "Free Weekends" when it's just the same targetted offer, or discuss the fantasies that people intend to do with their free nights just serve to taunt those of us who did not get an offer.

Please stop.

It's one thing to discuss what you are going to do with your 50K bonus points, or TUMI money, or something you got through a promotion that was open to all. But dangling your favored status and lottery winnings in front of the rest of us is not particularly nice.

I know this may sound weird, but every day, I see a new Free Weekends related thread. I click on them hoping to see something new, but alas, no.

Keep it to yourselves, please.

Thanks. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

BoSoxFan,

I like those threads. When I know to look for one, it prevents the accidential 'delete'.

Note, I'm headed to the Yankee game now for a re-match of Andy vs. Pedro. If the Yanks win, I mean WHEN the Yanks win.... http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif





[This message has been edited by dhammer53 (edited 09-05-2003).]

Well, I respectfully disagree with you on this one, BoSoxFan. Here is why.

First, as has been confirmed by Lurker, there are people here that complain they haven't been targeted, and indeed, they have and for whatever reason, didn't know. This may give them opportunity to inquire as to whether they may have missed a promo.

Second, it may help us to learn more of the science behind the targets. (Of course, this is always subject to change, and the more we talk about it here, the more it could change even more, probably resulting in some other vague changes to the T&Cs). Por ejemplo - "I received targeted promo X" - if the poster puts more details afterward, like "last year I had 40 stays and spent about $7000 at Starwood properties, this year so far its 12 stays and $1000."

Then we have a useful exchange of information which may or may not change our stay patterns.

I tend to agree with EastBay as the posting of "selective" offers on FT is a chance for us to get some transparency. Do I get a bit annoyed that I am not targeted for some promotions? Sure, but I want to know about it.

O.K. I guess you guys are more or less right. But does William want everyone e-mailing him asking if we are eligible? I for one, have gotten nothing in the mail, and no postcards, so I presume I get nothing. I think it'd be an absurd burden to e-mail William with 300 people asking if they are eligible for any of 20 promotions.

I guess I like the transparency of it. I guess I'm just asking for some sensitivity with regard to "What are you going to do with yours?" type posts.

Just as a reminder...I am not authorized to change or add anyone to a targeted promotion, so don't bother asking. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

Sincerely,

William R. Sanders
Customer Service Coordinator
Starwood Preferred Services

guest.forum@starwoodhotels.com

Mostly a lurker here; hadn't been on the website for quite a while. ... lots of good information from others.

Bosoxfan, I'll rack up ~240 nights at *wood properties this year. I called the platinum concierge and was told that I wasn't by any of the recent promotions. Why should they? I stay there enough that there's no need. It would've been a nice 'loyalty' bonus, but that'd be it. I plan on maintaining loyalty to only *wood's program.

Yes, I was disappointed, but knowledge is power. If I had been targeted, but missed notification from *wood, I would've been elated.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by BoSoxFan45:
Could you please keep it to yourself?</font>

No, I won't keep it to myself. For the reasons everyone else stated and also becuase this knowledge is useful in deciding on which hotel company to patronize. I quit staying at Starwood hotels for a couple of years. This year, I've started to slowly book more Starwood stays due to some decent promotions (though not nearly as good as my preferred chain, Hyatt). It's nice to hear about the experiences of other SPG members on this board.

As far as people e-mailing William directly, I'm not sure why that should result in censorship (or self-censorship) of posts. I guess some needy, self-centered folks are pestering him about signing up for things they weren't targeted for. If that's the case, that's their problem, not mine. I'm sure William is more than capable of handling what the industry euphemistically refers to as "opportunity guests." Maybe we should all just completely stop posting in the Starwood forum. That would really ease William's "absurd burden."

240 nights????? WOW!
They should have a special status for you.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by dhammer53:
Note, I'm headed to the Yankee game now for a re-match of Andy vs. Pedro. If the Yanks win, I mean WHEN the Yanks win.... http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif
</font>

i went to the game and left by 8 PM.

You should get VIP Status. I mean you stay there SO MUCH. Even though it is CEO invitation only. You should write a letter to *Wood with a request. Office of the CEO?

240 nights, that's impressive. I thought about it and basically, you're doing 5 nights a week in an SPG hotel:
261 work days in a year (365 - 104 for weekends)
- 10 vacation days
- 11 holidays which is relatively standard
= 240 nights at SPG

WOW. If you are telling the truth, I'm impressed. I did about 150 or so last year an I thought I had a good number of nights.

Anyway, back to BOXSOX. I like hearing about people posting and bragging. Even though it may p- me off when I don't get targetted, I really like seeing people excited and peeved when they are or are not targetted. And I do feel bad for William when he has to field all of those annoying questions (even ones that I have asked).

Edited to be nice.

[This message has been edited by PHL INTL TERMINAL (edited 09-05-2003).]

[This message has been edited by PHL INTL TERMINAL (edited 09-06-2003).]

I think BoSoxFan may/will calm down now that his team beat my team tonight. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

Edited to add that we didn't talk about SPG at the game.

Dan

[This message has been edited by dhammer53 (edited 09-05-2003).]

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by PHL INTL TERMINAL:
240 nights, that's impressive. I thought about it and basically, you're doing 5 nights a week in an SPG hotel:
261 work days in a year (365 - 104 for weekends)
- 10 vacation days
- 11 holidays which is relatively standard
= 240 nights at SPG

WOW. If you are telling the truth, I'm impressed. I did about 150 or so last year an I thought I had a good number of nights.
</font>

Well, before you guys trip all over yourselves patting me on the back over the number of nights I spend in hotels, I should give a more indepth explaination.
I've been mobilized (called back to active duty) by the Air Force Reserve for two years at a location ~1200 miles from my home. Needless to say, the Air Force put me in a hotel. I chose the 4 points (I had a bit of a choice as far as where I could stay; SPG looked like the best rewards program and the local 4 points is brand new).
I check out every once in a while to go home plus annual vacation, hence ~240 days.
While my stay produces a decent amount of revenue, it's not like I'm staying at a category 3 or higher hotel. (Although once my orders end, I'll be taking a nice long vacation at a few luxury collection properties with the help of the points that I'll have accumulated).
Hope that explaination helps.

This board has been great for learning how to get additional points; I recently ordered the *wood AmEx card (with the 4k point signing bonus), and have transferred my brokerage account over to Ameritrade for the 20K points. Not sure about buying savings bonds to earn points though; my portfolio's been performing far too well to tie up 30K for a year in savings bonds.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by iflyjetz:
Well, before you guys trip all over yourselves patting me on the back over the number of nights I spend in hotels, I should give a more indepth explaination.
I've been mobilized (called back to active duty) by the Air Force Reserve for two years at a location ~1200 miles from my home. Needless to say, the Air Force put me in a hotel. I chose the 4 points (I had a bit of a choice as far as where I could stay; SPG looked like the best rewards program and the local 4 points is brand new).
I check out every once in a while to go home plus annual vacation, hence ~240 days.
While my stay produces a decent amount of revenue, it's not like I'm staying at a category 3 or higher hotel. (Although once my orders end, I'll be taking a nice long vacation at a few luxury collection properties with the help of the points that I'll have accumulated).
Hope that explaination helps.

This board has been great for learning how to get additional points; I recently ordered the *wood AmEx card (with the 4k point signing bonus), and have transferred my brokerage account over to Ameritrade for the 20K points. Not sure about buying savings bonds to earn points though; my portfolio's been performing far too well to tie up 30K for a year in savings bonds.</font>

Wow. . .I didn't realize that our government puts people up at real hotels as opposed to a base or something! Learn something new every day! BTW . . .thank you for serving our country; it is greatly appreciated.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by ldsant:
Wow. . .I didn't realize that our government puts people up at real hotels as opposed to a base or something! Learn something new every day! BTW . . .thank you for serving our country; it is greatly appreciated.</font>

Thanks for the compliment on serving the country. It's been a two way street where I've also benefitted. I was furloughed (laid off) from United Airlines shortly after 911, but was able to immediately work full time for my reserve unit.
As for my housing, the on base billeting is full due to all of the personnel called back to active duty. It also helps that I am good friends with many of the people who can assign me off base housing. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

When staying there recently, I noticed (how could you not) a large contingent of your fellow service men and women, being billeted at the Four Points Ventura, California.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by PHL INTL TERMINAL:
I like hearing about people posting and bragging. Even though it may p- me off when I don't get targetted, I really like seeing people excited and peeved when they are or are not targetted. I like NYC, New Orleans or South Florida for my free weekends!!!!

You shouldn't create this post unless you are asking for it!
</font>


Apparently you were targetted, so I'm not sure how you would know how you would react.

Also, I don't see why it's so hard to obey a simple request. What you did is just rude. It's not a big deal, but it's a real *****ish thing to do in the very thread where I ask people not to flaunt it. If you want to flaunt it, you should have taken it to another thread.

I look forward to the day when I am able to treat you with a similar amount of callous disrespect.

Come on...
Asking people where they are planning on using their free weekends is not rubbing it in. This board is about sharing information.

go sox!

My apologies, bosox, I didn't realize you were so sensitive. I hope we end up beating you in the world series if the Phillies can get a closer.

I would much rather people share target promotions. I am not one to be upset or jealous to know that someone else got something that I did not. I would rather know so that I know what is out there, and in case I was targeted and did not know, this may help me to find out.

The targets that I received were received on average 2 to 4 weeks after I had stays that fit into the below criteria.

Common threads are
1. New properties I had not been to
(Let's see if he liked it there so much that he'll come back)

2. New geographic area I had not stayed in
(We have been missing him in that area, look no previous history there, lets see if he liked it so much that he'll come back)

3. Longer than normal stay - more than one night
(Hey, he stayed more than one night this time, he must have loved it, let's see if he liked it so much that he'll come back)

4. Trending - 3 stays, three nights,
(Wow, he rarely stays 3 nights in a row at three properties, let's see if he liked it so much that he'll come back)

Items 1 and 2 will pop a flag that member XYZ is now traveling this area, when compared to stay history.

Item 3 will spike for revenue

Item 4 will spike for longer than normal stay

Based on history they can count on you week after week, month after month, to be here or there for X days at X revenue.

You change your pattern, thus the factors they use to determine targets and who knows what may happen.

Pavlov's dog comes to mind.........

I'm going to join the rising chorus of disapproval as well. Sharing these sorts of inside info is what FT is all about.

Yes, there will be a lot of people jockeying to see what they can get away with, but if, as you point out, Starwood is going to be granting no favors, then what's the harm?

There have been people who've come on FT before and done a little "HaHa, I've got a secret and you can't have it" singsong and it's never been good for the community.

Are we really that petty that we have to stomp off in a huff when somebody here gets something the others don't?

To paraphrase William Shatner:
"Get over it! It's JUST a loyalty program!!"

JD

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by Jet'Dillo:
Sharing these sorts of inside info is what FT is all about.</font>

bingo.