Starwood Preferred Guest - "Time To Cast Your Freddie Awards Vote"

just got an interesting piece of SPAM from spg.com delivered to my email box. the title is above.

here is an interesting line: "Better Web Site — At SPG.com, you're guaranteed the best rates, up-to-date account activity and effortless reservations and redemption."

effortless? i do sincerely hope they are kidding.

on the other hand, this statement is dead on: "Better Redemption — Starwood Preferred Guest unites the world's best hotels and remains the only program without blackout dates and availability restrictions on free night award redemption."

but, while the freddies carry zero weight with me, if spg.com wins as best web site again i will roll my eyes an extra time.

just got an interesting piece of SPAM from spg.com delivered to my email box. the title is above.

but, while the freddies carry zero weight with me, if spg.com wins as best web site again i will roll my eyes an extra time.


I also received an e-mail from Starwood encouraging me to cast my Freddie vote.

First, I resent receiving this shameless soliciation for vote my vote (not that Starwood is the only guilty party here). And, if you wish to continue to receive promotional information fron Starwood, you have to suffer these e-mails. This isn't a promotional e-mail, it's a self-promotional e-mail. Granted, I just delete it, but it still cheeses me.

Secondly, I share your opinion of the Freddies. I cast my vote two years ago and found they they don't ask all the questions that are meaningful to me as a customer. While web sites, program promotions, blackout dates, etc, are important elements of a program, there are other things. Like how accurately a program credits your account properly without follow from the member -- a category in which I find Starwood one of the weakest (if not the worst). The Freddies are clearly devised by the travel industry and they avoid negatives on purpose.

Starwood can crow all they want about five consecutive Freddies. It means nothing to me.

Solicitation issues aside, I voted for Starwood across the board. Hilton and Hyatt (where I'm Diamond) just don't treat me as well.

Solicitation issues aside, I voted for Starwood across the board. Hilton and Hyatt (where I'm Diamond) just don't treat me as well.

web site aside, starwood is really great.

the web site confuses me...how can a company so customer focused force its customers to use such a brutal web site (or give up earned elite perks)??

can someone answer me that?

:( :confused: :confused: :rolleyes: :td:

My husband and I (both Plats) are abstaining this year. While we feel SPG is probably the best overall, it's the interpretation of the rules that are annoying.

While no blackouts are the SPG "rule", we have tried to find a "standard" room at the New York St Regis Hotel for a 3 day weekend in March since the first week of January. Can you believe that between now and 3/31 there are no "Standard" weekend rooms available at the St Regis using the free weekend promotion. Yet on the first weekend in April Standard rooms are available. I guess most SPG members made their reservations back in the Fall when they earned their weekends, we obviously did not plan that far ahead. The difference is the room rates between Standard and Deluxe appears to be about 40.00, but enough to effectively cut them out of the free weekend promotion. You certainly wonder if someone is playing with inventory...we are not smart enough to know if they are but we sure find it annoying. I shutter when someone says "Starwood has no blackouts what a great program"...granted most of the time they are right, but when you have to book three months in advance it just seems like a blackout to us, especially when the NY St Regis Hotel has every other category room available for all of the weekends in March. I would pay the 40.00 difference for a Deluxe room but it's not allowed. Sometimes no blackouts can result in a nasty shutout, If Ralph Nader had a hotel chain maybe we would vote for him.

Secondly, I share your opinion of the Freddies. I cast my vote two years ago and found they they don't ask all the questions that are meaningful to me as a customer. While web sites, program promotions, blackout dates, etc, are important elements of a program, there are other things. Like how accurately a program credits your account properly without follow from the member -- a category in which I find Starwood one of the weakest (if not the worst). The Freddies are clearly devised by the travel industry and they avoid negatives on purpose.

Indeed.

There are so many awards today: almost every traveller magazine and traveller website has their own awards (+ their specific creteria). Of course, there are many business relationships between websites/magazines and the travel industry. So it's no surprise if magazine X has a close relationship with airline Y that airline Y scores awards from the magazine.

I shutter when someone says...

What exactly are you shuttering? ;)

Yes, the shameless Starwood e-mail does make some good points about why we all like Starwood.

But this year is different.

I'm fed up with "targeted" offers. A good/bad thing about FlyerTalk is that I can find out what offers I'm missing. Maybe Starwood discounts that the majority of their customers don't come to this board, but I do and find the targeted offers insulting.

The second is the "inflation" of points with the large number of properties elevated to higher categories without any adjustment in our earning or value of stored Starpoints.

As much as I appreciate the efforts of the Freddies, this year I'm not voting. Hopefully Starwood will take notice of what they are doing to their most "loyal" customers....

I'm fed up with "targeted" offers. A good/bad thing about FlyerTalk is that I can find out what offers I'm missing. Maybe Starwood discounts that the majority of their customers don't come to this board, but I do and find the targeted offers insulting.

The second is the "inflation" of points with the large number of properties elevated to higher categories without any adjustment in our earning or value of stored Starpoints.


Every program, heck every company in the world with a decent marketing organization, targets different offers to different markets.

Every program has point levels go up and/or categories go up and the value of "stored" points go down. In fact, just about everything but financial products and investments lose value if "stored". They are meant to be used.

If you're holding out to get your shot at every single offer the program ever develops, and to lock in the value of your points for a gauranteed room at a certain property for a set point value forever, you'll be waiting a long time. With any program.

My vote went to spg.

the web site confuses me...how can a company so customer focused force its customers to use such a brutal web site (or give up earned elite perks)??

can someone answer me that?

:( :confused: :confused: :rolleyes: :td:

The website is bad when compared to others. Having Starwood win the best website is such a farce that it casts doubts on the legitimacy of the other awards. For Starwood's sake, I hope they do not win this catagory.

I chose not to vote in the Best Hotel Website category since I really don't think any of the hotel programs are up to par in this area. I didn't want to choose 'best of the worst' and send a message that someone was getting it right, that there was one which others should actually emulate, etc.

I still chose Starwood as Program of the Year because overall I see it offering the best value, but that doesn't mean I think it should win Best Website again. Still, I don't think Hilton or Marriott or Hyatt or Priority Club should either.

My husband and I (both Plats) are abstaining this year. While we feel SPG is probably the best overall, it's the interpretation of the rules that are annoying.

While no blackouts are the SPG "rule", we have tried to find a "standard" room at the New York St Regis Hotel for a 3 day weekend in March since the first week of January. Can you believe that between now and 3/31 there are no "Standard" weekend rooms available at the St Regis using the free weekend promotion. Yet on the first weekend in April Standard rooms are available. I guess most SPG members made their reservations back in the Fall when they earned their weekends, we obviously did not plan that far ahead. The difference is the room rates between Standard and Deluxe appears to be about 40.00, but enough to effectively cut them out of the free weekend promotion. You certainly wonder if someone is playing with inventory...we are not smart enough to know if they are but we sure find it annoying. I shutter when someone says "Starwood has no blackouts what a great program"...granted most of the time they are right, but when you have to book three months in advance it just seems like a blackout to us, especially when the NY St Regis Hotel has every other category room available for all of the weekends in March. I would pay the 40.00 difference for a Deluxe room but it's not allowed. Sometimes no blackouts can result in a nasty shutout, If Ralph Nader had a hotel chain maybe we would vote for him.

You have a valid pioint, esp. as a Plat member.

First of all, since you would be eligible to be upgraded to the deluxe room even on an award stay, I don't see why they don't allow you to reserve the room and confirm an upgrade now. Understand it's not the norm, but it's a small gesture for two Plat. members. Not sure, but can you call the hotel directly to arrange such a stay?

Second, IMO, this is a weakness of SPG vs. Hilton HHonors. As a Diamond HH member (= SPG Plat), you are generally assured an award room even if it doesn't appear available. HH calls the property and usually (perhaps not always) can clear the award stay.

Best Customer Service, my eye!

I've decided that I'm not going to vote this year. Hopefully Starwood will start to realize they need to trim back a little on the attitude they can give customers before they

Like many of the points made above, I feel that Starwood is pushing away some of the unique "customer focused" initatives that it had previously.

As a shareholder of Starwood, I want to see them be successful, higher REVPAR, etc. but I've noticed a new unique arrogance as almost a victim of their success. Not the positive type of confidence at the hotels, but downright arrogance from employees towards legitimate issues and concerns.

My lists and issues are long, but I think as Starwood unloads more and more of their properties and becomes more and more of a "brand" machine, we'll find the "brand" will be more Yves St. Laurent than Hugo Boss.

I'm hoping their marketing team listens to these issues. Instead of getting an e-mail asking me to vote for the Freddies, I'd rather see an e-mail asking me what they can do to make Starwood better.

I would no longer vote for Starwood; too much bad faith in the promises of "best available room" for Plats (patently untrue in MANY cases), no black-outs (others have described experiences like my own where available rooms just happen not to be ones covered by the promise), "access" to lounges for Plats doesn't necessarily mean that you can actually use the lounge for free (happened twice to me in the last year), and other instances where Starwood tap-dances awfully close to the line of downright dishonesty. Hilton may promise less, but then you're surprised when they exceed your expectations. I used to be a HUGE Starwood fan, but every year they seems to get a bit cheesier and more slippery.

I would no longer vote for Starwood; too much bad faith in the promises of "best available room" for Plats (patently untrue in MANY cases), no black-outs (others have described experiences like my own where available rooms just happen not to be ones covered by the promise), "access" to lounges for Plats doesn't necessarily mean that you can actually use the lounge for free (happened twice to me in the last year), and other instances where Starwood tap-dances awfully close to the line of downright dishonesty. Hilton may promise less, but then you're surprised when they exceed your expectations. I used to be a HUGE Starwood fan, but every year they seems to get a bit cheesier and more slippery.

I would echo your sentiments, plus I also feel that Starwood has now clarified that we cannot get lounge access on an upgrade for our spouce/partners nor free access to the health club mean that Starwood treat me less well than Hyatt. Hilton always give me great rooms in great hotels and crummy rooms in their poorer hotels.

...Hilton always give me great rooms in great hotels and crummy rooms in their poorer hotels.

LOL So true.......

...I also feel that Starwood has now clarified that we cannot get lounge access on an upgrade for our spouce/partners nor free access to the health club...

Guess you must have missed the update I posted. :)

Sincerely,


William R. Sanders
Customer Service Coordinator
Starwood Preferred Services

guest.forum@starwoodhotels.com

Cast your vote! Visit www.freddieawards.com and choose your favorite frequent travel programs today.

Hmm, I'm surprised to see the Starwood backlash. No hotel program is perfect, but compared to what I read on the Marriott and Hyatt boards, and based on my own experiences, this one is far superior. I voted for Starwood pretty much across the board.

Mike

As a shareholder of Starwood, I want to see them be successful, higher REVPAR, etc. but I've noticed a new unique arrogance as almost a victim of their success. Not the positive type of confidence at the hotels, but downright arrogance from employees towards legitimate issues and concerns.

Instead of getting an e-mail asking me to vote for the Freddies, I'd rather see an e-mail asking me what they can do to make Starwood better.

I concur with high_flyer.... Starwood is a very good company, but they've gotten a little too arrogant about service, prices and targeted, rather than blanket promotions.

I too own HOT stock and would rather they slowly and consistently build on the excellents brands they have, rather than pushing the ceiling on price vs service. I want Starwood customers to be customers for their entire life!