It kills me when my colleagues get amazing targeted promos from *wood and I get my normal points and the 500 Platinum amenity points. Before you feel too sorry for me, I do appreciate the program and ability to use the point at a lot of great properties. But I remember the days of getting some huge bonus points, on-line booking points, etc. and really miss those times.
My question, finally…has anyone abandoned *wood after making status in order to try to get back on some of the target lists. If so, what were the results and how long did it take for *wood to miss your revenue.
Starwood Lurker
Oct 19, 05, 5:00 pm
I think this tactic has been proven inconclusively successful. In other words, some think they have been and others, such as the OP in this thread:
William R. Sanders
Customer Service Coordinator
Starwood Preferred Services
guest.forum@starwoodhotels.com
gleff
Oct 19, 05, 5:23 pm
Of course, staying at other properties you might get stuck earning Hilton HHonors points. Or worse: Goldpoints. ::shudder::
stephem
Oct 19, 05, 6:03 pm
Hasnt worked for me, maybe because I wasnt able to go cold turkey. I tried to move 99% of my business to Hyatt starting in June, but my wife wanted to stay at the St Regis last month, the W was the only convenient option for a NY trip, Sheraton Brussels was the only convenient hotel that would give me day rate, etc, etc, etc. I think you have to completely go away for 8 or 9 months. I miss the bonus free nights SW gave me last year, but at the same time, free nights at the Park Hyatts in Tokyo and Paris has softened the pain :D
Konsultant
Oct 19, 05, 6:56 pm
Does not always work, here is my history.
Last year I stayed 85 nights at SPG properties and took advantage of 2 targeted offers (5,000 bonus Starpoints after five nights , three times) and (2 free week-end nights cat 1-6 after 10 nights, four times).
This year, my travel dropped off significantly between Jan and Sept, I had 2 paid one-night stays in March, I burned about 95,000 spg point on vacation in Europe and 8 free week end nights. Now I am back on the road 3 nights a week and split my stays between spg and marriott
Now the offers I got since Jan of this year are:
Triple Starpoints On Every Stay ( used only for 2 nights in March)
3,000 after 3 stays (currently taking advantage of this one)
shinbal
Oct 20, 05, 8:13 am
I kept my same travel patterns up this year, and received no targeted offers at all. And you're right, it irritates the hell out of me when my boss, who is a gold, gets double points offers and bonuses thrown at him left and right.
Then, two months ago when I was a few stays away from Platinum requalification, I got a "stays count double" promotion. I would have requalified anyway and, to be honest, the only thing that promotion ended up making me do was to put 4th quarter business to Marriott. I don't really think that their Silver level means much, but I'm once in a while sent to a Marriott property, and I'll take the point bonus. Since it just took a few nights to reach it, I took nights that I would have otherwise spent with *wood and went to Marriott. I don't think this was the goal of this promotion, but it probably wasn't the right promotion to target toward me.
That all being said, promotions or not, the current structure of the SPG program and what I've gotten out of it is irreplaceable to me.
ajnaro
Oct 20, 05, 10:17 am
I didn't change my hotel stay patterns this year and got no targeted offers at all from Starwood. Right now, having overshot my quota of 50 nights, I'm busy trying out Hilton, Marriott, and Hyatt. I've been impressed by Hilton's maintenance – rooms spotlessly clean and shiny bright, with none of the stained rugs, scuffed walls, scratched furniture, worn out upholstery, etc. that I’ve grown accustomed to at Starwoods. The beds seem at least as comfortable as Heavenly and Sweet, and the toiletries are a step up from Starwood. I’m still undecided about next year, but availability of promotions will certainly be one of the items in my decision making process.
millburnmike
Oct 20, 05, 7:47 pm
Does not always work, here is my history.
Last year I stayed 85 nights at SPG properties and took advantage of 2 targeted offers (5,000 bonus Starpoints after five nights , three times) and (2 free week-end nights cat 1-6 after 10 nights, four times).
This year, my travel dropped off significantly between Jan and Sept, I had 2 paid one-night stays in March, I burned about 95,000 spg point on vacation in Europe and 8 free week end nights. Now I am back on the road 3 nights a week and split my stays between spg and marriott
Now the offers I got since Jan of this year are:
Triple Starpoints On Every Stay ( used only for 2 nights in March)
3,000 after 3 stays (currently taking advantage of this one)
Wow. I would have been happy with those promos. I have about the same # nights with no offers.
millburnmike
Oct 20, 05, 7:59 pm
I think this tactic has been proven inconclusively successful. In other words, some think they have been and others, such as the OP in this thread:
William R. Sanders
Customer Service Coordinator
Starwood Preferred Services
guest.forum@starwoodhotels.com
William - thanks for pointing to that thread that seem ominously like mine- sorry everyone for missing that one and repeating. Good to know that I am not the only one getting screwed out of bonus points. It is not possible for me to go cold turkey either, but I will take the opportunity to get Diamond at HH to keep my options open.
tinkybelle
Oct 20, 05, 11:11 pm
I earned SPG platinum 4 years running.
I stopped travelling for a year after a death in the family but as i had Hilton Diamond my husband kept travelling and kept up the mutual account.
I went from gold to zilch in the last 2 yrs and just havent been sent anything that would want to make me return.
I have been mostly travelling Europe where the SPG properties are frightfully expensive and I am getting very looked after at hilton.
I also kept up my Diamond Hyatt and as I am self funded traveller I just cant maintain elite with all three.
I have been sent NO fast tracks or bonus point deals so
Now that I am travelling again I will see.
AX9465
Oct 21, 05, 7:48 am
I have not planned to use any of these tactics to get special promotions, but the following just happened:
I was SPG gold, Marriott Silver and Hilton Silver at the beginning of the year.
Travel patterns at the beginning of the year required me to stay at Intercontinental properties... Received triple starpoints for every stay promotion.
In June and July I had to stay at Marriott properties. Have received "every stay counts double" - after that it was easy to qualify for Platinum.
In August and September I had to stay at Shangri-La - received uncolicited upgrade from Marriott (Gold) and Hilton (Gold).
Do not know it if is coincidence - if so, it is too much of coincidence.