Starwood Preferred Guest - Business Platinum Amx vs. SPG Platinum benefits

Just received a business platinum Amx card through my company, I notice at some *W properties I can receive:

*A room upgrade when available, upon check-in.
*Daily continental breakfast for you and a guest.
*Guaranteed four o'clock p.m. late check-out.
* Plus, an extra amenity at each hotel.

Extra Amenity:
• One 50-minute complimentary massage for up to two people per room, once during your stay(this one varies property to property).



However, as a *W Platinum I don't receive the breakfast benefit! :(

I assum reservations through Amx does not earn me pts or stay credit.

Can someone shine some light on this?

Thanks.

The benefits you are referring to are not provided by Starwood Preferred Guest. They are provided by the card provider. Ameniti, from United, for example, also provides its members with the exact same benefits you have just described: free continental breakfast, an additional welcome amenity etc. However, the trick is:
YOU MUST BOOK THE RESERVATION WITH THAT PARTICULAR COMPANY.

So, with Ameniti, you must book through ameniti, and with Amex, you must book via Amex with different rates than what SPG.com is offering therefore excluding you from any SPG promotions or even sometimes points and stay credit. Also, 99 percent of the times, these special package rates offered are significantly higher than SPG's best available rate. I recall attempting to make a reservation via Ameniti for W Seattle. Upon inquiring, I was told a king wonderful room would have a rate of 199 per night, which was 30 higher than spg.com. I then inquired about what kind of breakfast and amenity I'd get. The agent informed me that in order to receive breakfast and extra amenity, I'd have to book a different rate plan - for $239. So basically, you get complimentary breakfast and amenity for $40 :rolleyes:

Those offers sound great from the surface, but you will soon discover that no other source will offer you more amenities than what SPG Platinum from the actual Starwood Preferred Guest will offer you

American Express Platinum Fine Hotels and Resorts benefits (and perhaps Virtuoso) CAN be better than SPG Platinum status at SOME properties.

The two I always use as an example are

Grand Bretagne Athens - 1BR Suite > 2BR Suite
Westin St John - 1BR Villa > 2BR Villa > 3BR Villa

Addtionally, IIRC both Bristol and Imperial in Vienna are among properties where the one-cat upgrades go right up to the top suites.

Of course, if you're booking a base room, I would always go with SPG Plat, unless you care more about the guaranteed 4PM checkout or amenity than possible suite upgrade.

Also, these are not package rates. They are negotiated/contracted rates. They include breakfast, guaranteed late checkout, one category upgrade if available, and a property specific amenity. The value of the amenity varies, some can be very high. Usually the FHR rates are the same or lower than the Best Available Rate if booked direct. Sometimes they are quite a bit lower. Of course, if Starwood is having a base room sale, or a promo rate that is available on higher room types, those would probably be lower than the FHR/Virtuoso rate. Starwood Lurker has also said that as long as you pay the hotel directly, all SPG benefits will apply as usual.

American Express Platinum Fine Hotels and Resorts benefits (and perhaps Virtuoso) CAN be better than SPG Platinum status at SOME properties.
...
Also, these are not package rates. They are negotiated/contracted rates. They include breakfast, guaranteed late checkout, one category upgrade if available, and a property specific amenity. The value of the amenity varies, some can be very high. Usually the FHR rates are the same or lower than the Best Available Rate if booked direct. Sometimes they are quite a bit lower. Of course, if Starwood is having a base room sale, or a promo rate that is available on higher room types, those would probably be lower than the FHR/Virtuoso rate. Starwood Lurker has also said that as long as you pay the hotel directly, all SPG benefits will apply as usual.

When I said package rates, I meant it as a "package" to get breakfast and the amenity :rolleyes: Of course it is not a "package rate" on spg.com. It's not even bookable on spg.com. I stay at mostly US properties and I can gurantee you that 99% of the time, the rate via your "special platinum service" for the same category room is going to be more expensive than the internet prepaid rate on spg.com. Essentially, you are paying extra for you "free breakfast." Also, if you do a search, you will also find that MANY hotels flat out DENY these benefits to amex platinum, or ameniti, or whatever members. Agents simply are not aware of these contracted benefits and many FTers had to waste a lot of time arguing with the manager in order to get these benefits. NOT WORTH IT. Do a search, you will find some threads.

I'm sorry but that is not correct.. FHR is standardized, unlike Virtuoso. And Ameniti cannot be compared to them. FHR is a standard negotiated rate, like AAA / Corp / Group, across all member properties, and has a standard set of benefits, other than property amenity. Only relatively higher end properties are members. IIRC about 40 Starwoods are members.

I can't recall how much of a discount I've seen at Starwood properties (below BAR), but I do remember seeing them. And I've never seen higher than BAR, which is what you are saying is the case.

As I said, if there is a base room sale, or a promo package rate like "LM Business" or something that applies to multiple room types, that is probably better.

Saying that the benefits are not given, and that the rates are always higher than BAR is simply not accurate at all.

My main point, FHR CAN be better than SPG Plat in SOME situations.

I guess it is relative to each individual situation. For Example:

I just booked @ W Union Square over X-Mas. I am SPG Gold, and was told (in another thread) that since this W is a Virtuoso property, I had a better chance of upgrade that way than via SPG status. Also, breakfast (continental, yippe skip!) is included. My Virtuoso agant was quoted a Virtuoso price of $505/Night for a Spectacular room, vs. $379/night on SPG.com. Better yet, I called The gold reservation #, and they got me in on a promo to get one of my 5 nights (only 4 needed to qualify, BTW) for free, and the same $379 rate. This promo did not show up @ SPG.com (boo!)

I'm sorry but that is not correct.. FHR is standardized, unlike Virtuoso. And Ameniti cannot be compared to them. FHR is a standard negotiated rate, like AAA / Corp / Group, across all member properties, and has a standard set of benefits, other than property amenity. Only relatively higher end properties are members. IIRC about 40 Starwoods are members. Even if you were right, there are only 40 properties that participate, which is hard to actually use


I can't recall how much of a discount I've seen at Starwood properties (below BAR), but I do remember seeing them. And I've never seen higher than BAR, which is what you are saying is the case. Actually, I did not say BAR. I said prepaid internet rate. I highly doubt that ANY negotiated rate plan from amex platinum (which is what the OP stated) will be lower than most internet prepaid rate. Chainwide discount negotiated by corporations are different, but that is not what the OP has


Saying that the benefits are not given, and that the rates are always higher than BAR is simply not accurate at all. I didn't say that. This was said by many threads posted by FTers. It's a fact that many properties/agents have NO clue whatsoever of negotiated benefits other than those given to SPG elites. Many FTers had been flat out denied of those benefits. This is a fact.


I just booked @ W Union Square over X-Mas. I am SPG Gold, and was told (in another thread) that since this W is a Virtuoso property, I had a better chance of upgrade that way than via SPG status. Also, breakfast (continental, yippe skip!) is included. My Virtuoso agant was quoted a Virtuoso price of $505/Night for a Spectacular room, vs. $379/night on SPG.com. Better yet, I called The gold reservation #, and they got me in on a promo to get one of my 5 nights (only 4 needed to qualify, BTW) for free, and the same $379 rate. This promo did not show up @ SPG.com (boo!) Case in point. As chardo stated. In order to get his benefits, he would have to pay a HIGHER RATE of $505 versus the $379 from spg directly. That is usually my experience with those rates that include special amenities