Starwood Preferred Guest - 24 Stays this year. Will they bump me to Platinum?

Hey Guys,
I will make exactly 24 stays this year. Do you think they will bump me to platinum if I call them and ask to be comped? Yes i signed up for double stays promotion

The other option is i find the cheapest sheraton nearby and pay for one night....roughly $140....worth the Platinum Status?

Cheers,
Rajat

between now and the end of the year, how many times this question will be asked???
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Anywho, your experience my vary, but I don't "think" starwood will or has to give it to you.

With all due respect, instead of "wishing", "hoping" or "guessing" book a cheap rate at a airport property or watch for a starpick in your area or try to budget in a last minute trip to ensure that you have earned status.

If not to late, sign up for the double promotion - see sticky at the top of this page.

Hey Guys,
I will make exactly 24 stays this year. Do you think they will bump me to platinum if I call them and ask to be comped? Yes i signed up for double stays promotion...

Seems unlikely, especially since you were given some assistance to get there already with Stays/Nights Count Double. If it were me, I would do the additional stay and not depend upon the generosity of the program.

Best regards,

William R. Sanders
Online Guest Feedback Coordinator
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide

guest.forum@starwoodhotels.com

Without knowing anything about your stay habits or travel, yes, it is worth $140 to be Platinum.

Without knowing anything about your stay habits or travel, yes, it is worth $140 to be Platinum.

Agreed, depending on your travel habits. For me, it's an absolute no brainer if you're within a stay or two. All depends on if you'll be using SPG for a lot of stays next year. The amenity points alone make it an easy decision.

Hey Guys,
I will make exactly 24 stays this year. Do you think they will bump me to platinum if I call them and ask to be comped? Yes i signed up for double stays promotion

The other option is i find the cheapest sheraton nearby and pay for one night....roughly $140....worth the Platinum Status?

Cheers,
Rajat


Is the $140 a weekend rate? they usually are cheaper

Hey Guys,
I will make exactly 24 stays this year. Do you think they will bump me to platinum if I call them and ask to be comped? Yes i signed up for double stays promotion

Hopefully they won't bump you. Not enough stays despite double stays assistance is not worth to play in the same league with others with 50+ stays. Invest your 100 bucks and you are safe.

[COLOR="Navy"][FONT="tahoma"]between now and the end of the year, how many times this question will be asked???
17? Sorry, is this not a poll?

I agree with Starwood Lurker's personal opinion that SPG has already given you quite a favor to help you get to the requirement. I personally don't think that SPG should give additional favors in that regard. When it comes down to the competition for getting the limited number of upgraded rooms, it's not fair to the other Plats that earned it by following the normal rules. (There are some people that already don't think that the double-credit promos are fair.)

Not to beat a dead horse or anything, but do a mattress run - you have over 17 days until the end of the year.

Its worth it take your wife, girlfriend, or mistress for a weekend stay somewhere..

.......but not the latter if you have a former!

It should be worth it. But you have to ask yourself this......how often will you be staying at a "nice" property where the upgrades will be worth it? If they do not offer double-stays next year, will you be at Starwood often enough to take advantage of the benefits? Is it worth it to get the additional Platinum point per dollar spent based on your intended stay.

If yes.......then of course you should. Try to find a local hotel with cheap weekend rates. Or even get a day room......they count as a stay.

Generally, I'd say hands down it is "worth" doing a year mattress run in order to ensure Platinum status. But, if even with a double stay promo, you barely made 24 stays, YMMV whether or not you will benefit from Platinum status in 2008. Are you planning any vacations or stays at nice SPG hotels? If all you are planning is a few stays at a 4 points or some other hotel where Platinum status isn't going to make your stay any nicer, then maybe not worth if.

Onedog

My personal suggestion is you earn it like the rest of us, really! Not to be mean or ugly about it, however, come on man, 1 stay away, go for it!

personally, i don't think you should... save the $140... go buy an ipod nano... and leave the platinum status for the rest of us....

j/k

go BOOK A ROOM! those one or two platinum upgrades will make you happy

I was asking myself the same question with 49 nights.

No I wont count on SPG's goodwill and will do another paid stay to requalify. Its also worth noting that the additional stay/night in December will also count towards the Q1/08 promo if you choose the 6,000pts/4stay option.

Your best bet is to book the room and spend the night. But, Starwood does have it in their discretion to give it to you. It's rarely done though.

I don't think SPG will offer you the Plat. And I think $140 is worth. I agree craz, the weekend rate should be cheaper. Good Luck!

:confused: *Wood seems to give out status like its candy and this is Halloween. You basically just have to ask and they'll give you Gold (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=768005) so why shouldn't *Wood give Plat status to everyone who has at least 2 or 3 stays??? :p

Well, Gold is nothing, Platinum (at least in Europe) a great thing. Remember: Most Starwoods in Europe are high end places, not a lot of 4P or cheapo Shearatons around. By far less Platinums = In general great service (I had 70 out of 72 suite upgrades this year)

After 3 years of 50+ stays and 100+ nights my business travel slowed with a new job in 2007. Even after choosing double stays this last quarter I had 24 by the end of November. Spent a nice night at the $63 4 Points in Norwalk to guarantee Platinum for another year as I plan on at least 2 vacation by 2009. I as well will join the chorus and say find a cheap mattress run by the end of the year. Or if you have family that wants to stay with you for the holidays why not treat them to a nice night at the local Starwood and kill 2 birds with 1 stone.

Or if you have family that wants to stay with you for the holidays why not treat them to a nice night at the local Starwood and kill 2 birds with 1 stone.

But in that case, make sure that you personally check in and check out and pay for the room. And list the family member(s) as additional guest(s) in the room. And recognize that you'll be responsible if they damage the room and/or raid the minibar and disappear.

Well, Gold is nothing, Platinum (at least in Europe) a great thing. Remember: Most Starwoods in Europe are high end places, not a lot of 4P or cheapo Shearatons around. By far less Platinums = In general great service (I had 70 out of 72 suite upgrades this year)

I'm planning a trip to Europe this summer for 4-6 weeks using points and traveling with two children. Posts like yours have me assuming that it would be well worth a mattress run to obtain Platinum status. I had 17 stays (but more than twice that many nights) last year but am back to 0 this year as I am not traveling as much for work and where I travel there are no starwood properties :(

That said, I am considering a mattress run under the double-stays promo. I think I can obtain platinum status for around $1,000. Is it worth it?

But in that case, make sure that you personally check in and check out and pay for the room. And list the family member(s) as additional guest(s) in the room. And recognize that you'll be responsible if they damage the room and/or raid the minibar and disappear.

I booked a room last year for my grandparents who were traveling on their way to see us and I put them as an additional guest. I was not there to check in but they did and I still got the stay credit. Was that a YMMV situation?

I'm planning a trip to Europe this summer for 4-6 weeks using points and traveling with two children. Posts like yours have me assuming that it would be well worth a mattress run to obtain Platinum status. I had 17 stays (but more than twice that many nights) last year but am back to 0 this year as I am not traveling as much for work and where I travel there are no starwood properties :(

That said, I am considering a mattress run under the double-stays promo. I think I can obtain platinum status for around $1,000. Is it worth it?


For a journey of 4 to 6 weeks it is certainly worth it.

For a journey of 4 to 6 weeks it is certainly worth it.
With kids, the late check out by itself is worth it. And if you stay in any properties with a PLT lounge, the breakfasts and evening snacks for 4-6 weeks will absolutely be worth the investment.

It is now easy to obtain Plat status in less than two weeks and 1000 dollars with the double stays in a city with a couple of SPG properties and room rates of 79 dollars or less (common at FPs and lower end Sheratons in my area of the Midwest).

Careful though that free breakfasts and snacks are not stated benefits of the program. When more and more people become "easy Plats" it will be interesting to see how many hotels will be able to afford to continue these extra "in hotel perks" that are not official benefits of the program.

It is now easy to obtain Plat status in less than two weeks and 1000 dollars with the double stays in a city with a couple of SPG properties and room rates of 79 dollars or less (common at FPs and lower end Sheratons in my area of the Midwest).

Careful though that free breakfasts and snacks are not stated benefits of the program. When more and more people become "easy Plats" it will be interesting to see how many hotels will be able to afford to continue these extra "in hotel perks" that are not official benefits of the program.

Pls. read the post carefully:

in any properties with a PLT lounge, the breakfasts and evening snacks for 4-6 weeks will absolutely be worth the investment

Breakfast and evening snack refers to any properties with a PLT lounge and access to a PLT lounge is an official benefit.

I booked a room last year for my grandparents who were traveling on their way to see us and I put them as an additional guest. I was not there to check in but they did and I still got the stay credit. Was that a YMMV situation?

It was exactly a YMMV situation. Strict reading of the rules say shouldn't have received credit but you got lucky.

It was exactly a YMMV situation.
But, not an at all UNCOMMON YMMV, IMO! ;)
Best, Dave

Is the double stay promo still running? If it is, sounds like a good idea to me. I used it to attain Platinum by the end of January. Worked out great for me since I don't think I am travelling on business for the next 6 months or so, but have a nice store of points to use over the next couple years.

Pls. read the post carefully:



Breakfast and evening snack refers to any properties with a PLT lounge and access to a PLT lounge is an official benefit.

I know that access to a PLT lounge is an official benefit, but as far as I know nothing states that a breakfast or snack should be expected to be served in the lounge.

Some properties for example don't have the breakfast on Sat. and Sun. mornings and don't have the evening snack on Fri. and Sat. If the hotels that have this "extra perk" totally eliminate it, I don't think this would be contrary to any stated benefit. Guests would still have access to the PLT lounge big screen TV or whatever else is in thier lounge.

With seemingly so many more "easy Plats" now in the US, I have seen the evening snack at some hotels look more like a feeding frenzy :). Good luck on any of the good food selections being available if you get there more than an hour after the evening snack begins!

Is the double stay promo still running? If it is, sounds like a good idea to me. I used it to attain Platinum by the end of January. Worked out great for me since I don't think I am travelling on business for the next 6 months or so, but have a nice store of points to use over the next couple years.

It ends 2/29/08...(Hyatt's is over 3/31/08). ;)