ZBigFam

So I am a Hyatt Diamond and I have to say I love it, I am a HH Diamond as well but Hyatt definitely outshines Hilton in all aspects...

I have some international travel coming up and the areas I am travelling to don't have a great Hyatt presence so I was forced to stay in SPG properties. Since I had so much SPG travel coming up I figured I would sign up for the Platinum Trial and confirmed with SPG in writing that I would have Platinum status for all of 2016 and all of 2017 if I completed my trial in Jan of 2016 (which I plan on doing). All of this occurred literally one day before the announcement of the merger....

So I have started my challenge (am currently SPG Gold) and have to rack up 18 nights by Jan. So far I think that SPG gold trumps Hyatt plat, probably even HHonors Diamond.

-Here's why, at every property I was given 4pm late checkout or even later with zero hassle.
-Since I have the Amex Open card I get access to the lounge at all Sheraton properties, something that Hyatt Plat doesn't get even with their cobrand card and something Hilton Diamond gets


Now to be fair I have found that Hyatt Regency/Hyatt/Grand Hyatt have all been better than the Wesin's/Sheraton's that I have stayed at in terms on the hard product.

Will have to see how much "better" or worse (with Marriott devaluation) gets my treatment gets with Platinum but I have to say I am nicely surprised with how well I have been treated as a lowly SPG Gold. I can't say i would have been treated that well as a Hyatt Plat or a HHonors Diamond.

Your thoughts?

iflyjetz

You have to be careful comparing domestic vs international, but I agree that Hyatt Plat isn't much of an improvement over a basic HGP member. And both HH Gold (and obviously Diamond) and SPG Plat beat Hyatt Plat hands down.

Where I find the SPG program weak compared to Hyatt are brand standardization and breakfast/lounge offerings.

Brand standardization- there are some Sheratons that shouldn't even be Four Points. There are other Sheratons that are extremely nice. I've also noticed some worn out Westins. Those two brands are my personal sweet spot with the occasional stay at Four Points/Aloft. I hate Aloft (feels like a college dorm room) but the hotels are so new/newly renovated that there's no brand standard problems with them yet (same goes for Element).

Breakfast/lounge offerings - domestically, most of the food served is pretty bad. Domestic Hyatt lounges/Diamond breakfasts put domestic SPGs to shame.

MSPeconomist

The comparison should be between Hyatt Daimond and SPG PlatMinus or Plat50. Hyatt Plat requires far fewer stays/nights than the same metal in Starwood. It's like comparing AA Gold (the lowest elite level at 25,000 status mile sper year) to UA Gold or DL Gold, both of which are the second elite tier and require 50,000 status miles per year (and also each have a spend requirement that AA has yet to implement).

ZBigFam

The reason I compare Hyatt Plat to SPG Gold is that both can be achieved with a credit card (can be achieved with two different Amex cards).

iflyjetz

There is very little difference between SPG Gold and Hyatt Plat. As far as lounge access with certain AmEx cards, there's been reports of a high rate of denial of that obscure benefit.

ZBigFam

Disagree on this per my original post, I get lounge access (with the card) and late check out 4pm on all my stays (last three days). I am Hyatt diamond now but as a Hyatt plat i maybe got a 1pm late checkout and never lounge access.

kxc262

4Pm late check out guaranteed as SPG gold. This is useful for me.

Having the OPEN SPG Amex card does guarantee lounge benefits, but this is not a SPG Gold benefit.

To me, SPG Gold wins if you need late checkout.