FortuneofWar

Has anyone actually received a mail out or any new collateral for the changed program? I have to say it seems surprising to have such significant changes without anything at all in the mail.

JRK

Yes, got my new package in last week. "Welcome" letter, new card, new luggage tags (nicer than the old ones) and a little booklet. The booklet also spells out the redemption categories and has a T&C leaflet included. Maybe yours is still "en-route"?

Toffees

Hi there,

I have an upcoming business trip in Taipei fr 15-20 Nov and intend to stay at Shangri-La Taipei.
Do you know how I can go about getting cheaper rate than what is listed on the website ?
Any help is greatly appreciated from anyone or if anyone is able to provide with with corp rate code for any company having corp rate with Shangri-La Taipei is also much appreciated

FortuneofWar

....got it today.

Jiatong

I live in the US, & just did get the new card 'Jade' with all the membership information today. I like the card style & the neat green luggage tags. romm on the tag to handwrite in my US cell & china mobile #'s.

SocialAdept

Posting this from the traders club lounge at Traders KL. I was approached to join the program upon arrival and the young lady handling my check in DID credit both my new temporary GC card and my SAS Eurobonus card. I'm not sure if this was a mistake but I'm not about to bring attention to it.

squall1

Take this as YMMV report, but I recently booked my first stay after the new rules @ TPE where I have 85 nights this year so far. Most of the time I get a very good corporate rate for the lowest level room and they'll upgrade me two levels to the executive room when I email them and ask. This time, they said because of the new rules they can only upgrade one level and if I wanted to get my usual room at my current rate I'd need to up it to deluxe. The difference was like 30 dollars so I just did it, but I was a little miffed the "play by the new rules" line.

When you are going to close the year at 100 nights in a single property they ought to throw the rules out, especially when they've been bumping two levels no questions asked the entire year. I'm going probably switch to starwood next year as if I wanted that type of program I would have switched already.

SocialAdept

That's a very conterproductive practise. This kind of inflexibility for a customer that spends a 1/4 of his year at their property is baffling.

IT's a shame really since Shangri-La otherwise are better managed and kept than Starwood hotels in the same price-range/category.

DownUnderFlyer

Indeed, there seems to be no way anymore to buy up to a suite for less money. I guess this will be reserved for points upgrades only.

squall1

Yeah, I could probably email the GM and get it set back, but I'm tired of asking for stuff. I'm three years Elite based almost entirely on this one property and I shouldn't have to ask. One of my stay's this summer I needed to extend my trip, they were booked except for the Plaza Suite and basically wanted to charge me 200% over the rate I was currently staying at. I offered to keep my exec room at my current rate and they could give the Plaza Suite to someone else coming in. They wouldn't do it, so I was forced to find a new hotel. I was blown away and angry but for some reason continued to stay there.

Again, they don't have to upgrade me at all prior to my arrival, and certainly not two room levels above, so I get it. BUT, they were doing that since I became elite and in my mind, with the exception of the extension fiasco, were really living up to the ad campaign. Not anymore it seems. I used to feel pretty special staying there, oh well good things always come to an end I suppose.

Jenzzz

Hi, I usually stay with Marriott when I´m in Asia, so I just spend around one week in Shangri-La´s resorts, mostly in the Philippines. As a result, I was "just" a classic member before.

Now the NEW GC program is virtually downgrading me, taking away
- Partner stays free in the same room and enjoys applicable complimentary breakfast benefit
- 50% discount on Buffet Breakfast
- upgrade option, etc.

At the same time, they are talking about "indulging yourself with the generosity of golden circle" and a "new experience". What a joke!!! THAT SUCKS.
So far that is my first experience of being downgraded, i still can´t believe it.

Did anybody got downgraded in other programs yet? Cheers.

JRK

Looks like the list of properties for each category is online now.

http://www.shangri-la.com/uploadedFi...0PDF%20eng.pdf

Any thoughts on what that means for the earn/burn rate?

Do we agree on the classification of the properties?

One that is misplaced imO is Hangzhou (Cat. C). I recently stayed there and would certainly not rate it better than say Boutou (Cat A). Besides, they plan to do major renovations there to upgrade it.

FortuneofWar

For the property I stay at most it equates to 20 nights to earn a free night...not terribly attractive!

SocialAdept

I just got a points statement from GC by mail. I have previosuly been unable to tie my GC # to an onlien profile so this is the first time I've seen my earnings with them. Turns out I've been granted 500 points for a 5 day stay(!) What's going on here, and why should anyone bother with this program??

peter42

For me these are the two biggest losses too.

Again packed in marketing bla bla "the new GC - even better" or something like this.