I didn't get an email response but my status was changed from gold to plat within about 2 days of sending the email. Pretty good service considering the holidays.
I find they are normally as prompt as SPG on replies....maybe even a little better. Congrats on achieving Plat....good benefits. Check-in upgrades and the Plat breakfast coupons are a bonus and you can get two at check-in if you have a guest (full breakfast coupons have the tip included and most places accept for room service too...saves us a bundle on vacation at $60+ per day at times)
Last edited by Points Surfer; Dec 31, 12 at 5:26 am..
Delta's perks pretty good for elite members. I think they are underrated and not too many people talk about their program probably because they are only available in Canada.
Delta's perks pretty good for elite members. I think they are underrated and not too many people talk about their program probably because they are only available in Canada.
I've discovered quite a few US/European/APAC travellers use Delta and never join Delta Privilege because its a Canada only program.
Ideally a loyalty program partnership sharing agreement of sort's with Fairmont even would be nice. Delta employee's still get staff discounts as Fairmonts due to the Canadian Pacific Hotels linkage from years ago so not entirely impossible if some one at Delta or Fairmont got ambitious and wanted to pull in new customers by honoring status for each program. Easier than building or rebranding non-Canadian hotels.
Aeroplan - Earn a total of 5,500 Aeroplan Miles after four stays at Delta
Earn a total of 5,500 Aeroplan Miles after four stays at Delta Hotels and Resorts throughout Canada, PLUS save 15%!
From January 14 to April 15, 2013, save 15% and earn a total of 3,500 bonus miles* after four stays at Delta Hotels and Resorts. The more you stay, the more you’ll earn. Here’s how:
•First stay—15% off + 500 bonus miles
•Second stay—15% off + 750 bonus miles
•Third stay—15% off + 1,000 bonus miles
•Fourth stay—15% off + 1,250 bonus miles
That’s a total of 3,500 bonus miles, in addition to earning up to 500 regular Aeroplan Miles per stay†.
FYI....you used to be able to p/u a $100 Delta gift card for 12000 Aeroplan miles but sometime last fall Aeroplan bumped it to only bundles of 5 x $100 for 60500 Aeroplan Miles.
"Hotels" article...good indicator of where Delta is going these days.
Sorry for the long posting but this way you don't have to register to "Hotels" to see the article...good indicator of where Delta is going these days.
Delta Hotels and Resorts made headlines last month after announcing the end of its management of Canada’s largest hotel, the 1,590-room Delta Chelsea.
Delta Hotels and Resorts, Toronto, said brand consistency was the primary reason it was exiting the Toronto hotel, asserting that the property owner Great Eagle Group, Hong Kong, decided not to renovate the property to Delta’s new more upscale brand standard.
To find out more about Delta’s brand repositioning from 3-star to 4-star, HOTELS spoke with Ken Greene, Delta Hotels and Resorts’ newly-appointed president and CEO.
HOTELS: When did Delta decide to reposition its brand, and why was this decision made?
Ken Greene: We had new ownership when British Columbia Investment Management Corp., Victoria, British Columbia, bought Delta Hotels & Resorts from Fairmont Hotels and Resorts, Toronto, in 2007. The new ownership bought some hotel properties here in Canada as well and initiated the repositioning.
The whole strategy started in 2010 with an enormous amount of consumer research. Delta started looking at what Canadian consumers wanted and came up with a new vision of the guestroom the ModeRoom. In it guests can get hooked up and connected with the world, get onto their mobile devices to connect with business associates, can connect to big-screen TVs with one of the highest Internet speeds in Canada. We started this wonderful room renovation, and it’s really about adapting our rooms for the guest and not the other way around. Guests want brands to adapt to them, they want something custom-made for them.
Since then we have been renovating properties, and we have already renovated nine of 10 hotels we own-operate. By 2014 we’ll have half the portfolio renovated and in 2015 we’ll have it all renovated.
A guestroom featuring Delta's new ModeRoom design at Delta Ottawa City Centre, located in Ottawa, Canada.
HOTELS: What is the total amount Delta will invest in upgrading its company-owned properties? What is the total amount the owners of non-company owned Delta hotels are investing?
Greene: I can’t give you specific numbers, but it is significant. It depends on the condition of each property. Every property that we have renovated, they all have been very significant investments. What’s most important is that every guestroom is redone and many public areas as well.
HOTELS: What changes are being made to public areas?
Greene: We are adding Starbucks kiosks and stores. We will be looking at our food and beverage strategy, too.
HOTELS: What are the differences, in terms of design and amenities, between the old Delta and the repositioned Delta?
Greene: We have put a lot of thought and innovation into how a guest walks into the room.
Someone can hang up his or her jacket without opening up a closet. Then there is a neat place to put their handbags and keys and wallets. Then in five steps you can be sitting down at the SmartDesk and plug in multiple devices.
The desk has been designed in a very sleek way that gives you lot of space. A lot of times in hotels you see the dining guide, you’ll see a lot of clutter. You as a guest have to adapt to that and move it all away.
Guests want to be able to sit down in an ergonomic chair put all their stuff on the desk and then plug into the big screen TV and plug into the world.
People want to be able to Skype on the big screen, people want to stream their favorite videos. The room is designed to accommodate that in a quick way.
In the bathroom, we’ve made it like a spa, in sort of the same style as the desk. We keep it clean and not too filled with amenities. We have a special shelf with shampoo and mouthwash sitting in the shelf.
HOTELS: Who is the target customer of the repositioned Delta, and how will Delta market the brand to them?
Greene: Delta’s number-one customer base is the business customer. Most business customers today are male and north of 45. But we are starting to attract, with the new rooms, a younger crowd, including more females and those aged 30 to 45.
In terms of how we brand it, we continue to renovate the portfolio, which allows us to communicate what the new Delta is.
We will introduce a new television campaign shortly. We will supplement that advertising through traditional and social media channels. We think the online and social media marketing will be cutting-edge and will help us attract some new guests we have not had in the past.
Predominantly today our customer base is Canadian. But we’re going to see an inflow of international guests over the next decade. You are probably going to see us target feeder markets like Asia and Europe. Asia is going to be a big one for us, as there is a tremendous amount of excitement with the growth in India and China.
I’m quite bullish on the opportunity and how we can position ourselves to capture those guests. Especially because even though only about 10% of our guests today come from outside Canada, over half our employees come from other countries.
So for example, we are training our employees that guests from China should never be put in a room with the number 4, just like we skip 13, they skip 4 and 14. Four has bad vibes, a bad meaning for them.
HOTELS: How is the Delta portfolio currently performing in terms of occupancy, ADR and RevPAR?
Greene: We are cautiously optimistic about 2013. We have seen upticks in all the key metrics, and we certainly want to over-index in our competitive set.
The renovations are driving increased business.
HOTELS: Who are the primary competitors for the repositioned Delta?
Greene: The Marriott and Hilton brands are obvious competitors, as well as Sheraton.
HOTELS: What is the status of Delta's pipeline? Any plans to expand outside of Canada?
Greene: Our strategy is to expand by own-operate, third-party management deals and franchising. Our preference is own and/or manage, but franchising is a model that works for tertiary markets.
Our strategy right now is the complete our repositioning in Canada. We are in the process of developing a five-year strategic plan, and in that are various growth strategies outside of what I just mentioned, but we’re not quite there in terms of announcing those.
Has anyone had any luck getting Delta to status match with other chains? We're Hilton Diamond and mid-tier just about everyone else.... We're going to be spending the next few weeks at a Delta - but we can't hop or do anything to speed up the process because this is the only hotel in this area on the all powerful corporate list. I'm going to give it a try anyway - but just looking for any ideas.
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Not all who wander are lost ~ J.R.R. Tolkien
Has anyone had any luck getting Delta to status match with other chains? We're Hilton Diamond and mid-tier just about everyone else.... We're going to be spending the next few weeks at a Delta - but we can't hop or do anything to speed up the process because this is the only hotel in this area on the all powerful corporate list. I'm going to give it a try anyway - but just looking for any ideas.
Never heard of a Delta Status match but that being said it never hurts to ask. I'd suggest sending in a photo of your various loyalty program cards when you email a request ( found that sped things up in other programs ) and if they want a stay history that can go after. Good luck and let us know how it went. As an extra thought if they don't match call the hotel and explain 1st time visitor, top tier Hilton , any upgrades/club room please? etc...worked before on paid stays. Long shot .....but if you are staying there for the 20 nights required for Gold anyway the hotel "may" extend in advance Gold benefits during you're stay until you reach the threshold too if you ask.
For any CPSA Members... this is the booking portal link for the new website. Had to email Delta for it as the 2012 link was dead. Rates not so good this year.
CPSA CDN PROFESSIONAL SALES ASSOC CPSA On Line Promotion
