sapguy

You're confusing the issue. SPG is NOT extending Platinum membership for free! Rather, SPG is SELECTIVELY granting an extension of Platinum status to a FEW members who were a few stays short in 2008 after reviewing those members's history with the SPG program among other things.

There is a difference between what you insinuated and what actually was done, and it is worth pointing out.

jlcchien

A few stays short of the 25 stays minimun means no Platinum membership for the next year by the written rules from SPG. SPG is giving these member an extenstion without them following these rules. That is FREE to me. You are the one who is confusing the issue here.

psalflyer

SAPGuy: Again you provide a very facile response. Just because stays are personal, it is absurd to assume that they will be at "cheap" hotels. My qualifying personal stays were at the following hotels:
St. Regis Houston
Westin Waikiki
Westin Paris
Goldener Hirsch
The Park Lane London
Westin New York
W New Orleans
Hotel Pulitzer Amsterdam
Westin Riverwalk San Antonio
I earned my status just as you did but with my dime not only my company's. In total, I probably spent as much as, if not more than you. Comping someone who doesn't care enough to spend their own money to get to Platinum is still, in my opinion, a very poor message to those of us that do.

SleepDoc

I'll have to throw my hat and the ring and agree with psalflyer and say a majority of my stays were on my own dime and not staying at 4points for that matter! I would gather that most of the Plats around here are on the company dime which would be my guess with a few assorted mostly leisure guys such as myself and psalflyer. Anyways, Starwood probably did their research and saw the cost ratio benefit to extending their hands out to loyal Plats and the anger it may cost to other members. But in the end they would win out with intensely loyal Plats who will return their business to Starwood after they get back on the road for work or travel more such as myself. I'm in favor of this gratitude and don't see the need to treat them any differently than us "hard" way guys.

Dambus

I have no particular problem with Starwood extending status on a selective (and presumably commercially sound basis) in the interest of locking in as much revenue for 2009 as possible.

Anything which strengthens the performance of Starwood next year also improves the probability that the hotels I enjoy staying in will still be around in 2010 and still offering good plat benefits.

However, by the same logic, those who have earned normal plat re-qualification also need to be preferentially recognised in some way. There are plenty of cheap and effective ways to do this. E.g. a couple of guaranteed suites upgrades in advance would both fill rooms that are likely to be unoccupied given the turndown and provide a measure of distinction relative to comped plats.

-- Dambus

kluau88

For statistical purposes you can put me in the category as one who requalified for Platinum solely on leisure stays. Even with some double stays still had more than 25 stays.

sbtinme

I'm in full agreement with all of the above. *wood has been very good to me since day one and they are not known for historically extending status. 2009 is shaping up to be a terrible year for nearly every domestic industry and plenty of corporate travel was sharply curtailed starting in Q4 2008. That trend will surely continue well into this year and may indeed worsen.

I see this move on SPG's part to be prudent and based on solid revenue principles.

While I would be upset if this sort of extended status offer was made time and again to folks who'd fallen well short of the thresholds, I see this as a one-time exception based on extraordinary circumstances.

ssnz

If someone stayed 23 nights and just missed out it was not at all free. They paid for 23 nights, just a little less than would normally be required. It's not granted according to the Ts and Cs, but not free.

SPG is not giving this extension to just anyone - it is giving it to those who are loyal and represent a good bet on the part of SPG for future business.

Some people on here need to be a little less off about this:
1) SPG is a corporate company and made a commercial decison. Live with it. Period.
2) Things are really tough out there for some people right now and 2009 isn't looking much better. Do you really want to take benefits away from those who would have made it but ended up postponing a trip for a few months?

Come on people: the phrase 'we're all in this together' rings true here.

sapguy

I can't help it (and frankly don't care) that you are seething and unhappy, you and all the "personal & leisure" travel type who have qualified the "hard" way.

NO WHERE in any of my posts did I said that the so-called "personal" stays were at "cheap" hotel, and once again, I don't care if my stays were more or less money than yours or other people's stays (since I do not know all the facts nor do I have any control over any of that).

Another point: as someone who travel for work roughly 125+ nights per year (I'm SPG Platinum, HHonors Diamond and Marriott Gold), the last thing that I would want to do is to do leisure travel on my own dime! What are all the points that I earned with all those stays for, if not to be used as award stays for the few leisure trips that can be squeezed in each year?

This will be my last comment in this thread: ALL that I am doing is to express my appreciation toward SPG's very nice gesture and at the same time, applaud their very wise business decision which in my opinion, will pay them back many times over in 2009 and beyond.

jlcchien

anything short of 25 stays these members were demoted to GOLD. Do they pay anything to be UPGRADED from GOLD to Platinum. The answer is NO. It is COMPLIMENTARY = FREE. To complete a stay at a SPG hotel takes money and in my case time as well. I made several unnecessary stays at the end of the year in order to requalify for my platinum. I am a 100% leisure traveller. None of my stays has anything to do with my work. It is unfair that some members who did not put requalifing their platinum memberships a top priority or could careless whether they retain their platinum membership or not actually get rewarded by SPG for their behavior and members like me who put requalifing for my platinum a top priority get no special recognition.

Anyway, this is a public forum every member has the right to express his/her opinion. You do not have to agree with me. I felt strongly that SPG should be made aware of these different opinions re. a business decision they made. That is all.

1K_From_SNA

Yes they reviewed the history and made a decision to target certain Plats. But trust me not everyone was a few stays short, this Plat was 20 stays short.

I retired the year before last, having travelled for years and years. Last year I did 1K on my own dime but decided not to go for Plat, I have been using points when staying places vs. paying. So I love them extending me for another year, I may now do Plat on my own dime this year.

A couple years ago I would have thought this was terrible, it waters down Plat status, less upgrades etc., as many have already discussed. This year it is the greatest thing since sliced bread to me, as others once again have discussed in this thread. So the moral of the story is it all depends on your situation and perspective at the time of whether this is a good thing or not. There are great viewpoints from both sides, but at the end it is all about each person's own best interest, and the decision made by Stawood, they are looking after their best interest too (or at least they expect to drive more revenue from those they target, benefit vs. their cost).

Flews

I was off work for six months on parental leave last year. So I spent thousands of dollars out of my own pocket on leisure stays I really didn't need in order to maintain my Plat status.

I must confess to feeling somewhat ripped off now.

How come my loyalty doesn't get any extra recognition?

Cheers,

I-flybynight

Did anyone get to keep there gold for next year?

mario33

I have a solution.

For those of us who took the extra effort to requalify for 2009, I suggest Starwood extend our status through 2010

As a leisure traveller, all my stays are at my own expense. And to requalify for 2009 I had to do a few mattress runs in December, will probably not do it again come December this year ....

SportsTech

Do unto others...

I had almost enough personal stays (22) to re-qualify, 65 or 70 stay overall, and I have no problem with Starwood granting exceptional requalification to loyal SPG members who were a couple stays short last year - in case anyone has forgotten, last year SUCKED for a lot of companies and individuals.

I'll start $%ching about giveaway requalification when I notice it impacting my SPG benefits - which hasn't happened yet, and probably won't happen. I get good Plat benefits at the hotels that willingly recognize Plats, and I get crappy benefits at the properties that don't care about the SPG program. I suspect most of you will agree that the number of Plats doesn't have much to do with the crappy service at the properties that aren't compliant. Adding a few Plat-lites isn't going to make these properties any worse.

I'd gladly cut SPG management some slack on the Plat-lite program if they'd promise to work on consistent Plat recognition by the properties that are out of code!