SPG 'Better by the Night' Promotion - pre-launch discussion and speculation thread
Dec 28, 2011, 8:43 am
#121
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: On strike
Posts: 8,135
Perhaps, although the frustration is entirely understandable. Too many posters barge into threads, asking oft-answered questions without paying the least attention to the discussion.
If every poster bothered to read the first page (~20 posts) and the last page or two (20-40 posts) before posting in a thread, we'd all be better off. In this case, the issue at hand was addressed comprehensively and authoritatively by an official Starwood spokesperson exactly 7 posts above (and about 3 hours before) the query. IMO there's no excuse for that.
If every poster bothered to read the first page (~20 posts) and the last page or two (20-40 posts) before posting in a thread, we'd all be better off. In this case, the issue at hand was addressed comprehensively and authoritatively by an official Starwood spokesperson exactly 7 posts above (and about 3 hours before) the query. IMO there's no excuse for that.
Dec 28, 2011, 8:44 am
#122
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Copenhagen, Denmark
Programs: SAS EBD, BA Gold, Bonvoy Titanium, Hertz PC, National Exec Elite
Posts: 553
I have no issue with promo's that are better for some than others as over a 12 month period usually they balance out but I have to add myself to the list that thinks an entire region excluding itself is dreadful.
I think it shows up Starwoods worst feature and that ius the nature in which the hotels and even it appears regions are seperate from eachother and Starwood really has very limited control over them. I have experienced this with issues during stays, at the end of the day Starwood has to wait for the hotel to make a decision and can actually do very little on its own or to force the hotel to speed up or do anything. It appears now an entire region can just choose to exclude itself from a promo which seems to make Starwood seem much less of a "Global" hotel group and more hotels who happen to be grouped under one banner which from loyalty program perspective is not a good thing in my mind!
I will admit this one thing will not change my choice of where to stay but I think it is a dangerous direction to be going in and maybe sets up the possibility for promo's to become more disjointed and therefore more complicated and thus more frustrating for members for SPG. It almost seems with the resort fee's, other extra charges some hotels make, promo's that dont include not just the odd hotel but regions as well the best word I can think to describe its is cheap, its nearly as bad as booking on a LCC airline you have to check all the small print these days!
What is the other Asia promotion that is being refered to as currently running, it is not the one where you have to use Mastercard is it because if there reasoning for not going with a global SPG promotion is we already have one but you ahve to pay on Mastercard then my opinion of Starwood this quarter just got much worse!
I think it shows up Starwoods worst feature and that ius the nature in which the hotels and even it appears regions are seperate from eachother and Starwood really has very limited control over them. I have experienced this with issues during stays, at the end of the day Starwood has to wait for the hotel to make a decision and can actually do very little on its own or to force the hotel to speed up or do anything. It appears now an entire region can just choose to exclude itself from a promo which seems to make Starwood seem much less of a "Global" hotel group and more hotels who happen to be grouped under one banner which from loyalty program perspective is not a good thing in my mind!
I will admit this one thing will not change my choice of where to stay but I think it is a dangerous direction to be going in and maybe sets up the possibility for promo's to become more disjointed and therefore more complicated and thus more frustrating for members for SPG. It almost seems with the resort fee's, other extra charges some hotels make, promo's that dont include not just the odd hotel but regions as well the best word I can think to describe its is cheap, its nearly as bad as booking on a LCC airline you have to check all the small print these days!
What is the other Asia promotion that is being refered to as currently running, it is not the one where you have to use Mastercard is it because if there reasoning for not going with a global SPG promotion is we already have one but you ahve to pay on Mastercard then my opinion of Starwood this quarter just got much worse!
Does Hyatt/Hilton properties have the same options to opt out of individual promos ?
Dec 28, 2011, 8:49 am
#123
Join Date: Sep 2010
Programs: SPG Plat, HH Silver, UA 1K, DL Silver
Posts: 190
Dec 28, 2011, 8:53 am
#124
Join Date: Sep 2010
Programs: SPG Plat, HH Silver, UA 1K, DL Silver
Posts: 190
And when the promo was three stays and get one free resort night, I was not particularly happy either. I ended up with only two FRNs that went to waste. Luckily it wasn't more as I wasn't travelling a significant amount at the time. For me, that promo was essentially excluding all regions because I would receive no benefit. Sometimes, promos don't work. Other times (most of the times for me), they do.
I feel your pain, but I am happy.
Dec 28, 2011, 8:59 am
#125
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: LGA/JFK/EWR
Programs: UA 1K1.75MM, Hyatt Globalist, abandoned Marriott LTT (RIP SPG), Hertz PC
Posts: 21,167
Once properties realize they can get away with it and still do fine financially, why would they participate in promos in the future? It diminishes SPG's stature globally if each region becomes more autonomous.
Dec 28, 2011, 9:00 am
#126
Join Date: Nov 2008
Programs: SPG-Plat, Hilton-Diamond, Club Carlson-Silver, Cathay-Diamond, Virgin-Gold
Posts: 2,183
No, but that didn't happen.
And when the promo was three stays and get one free resort night, I was not particularly happy either. I ended up with only two FRNs that went to waste. Luckily it wasn't more as I wasn't travelling a significant amount at the time. For me, that promo was essentially excluding all regions because I would receive no benefit. Sometimes, promos don't work. Other times (most of the times for me), they do.
I feel your pain, but I am happy.
And when the promo was three stays and get one free resort night, I was not particularly happy either. I ended up with only two FRNs that went to waste. Luckily it wasn't more as I wasn't travelling a significant amount at the time. For me, that promo was essentially excluding all regions because I would receive no benefit. Sometimes, promos don't work. Other times (most of the times for me), they do.
I feel your pain, but I am happy.
I guess I just wondered your opinion on the excluding a whole region and the thought that maybe next time it will be a different region! That being said I bet if it had been the North America region that had decided to exclude itself Starwood would simply not have run this promotion!
Dec 28, 2011, 9:23 am
#127
Join Date: Sep 2010
Programs: SPG Plat, HH Silver, UA 1K, DL Silver
Posts: 190
Apologies my post maybe came across a little direct, I can understand why you are happy you are going to get the extra points, as a promo in itself I think it is a good one if it did not exclude an entire region which I think is a first for Starwood and I am not aware of other chains doing something similar although I could be wrong on that!
I guess I just wondered your opinion on the excluding a whole region and the thought that maybe next time it will be a different region! That being said I bet if it had been the North America region that had decided to exclude itself Starwood would simply not have run this promotion!
I guess I just wondered your opinion on the excluding a whole region and the thought that maybe next time it will be a different region! That being said I bet if it had been the North America region that had decided to exclude itself Starwood would simply not have run this promotion!
While I'm happy with it too (and will likely benefit with lots of US stays and no planned Asia travel as of yet), I recognize that it's a slippery slope, started with the just-finished promo and continuing here, of excluding entire countries and now entire regions.
Once properties realize they can get away with it and still do fine financially, why would they participate in promos in the future? It diminishes SPG's stature globally if each region becomes more autonomous.
Once properties realize they can get away with it and still do fine financially, why would they participate in promos in the future? It diminishes SPG's stature globally if each region becomes more autonomous.
My opinion is that it is unfortunate to be in Asia without a Mastercard and I have my fingers crossed that 1) I don't end up travelling to Asia this quarter and 2) that this trend does not continue.
Dec 28, 2011, 10:02 am
#128
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: India
Programs: Bonvoy Lifetime Titanium, IHG Plat, HH Gold, Trident Plat, DL Diamond, AI Maharajah
Posts: 29,673
Dec 28, 2011, 3:49 pm
#129
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2003
Programs: B6 Mosaic, Bonvoy LT Titanium (x SPG LT), IHG Spire, UA Silver
Posts: 5,847
Promotions are just that---promotions. When you go to purchase a product is every product a company produces on sale every day? Are there promotions to buy every single product every store carries every day? The answer is no. Apple is not giving promotions on its new products because people want to buy them at the price they are sold at. If a region or a particular hotel is getting business at the prices they are charging without a promotion, then it makes good business sense NOT to have a promotion. Like starpick rates, hotels only offer them when they need additional business to fill the rooms on particular nights. It would make no sense to offer a promotion on a day when the rooms are already sold out with everybody paying close to the rack rate. Most Starwood hotels are not owned by Starwood but simply managed by them. If the owners have already negotiated convention/business rates for a particular season and know they can get a good rate of return, they don't need to offer additional promotions. Companies don't give away the store every quarter regardless of the business conditions in any given quarter.
If a promotion does not offer an incentive to you and that is the only reason for choosing a particular hotel, then oh well.
If a promotion does not offer an incentive to you and that is the only reason for choosing a particular hotel, then oh well.
Dec 29, 2011, 8:12 am
#130
Suspended
Join Date: May 2011
Posts: 409
Originally Posted by beltway
If every poster bothered to read the first page (~20 posts) and the last page or two (20-40 posts) before posting in a thread, we'd all be better off. In this case, the issue at hand was addressed comprehensively and authoritatively by an official Starwood spokesperson exactly 7 posts above (and about 3 hours before) the query. IMO there's no excuse for that.
Dec 29, 2011, 8:27 am
#132
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: JFK, DCA, BUR, YVR
Programs: AC, AS, BA, DL, HH (D), MR (T/LTP), UA (*S), UScAAre (PLT/1,87MM), WN
Posts: 5,207
Perhaps, although the frustration is entirely understandable. Too many posters barge into threads, asking oft-answered questions without paying the least attention to the discussion.
If every poster bothered to read the first page (~20 posts) and the last page or two (20-40 posts) before posting in a thread, we'd all be better off. In this case, the issue at hand was addressed comprehensively and authoritatively by an official Starwood spokesperson exactly 7 posts above (and about 3 hours before) the query. IMO there's no excuse for that.
If every poster bothered to read the first page (~20 posts) and the last page or two (20-40 posts) before posting in a thread, we'd all be better off. In this case, the issue at hand was addressed comprehensively and authoritatively by an official Starwood spokesperson exactly 7 posts above (and about 3 hours before) the query. IMO there's no excuse for that.
Dec 29, 2011, 8:28 am
#133
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: JFK, DCA, BUR, YVR
Programs: AC, AS, BA, DL, HH (D), MR (T/LTP), UA (*S), UScAAre (PLT/1,87MM), WN
Posts: 5,207
Dec 29, 2011, 9:02 am
#134
Join Date: May 2011
Programs: Marriott LTT, LH SEN
Posts: 171
Promotions are just that---promotions. When you go to purchase a product is every product a company produces on sale every day? Are there promotions to buy every single product every store carries every day? The answer is no.
If a promotion does not offer an incentive to you and that is the only reason for choosing a particular hotel, then oh well.
If a promotion does not offer an incentive to you and that is the only reason for choosing a particular hotel, then oh well.
These days we're acting as if we were entitled to a solid promotion every quarter and feel betrayed if it doesn't perfectly suit our travel habits.
Of course I'm unhappy too if I cannot make the most out of a given promotion. At the same time I try to make myself not too emotionally dependent on SPG's marketing activities.
Having said that, I agree that misleading promotions (where only after reading the fineprint all the exceptions and limitations become obvious) are most annoying.