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Discussion: 10 Suite Night Awards (SNAs) for Plats with 50 nights in calendar year

Old Dec 31, 2014, 10:04 am
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Discussion: 10 Suite Night Awards (SNAs) for Plats with 50 nights in calendar year

 
Old Feb 1, 2012, 3:32 pm
  #76  
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
Programs: SPG Lifetime Platinum, United Premierl Platinum, Marriott Platinum, Hilton Gold
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SPG Amex

I have three separate SPG AMex accounts, should my account be credited for all the elite stay/night credits or just for one account?
jottoson is offline  
Old Feb 1, 2012, 3:33 pm
  #77  
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Originally Posted by Dorian
I cannot fathom that people are b*tching about this program addition. You should be embarrassed.

Frankly I am very surprised SPG is giving out something this rich.
Because suite nights is not really giving a benefit overall it is moving a benefit from one group to another. You cannot expect the group who are losing out to welcome that loss.

Most of the other changes are positive additions to the programme or at least broadly neutral (although lifetime Plat status will have an impact).
Land-of-Miles is offline  
Old Feb 1, 2012, 3:36 pm
  #78  
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Originally Posted by Land-of-Miles
...Seriously should I really need to get someone to take a look?...
My opinion is that the numbers we have for you are correct. Have it checked only if you feel otherwise.

Best regards,

William R. Sanders
Social Media Specialist
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide

[email protected]
Starwood Lurker is offline  
Old Feb 1, 2012, 3:49 pm
  #79  
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Originally Posted by Starwood Lurker
My opinion is that the numbers we have for you are correct. Have it checked only if you feel otherwise.

Best regards,

William R. Sanders
Social Media Specialist
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide

[email protected]
As mentioned above I know the figures are incorrect because I have run the invoices so unless I have incorrectly classed a pre change Cash and Point night or award night as a stay then there is an error. I have requested a breakdown of my stay history for 2011. In the event that I am correct I would like to understand how prior year records can be queried short of filing a UK Data Subject Access Request?
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Old Feb 1, 2012, 3:58 pm
  #80  
 
Join Date: Apr 2011
Programs: Bonvoy Amb LTT, HHonors Diamond, AA ExPlat, United Silver
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E-mail showed up from Starwood this afternoon showing I had earned the 10 suite nights. Great new program! THANKS.
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Old Feb 1, 2012, 4:01 pm
  #81  
 
Join Date: Jun 2003
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the best hotel loyalty program is getting better

the best hotel loyalty program is getting better
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Old Feb 1, 2012, 4:06 pm
  #82  
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Originally Posted by Rambuster
IIRC I had 47 nights in 2011 and had I known about this I could have moved past the 50 nights post.

Somehow I feel a little short changed.
How about offering 5 suite nights for long time Platinum members who narrowly missed the (then unknown!) goal in 2011 ?
I feel the same way, as if anyone at SPG (or a majority of people here at FT) cares. My goal every year is to make it back to PLT. And I did. But I feel the bar was moved retroactively and had I known about this on January 1, 2011, I would've stayed at least 50 nights. But in some cases I stayed elsewhere when the rates or the locations didn't make sense and I would've thought long and hard about staying with SPG had I known this change was going to happen.

Of course all the folks here who got their 50 nights will think this is more than fair and that people like me are just whining about "not qualifying." Of course, how would I know how to qualify since this was put in *after* 2011 ended?

Sometimes I think it really doesn't pay to play this game.
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Old Feb 1, 2012, 4:15 pm
  #83  
 
Join Date: Jul 2009
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Platinum on Stays vs. Nights

For the past 2 years I qualified as Platinum based on Stays, but never hit the 50 night minimum number. I also stay at predominantly Sheraton properties, although there are a couple Westin or 4Points that I hit from time to time.

I am loyal to *wood because I do like their loyalty program, and I agree that the recently announced changes can generally be perceived as accretive in value. However, as a stay-based Platinum, my own personal benefits have remain unchanged for 2012.

I already get a breakfast via the lounge, and I'd rather have points as my gift anyway. I won't benefit from the 10 suite nights bonus since I don't hit the 50 night threshold. If anything I feel "less Platinum" since I now clearly rank behind night-based members.

It wont change my preferences, but my reaction was "meh".
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Old Feb 1, 2012, 4:46 pm
  #84  
 
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Originally Posted by Starwood Lurker
Doubtful, but send me your SPG account number and I'll be glad to make some inquiries.

Best regards,

William R. Sanders
Social Media Specialist
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide

[email protected]
But could that result in the loss of this benefit if it were granted incorrectly? I have no issues with receiving unearned gifts and choose not to look the horse in the mouth bearing them.
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Old Feb 1, 2012, 4:49 pm
  #85  
 
Join Date: Sep 2006
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A loyalty scheme is by design there to encourage regular and more importantly, profitable custom. I would argue that the one flaw in the Starwood system as a result of these changes is that they are only basing everything on nights and nothing to do with the value of the custom.

Surely the SPG Platinum with 40 nights at an average of $300 per night, who also spends regular in the hotel is worth as much, if not more than the SPG Platinum member with 80 nights at an average $100 per night with no incremental spend? The positive benefits implemented don't unfortunately allow for this to happen and it is the one area where I think SPG do need to take a leaf out of the HHonors book. This is especially true for SPG members based in some of the lesser served countries or regions where the Starwood footprint is much more restricted and therefore night opportunities may be harder to come by. This isn't a complaint, merely an observation.

My main bone of contention is the application of the 10 suite award nights in 2012. I genuinely believe that all Platinums should receive these this year. Firstly because these have been allocated purely against a target that we didn't know existed. I'm glad that I didn't miss out by a night or two like some people did as I am sure that would irk me quite a bit.

Secondly (and I would argue more importantly), it would be a good way to demonstrate to existing Platinums who were in the 25-49 nights bracket that there is a good benefit to be had by putting more nights over to SPG if they can in 2012 to enjoy the Suite Night upgrades. (Notwithstanding my earlier point that I think that the criteria should be broader than just nights.) At the moment the lack of access to these awards this is year is creating negativity from some members that really shouldn't have been allowed to come from the announcement today. I just think that SPG have missed a trick to really wow all Platinum members across their night tiers (25-49, 50-74, 75-99 and 100+) and deliver a knock-out blow. In my view they have failed in this respect with one of these groups.

I completely understand the mainly positive sentiment about these changes. There are many good enhancements and I don't begrudge anyone who has earned the extra benefits available to them. I certainly appreciate the breakfast option as well as the lifetime status options that genuinely do act as a point of differentiation for Starwood. However, in the same way that I can respect why some members are completely wowed by the changes, I would ask that other members also respect the opinions of those not universally pleased whatever the reasoning.
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Old Feb 1, 2012, 5:27 pm
  #86  
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Originally Posted by RAPC
My main bone of contention is the application of the 10 suite award nights in 2012. I genuinely believe that all Platinums should receive these this year. Firstly because these have been allocated purely against a target that we didn't know existed. I'm glad that I didn't miss out by a night or two like some people did as I am sure that would irk me quite a bit.
Yes, but not everything has to be the result of the carrot approach. For this year, I look at this more along the lines of Starwood saying, "Thanks for your business last year, doctor. We're starting a new PLT benefit in 2012; but because you were such a loyal customer last year, we're going to make it retroactive for you."
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Old Feb 1, 2012, 5:33 pm
  #87  
 
Join Date: Aug 2010
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Originally Posted by marlee1421
E-mail showed up from Starwood this afternoon showing I had earned the 10 suite nights. Great new program! THANKS.
Did everyone who earned the 10 suite nights receive an email?

I checked with SPG (via online chat), and they said that I had 50 nights last year, but I didn't receive an email saying that I had earned the 10 suite nights...
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Old Feb 1, 2012, 5:41 pm
  #88  
 
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Originally Posted by pxy_a
Did everyone who earned the 10 suite nights receive an email?
I got it.
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Old Feb 1, 2012, 5:47 pm
  #89  
 
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Originally Posted by Dr. HFH
Yes, but not everything has to be the result of the carrot approach. For this year, I look at this more along the lines of Starwood saying, "Thanks for your business last year, doctor. We're starting a new PLT benefit in 2012; but because you were such a loyal customer last year, we're going to make it retroactive for you."
Absolutely, it doesn't have to always be the carrot approach. In this scenario though, I still think SPG missed a trick by allowing negativity to come out of what should have just been a positive message. As a marketeer myself I just think they dropped the ball on it and could have done it better. The impression I get from some email conversations this evening with someone from Starwood who has reached out to me after I made some comments in social media is that they genuinely didn't anticipate this possible negative response.
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Old Feb 1, 2012, 5:48 pm
  #90  
 
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It never ceases to amaze me that companies can shoot themselves in the foot with an announcement that should be exclusively positive by not focusing on the details. Is there not anyone in Starwood with the common sense to know that when you take a group of people that were otherwise branded as being comparable, and you shower one with unexpected rewards and the other with nothing that you are going to have hurt feelings?

Up until recently, I was always under the impression that Starwood valued Platinum members who earn their status with stays as equivalent to those who earned their status with nights. That is clearly not the case, and as others have pointed out, it makes little sense. A member staying 49 nights at a St. Regis is contributing much more money to Starwood than a 50-night customer staying at 4 Pts.

Starwood could have done any of a number of things that would have made this "enhancement" more palatable:

1. Apply the 10 suite nights prospectively with no suites given to any Platinums for 2011 activity,

2. Ditch the all-or-nothing mentality. If a 50-night Platinum member in 2011 deserves 10 suite nights (1 night per 5 nights stayed), then a 40-night Platinum member (who earned his/her status with stays) deserves 8 suite nights, and a 45-night Platinum member deserves 9 suite nights, or

3. Add the 10-suite-night benefit to those Platinums who have greatly exceeded the minimum requirements of either stays or nights. That way a member who barely sneaks in with 50 nights is treated the same as someone who earns his/her status with only 25 stays.

Starwood should have learned its lesson on the matter when it had to re-evaluate its bonuses given for holding the Starwood AMEX. When first announced, 5 nights were the only bonus that was to be given. It was only later that someone came to their senses and also gave a 2-stay bonus.

I made Starwood Platinum for the first time in 2011 based on stays (barely missing on nights). Knowing what I know now, I would not have gone out of my way to earn 2nd Class Platinum status with Starwood.
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