jetsetter

I've already requallified for Hyatt Diamond this year, and I stay in the DCA area a lot. My go to hotel is the Hyatt Crystal City, and I'm treated well as a Diamond. I've also enjoyed Park Hyatt DC and sometimes Grand Hyatt DC.

I just got both SPG Amex cards, and I have SPG Gold status through Amex Platinum. I also need an SPG stay so I can start earning points with Uber!

However, when I look at nearly all the DCA SPG hotels, the reviews in the SPG app, no less, are mostly rubbish!

Dirty rooms, problems with staff, falling down properties, etc. etc. Its common in the SPG app that most properties are rated like 3 or 3.5 stars!!!

I've specifically looked, for example, at the W Hotel DC and the Westin Crystal City. Reviews for both say the physical plant is dingy, and while people like the W's location, a lot of reviews aren't very good.

I've also looked at the reviews, for example, for the Sheraton hotel Pentagon City and one other one. Things like club lounge closed on weekends, dingy property, etc. come to mind.

It seems like when you look at the SPG app your looking at Motel 6's when you read these guest reviews! The St. Regis is rated well, but its also $300 or $400 a night.

I'm just wondering in DC or in general, whats good about SPG when coming from the perspective of a Hyatt Diamond.

I don't care that Hyatt is small, it has Hyatts in the places I go, so thats not an issue at all!

There would have to be something where an SPG is better or at least as good as a Hyatt!

I also get suite upgrades at Hyatt from time to time, and for example, the Hyatt Crystal City has suites where you have a balcony!

One of my last stays at SPG was at a Sheraton in PHX, where as a corp preferred, they refused to give me access to the club lounge! That may not be a benefit per the t&c but usually I get what I ask for, so I was disappointed. I had to pay like $50 a day for access to the club lounge. The lounge was nice because you could access the lounge 24x7 and say grab fruit or water or coffee. That is why I got the SPG Amex business card, so they could never give me a hard time again about free access to the lounge!!!!

Also I complained to SPG social media, and they did squat! I know, I know, I know, I wasn't entitled! I know that! But again, I usually have good luck, even when I was 18 with no status, I had good travel luck! Actually unbelieveable travel luck! Don't be too jealous, outside of travel where I have super powers luck, I don't have extraordinarily magical luck with other things. ha

So I have this situation:
1. I could just keep staying at Hyatt.
2. Also I have Kimpton Inner Circle, I could try to keep that up and stay there for the rest of the year. I am mostly concerned about that because I don't know that they give you 4PM late check out or free breakfast officially or unofficially! Its hard to say exactly what the tangible benefits are, although I used to get suites a lot which were great at Hotel Monaco.
3. I could stay at SPG and build up some points, and finally get points for Uber, if I c an find one in DC thats not a dump!
or
4. Something not listed here Ritz, indy hotels, FHR with Amex?

Any ideas! People kept talking up these SPG cards on the blog, but I didn't see a post either coming at it from being a Hyatt Diamond! Looking in from the outside, its hard to see how the grass is greener at SPG especially because I don't have an issue with Hyatt being smaller. So whats better about SPG, and or more specificaly at SPG in DC!

LovetoTravel83

I've stayed recently at the Westin at Crystal City and was upgraded to a renovated suite. Also, at the Sheraton Pentagon City, I was upgraded to the Presidential Suite. Enjoyed both stays and would go back there again.

MSPeconomist

I like the Westin Arlington Gateway (at Ballston), but it requires a Metro connection to/from DCA.

IMO SPG is worthwhile if you can get to Plat50.

jetsetter

LovetoTravel83,
Thanks, do you remember anything about the Sheraton Pentagon City's club lounge? I should call them and see if its open on weekends, or even if its closed, if its still available to get snakcs & coffee. Years ago also I was an SPG Plat and I stayed a lot at Sheraton Crystal City (now the Westin). I remember on the top floor they had platform beds when it was a Sheraton. One advantage from the Hyatt is that the Westin Crystal City is right next door to the metro. Is there anything you especially liked with either of these hotels?

MSPEconomist,
How does free breakfast usually work as a plat? At Hyatt if no club lounge, you typically get a full restaurant breakfast for up to 4 people in the room and usually you can grab a coffee to go instead, etc. Some of the Hyatt Regency Club's (SAN comes to mind) have really good breakfasts with i.e. salmon and bagels and a hot entree. At my standard, the Hyatt Crystal City, you can get a made to order omlet among other standard breakfast food.

pageboy

I've stayed at the Westin Georgetown and the Park Hyatt DC, but I personally like the St. Regis. Close to the Metro at 16th and K. Also, was upgraded to a suite without begging, which is my barometer for Platinum recognition BTW.

CPRich

Feel free not to. With such a negative outlook and experience, I'm not sure why you're asking people to try to convince you to change your mind. If you're happy there, and don't care about Hyatt's footprint, I'd suggest staying there. I'm LT PLT at SPG, and will soon hit top 100 tier, and haven't even contemplated looking elsewhere for my upcoming stays. I'm not sure why I would.

LovetoTravel83

I liked the new feeling at the Westin. But that was it really. As for the Sheraton, The suite that I was given was the biggest one they had, it had a fantastic view of D.C and the Pentagon. Their lounge was like any Sheraton, nothing to write home about.

iflyjetz

I'm both Hyatt Diamond and SPG Plat. I'd say that SPG is ~half a step down from Hyatt in general. Where SPG is much better is in Europe, where Hyatt doesn't have many properties and most of those have high price points.

Just as Diamond (not Platinum) is the sweet spot for Hyatt, Platinum (not Gold) is the sweet spot for SPG. If you're going to seriously consider SPG, I'd recommend you do a Platinum Challenge - 18 paid nights within 90 days for Plat. http://thepointsguy.com/2014/12/hote...lans-for-2015/

I'm a huge advocate of having top status with more than one program as long as you spend enough time on the road to get top status with both programs.

I used to stay in hotels in DC quite a bit, but they were at price points below what you're talking about. And as I'm sure you've noticed, hotel prices seasonally rise and drop in the DC area. There are a dozen or so SPG properties in a reasonable radius of where you want to be; there will be several SPG properties that meet your criteria.

As far as breakfast, Hyatt's Regency/Grand clubs generally offer higher quality food than most SPG lounges. For those SPG properties without a lounge, you can opt to take breakfast as your amenity instead of points as a Plat; it's usually the buffet which you can usually upgrade to an order from the menu for a few extra dollars.

I'd recommend that you try SPG for a year as a Plat for your backup hotel chain. If it doesn't work out, stick with Hyatt. But before abandoning SPG, I'd recommend you take a look at where you'd like to go in Europe and any other place in the world you're looking at for work/vacation and see if Hyatt will cover where you want to go, or if SPG will fill any gaps.

Rich, you've also got Marriott LT Plat listed in your profile. Do you no longer stay there?

365RoadWarrior

SPG has some good hotels and some not-so-good hotels. Virtually all chains do (excepting maybe Ritz Carlton, Four Seasons and others I can't afford). I haven't personally found much correlation between my impression of and enjoyment of a hotel and the reviews posted on either the SPG site or (god forbid) TripAdvisor. Hotels that attract a tourist crowd (unsophisticated travelers) tend to get poor reviews (IMO). Criticizing a Four Points for not having a breakfast buffet (not a brand standard) or a metro downtown hotel for parking charges (duh) or recognizing that "Four Points by Sheraton" is going to be a different experience than "Sheraton" (or a Hyatt Place and a Grand Hyatt) is just cluelessness. If I want a useful, informed review, FlyerTalk.

spgplat21

I love how your biggest complaint is that you didn't get lounge access when you didn't book a club lounge rate and had no elite status. It's fine to ask for it, but to complain multiple times after being told no is ridiculous in my opinion. Lounges are crowded enough without letting in anyone who asks nicely, so I'm glad the property didn't grant access for free.

SPG's main benefit to me is that they have more high-end properties in locations I'm interested in vacationing plus the complimentary suite upgrades have been really nice over the years. I maintain Hyatt Diamond too, which is also great, but when I plan my one or two big vacations a year, I have found that I usually have way more options with SPG. In DC I always stay at the Park Hyatt because I love it, but the SPG properties are perfectly fine and I didn't think any of them were "dumps".

DC777Fan

Westin Alexandria is great... Old Town is a ~12 minute drive from Crystal City, but it's a solid property with a nice club lounge breakfast and evening bites that could almost be considered dinner (salad, fruit, veggies, bread, usually 3 hot dishes). I've only ever once gotten an upgrade, but they don't have many non standard rooms...

Canada101

Have stayed at the W Washington DC, the Westin Georgetown, the Westin Crystal City and the Westin Washington City Center and have generally been treated quite well as a Plat100. But then again, I never expect an upgrade and am generally pleased whenever one is extended and not all that worried when one isn't. The only time an upgrade matters to me is when I travel with my family and on those occasions, I try to use my earned upgrades to guarantee something.

I've been pretty loyal to SPG so haven't stayed at the Hyatt properties although I have stayed at the Fairmont Washington. I have to say that between the Fairmont and the Westin Georgetown which are literally across the street from one another, I'd pick the Westin Georgetown in a heartbeat even with upgrades at both properties.

geminidreams

Gold also doesn't give lounge access or much in the way of upgrades you would need to get platinum to see those benefits.

craigthemif

SPG is a step down from Hyatt Gold Passport, particularly in terms of elite benefits and treatment, and IME Sheraton hotels are a big step down from Hyatt Regency.

The value proposition from SPG points is also worse than Hyatt. When many say the best use of SPG is to convert to airline miles rather than spending on free hotel nights, that's saying something. I do have fun doing one-night Best Rate Guarantee stays with SPG, earning 2,000 bonus points each time. Much better than any big chain promo...

Westin Crystal City is a pretty good hotel at DCA for a one off stay to trigger Uber earning though.

But otherwise, stick with Hyatt. As someone with elite status in four of the big chains, I can honestly say that whenever I find a Hyatt in my price range I stay there...

EdofFX

I think the Sheraton and the Hyatt Regency in Crystal City are about the same grade. You got better treatment and better room at Hyatt Regency because you are a diamond there, so that make you feel happier with Hyatt. With SPG, you are just gold, so you are not going to get treated like you are Platinum. The problem is that you think you are platinum wherever you go, and you are upset when you don't get what you want.

You said: "That may not be a benefit per the t&c but usually I get what I ask for, so I was disappointed." This may not be the right mind set.

I think a fairer comparison can be made after you achieve SPG Platinum, then you can decide.

Have you looked at the Le Meridien Arlington, which was formerly a Kimpton property?