With regard to dining at a Starwood Property that I am not staying at and getting SPG points for that, I can report that here in Asia Pacific I have been rejected by every hotel. Is it perhaps something that only works in the US ?
I dined at Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit Bangkok, Le Meridien Chiang Mai, W Hong Kong and Le Meridien Cyberport on numberous occasions when I wasnt staying at these properties and every single time the waiter/waitress told me that they can't enter my SPG number on the bill and unless I am in-house and charging to my room, i cannot earn Starpoints.