PremEx

This is almost impossible to answer as hotel rates fluctuate wildly with constantly changing demand and yield management...similar to airline fares. One minute a published web rate might net you the lowest rate...the next moment using a SPG50 might.

An example of this would be the Sheraton Safari near Disney World in Orlando. One week a published spg.com rate of $65 is lowest...the next week the $65 rates is not available but using a SPG50 on the lowest rack rate of $150 nets me a $75 rate.

Some Starwoods where I have used SPG50s or United 50% Off Certs to net the lowest rate at that particular time are:

Sheraton Safari, Florida
Walt Disney World Swan, Florida
Walt Disney World Dolphin, Florida
Hotel Pulitzer, Amsterdam
Prince de Gaulle, Paris
Sheraton Anaheim
Westin Sydney, NSW Australia
Sheraton Russell, New York
Sheraton Hong Kong
Sheraton Tokyo Bay
Westin Providence, Rhode Island
Westin Maui (there are/were SPG50s valid in Hawaii that are/were given as part of timeshare promotions and pitches, but you couldn't use them via the web or Starwood reservations...you had to call Hawaii's own reservation center)

But 90% of the time there is a lower rate available not using a SPG50. Usually I end up using them on middle of week stays when rates are traditionally higher in many towns.

That is if they are not so full that a property is currently accepting them, as SPG50s are subject to Capacity Controls and there have been many times when I attempted to use one on an available rack rate, but the property was not accepting them.

[This message has been edited by PremEx (edited 02-19-2003).]