Definitely not walking, but it became clear early in the year that I could achieve Platinum for next year while still targetting additional hotel chains. I just made sure that I met the requisite numbers for my ongoing Platinum status.

I'll continue to take advantage of my platinum benefits, but only at the hotels I already enjoy. The rest of time (particularly personal time) is spent at places like Small Luxury Hotels of the World or more mainstream hotel chains. This weekend, I'll be staying at the Hilton Auckland rather than the Sheraton (where I've stayed before - I'm happy to walk away from it, even with Platinum benefits).

Starwood is still a great program... it just isn't enough to command my unwavering loyalty once membership requirements are fulfilled.

[This message has been edited by jrk1998 (edited 09-17-2003).]