I stay at SPG properties because I like the brand. If there is an SPG property in the area I am going I will stay there. I admit I don’t travel as much as some of the guys posting here but I do travel enough to retain my Platinum card. I have one more stay to retain it for 2012, which I will get Monday evening. And I retain my status through loyalty to SPG. There are times when I am unable to stay at an SPG property purely because there isn’t one in the area, but my loyalties remain with SPG. I retain my Platinum status purely through saying at SPG hotels.

So, why do I remain loyal to SPG. It’s simple; they have everything I need when I travel, they are comfortable most of the time, they are clean most of the time, their staff are polite most of the time etc. etc. I know you could say that about any brand of hotel; however SPG tend to stand out a little more for me.

I see the benefits I get from my status as a thank you from SPG for my loyalty not a given, I see promotions from SPG as a bonus not a right. Some promotions have been of benefit to me, some not; that’s the way the cookies crumble – You can’t keep all of the people happy all of the time.

I get a little p*&&ed off every time a promotion is mentioned and the attitude from some Flyer Talkers. I tend to laugh at the immaturity of the verbal throwing of the toys and the ‘emotional blackmail’ of “this is a crap promo, so I’m going to move all of my stays to [insert any other hotel brand]”.

So, my question is: What if all promotions on all hotel brands were abolished, which brand would you choose to stay, where would your loyalties lie if there were nothing in it for you except for what the hotel brand itself offers to its customers?