Originally Posted by
soitgoes
It seems silly to remove this benefit because the only difference between Preferred Plus and Gold is the extra point per USD. Some hotels may treat Golds better than Preferred Plus in other ways, but from the perspective of official benefits, that's the sole difference.
For me the biggest difference is the one category room upgrade. As a Gold I'd say I get that more frequently than a 4pm checkout.
Enhanced Rooms. Rather than redeeming Starpoints for a better room, you’re entitled to an automatic room upgrade at check-in when one is available. An enhanced room includes rooms on higher floors, corner rooms, newly renovated rooms, or rooms with preferred views