Originally Posted by
MikeFromTokyo
Because I would feel like I were taking advantage of the hotel/resort by unloading my free nights, especially at the most expensive LHW properties. LHW properties do not function like airlines or chain hotels that normally allocate seats/rooms for award reservations. I do not know how the Leaders Club awards work, but there is no way properties are compensated at anything close to their published rates.
On the other hand if I were to stay for seven nights for the price of four (using three free night awards), I would be getting a very good deal, but also giving the hotel/resort a decent amount of business. I am sure a positive ratio of paid nights to award nights would affect the hotel's perception of a guest, and would lead to better room/villa allocation, among other things.
FWIW, when I have redeemed awards at chain hotels (e.g. high-end Hyatt), I tend to combine with paid nights, and to have high incidental spend. I feel that properties take me more seriously as a result.
I totally see what you are saying, and it is of course very fair and reasonable.
And especially for a place like the Laucala, it probably only makes sense with a combination of paid nights and award nights, just because it is so far away and not really a place for a short stay. However, if I were to use a couple of free nights at a city hotel in Europe for a weekend trip, I wouldn't feel like I would have to book two or three more paid nights just to be fair. They are all part of the LHW scheme, and as such, one could assume that it somewhat evens out for them. Obviously, I would be surprised if people were to generate the free nights at the most expensive properties, just to redeem them at the cheapest properties. That wouldn't make much sense, economically. But then, the system is basically designed to have people earn the nights at the cheaper hotels and redeem them at the more expensive ones. It's sort of on LHW to make up for that somehow. I don't think I need to feel very guilty about it.
All in all, I like the LHW system. Paid status, very good benefits (with Unlimited status), no complicated points schemes.