Continuing a discussion from another thread...
Originally Posted by
ashkale
I think 10k is a fair value of the HGI SG, it doesnt offer any benefits to D or G! Unreal to have to pay 20k for a HGI in Asia.
First, let me say it's a shame and unacceptable that HH sneakily doubled the pts required for this hotel. Having said that...
If you consider Singapore not just as "Asia" (which is hugely broad), but for what it actually is - an expensive, first-world country with NO cheap points hotels, then it seems quite reasonable to me.
Before-tax rates are around SGD180 for several dates I checked. That's about $150 USD after taxes. 20k for that is decent (many would consider great).
I thought it offers free breakfast to G and D. Even if it doesn't, Singapore is my favorite place in the world for food. My morning ritual is to get a tasty bite at a hawker center or cheap restaurant for about $5, that I'm likely to be happier with than the hotel offering anyway.
The HGI Bali Airport is 5k. HGI Hanoi is 10k. But this is Singapore. Last I checked, HGI HK-Mongkok (something more comparable) is 30k - and HK is a market that
does have cheap points options (Courtyard Sha Tin is 15k), but SG doesn't, and this is the first points option (from any chain) that I can get onboard with.