Canada101

In fact, there is a whole world outside major U.S. downtown markets! I don't want to belabor the point so please forgive me but I did a check of a not insignificant U.S. market, Atlanta, on a typical weeknight and while there are 6 options that are USD200+, there are also 7 that are below USD200 with several choices that are barely above USD100 (and that includes the Sheraton Atlanta and the Westin Atlanta Airport). For a weekend night, the number of properties with rates above USD200 are even tougher to find with 11 of the properties falling below (most well below) USD200 per night and only 2 managing to justify rates above USD200. In fact, there are two new properties opening in the Metro Atlanta area within the next year, one is an aLoft and the other a Four Points, both to be located in suburban areas -- properties that are highly unlikely to be able to justify rates anywhere near, let alone above, USD200 per night. With such an unrealistic spend requirement, what Starriott would be, in fact, doing is shutting out a huge segment of their own properties which cannot justify anywhere near the rates a USD20,000 per year spend would require. And what happens when the next economic downturn happens?

I am not against a spend requirement if it is realistic and recognizes real world conditions and if it allows alternatives to achievement.

Would Starriott really think that corporate travel managers would allow employees, even executives, to select the most expensive properties in a market to satisfy unrealistic spend requirements?