Originally Posted by
smgainey
Once again you are putting words into my mouth. I have never talked about a "massive devaluation". Perhaps someone else has, but I have not. I said that I don't want to pay up to 100k points per night for a hotel that currently costs 70k points per night. My displeasure is not specific to the merger because I am always unhappy about devaluations. I would greatly appreciate it if you would stop attributing words to me that I did not say. Thank you.
Wonderful--you and I now can agree that there is no massive devaluation.
Apparently, I misconstrued your charge of 40% devaluation as massive. You must have meant minimal? My apologies.
You don't want to pay 100K points/night for a hotel that currently costs 70K points per night. Wonderful--don't pay it! Problem solved. You're most welcome to stay at those same properties off peak when they still are 70K points/night or find other options. Freedom of choice is alive and well.
Of course, we still don’t know which of the Tier 5 RC properties will move to the new Category 8. So I’d say that everyone’s still getting their panties in a bunch for no definitive reason quite yet.
You're unhappy about devaluations. No one likes devaluations. Yet the rest of us accept that they are a simple fact of life with loyalty programs. If you don't want devaluations, perhaps you might avoid all loyalty programs to save yourself the displeasure?
I have sited a very specific scenario, which is completely true and accurate. I have not mentioned the other tiers or categories because I like to use my points at Tier 5 Ritz Carlton hotels that cost 70k points per night.
In the case of this loyalty program, while you complain only about some or most of the current Tier 5 Ritz Carlton properties (we still don't know) going from the current 70,000 points to either 70K-85K-100K points, I also consider that the some or most of the current Category 7 SPG properties (we still don't know) are going from the current 90K-105K points to 70K-85K-100K--a pretty obvious discount and revaluation. actually.
Since there are far more current SPG Category 7 properties than there are current Tier 5 RC properties, there is more to be pleased about than to complain about IMO. The fact that some or most of the SPG Category 7 properties are so much better and more appealing than many or most of the Tier 5 RC properties is just icing on the cake. Tier 5 RC includes Naples, Boston, Grand Cayman, St. Thomas, and Dubai! RC had you hood-winked into believing those were world class hotels as good as SPG Category 7 examples like the StR Bora Bora, StR San Francisco, StR New York, The Chatwal NYC, Gritti Palace Venice, Mystique Santorini, Prince de Galles Paris, StR Florence, StR Punta Mita, StR Bal Harbour, W South Beach, Canyon Suites at the Phoenician Scottsdale, President Wilson Geneva, W Verbier, Al Maha Dubai,. StR Bali, W Bali, Suiran Kyoto, StR Maldives, W Maldives, etc. Sorry, but you're winning a LOT more than you're losing--you just don't realize it yet.
Certainly, there is at least just as much if not more to be pleased about with the new Category 8 options as there is to complain about. You are only looking at the negatives without any consideration of the substantive positives.
In the scheme of loyalty programs, the fact that so many extraordinary SPG Category 7 properties, many to most of which are superior even to the Tier 5 RC properties, are going DOWN in redemption value is extraordinary. Extraordinarily positive.