ElJefeSquishydonut

I've been considering AMEX Blue Sky or Starwood for flight/hotel benefits. I'm really close to applying for Starwood after hearing about 50% off of 5 consecutive days once a year.

Does anyone have some experience with this? I'd much rather spend the $30 annual fee and use the card primarily for the 50% off.

Kagehitokiri

welcome to FT

SPG50 = 50% off rack rate, not best available rate. some properties set their rack rates very high, even double the best available rate, making SPG50 worthless. they can also decide not to honor it at all, or only honor it on certain room types.

you can either use the annual certificate, OR 1,000 starpoints per night in order to get SPG50.

Fruit

I've attemped to use this particular coupon when booking at one of the Starwood hotels. To date, I've not been able to find a good place to use my certs. As Kagehitokiri stated its 50% off the Rack Rate and too often I find the Rack Rate way more then the best available rates.

Kagehitokiri

removed

itsme

I've had the SPG card for more than a year, never seen an SPG50 coupon. Should I have received one, or is this something one must call and request?

Where are "LM Sunny Isles and The Atlantic"? Where are some of those other locations with "GREAT SPG50 potential"?

And BTW, what is a hotel "rack rate" all about? Is it anything other than a phoney rate that is there as a reference point for "discounting," one that nobody other than the most foolish or price indifferent ever pays? Or perhaps it is the one you are stuck with when in a desperate situation, e.g., ORD closes down on account of blizzard and you have found the last hotel room in 25 mile radius, so they can make you pay the "rack rate." ("Rack rate" always brings to mind that medieval torture instrument.")

wsflyer

A hotel room rack rate is the non-discounted rate that hardly anyone ever pays. In many hotels, the rack rate is listed on the back of the room's door. The rack rate is often more than twice the rate a sane person would pay.

mia

LeMeridian Sunny Isles is in the City of Sunny Isles, Florida which is north of Miami Beach. The Atlantic is in Fort Lauderdale.

Rack Rate = List Price

itsme

Yes, the rack rate rarely if ever seems to bear any relationship to a realistic marketplace price. So for what purpose do these rates exist other than for when a chain like SPG wants to say it is giving you 50% off of a rate, said rate being around 200% or more of what you would normally expect to pay. So why such silliness in the hotel business? Can anyone think of other businesses that regularly quote prices no "sane person would pay"?

craz

Another good reason for a Hotel to have a high Rack is there is something known as a Plat Override, If a Hotel is sold-out and I believe its 48 or 72 hrs before a Plat wants to stay , the Hotel has to give the Plat a room. (There are a couple of things that can cause the Hotel Not to have to, such as by claiming in advance theres a Special Event etc). So by having set a very high Rack Rate even a Plat wont use the Override unless the whole City is sold-out for some reason and there isnt aSpecial Event happin. Im sure there are Guide lines as to how much the Rack can be otherwise all teh Hotels will simply make it $1500.

So if for whatever reason the Plat even with a high Rack invokes the Override, the Hotel will still be way a head as it will cost less to what it will give the party thats walked, then what they will be taking in on the Rack Rate, but in as much as it will walk someone and that party probably wont be too happy and not wish to book at that Hotel again, the Hotel would probably prefer not having to deal with any Plat Overrides no matter the extra profit.

fduvall

Does anyone know if there is a good 50% off deal to be had in any of the 5 star Venice hotels? We will be going there around the 12th of October. I just received my SPG50 today. Will start looking today...

fduvall

ElJefeSquishydonut

Thanks for all of the opinions all. I may get blue sky.

wallaby

Not 1000 points per night, 1000 points for the 5 nights.

RedPanda5

Plat override is 72 hours, I've never used it. But I have been walked as a platinum member