travelexpert

From press release published in Hotelsmag.com:

By Jeff Weinstein on 2/1/2012

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide on Wednesday raised the stakes in the hotel loyalty game by adding benefits (beginning March 1) to its Starwood Preferred Guest program such lifetime status, 24-hour check-in and personalized service via an “ambassador.”

“The opportunity to cultivate what we call ‘loyalty beyond reason’ with the world’s most frequent travelers has never been greater,” said Starwood President and CEO Frits van Paasschen. “These are sophisticated consumers who have become jaded by generic points and perks. This is why we’ve invested in distinct new and personal benefits to truly reward those who reward us with a disproportionate amount of their business.”

According to van Paasschen, just two percent of travelers drive 30% of Starwood’s profits. With that in mind, the company spent the last three years quietly piloting a one-on-one ambassador service to better understand the needs and desires of these guests. Across the small, select sample of travelers, Starwood saw a double-digit share shift compared to a control group. Starwood took insights from this pilot to develop new benefits aimed at its elite Members.

“What we heard loud and clear from travelers was that they wanted more choice, more control and more personal service,” said Mark Vondrasek, senior vice president, distribution, loyalty & partnership marketing. “Today, through high touch and high tech, we have a newfound ability to better understand our guests, their preferences and even the nature of each unique trip. By delivering a whole new definition of choice and personal services, we’re moving beyond a purely points arms race to instead build loyalty for life.”

Among the new perks:

•Abolishing 3 p.m. check-in time and giving its most frequent travelers control of their own arrival and departure time. Your24 lets members who spend 75-plus eligible nights at Starwood hotels annually choose their own 24-hour check-in and checkout time.
•Members who stay 100 nights annually are invited to participate in the one-to-one service program, which matches its best travelers with personal ambassadors.
•SPG Lifetime Gold status is available to members who have stayed 250 nights and maintained elite status for at least five years (consecutive or not). Members with 500 nights and 10 years of Platinum SPG status (consecutive or not) will enjoy their top tier status for life.
•SPG 100 Nights Benefit: After crossing the 100-night threshold, SPG members are paired with their personal ambassador.
•SPG 75 Nights Benefit: After spending 75 nights, members earn four Starpoints for every eligible U.S. dollar spent. Members also get access to Your24 to control their check-in and checkout time.
•SPG 50 Nights Benefit: At 50 nights, members will receive 10 Suite Night Awards to use for room upgrades. Suite Night Awards are confirmable five days prior to arrival.
•Platinum Members (25 Stays or 50 Nights Annually): now have the option of complimentary breakfast as part of their welcome gift at check-in. Platinum members can also choose from bonus Starpoints or a local gift.
•Gold Members (10 Stays or 25 Nights Annually): now receive a welcome gift at check-in and can choose from bonus Starpoints, complimentary in-room Internet access or a complimentary beverage.

smmrfld

Umm...how about "more properties in places I visit"?

mnredfox

Hilton, your move.

UVU Wolverine

That. Hard to get status via nights and stays if there aren't any properties where I'm going.

sunil

That is about the only reason to continue staying with Hilton. HH sucks even more in light of these improvements.

ChinaShrek

Hilton properties are almost always cheaper than *wood. I am planning a trip this summer Munich, Vienna, and Budapest. In each of these cities the Hilton is significantly cheaper than the comparable *wood property. These are full service hotels. In the US, the price difference is often even more stark because there may only be FS *woods in a city.

adambrock

Bagel Toppers.

jumpdogjump

Warm cookies at DT?

elmedico27

+1 ^

UVU Wolverine

And I'm guaranteed a breakfast (though sometimes meal vouchers are in place) for all Hilton brands minus Waldorf Astoria and probably some Conrads. You only now get that with Platinum status with SPG. This can save some serious money on trips, especially if you have two people.

Also, as ChinaShrek stated, HH properties tend to be cheaper than SPG properties which can be a deal breaker if you stay at hotels on your own dime.

elCheapoDeluxe

It all comes down to this for me.

lol

gaugeguy

Im almost positive that Hiltons CRS software cant go back 10 years to verify status if they were to do lifetime status. I called sometime last year and asked how long I have been a diamond and they said at least 5 years and that was as far as they could go back. Of course they do know when you signed up. I hope that they do respond. I have been Diamond for at least 10 years now and Im sure over 500 nights!^

Notenut

If, as a SPG Plat, I would get the 500 points PLUS the breakfast, that would be a significant basis for choosing it over Hilton. But since you have to give up the points just to get a continental breakfast, it isn't very attractive to me, considering Hilton gives Diamonds a 50% bonus on points, double dip airline miles, and a breakfast. The only reason to consider SPG for me was the greater likelihood of getting suite upgrades. And although it's still too early to know how suite upgrades will play out for Hilton Diamonds, that has given me what had been lacking, so I'm pretty much staying with Hilton. Plus, as others have said, there's a Hilton family hotel practically everywhere I go.

Churnman

Starwood is also way ahead with the flexibility of using points. They allow any member, regardless of status, to use points to purchase meals at SPG properties. Hilton does not. Although, Hilton does reward Gold and higher with free breakfast and that's good. But, if they want to go a step beyond in competing with SPG then allow food to be purchased with points. Or spa treatments.

CL63

For Munich, thats no true. There is Hilton München City, which is one of the worst Hilton's i've ever seen,... and Hilton München Park, which is being refurbished right now, in a very bad location and which is definitely more expensive than most of the 7 Starwood properties in Munich.
In Munich you wanna stay in the city center. If collecting points is important for you, you should go with the Le Meridien,... if you wanna stay in one of Europe's best hotels, you should go for the Rocco Forte Charles Hotel (of course more expensive, but worth it!!!).