jimmychang

So we know Hyatt has been trying to match or even surpass Stawood on the member benefits. Do you guys think they will follow on this, too. Personally, I think Hyatt, with fewer properties, will eventually have to.

New Benefit for SPG Members

Thunderroad

I would think so. I know some folks will see this as a dilution of status, and I can understand that point of view. But as a business matter its benefits for Hyatt would seem to be that it would drive more customers to spend more paid nights at Hyatts, in hopes of combining those and award nights toward status.

peteropny

I would think so - within a year anyways.

laxsnaogg

Agree with others, but would add that it would be nice to see Hyatt lead, rather than react to what other programs are adding.

peteropny

They do lead - sometimes - like the internet access (they did that in 3/09 before SPG) - and the breakfast guarantee is still not matched by SPG.

boifromtroy

If they do so, I'd suggest making it happen on January 1 of whatever year. But I'm all for it!

bigguyinpasadena

I know I am being cynical-and nothing has been announced by SPG so this is pure conjecture on my part-but I am thinking SPG's new generousity will be tempered by the elevation of status requirements in the future.I hope I am wrong-but we will see.

kenbo

Does anyone know how long Hilton has had this benefit and their elite requirement was before it was implemented? Did this benefit change things for them?

Stewie Mac

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I've been with HHonors about 6 or 7 years and pretty certain that they've had it that long at least...don't know what happened when they made the change.

jimmychang

HH Diamond is at 28 stays or 60 nights. I will be ok with that if SPG or Hyatt makes that change to Platinum/ Diamond after counting awards.

kenbo

I wouldn't be. An increase in the number of stays/nights required for status just offsets the fact that award stays count towards status. Where is the benefit in that?

Firewind

I know this question has been asked in various forms over the years, and we who have been around a long time have noted that, since Hyatt changed out of it many years ago - no they don't and they won't. They have held the line in the face of Hilton counting them for, lo, these many years. Am I missing something that caused the question to be asked now, and the "new" answers?

I guess part of this question is to ask what SPG is doing, promising or hinting at - and where have people gotten the idea that Hyatt is aiming to compete with them in particular? I acknowledge that this must be part of a larger discussion that I'm currently clueless about. I'm not asking peteropny in particular to answer. But I consider his reply to be very credible.

jimmychang

I don't think the change SPG made is to increase the number of elites otherwise they can just lower the requirements, but to help those with plenty of points (mostly brand credit card holders ) to obtain elite status easier so they can get more people to sign up for the card and sell more points ($) . Enthusiastic to compete with SPG and with recent introduction of the creditcard, Hyatt is very likely to follow suit.

Firewind

Your two comments capture the point about as well as can be, and put me in mind of Col. Kurtz's famous line. Didn't it go something like, "the distortion... the distortion..."? (Not yours - the effect of the credit card programs.)

GUWonder

Neither Hilton nor Choice hotels increased the elite status qualification requirements since they started counting award nights toward elite status (as a matter of policy).

So now there are to be three big hotel groups in the US that count award nights toward elite status: Hilton, Choice and Starwood hotels. More will follow, even if only because credit card partner customers are something hotel program operators have to increasingly consider.

Yes, in part because giving benefits to credit card partner customers is in the picture; and in part because giving benefits to award stay customers is already part of the picture.

Given the industry has an increasing proportion of award stays that have a (reimbursement) price within 70+ % of average room rate for a night (when occupancy levels are high), to head in this direction is understandable when properties are getting good money for award stays -- often much more money than the properties get with Priceline NYOP bookings (which are a way for hotels to increase their occupancy levels and derive more ancillary revenue while at it).