Golds are definitely upgraded before Preferred Plus status members and have more clout when there are customer service issues.

As they should be.

Maybe that's the problem -- don't wait to be "given" the late check-out, just take it! :) It's your entitlement except apparently at certain resort properties.
So I go under the assumption that the front desk knows I will take the late check-out since it is my published benefit as Gold, and I expect them to proactively tell me if for some reason I can't do it. (Though even if I still did, not sure what they could do - escort me out of the room? charge me extra for my free benefit?)

I've never had a problem.

Difference between SPG Gold and SPG Corporate Preferred?
 

My company has an agreement with SPG to join as a "SPG Corporate Preferred" but I cannot find anything on SPG's website about Corporate Preferred and what benefits this has/does not have. I asked my travel person at work and they said it was close to SPG Gold (thats what she was told by SPG) but that she didnt have specifics.

Does anyone have this information? Will enrolling as SPG Corp keep me from getting SPG Gold/Plat?

Thanks!
Corey

IIRC, it's roughly the same as what AAA members are eligible to get (Preferred Plus) in that it includes most of the benefits of Gold (upgrade to a "preferred" room, late checkout, etc.) sans the 50% elite points bonus.

It should NOT have any effect at all on reaching either of those levels by any means (promo, stays, nights, etc.).

A.J.

Corporate Starwood Benefits
 

Does anyone on this board know, perhaps the Starwood lurker, know what the benefits are as opposed to the other Starwood categories? Thank you.

You don't need the lurker for this one:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showt...rate+preferred
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showt...rate+preferred
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showt...rate+preferred
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showt...rate+preferred
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showt...rate+preferred

Thank you for the response, my question than is, I asked for an UG at check in and was told that it would cost US100 extra per night and I was also charged for the gym usage.

The answer is that the upgrade benefit for Corporate Preferred members is to a Preferred Room, subject to availability at check-in. If the Preferred Rooms were booked up - or you had already booked into this category of rooms - and only rooms available above this category were available, then you could be asked to pay extra for an upgrade.

Also, complimentary gym access is not a benefit of the Corporate Preferred level.

Sincerely,


William R. Sanders
Customer Service Coordinator
Starwood Preferred Services

[email protected]

Thank you William. What qualifies as a preferred room?

This is how it is defined in the Terms and Conditions of Membership:

2. Upgrades to a Preferred Room at the time of check-in based upon room availability. Preferred Rooms are identified by each hotel property and are superior standard rooms that may include rooms on higher floors, corner rooms, newly renovated rooms, or rooms with preferred views.

Sincerely,


William R. Sanders
Customer Service Coordinator
Starwood Preferred Services

[email protected]

Become a Starwood Preferred Plus status member with Ameritrade Apex promo
 

I did not see this anywhere so here is this:

This is a quote from a diffrent forum:
""Ameritrade Apex clients only! Step up to elite Gold treatment with the Starwood Preferred Guest® program.

Join SPG for Preferred Plus status. Get room upgrades, 4 p.m. checkouts, free newspapers and more. Hit Gold status with only five stays to earn 50% more StarpointsSM per visit toward hotel stays or even air miles."

New Members - If you're new to Starwood Preferred Guest, simply click to gain your special Preferred Plus status.



Existing Members - If you are already enrolled in Starwood Preferred Guest, please call 1-888-625-4988 and select option 3 to upgrade to Preferred Plus. Mention Promotion Code AP1 here

You do not need to be an apex member to do this! Just use the code.. A friend of mine tried it already "

Enjoy

Preferred Plus is the status you get when you obtain a Starwood American Express card. Or if you join Starwood preferred business? (then it's called corporate preferred, but on this one I may be remembering incorrectly). I think you also get preferred plus with AAA membership?

The status is basically Gold without the bonus points.

SPG Program: 7 membership levels including VIP Preferred (Not Platinum)
 

Is this old news??

I was reading the Sixt AG website because SPG is supposedly one of its partners and SPG members enjoy exclusive benefits.

To my surprise, the Sixt AG website showed 7 levels of SPG membership level including a never heard before "VIP Preferred Guest."

Here's a link to the website with images of each of the 7 level membership card: http://ag.sixt.com/partner/partnerdp...TNER=arabe.txt

The 7 levels are (looks like it's in order of importance)
VIP, Preferred Business, Platinum, Gold, Corporate, Preferred Plus, and Standard.

I have heard of the above 6 but not the VIP category. What do VIPs receive that Platinums do not? Better upgrade chance?

In order from lowest to highest ...

Preferred Guest
Preferred Business is the same as Preferred Plus. My card says P+, the website says P Business. Corporate is the same as well. I guess it all depends on how you book (guessing there).
P+ and P Business are virtually the same as Gold (just lose out on a *point per dollar spent at *wood props).
Platinum is the highest readily achievable level.
The VIP is a known secret. It's invite only (IIRC).

Actually, there is actually a Preferred Business level. It is for small businesses who can't meet the qualifications for having a SET account. But, the web site does say Preferred Business for Preferred Plus level members. Since they are all business-related in one way or another, it seems appropriate. ;)

Sincerely,


William R. Sanders
Customer Service Coordinator
Starwood Preferred Services

[email protected]

William could you please tell us more about the VIP Level since it is not mentioned anywhere on the SPG website... but it does exist as the membership card can be seen on the Sixt car rental website...

Thank You.

That is a lot of elite levels! Are there any other programs that have so many elite-tiers?

I would argue those aren't really all "elite" per se. Corporate, for example, is the lowest I've ever been.

Really cool to see all the levels. Those VIP cards look niiiiiice :D

For VIP Pref you either have to:
a.) be the CEO of a Fortune500 company
b.) play golf with the CEO of Starwood
c.) own a spg hotel

;)

william has previously replied that the VIP level is by invitation only and has to go through some kind of starwood board of directors deliberation.

Although little is know, insiders have known that usually some SPG franchise property owners have gotten them, those who contribute a significant amount of business to starwood also gets them. AS to what contribute significant amount of business, that has relatively been kept low profile by all starwood insiders but it would be safe to say unless you have some form important business connection with starwood board, its quite a lot.

BUT SPG VIP status isnt really that great if you think about it as these people more or less can afford those presidential suites and the beaniies are usually just a bit more than SPG plat members unless the hotel is fully booked out or that the SPG property is holding onto room inventory from general public.

cheers

Want to see what YOUR VIP card would look like?

Well:

Request a new card. This will let you print one off the screen.

Mess with the HTML (I'm not going to tell you how, but it's bleedingly obvious from the code) and you can see what any level of card would look like - with YOUR NAME and YOUR NUMBER (although you'd need to change the G/P/etc.)

Print it out and show your friends.

Um - it's probably not a good idea to try it on at a hotel. Could help you with a comp-up in another programme, though ;)

The replacement card graphic looks very small (almost toy-like, in fact), so I doubt it'd work for comp-up at another program.

...when printed, it's exactly card-sized ;)

Which is exactly the reason we ask you to send a copy of the reverse side of the competing membership card when requesting a comp in status from us, in addition to a copy of your latest online statement. If the other programs don't insist on this, then that would be their problem. ;)

Sincerely,


William R. Sanders
Customer Service Coordinator
Starwood Preferred Services

[email protected]

What's the difference between Corporate and Gold?
 

I figured that this would be something that I'd find somewhere on this great site... but after searching a number of different ways, I haven't found a comparison that takes into account how the Corporate level of status fits in.
I've had Corporate status for a number of years, and I'm finally going to have enough nights (going right down to the wire - with the 25th night being on 12/31) to move up to Gold.... but other than getting 3 points for every $ rather than 2... I'm not really sure if there are any other benefits?
Any info from you experts out there will be greatly appreciated.

I got upgraded from corporate to gold a few months ago. I never asked for the corporate, but apparently they sent it based on bookings through our travel agent. The only difference I found is the 3 points instead of 2, and it also seems I am more likely to get upgraded to the executive floor.

Make sure you are registered for the double stays/nights promo if it is still going on - helped speed up my upgrade.

Other than the extra point that Gold status gets, I really can't see any material benefit for Gold over Corporate. 4pm check-out is the most important benefit for me. I can do without the check-cashing priviledges, and I know the automatic upgrade is not as good as the Gold members get.

Check this link out for more details

http://www.starwoodpreferredbusiness.com/

The upgrades should actually be the same, at least per the T&C, as both should get a 'preferred room'. However on rare occasions a hotel might be more likely to upgrade beyond the T&C for a Gold. YMMV.

Best way to think of Corporate Preferred or Preferred Plus (the latter you get just for having the SPG Amex or being a AAA member IIRC) is that it's Gold without the 50% bonus points for eligible hotel spend.

Yes, the main difference is that gold gets 50% more points than all the other levels other than platinum.

Benefit wise, with every single level, you will get upgraded from a traditional (cheapest) to a deluxe (higher floor usually) or SPG level with free water. You will be granted a late check out. These benefits can sometimes be given to a standard SPG members as well.

In my experience, a lot of properties (particularly the popular Westins and W's) will give you a hard time about getting a late check out until 4pm. They usually try to get you leave at 2pm or 3pm unless you are a platinum. Also, when it comes down to it, because there are SO many SPG, preferred plus, corporate, and gold members out there (thanks to ameniti, AMEX platinum, etc), you really will not get much upgrades or other benefits unless you are a platinum.

I am treated 10,000 times better now as a platinum than when I was a gold.

[QUOTE=BlissWorld]...In my experience, a lot of properties (particularly the popular Westins and W's) will give you a hard time about getting a late check out until 4pm. They usually try to get you leave at 2pm or 3pm unless you are a platinum....QUOTE]

I'm not sure if the terms & conditions have changed, but am I correct in that Corp, Gold, platinum can have 4pm check-out granted unless at some "resorts" only? I've experienced the pain of trying to get 4pm check-out and wanted to know if it's actually a benefit that we are entitled to and not something the hotel just grants.

It's a benefit except at resort properties and during publicly recognized events. If you're denied this benefit definitely let Corporate Customer Service know.

Thanks for all of your insight... while it would be nice to get a pile of extra benefits in moving up from Corp to Gold, I'll take the 50% extra in points that come with the Gold.

I'm pretty sure 25 nights/year makes your Platinum. Not Gold. Congrats!

Actually, no, unless they were all one-night stays. ;)

25 stays would, but sometimes people have 25 nights and less stays, which equals Gold. It takes 50 room nights if you have less than 25 stays.

Sincerely,


William R. Sanders
Customer Service Coordinator
Starwood Preferred Services

[email protected]

Do different corporations have different levels of "corporate"? Seems like my company's corporate level has most of the priv's of gold, save the 3 / 1$

SPG VIP Preffered
 

Information about the Starwood VIP program is not officially published information. Therefore discussing it on a public forum is not appropiate. If you would like to find out information about the program you should contact Starwood directly so they can decide what they would or would not like to disclose about the program. They can be reached at (914) 640-8100 during normal business hours eastern time. I will not publish the platinum desk number, but if you happen to have it the reps there may be able to legitimately answer your questions.

Nice first post. Welcome to FLyertalk. Will you be holding any other lectures in your series ?

Ken in Phx

Funniest thing I've read yet this morning!! :D Well done, Ken! (Note also that despite the poster's 'unwillingness' to publish the elite number - It can be found on Starwood's website ;))

Even tho I suspect this poster is simply a "troll" and will not come back to read your comment.....I thought it was great!!
Best wishes, Dave

hee hee :D