New SPG website -- pre-launch comments
Jul 18, 2007, 10:19 am
#1
Company Representative - Starwood
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Austin, Texas
Programs: Marriott Employee Level
Posts: 31,593
New SPG website -- pre-launch comments
According to the web gurus, the new spg.com is going to launch on Friday, July 20th, so they've asked me to give you a heads up and a view into what is in store.
No doubt most of you have already been to this web site to get an overview of the pages and a snippet of the new functionality, but if you haven't, please take a look:
http://www.starwoodhotels.com/promot..._SPGCOMINGSOON
The first thing you may notice is that the site will recognize visitors in three separate ways once it is launched: 1) if you are not a member, it will offer an opportunity to join SPG, 2) if you are a member, and have logged in after the launch, it will recognize you even if you are not logged in and offer a page that is more appropriate for you, and 3) when you are logged in, you will be able to see your name, member number, status, # of stays to the next elite level, total stays & nites this year, total Starpoints, and the last award used. In addition, you will be able to set up the page according to your own wishes using MySPG.
The search feature has been improved as well. Award search defaults to a particular payment option: Preferred (free) Night Award, Cash&Points, Paid, etc. What displays may depend upon what is available at the time you are searching. You will also be able to do a direct search by offers and while the search is free-form, the site will suggest destinations where we actually have properties. Using "my recent searches", you will be able to view past search results.
I was excited at first to see "other Starpoints redemption options" in addition to paid, free nites, and cash & points, but at this moment in time, none of those options are available to be booked online. Indeed, the call to action will be to call the Customer Contact Center for reservations involving Nights & Flights, SPG50, additional Starpoints for an upgraded room type, etc. So, this should just be considered as a heads up that these may be other possible uses for point redemption and not as a function of the site itself.
As stated before, it is here - at the property search results field - where one would first be informed about a property being a non-participant in SPG, as far as the reservation process is concerned.
One very bright spot is that you will now be able to track promotional awards that you have earned, complete with the ability to book them online.
Regardless, this is just a brief review of some of the improvements, but if you have any specific questions between now and the 20th, feel free to ask them here and I'll see if I can get an answer for you from the web gurus. Otherwise, I guess we will all wake up to great expectations Friday morning.
Best regards,
William R. Sanders
Online Guest Feedback Coordinator
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide
[email protected]
No doubt most of you have already been to this web site to get an overview of the pages and a snippet of the new functionality, but if you haven't, please take a look:
http://www.starwoodhotels.com/promot..._SPGCOMINGSOON
The first thing you may notice is that the site will recognize visitors in three separate ways once it is launched: 1) if you are not a member, it will offer an opportunity to join SPG, 2) if you are a member, and have logged in after the launch, it will recognize you even if you are not logged in and offer a page that is more appropriate for you, and 3) when you are logged in, you will be able to see your name, member number, status, # of stays to the next elite level, total stays & nites this year, total Starpoints, and the last award used. In addition, you will be able to set up the page according to your own wishes using MySPG.
The search feature has been improved as well. Award search defaults to a particular payment option: Preferred (free) Night Award, Cash&Points, Paid, etc. What displays may depend upon what is available at the time you are searching. You will also be able to do a direct search by offers and while the search is free-form, the site will suggest destinations where we actually have properties. Using "my recent searches", you will be able to view past search results.
I was excited at first to see "other Starpoints redemption options" in addition to paid, free nites, and cash & points, but at this moment in time, none of those options are available to be booked online. Indeed, the call to action will be to call the Customer Contact Center for reservations involving Nights & Flights, SPG50, additional Starpoints for an upgraded room type, etc. So, this should just be considered as a heads up that these may be other possible uses for point redemption and not as a function of the site itself.
As stated before, it is here - at the property search results field - where one would first be informed about a property being a non-participant in SPG, as far as the reservation process is concerned.
One very bright spot is that you will now be able to track promotional awards that you have earned, complete with the ability to book them online.
Regardless, this is just a brief review of some of the improvements, but if you have any specific questions between now and the 20th, feel free to ask them here and I'll see if I can get an answer for you from the web gurus. Otherwise, I guess we will all wake up to great expectations Friday morning.
Best regards,
William R. Sanders
Online Guest Feedback Coordinator
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide
[email protected]
Last edited by AZ Travels the World; Jul 21, 2007 at 2:14 pm
Jul 18, 2007, 10:21 am
#2
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: ORD MDW
Programs: AA, UA, DL , IHG Plat, Bonvoy Gold - 2009 FT Fantasy Football Champion
Posts: 6,854
New SPG website -- pre-launch comments
Looks good SL, Thanks!
Jul 18, 2007, 10:30 am
#3
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Manchester, England
Programs: Bonvoy LT Plat, HH Diamond, IHG Plat, BMI Gold (RIP)
Posts: 8,021
Good to hear about some of the additional improvements Lurker. Looking forward to it ^
Jul 18, 2007, 10:44 am
#4
Join Date: Mar 2003
Posts: 415
>One very bright spot is that you will now be able to track promotional awards that you have earned, complete with the ability to book them online.
How about promotions in progress for which you have already registered? Eligible to register?
How about promotions in progress for which you have already registered? Eligible to register?
Last edited by agrater; Jul 18, 2007 at 10:45 am Reason: Spelling
Jul 18, 2007, 10:49 am
#5
Moderator: British Airways Executive Club, Marriott Bonvoy
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Englandshire
Programs: SPG LT Plat, BA G, BD*LG, MG Blue+ ...
Posts: 16,031
As there's a virtual army of website testers out here in the Flyertalk community, will there be any mechanism set up to feedback any glitches to the spg programmers ?
Jul 18, 2007, 10:52 am
#6
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: FAT
Programs: AA mm, Hilton Dime, Hyatt Xpl.& PC Plat, Miracle Fruit-su club
Posts: 1,694
I am also hoping there is also a link to the current boring and flawed version that will also still be available for those of us who share the same traits.
Jul 18, 2007, 11:07 am
#7
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: London, United Kingdom
Programs: OW/AA, DL, UA; Marriott Titanium
Posts: 4,936
The site looks cool. Between this OP and the Platinum Amenity clarifications, BIG THANKS to William for all the new info today! ^^
Jul 18, 2007, 11:12 am
#8
Suspended
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: new york, ny, usa
Posts: 13,536
(no spg50 rewards booked online, no matrix of rates per hotel, no ability to see if a rate/promotion is available in a city, etc. in short, this really doesn't cut down on search times, particularly for a city with many properties like NYC or Chicago.)
Jul 18, 2007, 11:32 am
#9
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: JAX
Programs: UA Plat MM, AA Gold MM, Marriott LTT, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 3,770
According to the web gurus, the new spg.com is going to launch on Friday, July 20th, so they've asked me to give you a heads up and a view into what is in store.
The search feature has been improved as well. Award search defaults to a particular payment option: Preferred (free) Night Award, Cash&Points, Paid, etc. What displays may depend upon what is available at the time you are searching. You will also be able to do a direct search by offers and while the search is free-form, the site will suggest destinations where we actually have properties. Using "my recent searches", you will be able to view past search results.
As stated before, it is here - at the property search results field - where one would first be informed about a property being a non-participant in SPG, as far as the reservation process is concerned.
Regardless, this is just a brief review of some of the improvements, but if you have any specific questions between now and the 20th, feel free to ask them here and I'll see if I can get an answer for you from the web gurus. Otherwise, I guess we will all wake up to great expectations Friday morning.
[email protected]
The search feature has been improved as well. Award search defaults to a particular payment option: Preferred (free) Night Award, Cash&Points, Paid, etc. What displays may depend upon what is available at the time you are searching. You will also be able to do a direct search by offers and while the search is free-form, the site will suggest destinations where we actually have properties. Using "my recent searches", you will be able to view past search results.
As stated before, it is here - at the property search results field - where one would first be informed about a property being a non-participant in SPG, as far as the reservation process is concerned.
Regardless, this is just a brief review of some of the improvements, but if you have any specific questions between now and the 20th, feel free to ask them here and I'll see if I can get an answer for you from the web gurus. Otherwise, I guess we will all wake up to great expectations Friday morning.
[email protected]
Will the search result identify hotels that are part of the Luxury Collection? The current search function does not identify these hotels. All other hotel brands are identified, St. Regis (even Lanesborough is identified as a St. Regis hotel right on the search result), Westin, Sheraton, FP, etc. However, Luxury Collection hotels are not identified until you go further to look at the description of the hotel.
It is even more confusing when the hotel uses Sheraton brand but is actually a Luxury Collection, such as Sheraton Park Tower in London and a few other Sheratons in Europe and Asia.
Jul 18, 2007, 11:50 am
#10
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2000
Programs: UA Million Miler (lite). NY Metro area.
Posts: 15,079
No, not for the wise guy reason. If you come in on Saturday, we'll have loads of questions/comments/critiques for you.
Let FT'ers self-liquidate things on Friday. You come to the rescue on Saturday.
Jul 18, 2007, 12:26 pm
#11
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Hotlanta
Programs: DL GM, SPG Plat, Hyatt Diamond, GPP Silver
Posts: 514
Thx for the update. I'm sure there will be no shortage of feedback.
Jul 18, 2007, 1:48 pm
#12
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: LAS
Programs: UA 1MM, Marriott Lifetime Plat, Southwest A-List Preferred
Posts: 2,846
excited for the launch
Jul 18, 2007, 2:10 pm
#14
Company Representative - Starwood
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Austin, Texas
Programs: Marriott Employee Level
Posts: 31,593
Thanks for the questions thus far. I will answer the ones that I'm fairly confident of; however, some I need to get further clarification on, so I appreciate your patience with that process.
Best regards,
William R. Sanders
Online Guest Feedback Coordinator
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide
[email protected]
Best regards,
William R. Sanders
Online Guest Feedback Coordinator
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide
[email protected]
Jul 18, 2007, 2:13 pm
#15
Company Representative - Starwood
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Austin, Texas
Programs: Marriott Employee Level
Posts: 31,593
However, there is definitely a page that shows when the award is earned and there is a "Book Now" call to action on the same page.
Best regards,
William R. Sanders
Online Guest Feedback Coordinator
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide
[email protected]