FAQ: New Benefit for SPG Members - Award & Cash + Points Nights Count Toward Status
Sep 29, 2011, 7:31 am
#76
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I suspect we'll see that (in general) people who say it's a bad thing are staying on OPM, and people who say it's a good thing are paying out of their own pockets. Count me in as part of the latter group. This benefit greatly increases the value of SPG in my mind.
Sep 29, 2011, 7:57 am
#77
Company Representative - Starwood
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Best regards,
William R. Sanders
Social Media Specialist
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide
[email protected]
Sep 29, 2011, 7:58 am
#78
Company Representative - Starwood
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William,
Will Cash & Points and Award nights count as nights for purposes of the platinum status challenge? (In my case: I've got about a dozen revenue nights planned, and a 4 night award stay thus far over my challenge. Will that be enough for me to fulfill the platinum challenge, or I do still need to squeeze another three revenue nights somewhere? The award stay won't happen till mid November, but is in the 90 day window.)
Thanks.
Will Cash & Points and Award nights count as nights for purposes of the platinum status challenge? (In my case: I've got about a dozen revenue nights planned, and a 4 night award stay thus far over my challenge. Will that be enough for me to fulfill the platinum challenge, or I do still need to squeeze another three revenue nights somewhere? The award stay won't happen till mid November, but is in the 90 day window.)
Thanks.
Best regards,
William R. Sanders
Social Media Specialist
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide
[email protected]
Sep 29, 2011, 8:02 am
#79
Company Representative - Starwood
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Austin, Texas
Programs: Marriott Employee Level
Posts: 31,593
Best regards,
William R. Sanders
Social Media Specialist
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide
[email protected]
Sep 29, 2011, 8:16 am
#80
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Texas
Programs: AA EXP, UA Premier Plat, Alaska MVP Gold, HHonors Diamond, SPG Platinum, Hyatt Platinum
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REALLY freaking unfortunate for me. I JUST completed nearly 3 weeks of cash+points stays during September in Sheraton Towers Singapore... and just today I read Gary's blog and see that starting NOW they count C+P towards elite??? So frustrating!!!
Starwood Lurker: please tell your superiors to make this policy retroactive!!!!!!!
Starwood Lurker: please tell your superiors to make this policy retroactive!!!!!!!
Bottom line? You made a deal (cash+points) and they honored the terms. Now they're offering NEW terms for a NEW deal, and you're welcome to take advantage of it... or not.
Sep 29, 2011, 8:18 am
#81
Join Date: Aug 2010
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Sep 29, 2011, 9:03 am
#82
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My attitude would be go for it and god bless you. Checking in 25 times to a cat 1 property just to get status isn't going to happen in a great % even amongst FTer's. The prevalence of cat 1's is slim to none in the US anyway. Go to Indonesia and hotel hop in Cat 1's isn't my idea of fun or a good use of time, unless you are local.
The above scenario is so remote spg isn't worried about it obviously. I don't see this degrading benefits much at all IMO.
The above scenario is so remote spg isn't worried about it obviously. I don't see this degrading benefits much at all IMO.
the people who travel enough to make plat will do so in any case....the ones who don't may be able to use award stays for a year or so to make plat but after a while they will run out of points to do so....i really don't see this as a dilution at all....
Sep 29, 2011, 9:08 am
#83
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fair enough....but what will you do after those 5 years when all your points have finished????
Sep 29, 2011, 9:26 am
#84
Join Date: Aug 2004
Programs: SPG Lifetime Platinum, Hyatt Diamond, JetBlue Mosaic, AA Platinum, National Executive Elite
Posts: 599
I can't believe how many of you are giddy over this. The reality is that an award stay is just that, an award stay. Status should be determined off of paying nights and stays, plain and simple. This is a huge devaluation and a terrible change to SPG. I am coining this the "AMEX Virus." Just like with Delta, now anyone with an SPG AMEX that uses their points for stays will be a Platinum. I love SPG, don't get me wrong, but they need not fall into the trap that Delta has with AMEX--making everyone feel special. For 2011 I am at 78 nights and 42 stays with SPG, I don't really have much reason to stay another night at SPG as they have no lifetime status and no higher tier than Platinum. Furthermore, I have 238,462 SPG points--I can, if so desired, be Platinum for about the next 5 years without ever paying for a night again. Don't be so quick to greet this as a good thing. If something is worth having, it's not given away for free. Just like when I board a Delta flight and 99% of the plane is priority boarding, soon, you'll be checking in and everyone will be a Platinum, there will be no benefit to obtaining status, and every "perk" will be gone. The better perks some of us want like free breakfast will only be given by hotels if people are earning status the old fashioned way: staying and paying.
Without the addition of 'lifetime platinum' or adding a new tier above platinum, why would travelers logging 50+ stays a year choose Starwood over Marriott or Hyatt? Marriott offers amazing perks for staying 75+ nights a year as well as the possibility of lifetime elite, while Hyatt offers lifetime elite and offers Diamond members perks that (are generally considered) much more generous that SPG Platinum. I don't want to leave Starwood...I'm just pointing out what else is out there.
Last edited by moulder3; Sep 29, 2011 at 9:32 am
Sep 29, 2011, 9:28 am
#86
Join Date: Aug 2010
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Sep 29, 2011, 9:40 am
#87
Join Date: Jan 2011
Posts: 65
Sorry, but no. Only paid nights are going to count against the requirements for a Platinum status challenge.
Best regards,
William R. Sanders
Social Media Specialist
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide
[email protected]
Best regards,
William R. Sanders
Social Media Specialist
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide
[email protected]
Sep 29, 2011, 9:52 am
#88
Company Representative - Starwood
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Austin, Texas
Programs: Marriott Employee Level
Posts: 31,593
Any information on how long the plat challenge is likely to last? I have a 20 night stay coming up in january and this will of course affect my bookings ( was thinking of going 50/50 cash/points but if the challenge still will be on I can make plat a lot earlier by choosing more cash)
Best regards,
William R. Sanders
Social Media Specialist
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide
[email protected]
Sep 29, 2011, 10:02 am
#89
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Sep 29, 2011, 10:17 am
#90
Join Date: Nov 2009
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While I realise it brings it inline with other programs and the fact there does not seem to be a nights count double promotion I do feel it is another devaluation of Plat and simply means there will be more Plats around. Maybe it is time for a new level aimed at 75 or 100 nights a year.
I am sure there will be plenty who disagree with this but the easier it is get get the status the less the status is worth!
I am sure there will be plenty who disagree with this but the easier it is get get the status the less the status is worth!
Or a new level at 35 or 40 stays.