Dec 31, 2014, 10:04 am
Discussion: 10 Suite Night Awards (SNAs) for Plats with 50 nights in calendar year
Jan 27, 2015, 4:06 pm
#2986
Join Date: Dec 2010
Posts: 1,860
Bingo! Hotels are only required to give a certain suite type out for SNA award's. People do remark that we may get upgraded to the most desirable room - that isn't a class upgrade, but it is the most desirable (and we just don't know it).
So you can show up the day of arrival and find an array of suites available online, and see them never put to use. The hotel simply won't give them out, and SPG can't do anything about it really. Because SPG doesn't own the hotel or anything.
This all goes in contrast to so many of my hotel experiences. I get upgrades without having to do these formal requests like this. That is also exactly what I think of SNA's as well....
SNA = a formal request sent by yourself, to the hotel, begging for a hotel upgrade. It is a stay'n'pray award night. The more desirable a property, the longer the stay, or if the hotel is busy at the time (think peak season), the lesser the chances you have for an upgrade.
The game seems to be all about luck. I hear about a lot of great upgrades and things being done for SPG Plats. But I don't experience much of it. Not often do I receive recognition at check-in. Your24/SNA is just a gamble of chance. Nothing to rely on really. Like you can't tell your boss, your spouse, or your anyone "Oh yeah, plan on this....", if you are relying on Your24 or a SNA.
You can't say to your boss, oh, don't worry, I can book us two rooms, and request my Your24 access, so we can check out of the hotel at 7pm when our flight leaves...
You can't say to your spouse, lets take a trip, I will book us a resort and apply my suite night award, and we will get an upgrade!
I've been told on here that it could be my staying patterns, Sunday-Friday means I compete with possible "Platinum 200" members for all I know, over (potentially) a very limited number of suites (for all I know). Or I stay during peak season. Or I stay during just a busy time of the year, when suites have a natural demand. Or it is the fact I stay at properties with no suites at all (Aloft/Four Points/Element)
IHG brands are only required to give so much as well. Pick one of 3 the same ole 3 things (I think it is....). Whatever the case. I checked in to a HI this Sunday. Received an amenity bag w/ water + snacks. Then they tossed 1000 IHG points on my account for a welcome bonus. Then they also give me a free drink voucher......and breakfast voucher. I honestly didn't even ask for all of this. It was just like, given to me....
What has SPG done for me in over 130 days in the last....8 months?
-5 night upgrade in Dallas Sheraton downtown 3 out of 6 weeks (this was very enticing)
-A cheese/fruit plate w/ a glass of wine at the Four Points in Culver City, CA in August.
-After unsuccessfully using SNA's and much complaining and pleading with SPG, in my much documented Westin - Snowmass trip, the Westin Snowmass had a bucket of beers and some snacks waiting for me in the room. They also appeared to have waived either the parking charge, or the resort fee for me. Although I consider this the exception to the rule, as I basically exhausted my options of actually having my SNA get approved.
I had those days, where I was 3-4 days from arrival, and seeing a number of suites still available. Just not the class of suites they could give out....and I had to learn that. And I had to learn that just cause I am platinum, or trying to apply a SNA, means they will not even give me the suite above the class I am entitled to. I mean wow, talk about putting a real glass ceiling on your dreams with Starwood. You simply are not entitled to (what is most likely) the least costly suite, this isn't Hyatt where we confirm anything for you. And you darn sure are not getting a multi-room suite (or several class upgrade), and if you do - it is the exception and not the norm.
Is my experience this week at a Holiday Inn the norm? No, I think this is the exception.
What do I really want? To achieve Hyatt Diamond status even quicker.
First off
-Confirmed suite upgrades. I have no clue how, as impossible as SPG makes it seem to have any control over their hotels, but Hyatt can force their most desirable properties to give you a upgrade, for up to like 6 or 7 nights per stay....up to 4x a year. That is amazing. That is potentially 24+ days of confirmed upgrades. Simply amazing
-Those people who do stay at the desirable properties and use those confirmed suite upgrades, they often take the breakfast amenity. This is definitely on a hotel-by-hotel basis, but there are a number of properties that will, optionally, offer delivered room service for this amenity. You even get to see the room service bill, and the bloggers make a point of it to talk about how they usually end up having $100+ worth of breakfast served for free.....
I don't know what to say. I don't want to see SPG try and offer a "pay 40% point premium on redemptions for suites". I read today that the platinum 50 amenity list could be changing. Possibly allowing people to select their benefit. I speculate they will have some pretty uninspiring choices. Like, take SNA or 10% yearly rebate (or bonus) in points, or maybe alternatively your choice is to just get an additional point earn per dollar spent at SPG properties.
So you can show up the day of arrival and find an array of suites available online, and see them never put to use. The hotel simply won't give them out, and SPG can't do anything about it really. Because SPG doesn't own the hotel or anything.
This all goes in contrast to so many of my hotel experiences. I get upgrades without having to do these formal requests like this. That is also exactly what I think of SNA's as well....
SNA = a formal request sent by yourself, to the hotel, begging for a hotel upgrade. It is a stay'n'pray award night. The more desirable a property, the longer the stay, or if the hotel is busy at the time (think peak season), the lesser the chances you have for an upgrade.
The game seems to be all about luck. I hear about a lot of great upgrades and things being done for SPG Plats. But I don't experience much of it. Not often do I receive recognition at check-in. Your24/SNA is just a gamble of chance. Nothing to rely on really. Like you can't tell your boss, your spouse, or your anyone "Oh yeah, plan on this....", if you are relying on Your24 or a SNA.
You can't say to your boss, oh, don't worry, I can book us two rooms, and request my Your24 access, so we can check out of the hotel at 7pm when our flight leaves...
You can't say to your spouse, lets take a trip, I will book us a resort and apply my suite night award, and we will get an upgrade!
I've been told on here that it could be my staying patterns, Sunday-Friday means I compete with possible "Platinum 200" members for all I know, over (potentially) a very limited number of suites (for all I know). Or I stay during peak season. Or I stay during just a busy time of the year, when suites have a natural demand. Or it is the fact I stay at properties with no suites at all (Aloft/Four Points/Element)
IHG brands are only required to give so much as well. Pick one of 3 the same ole 3 things (I think it is....). Whatever the case. I checked in to a HI this Sunday. Received an amenity bag w/ water + snacks. Then they tossed 1000 IHG points on my account for a welcome bonus. Then they also give me a free drink voucher......and breakfast voucher. I honestly didn't even ask for all of this. It was just like, given to me....
What has SPG done for me in over 130 days in the last....8 months?
-5 night upgrade in Dallas Sheraton downtown 3 out of 6 weeks (this was very enticing)
-A cheese/fruit plate w/ a glass of wine at the Four Points in Culver City, CA in August.
-After unsuccessfully using SNA's and much complaining and pleading with SPG, in my much documented Westin - Snowmass trip, the Westin Snowmass had a bucket of beers and some snacks waiting for me in the room. They also appeared to have waived either the parking charge, or the resort fee for me. Although I consider this the exception to the rule, as I basically exhausted my options of actually having my SNA get approved.
I had those days, where I was 3-4 days from arrival, and seeing a number of suites still available. Just not the class of suites they could give out....and I had to learn that. And I had to learn that just cause I am platinum, or trying to apply a SNA, means they will not even give me the suite above the class I am entitled to. I mean wow, talk about putting a real glass ceiling on your dreams with Starwood. You simply are not entitled to (what is most likely) the least costly suite, this isn't Hyatt where we confirm anything for you. And you darn sure are not getting a multi-room suite (or several class upgrade), and if you do - it is the exception and not the norm.
Is my experience this week at a Holiday Inn the norm? No, I think this is the exception.
What do I really want? To achieve Hyatt Diamond status even quicker.
First off
-Confirmed suite upgrades. I have no clue how, as impossible as SPG makes it seem to have any control over their hotels, but Hyatt can force their most desirable properties to give you a upgrade, for up to like 6 or 7 nights per stay....up to 4x a year. That is amazing. That is potentially 24+ days of confirmed upgrades. Simply amazing
-Those people who do stay at the desirable properties and use those confirmed suite upgrades, they often take the breakfast amenity. This is definitely on a hotel-by-hotel basis, but there are a number of properties that will, optionally, offer delivered room service for this amenity. You even get to see the room service bill, and the bloggers make a point of it to talk about how they usually end up having $100+ worth of breakfast served for free.....
I don't know what to say. I don't want to see SPG try and offer a "pay 40% point premium on redemptions for suites". I read today that the platinum 50 amenity list could be changing. Possibly allowing people to select their benefit. I speculate they will have some pretty uninspiring choices. Like, take SNA or 10% yearly rebate (or bonus) in points, or maybe alternatively your choice is to just get an additional point earn per dollar spent at SPG properties.
I honestly feel really stupid for just now realizing a few things. Honestly, just now getting the wordsmithing with the program:
"Upgrades are to best available room, including Standard Suites." Key word is "available". I'd always thought that meant that if several rooms were not occupied or assigned, then the best one would go to the Plat member at checkin. From a post a few posts up I now realize that really means that an upgrade will be extended IF there are several better rooms not occupied or assigned at checkin time and IF the hotel chooses to consider them to be available.
And SNA's double down on that apparently. Now you can confirm your upgrade 5 days out for a better room IF the hotel chooses to make those rooms available for upgrade.
I'm realizing that based on this statement: "No, that's not the way the program works. Not all suites are part of the Platinum upgrade pool, just as not all suites are part of the SNA pool."
I am also all for Starwood selling all the suites they can. But I'm not for deception. The wording should be something more like
"If you stay a bunch of nights with us we'll extend a special benefit to you and only those that stay the same requisite number of nights. At checkin, we may or may not upgrade you to a better room that we have available, including standard suites. And if you stay even more nights with us, we may or may not allow you to confirm upgrades to rooms we have available and we may or may not let you do that 5 days in advance of your arrival. Please do not look at what we're selling to the public via multiple websites; that will only frustrate you."
Yes I'm being snarky with that last bit, but I think it is pretty much what the last several posts are getting at isn't it? And in practice, it syncs with many people's experience.
I agree that we'll hear mostly about bad experiences here and that there are a lot of good positive experiences as well. However, we're three years into this benefit and the problems and transparency issues persist. At some point, suspicions that go unproved kind of having a way of becoming more than suspicions.
I know I'm a broken record, but for me the sole reason for elite status with Starwood has always been its properties in Western Europe, Italy in particular. We've seen some adds in Milan, but one huge departure in Rome (Eden) and like a second departure when the management agreement with the St. Regis in Rome lapses. I'm not well-versed with management agreements, but if the 'asset light' approach makes it more difficult to get hotels to follow the rules, I'm not a fan of it.
"Upgrades are to best available room, including Standard Suites." Key word is "available". I'd always thought that meant that if several rooms were not occupied or assigned, then the best one would go to the Plat member at checkin. From a post a few posts up I now realize that really means that an upgrade will be extended IF there are several better rooms not occupied or assigned at checkin time and IF the hotel chooses to consider them to be available.
And SNA's double down on that apparently. Now you can confirm your upgrade 5 days out for a better room IF the hotel chooses to make those rooms available for upgrade.
I'm realizing that based on this statement: "No, that's not the way the program works. Not all suites are part of the Platinum upgrade pool, just as not all suites are part of the SNA pool."
I am also all for Starwood selling all the suites they can. But I'm not for deception. The wording should be something more like
"If you stay a bunch of nights with us we'll extend a special benefit to you and only those that stay the same requisite number of nights. At checkin, we may or may not upgrade you to a better room that we have available, including standard suites. And if you stay even more nights with us, we may or may not allow you to confirm upgrades to rooms we have available and we may or may not let you do that 5 days in advance of your arrival. Please do not look at what we're selling to the public via multiple websites; that will only frustrate you."
Yes I'm being snarky with that last bit, but I think it is pretty much what the last several posts are getting at isn't it? And in practice, it syncs with many people's experience.
I agree that we'll hear mostly about bad experiences here and that there are a lot of good positive experiences as well. However, we're three years into this benefit and the problems and transparency issues persist. At some point, suspicions that go unproved kind of having a way of becoming more than suspicions.
I know I'm a broken record, but for me the sole reason for elite status with Starwood has always been its properties in Western Europe, Italy in particular. We've seen some adds in Milan, but one huge departure in Rome (Eden) and like a second departure when the management agreement with the St. Regis in Rome lapses. I'm not well-versed with management agreements, but if the 'asset light' approach makes it more difficult to get hotels to follow the rules, I'm not a fan of it.
Jan 27, 2015, 4:06 pm
#2987
Join Date: Dec 2010
Posts: 1,860
Please, don't forget to tell everyone about how lifetime plat is only "platinum-lite".....
My point here was this is something of a fool me once type option. Once you have tried using SNAs a few times and realised they offer less real value than potential, you fail to be incentivised to keep trying.
It looks like Starwood is preparing to throw some alternative (and I would guess low value) options in place to encourage us to keep flogging a dead horse. Once I hit lifetime Plat (which may happen this year), I will stop playing this game entirely.
It looks like Starwood is preparing to throw some alternative (and I would guess low value) options in place to encourage us to keep flogging a dead horse. Once I hit lifetime Plat (which may happen this year), I will stop playing this game entirely.
Jan 27, 2015, 4:55 pm
#2988
Join Date: Sep 2012
Posts: 1,748
I mean this with no disrespect, and I'm genuinely curious.
If the SNAs give so much grief, why continue to stay with Starwood hotels to hit 50 nights? By some accounts here, the footprint isn't all that great, and there's usually an option for another chain wherever you are. Benefits are too inconsistent for some, and there seem to be some chains where benefits seem much better. Hyatt is frequently mentioned, with it's confirmed upgrades.
So why continue to support Starwood? As someone mentioned, fool-me-once. So if you're fooled twice, then why gripe and gripe? Isn't the whole idea to vote with your wallet? In fact doing that might even results in improvements when revenue starts to dip...
And it doesn't mean you won't ever stay in a Starwood hotel again; just that you may not want to make the effort to hit 50 or even 25.
So, why?
If the SNAs give so much grief, why continue to stay with Starwood hotels to hit 50 nights? By some accounts here, the footprint isn't all that great, and there's usually an option for another chain wherever you are. Benefits are too inconsistent for some, and there seem to be some chains where benefits seem much better. Hyatt is frequently mentioned, with it's confirmed upgrades.
So why continue to support Starwood? As someone mentioned, fool-me-once. So if you're fooled twice, then why gripe and gripe? Isn't the whole idea to vote with your wallet? In fact doing that might even results in improvements when revenue starts to dip...
And it doesn't mean you won't ever stay in a Starwood hotel again; just that you may not want to make the effort to hit 50 or even 25.
So, why?
Jan 27, 2015, 5:15 pm
#2989
Join Date: Feb 2010
Posts: 498
-Confirmed suite upgrades. I have no clue how, as impossible as SPG makes it seem to have any control over their hotels, but Hyatt can force their most desirable properties to give you a upgrade, for up to like 6 or 7 nights per stay....up to 4x a year. That is amazing. That is potentially 24+ days of confirmed upgrades. Simply amazing
Jan 27, 2015, 6:57 pm
#2990
Join Date: Sep 1999
Location: Charlotte, NC USA
Programs: AA EXP; Marriott Lifetime / Annual Titanium; Massively Missing Starwood
Posts: 5,344
My point here was this is something of a fool me once type option. Once you have tried using SNAs a few times and realised they offer less real value than potential, you fail to be incentivised to keep trying.
It looks like Starwood is preparing to throw some alternative (and I would guess low value) options in place to encourage us to keep flogging a dead horse. Once I hit lifetime Plat (which may happen this year), I will stop playing this game entirely.
It looks like Starwood is preparing to throw some alternative (and I would guess low value) options in place to encourage us to keep flogging a dead horse. Once I hit lifetime Plat (which may happen this year), I will stop playing this game entirely.
So who believes that the alternative will be an indication of the value of the SNA's?
Any guesses as to the value SPG places on the SNA's? I'm going to start the bidding at the equivalent of two green choice nights...1,000 points per.
Jan 27, 2015, 6:58 pm
#2991
Join Date: Sep 1999
Location: Charlotte, NC USA
Programs: AA EXP; Marriott Lifetime / Annual Titanium; Massively Missing Starwood
Posts: 5,344
Great question. B/c a lot of us, self included, would like to believe that Starwood will get it together and deliver on their promises.
Jan 27, 2015, 7:38 pm
#2992
Join Date: Sep 1999
Location: Charlotte, NC USA
Programs: AA EXP; Marriott Lifetime / Annual Titanium; Massively Missing Starwood
Posts: 5,344
I'm wagering a guess: the alternative will be a way to burn two sna's per upgrade night...anyone with expired sna's would feel better by only losing (# of SNA's/2) nights of upgrade per year.
Jan 27, 2015, 8:15 pm
#2993
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: LGA/JFK/EWR
Programs: UA 1K1.75MM, Hyatt Globalist, abandoned Marriott LTT (RIP SPG), Hertz PC
Posts: 21,172
I asked specifically about rumors I had heard, whether members “could choose points or redemption discounts instead” and he notes that members aren’t going to be offered “a percent off redemption or bonus point option.”
So....other guesses?
Jan 27, 2015, 10:50 pm
#2994
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: DFW
Posts: 67
Not gonna happen...quote from Chris Holdren in Gary's follow-up post:
I asked specifically about rumors I had heard, whether members “could choose points or redemption discounts instead” and he notes that members aren’t going to be offered “a percent off redemption or bonus point option.”
So....other guesses?
I asked specifically about rumors I had heard, whether members “could choose points or redemption discounts instead” and he notes that members aren’t going to be offered “a percent off redemption or bonus point option.”
So....other guesses?
Maybe non-capacity controlled C+P awards for Platinums? But that would totally mess up the hotel reimbursement rates...
Jan 28, 2015, 11:39 am
#2995
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: La Jolla, CA
Programs: Marriott Ambassador, Lifetime Titanium, Delta Plat, Hilton Diamond , Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 2,615
Discussion: 10 Suite Nights (SNAs) for Plats with 50 nights in calendar year
Here's a guess on the March 1 options:
A percentage discount off an award stay
A percentage discount off an award stay
Jan 28, 2015, 12:13 pm
#2996
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: London
Programs: BA Gold / OnBusiness, SPG Lifetime Plat 100, AmEx Centurion & BAPP, Superking Westin Heavenly Bed :)
Posts: 1,142
Whatever the options are - I'm curious what the perceived value will be. For example, if one of the options were something wacky like an SPG cookbook, it would value the 10 SNA's at $30 or whatever the book would hypothetically cost.
I presume SPG wants us to believe that the SNAs are a premium prestigious gift - so I would imagine the other options need to allude the same lofty perception / value. Very curious to see what the options are, and what SPG equates the 10 SNAs to be worth.
I suspect there could be something like "Book one stay at base points and get suite confirmed at time of booking (max 5 consecutive nights, but only usable on one stay)".
Considering Plat's already get breakfast and wi-fi, an offering there would be horribly weak, even if it were full buffet breakfast at all properties or whatever... It's got to be some something Starwood can control, so that I imagine that somewhat limits their scope.
Jan 28, 2015, 5:52 pm
#2997
Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 346
for me a real advantage of SNA would be if the suite upgrade is confirmed by time of booking. The other stuff is pretty useless. If a suite is free I would get it anyway. Moreover they should provide 10 SNA per 50 nights a year. At the moment the advantage for me to have 150/200 or 250 nights a year is zero.
Jan 29, 2015, 6:24 pm
#2998
Join Date: Dec 2010
Posts: 1,860
Stay'n'pray success rate still 0% success rate
How do you say fool or idiot in mandarin? Because that is what I am. For believing this Starwood crap.
OH BUT YOU CAN HAVE AN SPG MOMENT. YOU CAN HAVE THIS MOMENT WHERE YOU THINK YOU MIGHT BE APPRECIATED, before being shown to your broom closet.
How do you say fool or idiot in mandarin? Because that is what I am. For believing this Starwood crap.
OH BUT YOU CAN HAVE AN SPG MOMENT. YOU CAN HAVE THIS MOMENT WHERE YOU THINK YOU MIGHT BE APPRECIATED, before being shown to your broom closet.
Jan 29, 2015, 7:48 pm
#2999
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: KSA
Programs: Marriott AMB, Skywards Gold
Posts: 3,737
Stay'n'pray success rate still 0% success rate
How do you say fool or idiot in mandarin? Because that is what I am. For believing this Starwood crap.
OH BUT YOU CAN HAVE AN SPG MOMENT. YOU CAN HAVE THIS MOMENT WHERE YOU THINK YOU MIGHT BE APPRECIATED, before being shown to your broom closet.
How do you say fool or idiot in mandarin? Because that is what I am. For believing this Starwood crap.
OH BUT YOU CAN HAVE AN SPG MOMENT. YOU CAN HAVE THIS MOMENT WHERE YOU THINK YOU MIGHT BE APPRECIATED, before being shown to your broom closet.
Jan 29, 2015, 7:56 pm
#3000
Join Date: May 2009
Posts: 6,978
Stay'n'pray success rate still 0% success rate
How do you say fool or idiot in mandarin? Because that is what I am. For believing this Starwood crap.
OH BUT YOU CAN HAVE AN SPG MOMENT. YOU CAN HAVE THIS MOMENT WHERE YOU THINK YOU MIGHT BE APPRECIATED, before being shown to your broom closet.
How do you say fool or idiot in mandarin? Because that is what I am. For believing this Starwood crap.
OH BUT YOU CAN HAVE AN SPG MOMENT. YOU CAN HAVE THIS MOMENT WHERE YOU THINK YOU MIGHT BE APPRECIATED, before being shown to your broom closet.