NoSevens

Since your confidence is undermined and from another thread you feel that SPG is unfair to non-US residents, I guess you'll be moving on. Come back in a year and let us know how your new hotel program is going.

NoSevens

For those of you complaining this was blindly retroactive, it reminds me of an event we had at work. We had a volunteer day at the food bank, people gave up a weekend day to help out.

After the event, one of the execs invited everyone out to a very nice restaurant on his dime to say thanks for representing the company, turned out to be a very fun day. We had some comments afterwards from people who didn't attend that if they knew they were going to go out to said restaurant, they would have volunteered. A bit sad.

Kind of representative of this situation. If you could have stayed 50 nights and were really close, why didn't you? Because you thought there was nothing in it for you and in the end Starwood decided to thank the people that did. You are different from the others in that you'll only be loyal if you are rewarded with extras, others were loyal because they were satisfied with what was being offered and like the brand/properties.

naitkris

[SARCASM]For all those Platinum members with less than 50 nights in 2011 complaining about not getting this benefit, look on the bright side - the benefit does not take effect until 1st March 2012 and between now and then there are 27 nights which will put you just over half way to qualifying for this benefit when it starts. Of course I do agree that it would be better if this benefit did not take effect until 1st April as then there'd be well over 50 nights between the announcement and the benefit taking effect giving everyone a fair chance to qualify.

Personally I am very annoyed that the 100 night criteria to have a personal SPG Ambassador was not announced in 2011 or did not take effect for at least 100 nights from now. The 41 stays and 91 nights I had at Starwood last year all seem like such a waste now.
[/SARCASM]

AJLondon

Well put. ^

With 68 nights last year, I made the 50 night threshold and got the "thank you gift" of 10 suite nights. I could theoretically complain about not knowing about the 75 night threshold and missing out on the "your24 and 4 points per $ gifts". Especially as I easily could have done 7 more nights very easily! But again, I just think of these as an unexpected thanks for last year. And from this year, I can "earn" these.

Land-of-Miles

Is it not possible to raise valid concerns without this kind of response?

Hurrah for those for who hit the numbers last year or live in locations which make new benefits easier to obtain, that doesn't change the structural problems in this rollout.

I am already a top tier guest in 2 competing programmes mainly because I need to be to ensure that I get hotel coverage in every location I need to travel too rather than any "disloyalty" to Starwood. Lucky you if your travel patterns allow you the option to stay exclusively at Starwood properties, mine don't and I suspect that others find the same issue. I almost always stay at a Starwood property where I have a choice and where I don't stay at a Starwood property that is always because the Starwood option is very poor compared to the competition.

So I know exactly how the competition works because I have experienced it for many years and broadly I am happy with Hilton Diamond and IC RA for the use I make of those programmes, I was however also happy with SPG Plat too until yesterday. Where I like properties I will continue to stay at them, I probably won't make Starwood properties my first choice though moving forward and will care much less about renewing Plat status than I have in the past.

fireworksboy

Had 55 stays / 68 nights last year and just missed out on all of the benefits of the 75 night threshold. Had I know, I'd have gone for it. Disappointed? for about 3 seconds - then I moved on and was happy for the other new aspects / possibilities of the program. Just me.

Crazy4Birds

+1. I had 70 nights, and could have easily stayed 5 more nights. Will I hit 75 or 100 in future years---I'll certainly be trying! Am I bitter about the people with 76 nights that get benefits on Mar 1? Absolutely not---Starwood is rewarding people retroactively for being good customers---(some of) the airlines do this too, retroactively, for going over unannounced thresholds. SPG rocks and will be getting a LOT MORE business from me...

UA-NYC

Any other 50+ nighters NOT get the "10 suite award" e-mail?

Lurkers - is there one of the SPG communication boxes that needs to be checked to receive this mail?

ExitRowAisle

(emphasis added)

The problem is Starwood changed the definition of "good customer" retroactively. I never knew someone with 25 stays was considered less of a customer than one with 50 nights until yesterday.

ExitRowAisle
A Dissatisfied 2nd Class Starwood Platinum Member

AJLondon

You, the 25 stay-er were a good customer! Just not as good as some others who did 50 nights. Who were not as good as some others who did 75. Who were not as good as some others who did 100. Who were not as good as some others who were VIP members.

Rambuster

There are some excellent alternatives out there!
Mandarin Oriental comes to mind as do the Rocco Forte hotels for example.

RichMSN

No, that poster was a top tier customer. Even you have re-characterized him as merely a good customer.

ski1stoney

^

justspg

Would I be correct in assuming if one has 100 nights, you'd get 20 suite night awards? If 50 nights=10 suite night awards, 100 nights should=20 correct?

AJLondon

If you really think that was the case, then it seems you are quite unaware of the ranking within Plats (properiatary art and science!) that has been going on for several years. Ambassador program being just one such example.