lkar

It's a weird promo because it seems like it's just daring us to get our modest promo and then move on to another chain for at least a couple of months. Maybe they feel confident enough in their 50 and 75 night benefits to avoid that. And maybe there is some truth to that. If they can do the minimum in promos during the year to get your business for around 30 nights or so, who is going to stop at that point? It seems unlikely another promo could woo you away from another 20 nights. The suite nights and plat is just too good to throw those 20 nights to Hyatt unless they offer something off the charts.

flyerwanabe1

Newb question, if I book a stay for 3 days but decided that I need to stay longer and book another reservation online, check out, check in, does that count as two stay or one stay?

yeunganson

It normally counts as 1 stay since the hotel will link the two reservations together. Even in the SPG program, a stay is counted as 1 or more consecutive nights regardless at the same hotel of number of times you check in or out.

ZenWorld

I have 10 nights booked from May to June. Was thinking if it is worth it to go out of the way to squeeze 5 more nights in July just to get the triple points.
Decided that I rather use that on other Hotel Chains that are offering much better values out there during the same period.

So I took the 1 FWN for the 10 nights, simply because all other options are even worse, and I do not wish to reward SPG with another 5 nights for such a crappy promotion. (And the 1 FWN is just limited to Cat 5 and below. )

Really suxs.

Perhaps it is a case of managing expectations. The teasers are hyping up for this promotion to be really stunning; in the end it was just stunningly negative.

One important aspect of any promotion is to entice spending. But if a promotion fails to change any consumer behaviour (and encourage further spending, impulsive purchases), then it has failed.

For those who argued along the lines of having this promotion is better than no promotion, my question is : "you would still have planned those upcoming stays at SPG even without any promotion?" If the answer is "yes", then this promotion has done almost nothing for you to entice further spending.

flyerwanabe1

Thanks. But let's say I check out of a spg property to go to a hilton for a night back to spg for the rest, will that count as two stay then? I got over 15 nights coming up and is trying to get the points using first option.

LovetoTravel83

From FAQ's:

If I select May through July as my promotion earning period, will eligible paid stays or nights prior to registration count toward my earning?

Yes, as long as the member registers by June 30, 2012, any eligible paid stays or nights from May 1 will count toward earning.

I think I will wait until the last second to register, I have alot of stays in May and June but what's the differance if I register now or later? Well at least I will know how many starpoints I would earn.

TAWS

They should have just called this a Double/Triple SPG points promotion and taken away the other choices. I think people would have responded better to that promotion.

BonViveur

This must be the most confusing offer ever.

I am very surprised that some of the offers are available only if booked online, and not via the customer service centre. This upset me as my next 18 nights this month were booked by voice.

The permutations are so complex, that one must calculate each one, dependent on a variety of factors. Why SPG thinks such complex offers are beneficial is beyond me.

I considered to additional eligibility nights to make it to 100, but since the nights don't count towards status, it makes more sense to take the extra points and use them for redeemed stays at cat 1-2, which DO count and earn bonus amenity points.

Sadly, I think this one was thought up either to confuse, or by a mathematical moron, neither of which would seem to benefit guests or Starwood.

I'll take an easy way out.

ZenWorld

I noticed that the whole registration process does not require a password, and yet once a choice is made, it is irreversible.

What if someone entered a wrong SPG number by mistake, and denies you the registration choice that you wanted? (And we are not even talking about possible mischief here)

Looks like the administrative process is not well-thought as well.


Guys, better register early. Just in case.

LovetoTravel83

From FAQ's:

How many Starpoints do I earn for triple Starpoints?

A member will earn 6 total Starpoints per eligible US$1 spent if they complete 15 eligible nights during the promotion earning period the member selected. Starpoint bonuses earned as part of elite benefits are not tripled.

Anyone can elaborate if the 6 starpoints includes the base points? As far as I can remember triple points means 4x starpoints without the base points.

ZenWorld

2 Base + 4 Bonus.
(3x 2Base = 6points)

lkar

Double points = 4x total per dollar, or 5x per dollar for elite.

Triple points = 6x per dollar, or 7x for elite.

Add an extra point per dollar for plat75. And two points more for using the spg amex.

KSA_USA

to earn 2 FWN you need to stay 20 nights. if you spend your free nights at Cat. 5 you save 24000 points. the other option will give you 20(nights)*$150*6(triple points)=18000 points
if you are gold or platinum member add 900 points
if you are P75 add 900 points
if you pay with your SPG amex add 1800 points

so it seems 2 FWN is better value in your case if you can spend them at a Cat. 5 hotel at peak season

but i will personally go for the triple points because it give me flexibility on where and when to stay ( no Cat. or weekend restrictions and no expiration too).

phlashba

I went for the triple ---- meh!

sfozrhfco

I ended up taking the FWN. Due to some increased travel, I will actually make it to the 20 nights and FWN works out for me. It looks like Starwood is paying for this promotion instead of the hotels themselves--thus making it impossible for hotels to opt out. So, I guess there are trade offs with everything. I will have nearly 75 nights by the end of the July--a lot more nights than I had last year. I am looking at it as one step closer to lifetime Platinum. Thus the less than stellar promotion still ends up being OK for me.