Official 2013 Category Changes - effective 5 March 2013
Feb 20, 2013, 10:21 am
#16
Join Date: Jun 1999
Location: NYC/LA
Programs: DL Plat, AA Plat Pro, Marriott Titanium, IHG Diamond Amb
Posts: 7,489
(Sigh of relief.)
Honestly, after yesterday's Hilton devaluation, I was expecting something drastic, like Cat 6 becoming the new norm for city center hotels outside of NYC and all NYC properties moving to Cat 7.
I can live with what was just released today.
Honestly, after yesterday's Hilton devaluation, I was expecting something drastic, like Cat 6 becoming the new norm for city center hotels outside of NYC and all NYC properties moving to Cat 7.
I can live with what was just released today.
Feb 20, 2013, 10:21 am
#17
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Singapore
Programs: SQ PPS, OZ Gold, Marriott Titanium & lifetime Platinum, IHG Diamond
Posts: 174
I'm the unlucky one... most of my frequent stay hotels (>80%) in Taipei, Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur are up up up....
1. W Taipei
2. Sheraton Grande Taipei
3. Westin Taipei
4. Sheration Imperial Kuala Lumpur
5. Westin Kuala Lumpur
6. Aloft Bangkok
.... and some others (don't have time to glance through the whole list yet)
1. W Taipei
2. Sheraton Grande Taipei
3. Westin Taipei
4. Sheration Imperial Kuala Lumpur
5. Westin Kuala Lumpur
6. Aloft Bangkok
.... and some others (don't have time to glance through the whole list yet)
Feb 20, 2013, 10:22 am
#18
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Manchester, England
Programs: Bonvoy LT Plat, HH Diamond, IHG Plat, BMI Gold (RIP)
Posts: 8,021
Feb 20, 2013, 10:25 am
#19
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: IND
Programs: SPG Plat, WN CP, Many Others
Posts: 538
+1...Sad to see a few properties I frequent go up, but many others that I thought might go up did not.
Feb 20, 2013, 10:30 am
#20
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: CT/ Germany - Ich spreche deutsch
Programs: UA 1K, Bonvoy LTTE, HH Dia, HY Expl
Posts: 4,657
Time to exhale since I have been holding my breath since the Hilton news yesterday. Some of these changes will definitely impact me but overall I applaud SPG for not following suit and gutting their program like MR and HH did.
Feb 20, 2013, 10:33 am
#21
Join Date: Apr 2012
Posts: 537
Well, what do you know. 1 of my hotels I am staying at, Sheraton Miyako Hotel, Tokyo, is going from Cat 5 to 4. First time I think I have won with these.
Feb 20, 2013, 10:34 am
#22
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: PHX
Posts: 4,787
The category 5 and 6s are interesting. 12 went up, 22 went down.
To me, what's mostly going on here is a fairly massive shift from 2s to 3s and 3s to 4s, instead of the higher aspirational properties. It seems like SPG has rooted out the bargain category 2s and made them more commensurate with the typical rate at these hotels to get redemptions back around or under 2 cents per point. I guess that's not surprising. I don't know how significant that will be to many flyertalkers, who tend to accumulate for the category 5s, 6s and 7s.
Barcelona Diagonal at category 2 was kind of silly, I have to say, so I'm really not surprised they're on to some of my hidden gems. There are a few left that I'm surprised didn't go up, so I guess I can live with it. I'd be a lot more angry today if Hilton and Marriott hadn't just gutted their programs.
To me, what's mostly going on here is a fairly massive shift from 2s to 3s and 3s to 4s, instead of the higher aspirational properties. It seems like SPG has rooted out the bargain category 2s and made them more commensurate with the typical rate at these hotels to get redemptions back around or under 2 cents per point. I guess that's not surprising. I don't know how significant that will be to many flyertalkers, who tend to accumulate for the category 5s, 6s and 7s.
Barcelona Diagonal at category 2 was kind of silly, I have to say, so I'm really not surprised they're on to some of my hidden gems. There are a few left that I'm surprised didn't go up, so I guess I can live with it. I'd be a lot more angry today if Hilton and Marriott hadn't just gutted their programs.
Feb 20, 2013, 10:35 am
#23
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: SAN
Posts: 1,396
While I won't completely abandon HH points, I will push as many of my stays and as much of my spend to SPG as possible. If SPG's footprint was bigger I would probably abandon HH altogether. I've always preferred SPG over HH - this just gives me more reason to patronize SPG. I think everyone expects gradual change, and frankly these "adjustments" appear reasonable.
Feb 20, 2013, 10:36 am
#24
Moderator: GLBT travelers, India-based Airlines and India; FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Asia
Programs: Yes!
Posts: 15,512
Seeing the value of my 700k HH balance decimated yesterday, I was quite concerned about my somewhat significant SPG pot. And I was hoping not to have to go on a SPG burning spree as well.
So, all in all, the changes are not too bad, and I can certainly live with them. Thanks SPG.
Feb 20, 2013, 10:38 am
#25
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Formerly Box 350, Boston Mass, Oh two one three four. Now near Beverly Hills 90210
Programs: Loyal Order of Water Buffalos
Posts: 3,938
Interesting that the Parker Meridien Palm Springs is going up. Must either expect that the relationship is going to continue, or they got good and fooled by the alledged chicanery
Feb 20, 2013, 10:39 am
#26
Join Date: Apr 2012
Posts: 537
2 Hotels jump two categories:
Aloft New York Brooklyn US 3 -> 5
Sheraton Denarau Villas Fiji 4 -> 6
Aloft New York Brooklyn US 3 -> 5
Sheraton Denarau Villas Fiji 4 -> 6
Feb 20, 2013, 10:40 am
#27
Suspended
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 8,720
Three cheers for SPG for not only having a reasonable re-evaluation but also for treating us like human beings and providing a state by state and country by country brekdown of affected properties.
You guys have prompted me to continue with my SPG card and to load more $$ on it.
You guys have prompted me to continue with my SPG card and to load more $$ on it.
Feb 20, 2013, 10:48 am
#28
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Beautiful Atlantic Canada
Programs: Bonvoy Platinum & LFT Gold, Hilton Gold, IHG Silver, Airmiles Onyx, Aeroplan, Avis President's Club
Posts: 1,203
I know...the best values in NYC are now on the up and up! aloft & Sheraton Brooklyn and the 4Points in Long Island City. 
Thanks for the info Starwood. Also the category change is reasonable and it's easy to go through the list efficiently. STRAIGHTFORWARD!
Thanks for the info Starwood. Also the category change is reasonable and it's easy to go through the list efficiently. STRAIGHTFORWARD!
Last edited by NBSPGMEMBER; Feb 20, 2013 at 11:07 am
Feb 20, 2013, 10:53 am
#29
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: CT/NY
Programs: UA 1K/1MM, AA EXP, Marriott LT Titanium, Hyatt Globalist, IHG Plat Amb
Posts: 6,020
Ugh.. both Brooklyn properties are jumping up to Cat 5 - and that's with the Aloft jumping from 3 to 5. It's going to be hard to justify staying there when other properties in Manhattan are similar in number of points required.
It's interesting to see that Le Parker Meridien Palm Springs is moving up so they can extract more revenue from SPG.
It's interesting to see that Le Parker Meridien Palm Springs is moving up so they can extract more revenue from SPG.
Feb 20, 2013, 10:56 am
#30
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: NAPA
Programs: MARRIOTT LIFETIME TITANIUM ELITE, HYATT LIFETIME GLOBALIST, UAL SILVER, AA EXECUTIVE PLATINUM
Posts: 476
I tend to use my points on vacations so I immediately scroll to the places that I like to take my family.
The 4 properties in Hawaii just priced themselves out of my world and it is sad to see 2 Greece properties and Hotel Danielli go to 7's.
Not earth-shattering though in my opinion.
The 4 properties in Hawaii just priced themselves out of my world and it is sad to see 2 Greece properties and Hotel Danielli go to 7's.
Not earth-shattering though in my opinion.