2013 Q4 Global Promo: SPG Take Two, Double Points + 2,500 per 5 nights, Sep 1 - Dec 1
Aug 7, 2013, 8:28 am
#106
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: YYZ
Programs: Marriott Bonvoy Lifetime Titanium, AC Elite, Airmiles Gold, Hertz Gold Plus Rewards
Posts: 785
Not sure if this is better in this thread or another one, but it sort of relates to this so I'll stick it here.
I've got a question on how exactly the multiple room credit works. I know I can book up to 3 rooms and get 3 nights/stays out of it. My question is if I need different room types (i.e. 1 king, 1 2 doubles) is it going to matter if I make 2 separate bookings or do they all have to be reserved on the same reservation?
Not really a big deal either way because I can certainly stay in a room with 2 doubles even if one bed never gets used.
I've got a question on how exactly the multiple room credit works. I know I can book up to 3 rooms and get 3 nights/stays out of it. My question is if I need different room types (i.e. 1 king, 1 2 doubles) is it going to matter if I make 2 separate bookings or do they all have to be reserved on the same reservation?
Not really a big deal either way because I can certainly stay in a room with 2 doubles even if one bed never gets used.
Aug 7, 2013, 9:57 am
#107
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: FLL
Programs: US Airways - Chairman, Delta - Platinum, Marriott - Platinum, Hilton - Diamond, SPG - Platinum
Posts: 78
Disappointed Westin Cincinnati continues to opt out. oh well no bonus is still better than Hilton.
Aug 7, 2013, 5:40 pm
#108
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: SBP
Programs: UA 1K, Marriott Titanium, Marriott Lifetime Platinum, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 533
Aug 15, 2013, 4:40 pm
#109
Company Representative - Starwood
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Austin, Texas
Programs: Marriott Employee Level
Posts: 31,593
The two following properties will be added to the opt-out list later today:
Best regards,
William R. Sanders
Social Media Specialist
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide
[email protected]
- Westin New York Times Square
- W New York Times Square
Best regards,
William R. Sanders
Social Media Specialist
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide
[email protected]
Aug 15, 2013, 6:53 pm
#111
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: JFK, DCA, BUR, YVR
Programs: AC, AS, BA, DL, HH (D), MR (T/LTP), UA (*S), UScAAre (PLT/1,87MM), WN
Posts: 5,207
Over 150 opt-outs and growing. Interesting. Wonder if SPG will do a side promo like the "Hear the Music" promo.
Aug 15, 2013, 7:08 pm
#112
Join Date: May 2005
Location: CLE
Programs: RA, UA MM 1k, AA EXP, Marriott LTP, Hyatt Plat, SPG100
Posts: 476
Promo: 2013/Q4: SPG Take Two: Double Points + 2,500 bonus per 5 nights , Sep 1-Dec 15
I'm fairly new to SPG and while it seems not to impact me right now, it would in my regular travel patterns. I understand that these programs are trying to lure guests where needed, what does this say to guests that want to be loyal going forward? My loyalty is less valuable if I travel to NYC or sfo? I was contemplating making SPG my backup or possibly preferred chain, but this isn't any way to treat elites. I'll hit my 25 stays (mostly of 1 night) and leave it at that.
Aug 16, 2013, 5:35 am
#113
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Sydney, Australia
Programs: VA Gold, UA, SPG Gold, HH Diamond, Marriott Gold, IHG Ambassador
Posts: 3,644
It makes a nice AND surprising change in the right direction.
Love this promo as I have 15 nights booked already
Aug 16, 2013, 9:03 am
#114
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Somewhere between YXU and YYZ
Programs: Marriott Lifetime Titanium Hilton Diamond AC*75K
Posts: 618
The ABA (lawyers) meets early August and the CDA (dentists) meets mid-August. Both of them are reasonably sized (8K and 15K). VMware's VMworld (20-30K) is the last week of August and has caused rates at all SPG properties to skyrocket for that week with a lot of two-night minimums in place as well. The Oracle conference is in late September, which is massive (nearly 50K). October and November both have a few major conferences each and things die down a bit in December (about one "major" conference each month from there on).
I ended up booking myself in 6 properties and 6 brands (aloft SFO, W San Fran, The Palace, Le Meridien, Westin St. Francis, and St. Regis) over the 6 nights that I will be there for VMworld ... hitting up the Element and Sheraton TriBeCa in NYC in late September and Four Points Knoxville in November to round out the SPG Cycle for this year.
I ended up booking myself in 6 properties and 6 brands (aloft SFO, W San Fran, The Palace, Le Meridien, Westin St. Francis, and St. Regis) over the 6 nights that I will be there for VMworld ... hitting up the Element and Sheraton TriBeCa in NYC in late September and Four Points Knoxville in November to round out the SPG Cycle for this year.
I guess you didn't register early enough to get an SPG property through the conference registration.
I registered back in May and will be at the St Francis for 6 nights and got the conference rate of $248, and even back then when I looked at direct bookings the lowest SPG property was just under $400/nt.
Aug 17, 2013, 2:16 am
#115
Join Date: May 2005
Location: CLE
Programs: RA, UA MM 1k, AA EXP, Marriott LTP, Hyatt Plat, SPG100
Posts: 476
Aug 18, 2013, 2:10 pm
#116
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Miami, FL
Programs: UA 1MM, AA Plat, Marriott LT Titanium, Hyatt Glob, IHG ♢ Amb, Hilton ♢, Hertz Pres
Posts: 6,018
The two following properties will be added to the opt-out list later today:
Best regards,
William R. Sanders
Social Media Specialist
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide
[email protected]
- Westin New York Times Square
- W New York Times Square
Best regards,
William R. Sanders
Social Media Specialist
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide
[email protected]
And wouldn't it make sense for Starwood to get this in or out before announcing the promo and list?
Last edited by TravelinSperry; Aug 18, 2013 at 2:35 pm
Aug 18, 2013, 6:19 pm
#117
Join Date: Apr 2006
Programs: DL Plat, Bonvoy Titanium
Posts: 218
I will requalify for Platinum this week, and all 5 of my routine hotel venues across my most traveled cities are opted out of this one -- Boston (2 properties), Los Angeles (Bonaventure), and San Francisco (2 properties). So, I think I may try another chain for some of my upcoming stays -- especially in SF when I sometimes pay a premium to stay at Starwood properties instead of other chains.
What Starwood fails to understand in letting hotels opt out is that it is a loyalty program -- we all look at it as Starwood, and not XYZ Hospitality Corp DBA Westin XXX -- and the long list of exclusions comes across as very disloyal to the customer. I, for one, would have preferred no promo than to have a promo with so many exclusions.
The hotels already set their rates, so what does it really cost them for the promo that they couldn't recover in the rates? 500 points is worth about $5 and the double points are worth maybe another $5 per night (based on a $250 average rate). If some of the less expensive chains opted out, I'd understand as they have less pricing flexibility based on their lower rates, but when the Westins and Le Meridien's opt out, that's another story altogether.
The hotels get a good chunk of my travel business by being associated with Starwood. Part is the brand recognition, and the other part is that I pretty much know what to expect (and what not to expect). Don't get me wrong, I enjoy Platinum, but I will put my toe into some other waters between now and year end, something I wouldn't likely have reason to do if I wasn't feeling that loyalty wasn't a two-way street.
Aug 18, 2013, 8:26 pm
#118
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Toronto
Programs: UA 1K, AC MM E75, Marriott LT Ti, IHG Dia Amb, Hyatt Glob
Posts: 15,521
I hope all you people staying elsewhere are sending copies of your reservation to the hotel mgr who lost your business because they chose to opt out. Make sure they know you have a choice too!
Aug 18, 2013, 8:28 pm
#119
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Dallas
Programs: recovering WN Preferred and SPG Plat
Posts: 17
Good question! I've often wondered this myself.
Aug 19, 2013, 12:00 am
#120
Join Date: May 2012
Location: SIN
Programs: JL GC | Marriott LT Silver | Global Entry | SQ Silver
Posts: 6,819
I wonder for new hotels that will be opened later this year, will they be auto opt in? An example would be Westin Singapore that is opening on November 15th.