UA-NYC

Think it would be interesting to hear from some fellow FTers...seems like all the high-stay Plats (100 and 75) aren't getting offers...even some Plats and Golds too. Nothing like taking your business for granted

While I'm mildly annoyed and tempted to do some Marriott stays (have Gold via UA), unfortunately I'm probably not going anywhere, as I'd like to continue my march on to 100 nights (at 41 currently) and I can't assume my high rate of biz stays will keep up necessarily. I guess I'm the definition of an SPG captive, and an example of why they don't feel the need to do a global promo.

But - are YOU going somewhere else, you fellow non-targetee? If so - what other-hotel promos are enticing you?

Sportman77

I am going to get to 50 nights by the end of May to re-earn platinum and then likely start booking elsewhere if I don't get a promo. After having an ambassador in 2014, you realize 100 nights means nothing, because the ambassador isn't all that helpful (you can just call the platinum desk and get the same, if not a quicker, level of service). I travel about 10-15 minutes further from my client to stay at SPG, but if there is no real benefit, then I'll save my time and stay elsewhere.

kit125

i thought i'd be spending more time at SPG this summer, but now i'm being a little more grateful for the IHG promo and will probably stick with them.

sfozrhfco

As I am LT Platinum, promos don't do much for me so I don't care. All of my stays have been for leisure and it will be nice to spend the summer at home. I am looking forward to enjoying the benefits when I feel like traveling without chasing promos.

Since the CFO and then the CEO left and anything is on the table as far as merging, being bought, being broken up into pieces, or staying the course, I am more worried about whether my LT Platinum benefits will remain intact than in getting a few extra points through a promo. Have no interest what so ever in starting over with another chain either.

the hotel bar

As someone who qualified for P100 a few years ago, take it from me that if you don't have any other compelling reason to be SPG captive, don't do it just to reach 100 nights

I benefited so little from P100 that when I was at 97 nights going into Dec of last year, reaching 100 had zero effect on where I stayed (and indeed, i finished 3 nights short)

To answer you're other question, I will be turning to IHG to meet all their promo criteria - in my case 26 nights - and then whatever other nights i have will be at a Radisson with the MEGAPTS promo.

I like SPG, but if I can pull in 26,000+ points for my 3 night stay at IHG or 58,000 at Radisson, whereas I'd only get around 3750 for a corresponding SPG stay, it's hard to justify

Consultette

I still have most of my bookings, however I made back-up bookings at Kimpton properties for most weeks (our corp rates have same day cancellation). In the event no promo is rolled out or sent to me I'll probably just cancel the SPG stays a day or two before.

The Kimpton situation is great in the cities I travel to and SPG status hasn't really done anything for me this year. I also have Marriott status, so can feed that if I want - I just really like the Kimpton properties.

Plumber

I will probably keep staying for now. After what I already have booked, I will only need a few more stays to achieve LT Platinum...once I hit that, I will shop around if there are no promos from SPG.

ConsulTraveler

Same here. I am without a decent promo on the horizon, promotions from other chains are calling my name.

Requalified for Plat, nearly to LT Plat. Travelling weekly, but no SPG bookings going forward at this point. I hope to hear something soon.

supatight80

It's not 'not' receiving the selective email promos that makes me want to look around. I already banked in about 20k brg points year to date + several 20% offs which ive saved at least a few g's this year. So i guess Starwood has already given me enough freebies.

But it's the ambassador program that i found quite a let down and disappointing.

Already have booked 78 vacay nights with Starwood til September, so pretty much staying almost exclusively with them for the remainder of the year to retain Plat100.

But after having a series of 'blah' experiences with my ambassador, Next year 2016 ive decided to be just plat50 and park my other 50+ nights at Hyatt or IHG.

So yah considering all my stays at Starwood are leisure/vacay trips since ive joined the program, im pretty much free to keep my options open and not 'captive' since no one is dictating me on where i should stay.

Flews

This year I'm tracking to my most stays/nights ever, so why on earth would *wood/SPG target me for a promo?

I've made my bookings based on cost, location, value and bennies, so why would I switch hotel chains just because I didn't receive an additional promo from the one I have already decided is best for my travel patterns?

Cheers,

charder

with about 180 nights a year spending in big cities and given the not real benefit of being plat100 I now balance the nights between spg, hilton and clubcarlson.

Any promotion from SPG would not help on it unless it is one out of the old days, e.g. 3 stays =1free night cat. 1-6

vandalby

Count up one more SPG "Captive" here. I'm Lifetime Plat, between 60 - 70 nights so far as of the time of this posting so SPG100 is certainly within grasp. Hilton is my backup chain to have an "every exit on the highway" option, but I've been traveling to Boston and essentially all of the Boston Hilton properties are excluded from their 2X points promo. I have no interest whatsoever in picking up a 3rd chain.

Given that no SPG promo = a useless Hilton promo, plus I'm Plat at SPG and down to Blue at Hilton...I'll stay put with SPG until I'm traveling somewhere with no SPG option, or until someone breaks the promotion stalemate.

Like others, I've come to terms with the fact that the Ambassador service did leave me underwhelmed. Maybe my expectations were too high - that I'd have top level suite upgrades, regular goodies in the room, etc. In the end, the delivery was hit or miss at the property level. I never felt that I got a top level suite upgrade just due to my Ambassador status, I'd get a treat in my room from time to time, but not consistently. My Ambassador was about the nicest person you'd ever meet, but the program seemed entirely reactive. What I expected in an Ambassador was someone proactively monitoring my reservations, calling that property ahead of time, scoring the suite upgrade early, getting something delivered to my room, setting the thermostat at my preferred temp and all the other little preferences that they ask you about, but then don't really deliver. They were very good when given instructions on what I needed and would follow though efficiently and effectively.

Consultette

Wait, you get treats in your room?

miloworld

A chocolate perhaps

Duke777

Had over 170 nights last year, aiming for minimum of 50, ideally 75 this year.

I switched to Hyatt earlier this year through a diamond challenge since their promo was more lucrative and I wanted to diversify my loyalty. I'll balance SPG with Hyatt stays for the foreseeable future and select which property better suits my needs. Once I have 50 nights at Hyatt (only at 23 right now due to slow travel so far), I'll focus on seeing how many SPG nights I can get.

While the Ambassador program is nice, I don't seem to get any special treatment that some on this forum are lucky to receive. As a result, no need to aim for 100 nights. I prefer Hyatt where the breakfast benefit is much stronger and DSUs are more straightforward to use.

Airline upgrades are frustrating enough - I'm tired of playing the lottery at hotels where there is no transparency.