JBauer

People, I think this posting must be a joke.

if you stay 1000 nights in hotels, how can you make a judgment after three nights, do you understand sample sizes?

Here is some advice. Stay at a St Regis or Luxury collection and talk to us about SPG. You get what you pay for.

GVA

Well I agree, my experience with Marriott has been consistent in having drab hotels, outdated rooms, staff who generally don't care and a subpar experience to SPG.

To each their own though.

markko

As others have said, I don't think 3 nights is a fair sample by any stretch of the imagination. I have had mostly stellar experiences at *wood properties.

Of course, you've picked the most inconsistent brand (possibly along with Tribute Portfolio) within the *wood portfolio. But there are still some mighty fine Sheratons out there.

I've had some less than satisfactory experiences with every brand out there, including Marriott, but overall, I think the Marriwood combo is the best.

YMMV

Oxon Flyer

@Tedgrrrr, seems your thread was subject to an unexpected mid-flight diversion and has touched down in the Starwood forum, so let me be the fist to welcome you to foreign lands and assure you that the natives here are (mostly) friendly.

Sorry you seem to have had such a poor experience (maybe you could post some more detail of the difficulties you encountered ?), however the good news is that Starwood globally is so much more and better than a couple of rogue 'domestic' Sheratons. Hope you can stick around and pick up some of the more agreeable aspects of Starwood and SPG.

langbr01

My primary issue lately with SPG is the horrific customer service (the hotels themselves have been relatively consistent).

Marriott has a published walk policy, SPG does not (I've been walked without compensation). Additionally, I've had SPG hotel reservations cancelled without notification, guaranteed PLT room availability is largely a myth (shows up automatically with Marriott once logged in).. just terribly disappointed with the brand recently. The hotel themselves are generally nice but customer service and reliability is as important to me (as it is to many others).

pinniped

I avoid Courtyards.
I avoid Sheratons.
I avoid Doubletrees.

Do these three and you'll have a more positive outlook on all of the big hotel programs.

howtofreetravel

I disagree Sheraton's are really good abroad

Starwood Lurker

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UA-NYC

I have my doubts that an SPG Plat was walked. And especially w/o any compensation (SPG would not be different than MR in this regard).

Care to share the actual hotel and situation?

mahasamatman

Published or not, Starwood's walk policy is much, much better than Marriott's, particularly as a Platinum.

Cathay Dragon 666

So 3 hotels now is all it takes to evaluate major chain? Like any other stays there are stinkers out there and there are crown jewels. You just have to do some homework beforehand, reading reviews, etc. Yes, some cities only has one bad SPG property so we're out of luck there, but most cities SPG is pretty solid.

Avoid old dated hotels, stay at new or renovated hotels, do your homework, read reviews.....

seawolf

^

I personally also also add Four Points, Farifeld, Residence Inns, and SpringHill to that avoid list.

hhoope01

Exactly what about Starwood's walk policy is "much, much better than Marriott's particularly as a Platinum"?

My understanding of Starwood's policy (taken from Starwood Lurker's post: https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/7401889-post2.html) is that a Gold/Plat will receive normal points for the displaced nights (which stops when the hotel notifies the Gold/Plat elite that they now have a room available) plus points equivalent to one award night at that hotel. This is in addition to the property's normal walk policy for all patrons. But per Starwood Lurker's posts in the same thread the above post came from, the hotel's policies are a bit "nebulous" and the only stipulation is that they can't break local innkeeper's laws. Hopefully, they would find a close by comparable hotel, provide transportation and pay for the 1st night, but it doesn't look like that is a given.

Compare to Marriott's: (https://www.marriott.com/rewards/terms/elite.mi) If a Silver/Gold/Plat is walked they get $200 cash at a FS hotel or $100 cash at non-FS hotels plus Plats get an additional 90K points (140K at RCs). The hotel also has to follow Marriott's normal walk policy for all patrons which is a standard of finding them a comparable hotel close by, paying for the night at that hotel and pay for their transportation there. And my one case of being walked (before I was a Gold/Plat), Marriott provided normal Marriott points for the original rate for the whole stay (as if I were never sent to another hotel and I didn't have to move back to the original Marriott hotel.) I do believe I've seen other's post a similar experience for when they were walked as well.

So I'm just not seeing what's so much better with Starwood's policy for Plats? While I do agree there are definitely a number of things SPG provides for Plats that is better than what MR provides for its Plats, Marriott's Plat Guarantees (Walk, Room Type) is one area I've always thought Marriott did better than Starwood.

hts

Interesting. I'm a Lifetime Plat (what is that--like 2 million MR points earned the hard way?) and have paid for 82 Marriott nights thus far in 2017.

Having just earned the free night and 10k bonus via MR's fall megabonus, I decided to switch over to SPG for their 1k/stay bonus for the rest of my business trips this year.

I've only had a few experiences (Sheraton Houston/Bush airport, Westin Houston downtown, Sheraton North Dallas) but it's enough to convince me to switch my loyalty to SPG going forward. My limited SPG experience in just the past 2 weeks (3 SPG stays) has been more than sufficient to convince me that SPG is a better all around product (and these aren't even very nice hotels).

CPRich

You're correct that changing your preferred airline for travel based on hotel stays, rather than location, travel patterns, etc., doesn't make much sense.

But feel free to if you'd like.

I'd think that a better action would be to switch hotel chains, but what do I know....