2018 SPG Category Changes (eff 6 Mar) & Booking Window Changes
Mar 10, 2018, 12:39 am
#91
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: somewhere north of stateside...
Posts: 4,153
It appears that the Great Northern Hotel in London didn't adjust up to a Category 6. I made a C+P booking for September last night at 6000+USD110.
Honestly, that makes sense... at 20K a night, I imagine they'd lose a great deal of SPG redemption guests, including during less busy periods. If they feel a bit torn between a Category 5 and 6, designating more nights at peak (16K) is probably the right strategy.
Honestly, that makes sense... at 20K a night, I imagine they'd lose a great deal of SPG redemption guests, including during less busy periods. If they feel a bit torn between a Category 5 and 6, designating more nights at peak (16K) is probably the right strategy.
Mar 11, 2018, 10:18 am
#92
Join Date: Jan 2015
Posts: 6
two other properties in Seoul, Glad Live and Glad Hotel should be going down from category 3 to 2, but seems its not happening, does this mean that they canceled it?
Screen shot I took before 6th of March
If the downs of the hotel category is not happening, then the statistic of hotel ups and downs category is not correct then.
Mar 11, 2018, 12:02 pm
#93
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Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: GVA (Greater Vancouver Area)
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Mar 12, 2018, 2:13 am
#94
Company Representative - Starwood
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Guangzhou
Programs: SPG
Posts: 1,021
Best Regards,
Christina Zhou
Social Media Specialist
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide
[email protected]
Mar 12, 2018, 10:26 am
#95
Join Date: Jul 2016
Location: ORD
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, IHG Platinum, Bonvoy Platinum, Hilton Gold - cheapass economy flyer!
Posts: 241
I was excited to book a few nights outside Salzburg, for a hotel supposedly moving from category 3 to category 2. They responded in an email:
Unfortunately we have to tell you that we are not level 2 yet, due to the classification of our property is still open –
so far we are level 3 and remain level 3.
Sorry for the incorrect information you have received so far.
The SPG reservation line said that they showed them as a cat 2 on some screens for them, and a cat 3 on other screens. So weird!
Unfortunately we have to tell you that we are not level 2 yet, due to the classification of our property is still open –
so far we are level 3 and remain level 3.
Sorry for the incorrect information you have received so far.
The SPG reservation line said that they showed them as a cat 2 on some screens for them, and a cat 3 on other screens. So weird!
Mar 12, 2018, 10:30 am
#96
Company Representative - Starwood
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Austin, Texas
Programs: Marriott Employee Level
Posts: 31,593
I was excited to book a few nights outside Salzburg, for a hotel supposedly moving from category 3 to category 2. They responded in an email:
Unfortunately we have to tell you that we are not level 2 yet, due to the classification of our property is still open –
so far we are level 3 and remain level 3.
Sorry for the incorrect information you have received so far.
The SPG reservation line said that they showed them as a cat 2 on some screens for them, and a cat 3 on other screens. So weird!
Unfortunately we have to tell you that we are not level 2 yet, due to the classification of our property is still open –
so far we are level 3 and remain level 3.
Sorry for the incorrect information you have received so far.
The SPG reservation line said that they showed them as a cat 2 on some screens for them, and a cat 3 on other screens. So weird!
Best regards,
William R. Sanders
Social Media Specialist
Starwood Hotels & Resorts LLC
[email protected]
Mar 12, 2018, 10:36 am
#97
Join Date: Jul 2016
Location: ORD
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, IHG Platinum, Bonvoy Platinum, Hilton Gold - cheapass economy flyer!
Posts: 241
But... didn't you announce it would be changing categories from a 3 to a 2? It was widely reported...
Mar 12, 2018, 10:57 am
#98
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: body: A stone's throw from SFO, mind: SE Asia
Programs: Some of this 'n some of that
Posts: 17,263
I'm sure all the ups went up but at least a handful of the downs didn't quite go down.
Mar 12, 2018, 11:06 am
#99
Company Representative - Starwood
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Austin, Texas
Programs: Marriott Employee Level
Posts: 31,593
"Please note that category adjustments are always subject to change. While we make every attempt to provide you the latest and most accurate information, adjustments may be made at any time."
Best regards,
William R. Sanders
Social Media Specialist
Starwood Hotels & Resorts LLC
[email protected]
Mar 12, 2018, 5:05 pm
#100
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: YYZ, MNL, WAW
Programs: Marriott Titanium, Lifetime Plat, (now an AC nobody)
Posts: 1,978
What's the final update with respect to the bolded section in the below statement? i.e. How many hotels went up, and how many went down? In addition, if a hotel went up two categories, are they included in the 8% figure below or was it conveniently excluded?
"This year, 276 hotels are changing categories, representing 17% of hotels participating in the SPG program. Approximately 9% are moving down one category and 8% are moving up one category."
"This year, 276 hotels are changing categories, representing 17% of hotels participating in the SPG program. Approximately 9% are moving down one category and 8% are moving up one category."
Mar 12, 2018, 5:26 pm
#101
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Mar 13, 2018, 3:37 am
#102
Join Date: Mar 2014
Programs: SPG Platinum, Marriott Plat, Hyatt Diamond, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 236
Or do u prefer they don't give us a heads up so that we can't take advantage of a potential change in category ?
Such things happen, i myself was disappointed that 4P Seoul wasn't downgraded but let's move on.
Such things happen, i myself was disappointed that 4P Seoul wasn't downgraded but let's move on.
Mar 13, 2018, 4:04 am
#103
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Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Toronto
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Posts: 15,521
Guess it’s time to bring back this thread and the awesome post by Sam P. Goodman. 
[Speculation for] 2018 Category Changes
And this from mahasamatman:
[Speculation for] 2018 Category Changes
Some Predictions:
1. More properties will go up a category than down.
2. Not all category changes will make sense.
3. There will be outrage on FT.
4. Someone will blame Marriott.
5. Someone will argue that a particular hotel "isn't nice enough to be that high of a category."
6. Someone else will explain to them that categories have nothing to do with quality and are based on room rates (most of the time).
7. There will be at least three new threads in the next month asking when category changes will be announced.
8. Someone will post the dates that they were announced in each of the last 5 years.
9. Someone will declare that Starwood is going to "loose" their business.
10. Someone will ask what happens if they need to make changes to their award reservation after the category changes.
11. After the announcement, there will be at least one edit to the list. See #3 . And #4 .
12. We will give William a headache.
1. More properties will go up a category than down.
2. Not all category changes will make sense.
3. There will be outrage on FT.
4. Someone will blame Marriott.
5. Someone will argue that a particular hotel "isn't nice enough to be that high of a category."
6. Someone else will explain to them that categories have nothing to do with quality and are based on room rates (most of the time).
7. There will be at least three new threads in the next month asking when category changes will be announced.
8. Someone will post the dates that they were announced in each of the last 5 years.
9. Someone will declare that Starwood is going to "loose" their business.
10. Someone will ask what happens if they need to make changes to their award reservation after the category changes.
11. After the announcement, there will be at least one edit to the list. See #3 . And #4 .
12. We will give William a headache.
11a. Some changes will go into effect after the "official" date and people will accuse SPG of violating its own T&C. Those people have not read the T&C themselves.
Last edited by margarita girl; Mar 13, 2018 at 5:00 am
Mar 13, 2018, 8:53 am
#104
Join Date: Jul 2016
Location: ORD
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, IHG Platinum, Bonvoy Platinum, Hilton Gold - cheapass economy flyer!
Posts: 241
Fwiw, before I go back to work, my totally unscientific survey of the announced moves downward in category was that 40% were not happening (or at least are not now in effect). I looked at 10 hotels, 4 changes down in category didn't happen. I concede with that sample size, it could easily be that I just picked the wrong 10 to check. (Esp. since I happened to look at Korea, where 3 of 4 announced changes didn't happen.) And I further re-concede per the T&C that they have the right to do whatever they want with their categories. I just found it an interesting dp.
Here (via reddit) is a list of the announced changes: https://web.archive.org/web/20180209...ategorychange/.
Here (via reddit) is a list of the announced changes: https://web.archive.org/web/20180209...ategorychange/.
Mar 13, 2018, 5:28 pm
#105
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Those would be my guesses, though I'm not sure how much power the GM has over this. Another possibility is IT errors - maybe the original listing could have been wrong?