Shantanu

Hi All,

I've been a long time reader - many years, but only just thought about registering to make a comment recently......and then thought better of it until now.

I know you can't please all of the people all of the time, but this promotion is useless for me.

I was Platinum until this year (I was one stay short last year and didn't think I'd get bumped down to gold, but I was). Each of my stays last year were between $900-1300 per night, room rate only.....like many others here.

This year I had 25 stays by April, and have had quite a number since. With a new baby arriving next week, I expect to only have 4 more stays this year. I will be working in a different part of Europe during the week where there is no Starwood property (and I am accommodated by the company anyway). The weekends, I want to spend at home with the family, so the free weekend night is of no use to me. Apart from a week at a European ski resort, we won't be having a vacation until the middle of next year, so, the weekend night is doubly useless.

So, I will be the proud recipient of...........two $25 Amazon gift card! Woohoo!.....or 4,000 bonus points. I don't know the value of points, so can someone do the math for me....which is better?

By the way, why can't you gift the free weekend nights away? If that were the case, I would choose them and give them to my parents.....but I suppose, if it were transferable, this could be abused by people.

I'm not a happy bunny!

Regards,
Shant

sziv50

Even though this promo is still "linear" in terms of accumulating points, the fact that the cap has moved out significantly is a major ^ in my book. Whereas the last two promos were earn 8k for 8 stays with a max of 24K, this one has a max of 100K which is great for those of us who stay a lot. I'm quite pleased with the promo. . . . just need to do some analysis tonight based on my projected stays to see how I combine this with the current Marriott promo, but I'll definitely be spending most nights at a Starwood hotel.

Guy Betsy

Normally I'd go for the 10stays for 25K points but since I'm going to be in Montreal for 5 nights, Toronto for 2 nights and Seville for 3 nights, it'll make more sense for me to do the 25 nights for 25K. I won't try to do anymore than that. I've already requalified for PLAT next year, so I'll spread my remaining hotel stays to Hyatt!

sfozrhfco

or even something similar to the Le Meridien promo like stay 7 times at a W and get 4 free nights at any W in the world...don't want to bother spending 40 nights in a four points or a crappy Sheraton just to get 100,000 points. Free weekends at categories 1-5 is not that great either. It costs far less just to pay for the nights I need at a hotel I want to stay at. Even if I found 8 stays at $100 each including tax, that it still $400/night for each weekend night. I can pay $249 at the W in LA on the weekend and not have to stay 4 times in a $100/night hotel in the middle of nowhere.

gameswolverine

William,

I have a few hotel Triple Point bookings already made under the London offer - if I select Double Point in this new promotion will I now earn 5x the base amount ? (or 6x including the Elite bonus ).

Thanks

bsdstone

And that's why they say different strokes for different folks...I have a budget when I travel for work, so this current promo appeals much more to me!
I do like your suggestion though...very creative!

Starwood Lurker

If you choose Stays/Nights Count Double, any stay that gets credited to your SPG account as an eligible stay will have the stays and nights doubled, so essentially every hotel that participates in SPG is included.

Best regards,

William R. Sanders
Online Guest Feedback Coordinator
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide

[email protected]

Bigshaker

Thanks to SPG...at least this promo gives everyone a chance and isn't targeted.

William, would like to clarify every stay counts double. Is it just the stay that counts double or the nights as well?

My Dad has 40 nights but only about 10 stays....hoping 5 stays could equal 10 nights for him?

Thanks
Bigshaker

dhammer53

I have 2 award stays booked in Kauai and Maui during the promotion.
I'm going to run the numbers and see if a paid stay is worthwhile.

dh

CO FF

So just to be clear: if I spend $400 on a room (ignore taxes, F&B & any other departmental spend), and I choose this promo, and I'm a PLT paying with SPG Amex, I get:

800 *points (regular award)
400 *points (PLT bonus)
400 *points (SPG Amex spend)
400 *points (SPG Amex in-chain spend bonus)
800 *points ("You Choose" double *points bonus)

for a total of 2,800 points.

Right?

Starwood Lurker

Both the stays and the nights are doubled. It is a technological impossibility to have one double without the other being doubled as well.

Best regards,

William R. Sanders
Online Guest Feedback Coordinator
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide

[email protected]

Starwood Lurker

You got me. All I know is that the base Starpoints are doubled, not the elite member bonus point.

Best regards,

William R. Sanders
Online Guest Feedback Coordinator
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide

[email protected]

Rusty65

I see that the free weekends apply for categories 1-5 only. However, the T&C's say to look at SPG.Com for a list of participating hotels. I could not find anything on SPG.com regarding the free weekend nights. It would be more desirable if all category 5 properties were eligible.

Also, my experience with the Asia Mastercard promotion was that the no blackouts for reward stays was not applicable - that some of the category 5 properties were more difficult to book. I wonder if the no blackout rule applies to this free stay.

Starwood Lurker

Every category 1 - 5 hotel participates, so whatever list of properties you see at category 5 at spg.com are participating properties for redemption.

Yes, it would apply in this case...and frankly, I'm surprised that it didn't for the Asia Mastercard promotion as well, but maybe Thyetus knows more about that one than I.

The only possible exception might be any of these properties that happen to fall in category 5:

PLEASE NOTE: Free Night Awards at the following locations require higher Starpoint redemption amounts either because the hotel does not have standard rooms or the standard rooms it offers have a mandatory Full Board requirement in peak seasons: Bora Bora Nui Resort & Spa, St. Regis Resort Bora Bora, and Le Méridien Bora Bora, Bora Bora, French Polynesia; W Maldives, Maldives; Sunset Key Guest Cottages, A Westin Resort, Key West, Florida; The Resort at Singer Island, Singer Island, Florida; Mystique, Santorini, Greece; Pine Cliff Residences, Albuferia, Portugal; and Cala Di Volpe, Hotel Pitrizza, and Hotel Romazzino, Porto Cervo, Italy. The minimum number of Starpoints required for a free night at The Resort at Singer Island, a Category 5 property, ranges from 24,000 to 64,000 Starpoints; the minimum number of Starpoints required for a free night at the Pine Cliff Residences, which is a Category 6 hotel, is 40,000 to 100,000 Starpoints; and the minimum number of Starpoints required for a free night at the other listed properties, which are all Category 7 properties, ranges from 60,000 to 140,000 Starpoints depending on the hotel, its category, its room types, the time of year, and/or its mandatory requirements. Redemptions at these hotels must be booked through your local customer contact center.

But, I will check further into that and get back to you.

Best regards,

William R. Sanders
Online Guest Feedback Coordinator
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide

[email protected]

Bigshaker

Thanks




Both the stays and the nights are doubled. It is a technological impossibility to have one double without the other being doubled as well.

Best regards,

William R. Sanders
Online Guest Feedback Coordinator
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide