Does Amex know that Aloft is a SPG hotel?
 

I had my first stay ever at an Aloft property in Las Collinas last week.
Points posted just fine, however, my SPG Amex points posted yesterday but the additional SPG points from Amex did not post.

Is this an Aloft issue or an Aloft Las Collinas issue, since that is a very new property?

Have others had issues with Aloft and SPG Amex?

LA2CDG

For me, Amex knew that aloft PDX qualified for the Starwood bonus within a week of its opening in September: my points posted without incident.

Aloft Harlem SPG Amex bonus points not posting
 

I'm having the same issue with the Aloft Harlem in NYC

American Express did not recognize my stay at the Aloft Harlem this month as an SPG-eligible stay. And they did not award me bonus points.

When I called to ask, they told me (via an Amex manager on duty) that this property (didn't specify whether it was all of Aloft or just the Aloft Harlem) did not participate in the SPG program.

When I pointed out that indeed Aloft and the Aloft Harlem does participate, and I had received my SPG points for the stay directly from Starwood, they said they would credit me the appropriate SPG points from Amex.

However, I don't want to go through this every month with my stays at Aloft and told Amex so. They said they'll start an "investigation."

We'll see.

This is common with new properties that are “coded wrong.”

A secure message to AmEx through their website usually fixes it that time for you, and within a month or two for all guests at the property.

I suspect the phone call and starting the investigation will do the same, then. I've also notified my Starwood Ambassador just as an FYI in case SPG needs to confirm to Amex that it is indeed a participating property.

Thanks.

I've stayed at an Aloft where it posted as "Front Desk" as the business. When purchasing from the snack area it posted as "Aloft XYZ bar."

Neither got double points.

I had this problem last summer with Aloft Linthicium by Baltimore.

I had this same problem with the W Seoul, so do not think it is limited to the Aloft brand

I have started to audit this a little bit as well. I was not given the extra point for a stay at the Westin Puerto Vallarta, which the Amex rep told me was not an SPG property!?! She wound up giving me 1500 points "for my inconvenience" which have not posted yet.

Does anyone have a "best practice" for claiming these missed points from AMEX?

They may not post till your next bill. Amex will give up to 5-6k in promise points per account per year for mistakes.

I once was given a 800 number to contact SPG by an Amex CSR that turned out to be a sex hotline (by mistake). I'll let you guess how many points they gave me... they even sent me a gift in the mail as well! They are always great to not only fix problems, but they go out of their way to compensate you for your troubles.

Last time it happened to me, it was a Westin.

The second AmEx point applies to all spending (including tips and taxes) so it's relatively easy to track. Here is what I used to do:

The AmEx site lets you “tag” transactions. If you tag all your SPG spending, you can filter by tag to check how much you spent at SPG in each billing period. This should match your “SPG AX - STARWOOD SPEND CNSMR” Starwood transaction for that month to the nearest dollar.

(I think I once had a transaction move from one month to the next, but it doesn't hurt to do this only a few times a year.)

If it doesn't match, find out which hotel is missing, and use the AmEx Secure Message Center to let AmEx know you're missing your second Starpoint for a Starwood hotel. (AmEx doesn't make the secure message center easy to find. Log in on americanexpress.com, click the small “Contact Us” button at the top on the right, and click “E-mail Us a secure message”.) You can route the message to someone who understands SPG by choosing “Other Rewards Programs” and “Starwood Starpoints” as the sub-topic. (People who answer the phone might not be familiar with SPG.)

Then (at least in my experience) you get a message back and your Starpoints deposited.

This is good info. If I have some time on my hands I will audit my annual statement from last year. I feel instinctively that many SPG transactions did not receive the 2nd point. However, in general the customer support from AMEX is quite good--even though they may not be familiar with SPG, the reps seem to do what it takes to keep you happy.

You're right. I've gained the general impression (just from reading about other people's situations here) that there is a difference (internal to AmEx) between points given to placate a complaint (which you get when you call and deal with the person who answers immediately), and points deposited because you deserved them in the first place (which you get when your program-specific issue is processed over a day or two).

I have just tried, as you originally suggested, a secure message.

Because the verbal promise I received by phone from the Amex customer service rep to credit the bonus points for the Aloft Harlem ten days ago ... has apparently been overturned by a supervisor. :confused:

I received a letter today, with this paragraph, signed by an "H. Figueroa, Customer Service Supervisor:"
"After careful review, we have determined that ALOFT HARLEM does not qualify for additional bonus points. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused."

One has to wonder what kind of careful review, exactly. Visiting the Aloft Harlem website? The one that says it's a Starwood property and participates in the SPG program?

I included a link to that very website in my secure message to Amex. And dropped a note to my Starwood Ambassador, to see if he can notify someone at SPG this is a problem.

This is starting to make me cranky, if for no other reason than the time I've had to spend on it.