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[2008 Thread] SPG Gold Owners - Hotel upgrades/frequency?

luv_maui

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OK, so if I decide to requalify a unit and become an SPG Gold member. What kind of benefits at hotels do you get? Since there are supposedly so many gold members out there has anyone ever really gotten any benefit?

If Nodge is having a low batting average as a PFL, I'm curious what the batting average is for an SPG Gold and what did you get?
 

Denise L

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I have friends who were upgraded to suites in Anaheim and Dallas. My DH was upgraded to a club level floor with free Internet in Rockville, MD. That was so worth the $45K developer purchase :D . I had to call up and request it before and after he checked in, as the front desk did not give him the upgrade automatically, so then he moved rooms per my request so he could report back to me on how exciting it was :rolleyes: !

I've never tried to use it since we don't stay in hotels anymore as a family and I never get away just by myself.
 

SDKath

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We are officially 4* at this moment and I am going to St Regis Monarch Beach tomorrow so I will let ya know what happens.

Katherine
 

pointsjunkie

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when i was gold i received many upgrades. at the westin in hollywood FL we got to use the club room which is sensational.

in NYc have been upgraded to club floor many times.

have many other upgrades as well.
 

djp

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I almost always get the club floor, and even the times when the club level has been full, they have given me the key to the club lounge with the b-fast and snacks that go along. About 1/3 of the time I have been able to get a suite, in Hilton Head I got the nicest suite I have ever been in, over 2000 square feet...full formal dining room,3 ocean view balconies pretty amazing.
 

LisaRex

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A much, much easier way to obtain Starwood gold is to:

a) Get a Platinum AMEX. Annual fee is $450. Benefits include 2-for-1 companion tickets on major airlines (including to HNL), airport lounge access for AA and Delta, and SPG gold.

b) Get an SPG Amex and charge $30k on it in one year.

c) Buy a mandatory resort on the resale market.

My husband was just given SPG gold status out of the blue through some Delta/Starwood promo.
 

hvanv0405

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my b/f and I stayed at the Westin in Seattle last month. Booked 2 nights with Cash & Points (4K + $60) which is for a standard King room.

I asked if we could have any sort of upgrade and wanted a view of the space needle. . .

We received the Presidental Suite on the 47th floor!!!! Most amazing "Hotel" room i've stayed in to date. I just had to ask them a day later what it was that he chose us for the upgrade. He said "because of your Gold status and mentioning we're on a mini-trip w/out the kids, the suite was available for someone with either Platinum or Gold status" We were in the right place at the right time and very thankful for being Gold that day.
 

Sea Six

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When we stayed at the Disney Dolphin, we were upgraded to a corner room with 2 balconies. We could see everything from the Boardwalk to Hollywood Studios.
 

DavidnRobin

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Luv_Maui - please be aware that SPG Gold/Platinum status is different than SVO Elite status (3*-5*) that is attained via requalifying. One is for hotel usage (SPG) and one is for TS usage (SVO).
 

SDKath

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We are officially 4* at this moment and I am going to St Regis Monarch Beach tomorrow so I will let ya know what happens.

Katherine

No upgrade. The place was sold out and had 2 weddings so I bet even as PFL I would not have seen an upgrade this weekend. Bummer since it was off season.

However, people were INCREDIBLY nice. The hotel room was gorgeous and the grounds are beautiful. We arrived at 10:30am on Saturday and they allowed us to check in early. We asked for late checkout and they said no problem. We didn't leave till around 4:30 yesterday and they were totally fine with it. The weekend was worth the free SP stay. DH and I had a great time and they really could not have been more courteous! I love my Am Ex SW card! :cheer:

Katherine
 

Troopers

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I'm 4 for 4, batting 1.000. I've received room upgrades in Anaheim, SF & Honolulu. I've been SPG Gold for about 2 years via Amex Plat.
 

clsmit

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No upgrade. The place was sold out and had 2 weddings so I bet even as PFL I would not have seen an upgrade this weekend. Bummer since it was off season.

However, people were INCREDIBLY nice. The hotel room was gorgeous and the grounds are beautiful. We arrived at 10:30am on Saturday and they allowed us to check in early. We asked for late checkout and they said no problem. We didn't leave till around 4:30 yesterday and they were totally fine with it. The weekend was worth the free SP stay. DH and I had a great time and they really could not have been more courteous! I love my Am Ex SW card! :cheer:

Katherine

Did you actually do anything while you were there -- I mean that you can tell us about? ;) Eat at the hotel or swim in the pool(s)? Or watch the sunset. Where was your room?

But to answer the OP, I usually get some kind of floor upgrade, except when I stayed at this same St Regis. Then I had a ground floor, garden facing room. But the bath products are excellent!
 

LisaRex

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Is this correct? I didn't think this was the case with my WKORV resale purchase.

Acc. to MyStarCentral.com:

All Starwood Vacation Network members in good standing automatically achieve Gold Membership status in the Starwood Preferred Guest program. When you stay at Starwood hotels, Gold members receive:

A 50 percent bonus on all Starpoints® earnings
A 4 p.m. late checkout*
Preferred room upgrades*
A complimentary daily newspaper
Elite-level check-in

https://www.mystarcentral.com/spg/gold_status.jsp


Starwood also sent me a letter asking me to call them for a special offer to by 80k SPGs as a purchaser at WKORV-N. In the letter they outlined the benefits of my new gold status.
 

eakhat

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We're staying at the Westin Riverwalk in San Antonio right now and weren't able to get a "Gold Card" upgrade. Our "Gold Card," however, gave us free wireless Internet, which is $10.76 daily.
 

Troopers

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A much, much easier way to obtain Starwood gold is to:

a) Get a Platinum AMEX. Annual fee is $450. Benefits include 2-for-1 companion tickets on major airlines (including to HNL), airport lounge access for AA and Delta, and SPG gold.

I echo this. The other great benefit is the Fine Hotel & Resorts program.
 

gomike

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Does SPG Gold level give lounge access like Marriott?
 

Transit

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I'm 6 for 7 with SPG .late checkouts are usually available. Upgraded to ocean front or better rooms mostly ,nothing real exceptional. Twice invited to SPG welcome cocktail parties.Each time I received an upgrade the receptionist let me know, I didn't ask for any upgrades.I remember getting envelopes with the room key that says welcome Gold member you've been upgraded. The only resort that gave me a problem was the Sheraton Key Largo ( no longer SPG ). They wanted to $75.00 for a 4pm check out and no room upgrade. I think booking well in advance helps because your preblocked for a unit upgrade.
 

jasonb

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It doesn't seem like resale owners are eligible for upgrade to Gold status...

Has anyone experienced anything different, or had any luck otherwise??

Here is a transcript of my 'chat' with a SVO 'Vacation Counsellor':


Hello, my name is Lisa B. How may I assist you today?
ME: i am not sure if my SPG number is associated with my vacation ownership
Lisa B: According to our records your week was purchased through resale. Since your week was purchased through resale, your Starwood Preferred Guest account will not be linked to your ownership.
ME: are you sure?
ME According to MyStarCentral.com: All Starwood Vacation Network members in good standing automatically achieve Gold Membership status in the Starwood Preferred Guest program.
ME: it also says on the site (MSC) that: As a member of the Starwood Vacation Network (SVN) you are automatically enrolled as a Starwood Gold Preferred Guest®.
Lisa B: I'm sorry for any confusion; only Starwood Vacation Network members who purchased directly from the developer receive automatic Starwood Preferred Guest Gold level. As an owner of a resale week you also are not eligible to convert your week into StarPoints.
ME: I am aware of the conversion to starpoints and am not disputing that, but is there any reason why my SPG account could not be upgraded to gold status?
Lisa B: I'm sorry, it is part of the incentive only offered to those who purchase directly from the developer.
ME: I have heard that others have stillbeen given the gold status - is there something you could do or someone else you could check with?
Lisa B: Unfortunately there is no one that can over ride this policy. You can earn the Gold status on your own with at least 10 times (or 25 nights) in a calendar year.
 

LisaRex

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Jason, I doubt that SVO is going to help you get gold status. And, honestly, for the price people paid by buying from the developer, they deserve gold status more than resale owners do. If it's truly important to you, then you do have two other options: pay $450 for an Amex platinum card, which automatically gives you gold star status, or get a Starwood AMEX and charge $30k to it.

FYI, my status is still listed "gold" on my SPG account and I haven't stayed in a Starwood hotel (other than TSs) in several years. So other than the 50% bonus on incidentals at the TSs, it's not much use to me. Of course, if they stripped me of gold, my husband is gold now after being receiving an unsolicited invitation from Delta.
 
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