• The TUGBBS forums are completely free and open to the public and exist as the absolute best place for owners to get help and advice about their timeshares for more than 30 years!

    Join Tens of Thousands of other Owners just like you here to get any and all Timeshare questions answered 24 hours a day!
  • TUG started 30 years ago in October 1993 as a group of regular Timeshare owners just like you!

    Read about our 30th anniversary: Happy 30th Birthday TUG!
  • TUG has a YouTube Channel to produce weekly short informative videos on popular Timeshare topics!

    Free memberships for every 50 subscribers!

    Visit TUG on Youtube!
  • TUG has now saved timeshare owners more than $21,000,000 dollars just by finding us in time to rescind a new Timeshare purchase! A truly incredible milestone!

    Read more here: TUG saves owners more than $21 Million dollars
  • Sign up to get the TUG Newsletter for free!

    60,000+ subscribing owners! A weekly recap of the best Timeshare resort reviews and the most popular topics discussed by owners!
  • Our official "end my sales presentation early" T-shirts are available again! Also come with the option for a free membership extension with purchase to offset the cost!

    All T-shirt options here!
  • A few of the most common links here on the forums for newbies and guests!

Lost Gold Status for SPG (Resale)

Julian926

TUG Member
Joined
Dec 7, 2011
Messages
197
Reaction score
14
Points
228
I have a mandatory resort Sheraton Vistana Resort (Bella) through a resale. I noticed that my gold status from it was removed recently (perhaps through the points merger).

Did they make a mistake in allowing me to have the gold status all this time (about 4 years)? Or, should I have gold status?
 

canesfan

TUG Member
Joined
Mar 10, 2012
Messages
576
Reaction score
130
Points
254
Location
Chicago Suburbs & Tucson
Resorts Owned
WKORVN x2
WSJ-BV
WLR
They made a mistake all these years. Resales do not get gold status or elite status. Consider it a 4 year bonus gift.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

DeniseM

Moderator
Joined
Jun 6, 2005
Messages
57,668
Reaction score
9,088
Points
1,849
Resorts Owned
WKORV, WKV, 2-SDO, 4-Kauai Beach Villas, Island Park Village (Yellowstone), Hyatt High Sierra, Dolphin's Cove (Anaheim)
Julian926 - Have you ever gotten any actual benefits from being gold star?
 

tschwa2

TUG Review Crew: Veteran
TUG Member
Joined
Dec 19, 2008
Messages
16,003
Reaction score
4,676
Points
748
Location
Maryland
Resorts Owned
A few in S and VA, a single resort in NC, MD, PA, and UT, plus Jamaica and the Bahamas
I am still gold through resale Vistana. With the merger of the programs it lifted me to gold with Marriott which I was always short of. I get breakfast free at full service Marriott's (for 2) although I usually prefer residence inn's (RI) where the whole family gets breakfast buffets. I've gotten one or two upgrades through Marriott gold in the last 3 years with about 8 stays. I lost power last week and stayed one night in the airport Westin. With Starwood, gold doesn't get breakfast so I paid for a rate that included breakfast for 2- which was cheaper than paying the $17.99 per person for the buffet which did have waitress service for coffee and juice but everything else was the same as the RI without the waffles. I did get a free appetizer as a gold member (my other choice was 500 SP) at the restaurant. I would imagine I could have gotten it without ordering anything but we did order two drinks. I think the upgrade I got from Marriott was from an accessible studio to a huge 2 br accessible suite and the room was booked with points.
 

Julian926

TUG Member
Joined
Dec 7, 2011
Messages
197
Reaction score
14
Points
228
Julian926 - Have you ever gotten any actual benefits from being gold star?
Yes, we've used the late checkout and the occasional room upgrades. I used to travel for work a while back but I don't anymore, so something like this is useful.

We currently use hotels on weekends for races (running half marathons, marathons, etc). The late checkouts allow us to come back and take a shower.

This isn't huge, but I guess they made a mistake on my resale.
 

zinger1457

Guest
Joined
Aug 21, 2005
Messages
695
Reaction score
45
Points
338
This isn't huge, but I guess they made a mistake on my resale.

Not sure there is any rhyme or reason to their decision to give gold status. I own a WKV resale and didn't have gold status for the first few years of ownership but for some reason I was elevated to gold status about 5 years ago and have had it since. I certainly don't meet the spend or stay requirements for gold. It has come in handy my last few hotel stays, room upgrades, breakfast, late checkout.
 
Last edited:

Henry M.

TUG Member
Joined
Apr 5, 2006
Messages
2,454
Reaction score
669
Points
473
Location
Austin, TX
You might also get Gold by having the SPG AmEx card.
 

tschwa2

TUG Review Crew: Veteran
TUG Member
Joined
Dec 19, 2008
Messages
16,003
Reaction score
4,676
Points
748
Location
Maryland
Resorts Owned
A few in S and VA, a single resort in NC, MD, PA, and UT, plus Jamaica and the Bahamas
You might also get Gold by having the SPG AmEx card.
You have to charge $30,000 or more on the card for the basic card to get gold.
 

DeniseM

Moderator
Joined
Jun 6, 2005
Messages
57,668
Reaction score
9,088
Points
1,849
Resorts Owned
WKORV, WKV, 2-SDO, 4-Kauai Beach Villas, Island Park Village (Yellowstone), Hyatt High Sierra, Dolphin's Cove (Anaheim)
We use the AMEX for every penny we spend and then pay it off each month - so we use it like a debit card. This also generates SPG points - which is why we do it. It's not hard to spend 30K on your regular bills and purchases.
 

tschwa2

TUG Review Crew: Veteran
TUG Member
Joined
Dec 19, 2008
Messages
16,003
Reaction score
4,676
Points
748
Location
Maryland
Resorts Owned
A few in S and VA, a single resort in NC, MD, PA, and UT, plus Jamaica and the Bahamas
We use the AMEX for every penny we spend and then pay it off each month - so we use it like a debit card. This also generates SPG points - which is why we do it. It's not hard to spend 30K on your regular bills and purchases.
I signed up for the card this year as I wanted to move away from the Chase Marriott. I really only use the SPG Amex for Marriott and Vistana MF's and Marriott and Starwood hotel stays. Most of my charges go on the Chase Sapphire Reserve unless it is a category that Discover gets higher bonuses. SPG's aren't as useful to me as the travel benefits and rewards with the Sapphire Reserve Card.
 

DeniseM

Moderator
Joined
Jun 6, 2005
Messages
57,668
Reaction score
9,088
Points
1,849
Resorts Owned
WKORV, WKV, 2-SDO, 4-Kauai Beach Villas, Island Park Village (Yellowstone), Hyatt High Sierra, Dolphin's Cove (Anaheim)
Good tip, but that won't get the OP, SPG Gold Status.

*However, with the merging of the Marriott and SPG hotel programs, SPG Gold is probably going to change, and we won't really know until the new program is announced and implemented.
 
Last edited:

Julian926

TUG Member
Joined
Dec 7, 2011
Messages
197
Reaction score
14
Points
228
Yeah, I wish I got the Amex SPG a while ago. It's a pretty decent card. Too bad SPG is going to merge with Marriott.

Right now, I'm using CSR as an every day card.
 

NJDave

TUG Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2005
Messages
1,215
Reaction score
65
Points
408
Location
NJ
I have a mandatory resort Sheraton Vistana Resort (Bella) through a resale. I noticed that my gold status from it was removed recently (perhaps through the points merger).

Did they make a mistake in allowing me to have the gold status all this time (about 4 years)? Or, should I have gold status?

I tried to get gold status by linking my timeshare and SPG accounts when I bought resale, but I got denied. I own Bella as well. I called and tried again after the accounts were linked and asked if it was a mistake. I was provided the reason for the denial was that I bought resale. Results are mixed. Some Tuggers have received gold despite buying resale. After the merger of Marriott and SPG, I received gold status for Marriott (and thus SPG) for being at Select Level for Marriott Vacation Club.
 

quikitikit

TUG Member
Joined
Jul 28, 2010
Messages
39
Reaction score
9
Points
218
Location
Northern Calif
Resorts Owned
Diamond Resorts Lake Tahoe Vacation Resort (EVR), Marriott Newport Coast (NCV), Marriott Destination Club Trust Points
I tried to get gold status by linking my timeshare and SPG accounts when I bought resale, but I got denied. I own Bella as well. I called and tried again after the accounts were linked and asked if it was a mistake. I was provided the reason for the denial was that I bought resale. Results are mixed. Some Tuggers have received gold despite buying resale. After the merger of Marriott and SPG, I received gold status for Marriott (and thus SPG) for being at Select Level for Marriott Vacation Club.

I bought Marriott Newport Coast Timeshare resale on EBay 2009 EOY. In 2010 Marriott changed to points system. In 2014 I bought 2500 Marriott points and enrolled Newport into program allowing converting to points. Since then, I was given gold status even on SPG. My Chase credit card was upgraded to the black card ($85 annual fee) to get 5 reward points versus 2 or 3 under the no annual fee Chase Marriott card. Since being given gold, we’ve received many great upgrades on our hotel rooms, ocean views, corner rooms which are larger, concierge lounge for free breakfasts or even hundreds of points per day to forgo breakfast which we do, etc. Being gold in the Marriott reward program has many benefits. We are also ‘select’ under the Marriott Destination Club. We just went to update last Wednesday at Ko Olina to get our 30,000 Marriott Reward points, didn’t buy more points but hoping to find some in the future via resale. Love Marriott❤️ Both the timeshare and points and the hotels. With points we have gotten free 4 to 5 nights stays in Calgary, Sydney, Australia, Washington D.C., and gave lots of points to my daughter and son in law for 5 nights in an upgraded Paris Marriott hotel room for their 10 anniversary present. To think we only owned timeshare since 2009 and got the Chase Marriott card even less years.
 

Jayco29D

TUG Member
Joined
Dec 16, 2017
Messages
519
Reaction score
144
Points
153
Resorts Owned
Marriott, Vistana
Good tip, but that won't get the OP, SPG Gold Status.

*However, with the merging of the Marriott and SPG hotel programs, SPG Gold is probably going to change, and we won't really know until the new program is announced and implemented.

Hi Denise, Which Amex card do you have? We have many cards but looking to consolidate into one. We have Marriott Gold status now because we had the Ritz card. I have been hesitant about an Amex card because it is not accepted everywhere. Have you had trouble with getting the Amex card accepted some places? Does it convert for airline miles or Marriott rewards miles?
 

DeniseM

Moderator
Joined
Jun 6, 2005
Messages
57,668
Reaction score
9,088
Points
1,849
Resorts Owned
WKORV, WKV, 2-SDO, 4-Kauai Beach Villas, Island Park Village (Yellowstone), Hyatt High Sierra, Dolphin's Cove (Anaheim)
I have the Starwood AMEX and we use it for airline miles - 20K points/dollars converts to 25K miles with most airlines.

You can use the points for hotels and other things too, but we seldom stay in hotels, so we just use it for airlines.

Some merchants (mostly small mom and pop places) do not accept the AMEX, and for those places we either use our Alaska Air Visa or our Hawaiian Air Master Card.

That being said, I don't know what will happen to this card with the merging of Marriott and SPG.
 
Top