2016 SPG Changes

[DavidnRobin]

See SPG FlyerTalk.com
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/star...0-announcing-spg-s-2016-category-changes.html
http://spgpromos.com/2016categorychange/


Looks like some serious devaluation of SPs.
20% changing category - 12% up, 8% down
100 in North America up, 21 down
Lots in CA going up - many to Cat 6

SVO Westin resorts going from Catagory 5 to Cat 6:
WSJ
Lagunamar
Riverfront

The real devaluation with Cat changes
Cat3-4: 43% more SPs needed for free night
Cat4-5: ~40% more
Cat5-6: ~61% more [Brutal]
Cat6-7: ~44% more

those are a huge SP devaluations

Get 80K SPs for converting SOs for a 2Bd LO WKORV - a little over 3 nites worth for a Cat 6 - such a deal !!!

 

[Ken555]

http://spgpromos.com/2016categorychange/


Sent from my iPad

 

[vistana101]

Definitely disappointing. While it could be unrelated, it sure is starting to feel more like some Marriott categories

 

[DavidnRobin]

Definitely disappointing. While it could be unrelated, it sure is starting to feel more like some Marriott categories

Agree - the SP devaluation in last 4-5 years overall have really gone up - especially for the ones I would stay at.. Some of the SF-Bay Area hotel are just ridiculous. As a FT member mentioned - guess SPG doesn't consider AirBnB a threat...

Glad I dumped a lot of SPs over last year. Once Costco AMEX ends - goodbye SPs.

 

[dioxide45]

Agree - the SP devaluation in last 4-5 years overall have really gone up - especially for the ones I would stay at.. Some of the SF-Bay Area hotel are just ridiculous. As a FT member mentioned - guess SPG doesn't consider AirBnB a threat...

Glad I dumped a lot of SPs over last year. Once Costco AMEX ends - goodbye SPs.

I recall a video that I watched where Christopher Nassetta (Hilton) and Arne Sorenson (Marriott) were having a discussion about the industry with a host. They didn't seem overall concerned about AirBnB. They seem to be targeting a different demographic, at least for the business travlers. Not many business are going to start having their employees book on AirBnB for business travel. Now, they could of course could be wrong. But if employers still continue to send their employees to hotels, these devaluations really won't drive people away.

 

[okwiater]

Always sad to see devaluations, and I'm sure the relative strength of the US dollar didn't help much this year. One of our favorites is going from 5-6. 12k to 20k is pretty brutal.

Oh well. I guess that's why we all own timeshares, right?

 

[SMHarman]

Get 80K SPs for converting SOs for a 2Bd LO WKORV - a little over 3 nites worth for a Cat 6 - such a deal !!!

So $2500 in MF for 4 nights. That's. $625 a night. Such value.

 

[DavidnRobin]

So $2500 in MF for 4 nights. That's. $625 a night. Such value.

But you get 5th night free!!!

looks like this may increase rental prices for WKORV/N

 

[DavidnRobin]

I recall a video that I watched where Christopher Nassetta (Hilton) and Arne Sorenson (Marriott) were having a discussion about the industry with a host. They didn't seem overall concerned about AirBnB. They seem to be targeting a different demographic, at least for the business travlers. Not many business are going to start having their employees book on AirBnB for business travel. Now, they could of course could be wrong. But if employers still continue to send their employees to hotels, these devaluations really won't drive people away.

1000s upon 1000s of people use AirBnB in SF area alone...
Corporate mentality wins again.

 

[SMHarman]

But you get 5th night free!!!

looks like this may increase rental prices for WKORV/N

Ok $500 a night. That makes it TOTES WORTH IT.

 

[vistana101]

I remember when the points from my timeshare used to get me 5 nights at the Westin Times Square...now my week gets me a whopping 2!! I also miss the days when category 6 was the top, at 14,000-20,000 points per night, with less than 10 hotels at that category. Oh the good old days!

 

[jnsywg]

WKORV is not changing, it is the Westin Hotel that is changing unless I missed something.

See SPG FlyerTalk.com
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/star...0-announcing-spg-s-2016-category-changes.html
http://spgpromos.com/2016categorychange/


Looks like some serious devaluation of SPs.
20% changing category - 12% up, 8% down
100 in North America up, 21 down
Lots in CA going up - many to Cat 6

SVO Westin resorts going from Catagory 5 to Cat 6:
WKORV
WSJ
Lagunamar
Riverfront

The real devaluation with Cat changes
Cat3-4: 43% more SPs needed for free night
Cat4-5: ~40% more
Cat5-6: ~61% more [Brutal]
Cat6-7: ~44% more

those are a huge SP devaluations

Get 80K SPs for converting SOs for a 2Bd LO WKORV - a little over 3 nites worth for a Cat 6 - such a deal !!!

 

[Ken555]

Always sad to see devaluations, and I'm sure the relative strength of the US dollar didn't help much this year.

Exactly. Some of my repeat visit hotels in Europe have lately been just over $0.02/SP and others that I've been looking at for next year are less. I'm heading to Europe in the Spring and I've already prepaid and have booked many other hotels...not a single SPG...since I was able to get acceptable hotels at about $125/night. I have already booked some hotels for 2017, including at least two which are increasing in value, and will review the list again and likely make more reservations.

I still like SPG, but the days of great hotels for reasonable rates are gone, in large part. As I posted a few months ago, I was searching for alternative programs and have already shifted the bulk of my cc spend to other programs and am glad I did.

One hotel I enjoy is the Four Points Barcelona, and I've got two more stays already booked there. It's going from Cat 2 to 3, which is just absurd. It's a nice property, but you can get nights there for just over $100...I can see it being worth 3-4,000 but at 7,000 there we're better off paying cash.



Sent from my iPad

 

[DavidnRobin]

WKORV is not changing, it is the Westin Hotel that is changing unless I missed something.

Maybe I misread - working off iPad. Thought I read Kaanapali.

Just checked - it is the Hotel but says Kaanapali as location. I was quickly scanning - but sort of same result. SP devaluation sucks. And the SPs given as incentives, SP purchase contract, and SO conversions have lower value.

 

[LisaRex]

Not a surprise but disappointing nonetheless. I'm sure they're aligning their hotels to better reflect MR categories.

I'll definitely be dropping my SPG AMEX the next time the annual fee rolls around. That'll leave me with just one AMEX, a Delta Skymiles AMEX, that I put in the drawer and only keep because just one flight per year justifies the annual fee (because of the checked bag reimbursement). With their Costco partnership kaput, I can see dropping all AMEX cards in the near future.

IMO, hotel and airline loyalty cards are rarely worth it for me anymore. The 1:1 or 1:2 earnings ratios make it too difficult for non-business travelers to earn meaningful rewards.

No, Chase Sapphire gives me a lot better return for the same spending, and I am not limited to a certain brand.

(My husband holds the Citi Premiere card and was just sent a letter offering to upgrade him to the Citi Prestige card. It's $450/year but offers an annual $250 flight credit, $100 towards Global Entry screening, plus access to lounges. And now it comes with a 50k sign on bonus, which is worth at least $500. I'm seriously considering him switching to that card for a year.)

 

[okwiater]

Thanks David for posting this. I don't check FT very often and might have missed this otherwise. I'm going to make a bunch of reservations for my favorite Cat5-6

 

[Ken555]

Well, I just booked another 5-night stay at The Park Lane in London. I knew it would go up a cat this year since when I was last there it was undergoing a massive renovation (£25million+). I suppose it's a sign of the times that all the central London hotels are going to be at least Cat6.

 

[DavidnRobin]

Well, I just booked another 5-night stay at The Park Lane in London. I knew it would go up a cat this year since when I was last there it was undergoing a massive renovation (£25million+). I suppose it's a sign of the times that all the central London hotels are going to be at least Cat6.

Nice reservation. Really liked our Park Lane stay - 2009 and 58K SPs iirc (those days are gone...)
Request the Marlborough Room (didn't have number), but perhaps with the renovation it no longer exists. Just one of those typical Gold perks...
Definite the nicest upgrade we have ever received, and have no idea why - no complaints. warning - amateur video taken to share with family

http://youtu.be/YsA-J1iAEvo

we stayed at Le Meridian a year ago (Biz trip) - much prefer PL.

 

[SandyPGravel]

Nice reservation. Really liked our Park Lane stay - 2009 and 58K SPs iirc (those days are gone...)
Request the Marlborough Room (didn't have number), but perhaps with the renovation it no longer exists. Just one of those typical Gold perks...
Definite the nicest upgrade we have ever received, and have no idea why - no complaints. warning - amateur video taken to share with family

http://youtu.be/YsA-J1iAEvo

we stayed at Le Meridian a year ago (Biz trip) - much prefer PL.

Nice digs. Definitely nicer than anything I've stayed in.

 

[seattlemsg]

spg visa

At our owners update last week the sales person said don't be surprised to see the SPG Amex replaced with an SPG visa very soon

 

[Ken555]

At our owners update last week the sales person said don't be surprised to see the SPG Amex replaced with an SPG visa very soon

And this will help the devaluation how?


Sent from my iPad

 

[LisaRex]

And this will help the devaluation how?

I must have missed where seattlemsg made that claim.

Anyway, when airlines move to a new credit card company, they tend to offer sign-on bonuses. If SPG moved to Visa/MC, and subsequently offered a 25 or 50k sign-on bonus, assuming the annual fee wasn't exorbitant, I'd certainly bite.

Acc to CNN, AMEX stock took a hit after Costco dropped them. I've also heard grumblings for years from local merchants that they dislike AMEX because their fees are so high. IF they start losing hotel branded deals as well, one wonders what their business plan is.

 

[jnsywg]

Perhaps they meant the Marriott Chase Visa?

At our owners update last week the sales person said don't be surprised to see the SPG Amex replaced with an SPG visa very soon

 

[Angela5svr]

Starwood is getting out of timeshare being sold to Marriott

I don't deal with this timeshare but thought yall would want to know! They have already split everything internally grearing up for the change.

I know 100% being sold, being told Marriott us purchasing due to program similarities. Malt is opening 15 sales centers locally within the year.

 

[Angela5svr]

The timeshare company is being sold, your seeing the final effects of the internal split. Rumored Marriott is purchasing the timeshare division. They are increasing their sales centers from 1 to 15 here locally. Thought tall would want to know since I'm guessing this isn't public yet?

See SPG FlyerTalk.com
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/star...0-announcing-spg-s-2016-category-changes.html
http://spgpromos.com/2016categorychange/


Looks like some serious devaluation of SPs.
20% changing category - 12% up, 8% down
100 in North America up, 21 down
Lots in CA going up - many to Cat 6

SVO Westin resorts going from Catagory 5 to Cat 6:
WSJ
Lagunamar
Riverfront

The real devaluation with Cat changes
Cat3-4: 43% more SPs needed for free night
Cat4-5: ~40% more
Cat5-6: ~61% more [Brutal]
Cat6-7: ~44% more

those are a huge SP devaluations

Get 80K SPs for converting SOs for a 2Bd LO WKORV - a little over 3 nites worth for a Cat 6 - such a deal !!!