2011 Starwood SPG Promotions Thread

[Febs]

Damn, knew it's too good to be true. Will just have to stump up the $1500 or so per night they want for an overwater villa (high season). Any other hotel isn't an option for me as if it weren't for the W I wouldn't be going to the Maldives to begin with - W Vieques was a close 2nd choice but W Maldives won out on the novelty factor.

We'll probably be looking out for another MH Business Companion sale fare, as we're also fitting in KUL and PEN.

Where are you finding $1,500 rates!? We're spending a week in the Maldives (5 nights on an island, 1 night either side in Male) in Feb 2012, and the W is coming out at $3,225USD per night, and that's NOT for an overwater villa (which we also want - they're $3,475/night). :shock:

I'd love to stay at the W, but $3.5k per night is just obscene. Plenty of nice (perhaps even nicer) places for much less. Liking the Six Senses offerings a lot, and the new Jumeirah properties look great too (though also quite $$$).

For $1,500ish for an overwater villa, I'd probably choose the W.

Cheers,
- Febs.

PS: I mentioned it in another thread, but award availability for MLE-LGW seems to be pretty good if you have OW points to spend. Surprised we managed to get two seats on the date we wanted (BA only fly it 3 times/week). Also flying MH KUL-MLE.

 

[Keith009]

On SPG.com for an Ocean Villa. Dates in high season - we did dummy bookings for March and April as that's when we want to be there. For low season the Ocean Villas drop down to just under USD1000. We looked at 2011 dates as prices drop as you get closer to the day. Bear in mind that you have to pay USD300ish per pax for the seaplane charter across to the W (which also has a strict luggage allowance so do any shopping after MLE not before!). We're planning to spend the first night in Male as the MH flight arrives too late for the seaplanes which only operate during the day, then spend our last day chilling out at a bar somewhere in Male until the flight back to KUL departs (near midnight). 8 nights total for us including the 1 night in Male. The coughpy airport hotel seems rather expensive but I'm not sure if it's worth a speedboat ride to somewhere in Male proper when we're arriving late at night and leaving first thing the following morning after brekky.

Well, if we can't afford the W Maldives, it'll be pointless going to the Maldives altogether. We'll simply not go to Maldives and find another W somewhere else. Vieques is our fallback option, incorporating LA (the sexy W Hollywood!) along the way.

edit: I did a search for 2012 and it seems like you were looking at Rack rates. BARs and Smart Saver rates have only been loaded up till Dec 2011. For instance in Nov 2011 (start of high season) you can get an Ocean Villa for USD1557 at the Smart Saver rate.

Where are you finding $1,500 rates!? We're spending a week in the Maldives (5 nights on an island, 1 night either side in Male) in Feb 2012, and the W is coming out at $3,225USD per night, and that's NOT for an overwater villa (which we also want - they're $3,475/night). :shock:

I'd love to stay at the W, but $3.5k per night is just obscene. Plenty of nice (perhaps even nicer) places for much less. Liking the Six Senses offerings a lot, and the new Jumeirah properties look great too (though also quite $$$).

For $1,500ish for an overwater villa, I'd probably choose the W.

Cheers,
- Febs.

PS: I mentioned it in another thread, but award availability for MLE-LGW seems to be pretty good if you have OW points to spend. Surprised we managed to get two seats on the date we wanted (BA only fly it 3 times/week). Also flying MH KUL-MLE.

 

[Febs]

edit: I did a search for 2012 and it seems like you were looking at Rack rates. BARs and Smart Saver rates have only been loaded up till Dec 2011. For instance in Nov 2011 (start of high season) you can get an Ocean Villa for USD1557 at the Smart Saver rate.

Ah, that would make sense, thanks (a lot of Maldives properties are only quoting rates for 2011 at the moment). SPG.com did spit out that rate, but I guess that's a standard rack rate as you said. May pay to call the Plat desk and find out if they know when 2012 rates will be available.

Wonder what sort of upgrades (if any) they give to Plats! (they're probably not required to give any due to the "limited participation" thing, I guess..)

Cheers,
- Febs.

 

[Keith009]

Ah, that would make sense, thanks (a lot of Maldives properties are only quoting rates for 2011 at the moment). SPG.com did spit out that rate, but I guess that's a standard rack rate as you said. May pay to call the Plat desk and find out if they know when 2012 rates will be available.

I think it varies by property. I remember pestering the Director of Revenue Management at the W HK to load BARs and Smart Savers and she mentioned that she didn't load them till much later in the year. This was in July and we wanted to book for Jan. In the end I think she loaded the BARs anyway just to shut me up (but was told to check back for specials and Smart Savers).

I wouldn't expect upgrades at W Retreats as the villas aren't considered Standard Suites for the purpose of Plat upgrades. IIRC I think the 'limited participation' clause refers to redemptions, as the W Maldives has no standard rooms you'll have to redeem at a higher rate rather than a simple Cat 7 redemption (cf the W Seminyak which does have standard rooms - you'll get a Wonderful Garden View Room on a Cat6 redemption). Even in regular Ws you'd be lucky to get a suite as they only have a small number of them (due to the boutique nature of many Ws) and people do book the suites - great for hosting parties. W HK, like many new build Ws I suspect, being an exception as it's a v large property. In saying that I've not had suites in only 2 instances - the W Chicago Lakeshore (was Gold then and it was my first ever W, still enjoyed it tremendously) and the W NY on Lexington (yuck, apart from the sexy concierge dude).

 

[openseat]

Not sure if this fits under this thread as a promotion....

I received an email offering 20% of SPG points. So now the maximum 20,000 points are available for USD560. If one were so inclined as to transfer to Aadvantage (budding million milers before the *gasp* cutoff !?!) then that works out at around 2,24c/mile.

Also available are 20% off giving as well.

Does anyone know if there is a maximum one can receive in one's account in any one year?

 

[futaris]

SPG launches new social currency platform. Earn bonus Starpoints and more. - FlyerTalk Forums

 

[Febs]

I think it varies by property. I remember pestering the Director of Revenue Management at the W HK to load BARs and Smart Savers and she mentioned that she didn't load them till much later in the year. This was in July and we wanted to book for Jan. In the end I think she loaded the BARs anyway just to shut me up (but was told to check back for specials and Smart Savers).

Thanks for the detailed reply mate. Actually on the topic of W and HK - here's a question for you. I've got 5 nights at the W HK in Jan 2012. Two have been booked as Award nights (12k pts, not bad value) and the other 3 will be paid nights.

Rates haven't been loaded yet, but our corporate rates look pretty decent for December (I presume they're similar-ish). I remember reading about "pay for 2, stay 3" stays at Ws and was wondering if you knew of any such deals that might apply to a Jan 2012 stay? Or if not, any other good deals I should look at?

After all the comments on here and elsewhere, there was no other choice for HK - had to be the W.

W NY on Lexington (yuck

Agreed. In fact, of all the W's I've stayed in over the years (not as many as you, but still probably 10+), I'd say the NY ones are the worst. All of them. They're all tired old hotels trying to look like young funky fresh Ws. It works in the lobby, then you get to the room, and it's small, cramped, run-down and...no thanks.

Got sick of New York Ws on my last stay and stayed at the Le Parker Meridien. A plainer hotel, sure, but much cheaper on points, much bigger room, and amazing views (right out over Central Park). I'll still visit NY Ws for the bars and restaurants, but that's about it.

Cheers,
- Febs.

 

[Alanslegal]

Rates haven't been loaded yet, but our corporate rates look pretty decent for December (I presume they're similar-ish). I remember reading about "pay for 2, stay 3" stays at Ws and was wondering if you knew of any such deals that might apply to a Jan 2012 stay? Or if not, any other good deals I should look at?

After all the comments on here and elsewhere, there was no other choice for HK - had to be the W.

Enter promotion code Z3H during the booking/search process. Stays have to start on a Thursday,Friday or Saturday iirc.

Otherwise try this link:

Starwood Hotels & Resorts

 

[Keith009]

Thanks for the detailed reply mate. Actually on the topic of W and HK - here's a question for you. I've got 5 nights at the W HK in Jan 2012. Two have been booked as Award nights (12k pts, not bad value) and the other 3 will be paid nights.

Rates haven't been loaded yet, but our corporate rates look pretty decent for December (I presume they're similar-ish). I remember reading about "pay for 2, stay 3" stays at Ws and was wondering if you knew of any such deals that might apply to a Jan 2012 stay? Or if not, any other good deals I should look at?

Wot Alanslegal said. Depending on when in Jan you're looking at staying, you should check for specials closer to the time. Of course if you're staying over the NY period then forget about it. Also keep an eye out on C+P rates, they're often very good value at the expensive Cat 5s.

Agreed. In fact, of all the W's I've stayed in over the years (not as many as you, but still probably 10+), I'd say the NY ones are the worst. All of them. They're all tired old hotels trying to look like young funky fresh Ws. It works in the lobby, then you get to the room, and it's small, cramped, run-down and...no thanks.

Got sick of New York Ws on my last stay and stayed at the Le Parker Meridien. A plainer hotel, sure, but much cheaper on points, much bigger room, and amazing views (right out over Central Park). I'll still visit NY Ws for the bars and restaurants, but that's about it.

I'd feel bad if a W existed and I stayed elsewhere unless it was an Ian Schrager property! Was so bored during my stay at the Le Meridien SF even if they generously upgraded me to a Studio Suite (the 101 concept seemed rather pretentious and lacked imagination, and nothing distinguished the hotel from another bog standard big chain Westin/Sheraton/Hilton/Hyatt etc property) and immediately wished I was back at the W or at least a far more interesting property like the Clift. I didn't book the W as the Living Room, XYZ and the restaurant were under renovation, plus I've never been a big fan of the convention center crowd or perennially wannabe SF crowd that seem to populate the bar at the W SF anyway (mainly $30 000 millionaires trying to impress their gals on their first dates). But it'd still have been a nicer experience than the cold, corporate LM. I admit that I stuck with SPG anyway because I'm a points tart but have since concluded that life is too short for that....

In NYC I'll still go to the W Union Square (granted it feels rather mid noughties but at least the rooftop parties are rocking!) and I'm keen to stay at the new W Downtown. Otherwise none of the other SPGs interest me, and I'll rather stay at somewhere like Soho House or the Royalton (which btw inspired the W brand in the first place).