Which is better SPG or HHonors (from an OZ Perspective)

[serfty]

Started on another thread but deserving of it's own discussion ...

Ah!But with SPG if you get status there are regular promos for all and so much better than anything i received at Hhonors.

I dunno, 2 "Q3FN's" with HHonors were pretty good

Booked last week at Tokyo Hilton and Conrad HKG on 50% off promo.

 

[drron]

Re: Sheraton promo

I dunno, 2 "Q3FN's" with HHonors were pretty good

Booked last week at Tokyo Hilton and Conrad HKG on 50% off promo.

Problem is I have never been informed by hhonors of any promotion in 6 years as diamond.I have cancelled my email subs then signed up again but still i dont get a thing.When i find out about a promotion it usually doesnt apply for the hotels I am going to stay at,or at the wrong times.
With SPG I get an email every quarter with the general offer,it applies to basically all hotels.Add to that i get another targetted offer each quarter.So in 9 months and for a stay of 38 nights all up I have received in excess of 40000 bonus points-equal to just over $US13000 spend or double what I have paid out.

 

[serfty]

But do they give you breakfast ...

 

[drron]

Re: Sheraton promo

But do they give you breakfast ...

Well at the Westin Palace Madrid not only a 6 room suite but full brekkie including champagne,free wifi and movies as well as a large fruit platter-Hilton have never beaten that.By choosing the right properties have had brekkie at 7 out of 10 stays.

 

[beardoc]

Re: Sheraton promo

So in 9 months and for a stay of 38 nights all up I have received in excess of 40000 bonus points-equal to just over $US13000 spend or double what I have paid out.

I know there might be a typo here or I am misunderstanding, but how does 40000 bonus points equal US$13000 of value?

 

[drron]

Re: Sheraton promo

Because as a platinum with SPG you earn 3 points per US dollar spend.The base earning is on the lean side but with the promos comes out very competitive with hhonors.
Yes I know that this is an Amex thread but I am following the time honoured AFF tradition of going OT.

 

[serfty]

Ok, so US$6500 spend can earn 40,000 SPG points for an SPG Plat. (Which can be worth ~US$13,000).

So that ~20,000 base and ~20,000 bonus points.

WHat is hard to imagine is how 40K SPG points can be worth that US$13000 (~AU$20000)

 

[Mal]

WHat is hard to imagine is how 40K SPG points can be worth that US$13000 (~AU$20000)

I read it the other way. With bonii + plat bonus, the number of points earned are equivalent to a *spend* of $US13K (which is double what was spent).

Redemption nights range from 2K/night (cat 1) through to 35K/night (Cat 7), with a 5th night free option if redeeming on Cat 3-7. Weekend nights are cheaper in the lower tiers

No blackout dates of course with SPG (like HHonors). Overall I think it's an ok program (and they have some very, very nice hotels), but prefer the mainstream hotels in IHG program these days.

 

[serfty]

Now I reread it, it seem ddron spent US$6500 and received 40,000 in bonii on top of the ~20,000 SPG points (~giving 60,000 in total) ...

This still does not answer the question: How can 40K SPG points can be worth US$13000 (~AU$20000)?

(FWIW, I just laundered 40K SPG [+USD30] into 100,000 HHonors points)

 

[superchris]

I am Plat with SPG and Gold HH.
For me SPG is a better program as I do a lot of Sydney and Asia trips.
I have had some incredible upgrades in Asia that have given me benefits beyond the terms of the SPG program. ON US trips (where 70% of the world's SPG Plats live) upgrades should not be expected but do occur.
Examine your travel and the cities you go to to determine what suits you best. As always YMMV

 

[oz_mark]

I think I read it the same way Mal does. In order to get 40,000 points you would ordinarly need to spend US$13,000.

 

[Alanslegal]

The cost of purchasing starpoints is $35USD per 1,000. So if you have 40,000 points, the nominal/indicative value is 40 x $35 = $1400USD. Of course different redemption methods/dates/hotels could alter these values.

If one spends US$13K to earn 40K points, then the return on the total expenditure is 10.77%

 

[beardoc]

Re: Sheraton promo

Because as a platinum with SPG you earn 3 points per US dollar spend.The base earning is on the lean side but with the promos comes out very competitive with hhonors.
Yes I know that this is an Amex thread but I am following the time honoured AFF tradition of going OT.

Ah, I understand what you're saying now - that you've earned 40000 points, which would normally under base earning you would have to spend US$13000, but you have spent half that in actual terms, because the promo bonuses are so good.

My problem is that there are so few SPG properties in the places I need to go - Brisbane has nothing, and I live in Sydney. Melbourne I only need to go to rarely, and Perth occasionally. So SPG is a little frustrating - I would like to accumulate more to it, but there just aren't the properties domestically to support it!

 

[drron]

Yes my total spend at SPG from April 08 when i got status matched to SPG plat was ~ $US6500 earning ~20000 base points,40000 bonus points plus~4000 points in the plat amenity.So a spend of $US6500 got me ~ 64000 points.
A similiar spend at Hilton would have earnt me 65000 base points plus 65000 bonus points-none of the cities i was staying in had Hiltons offering the double base point promo.
So the equation is does 64000 spg points = 130000 hhonors points.Well the best value for hhonors points for me is the GLONP award which works out at ~ 39000 per night.Similiar quality SPG hotel is 12000 per night so value to me is with SPG.Of course SPG also has points plus pay which can be even greater value.Then I can also send points to SPG from my DC at a reasonable rate.
My major goal is lifetime status with an airline.I have picked AA partly because all points qualify for LT status not just BIS miles.From SPG I can transfer to AA at 1.25 miles per SPG point.With hhonors it is a paltry 0.15 miles per hhonors point.
So for me especially considering the much better upgrade experiences and to the fact I will not drop below hhonors gold for the next twenty years the choice is obvious.However my travel is at least 1 DONE4 and an Asian trip per year with most places having a good choice of SPG hotels.Although it is improving hilton choices in the Asia-Pacific have been far behind SPG.
Obviously others will have a different travel profile and a different choice.

 

[serfty]

SPG cash & points is often noted as one of the better redemption's out there

The Question remains (40000SPG≡USD13000)???

 

[Keith009]

Personally I went with SPG based on the quality of the hotels, and because my favourite hotel brand W Hotels is a SPG brand. AT the end of the day this was the most important consideration. Whilst AAdvantage or QFF gets me on the same plane, a HH or PC or IC RA card isn't going to do me much good at the W Hong Kong.

Earn/burn ratio wise though - I'd say PC or HHonours offer much better value than SPG. However this is in some ways cancelled out by properties that offer SPG cash and points redemption option (not always available). PC and HH also have more properties in Oz however SPG is fine if you travel mainly intl.

For top tier status benefits - SPG is defo the way to go. Yes recognition might be at times inconsistent but this is common to all programs. I particularly like the Select Standard Suite upgrade perk which is not available with HH DM or PC PLT.

 

[drron]

SPG cash & points is often noted as one of the better redemption's out there

The Question remains (40000SPG≡USD13000)???

Just means as a plat you get 3 starpoints per $US spend so 3x13000=39000 or nearly 40000.So what I was originally saying was that the 40000 bonus points I got in 2008 would have taken a $US13000 spend to earn if no bonus points.
For the first quarter of 2009 I will earn at least 10000 bonus points for my planned 10 nights at SPG because of the announced promo.

 

[serfty]

Ok, I mis-understood; so standard earn for ~USD13000 spend on SPG is ~40000 ...


With HHonors if a Gold member has 10 x 1 night stays at Hilton Hotel @USD100 per night they earn:

• 1000 base points.
• 500 My Way bonus
• 1000 VIP Bonus (OR Continental Breakfast and possible Upgrade)
• 250 Gold Bonus

So without breakfast the earn is 2750, so for 10 stays at a cost of US$1000, the earn is 27,500. (or 17,500 and 10 breakfasts)

Note that if the upgrade VIP benefit is chosen (rather than complimentary internet access or 1000 bonus points), the breakfast is guaranteed (world wide) these days.

 

[drron]

Ok, I mis-understood; so standard earn for ~USD13000 spend on SPG is ~40000 ...


With HHonors if a Gold member has 10 x 1 night stays at Hilton Hotel @USD100 per night they earn:

• 1000 base points.
• 500 My Way bonus
• 1000 VIP Bonus (OR Continental Breakfast and possible Upgrade)
• 250 Gold Bonus

So without breakfast the earn is 2750, so for 10 stays at a cost of US$1000, the earn is 27,500. (or 17,500 and 10 breakfasts)

Note that if the upgrade VIP benefit is chosen (rather than complimentary internet access or 1000 bonus points), the breakfast is guaranteed (world wide) these days.

As a diamond still I always select the upgrade bonus as guaranteed lounge access-so no 1000 point VIP bonus for me.I do select it at Embassy suites as everyone gets breakfast anyway.I also select it at Hamptons as the alternative is of no great value-but then only 250 points.
As to the myway bonus I select airline miles for the reasons in my previous post.This ability to select airline miles is one of the best benefits for me personally but of course it is the same whether I am Gold or Diamond.
When I fall back to Gold if i stay at a Hilton i would probably book an exec floor room and so take the 1000 point VIP bonus.At Hamptons and HGIs I see no real difference whether gold or diamond.

 

[serfty]

Yes, I dare say few know the ins and outs of HHonors like drron.

As a Gold I look for breakfast as guaranteed should I choose it. A diamond would look to see if the exec lounge actually exists ...

I do indeed cherry pick MyWay depending upon rate inclusions and/or timing.
E.g. An upcoming 2 nights Award stays at HKG will have me looking for the "upgrade" (which guarantees breakfast, even if no exec lounge access).

In may, I have booked three nights at the exec level in cairns, so no upgrade on MyWay - I'll go for the free internet access. (3 night stay).


And of course, those figures above are somewhat skewed as there's precious few Hiltons going for USD100 per night.

Even @USD200 per night, 10 stays at a cost of US$2000, the earn is 45,000 (or 35,000 and 10 breakfasts).