[Anonymous]

[everhopeful]

can anyone explain why hotel loyalty schemes seem to favour stays over nights. eg. I am starwood gold and will probably stay around a total of 40 nights with starwood this year.If I stay in 25 different hotels each for one night I reach platinum or only after 10 stays, gold. If however I have longer stays in hotels I need 50 nights to reach platinum. I know starwood now have added benefits if you reach 50 nights but I am never likely to reach 50 nights .

The only exception appears to be Hilton which also considers dollars spent. It does seem odd as it must be cheaper for a hotel to have a guest stay for 2 or more nights as opposed to just one night, or have I missed something?.

[MartynSinclair]

Whilst I havent, I do know friends and collegues who check in and out of sister hotels on a nightly basis in order gain SPG plat status. Prime example is in BKK where you have the Westin and Sheraton across the road from each other and conencted by a walk way.

Guests will check in and check out and switch hotels each night to increase their stays.

[janrotterdam]

Everhopeful – I recognize the challenge. Every year I am staying in hotels around 125-150 nights. The real challenge is to maximize status in various hotel chains. I usually do Starwood, Marriott and Swissotel. Like MartinSinclair explains it is “easy” to become Platinum in Starwood, if you are willing to accept the hassle of checking in and out frequently. I am often in Brussels and rotate between Le Meridien and Sheraton (if required to keep the status). Marriott offers roll-overs, which make the second year easier. Swissotel is the more complicated, as they do not inform their guests in sufficient detail. And their network is limited.
I also use Hilton, mainly because the double dip is pleasant. Hope this helps!

[VintageKrug]

It’s a very good point (I think it’s probably only a niche activity – but probably many high stayers know the game and do this).

Those who switch hotels for this purpose, with the attendant costs of administrating the booking, check-in and check-out, not to mention cleaning the room post check out (a bigger clean than just a daily clean) must add quite a lot of disbenefits to hotel chains.

Perversely, they’re incentivising behaviour from their best customers which actually costs them money.

[everhopeful]

I thought I had missed something in the t&c’s . If you want the hassle of checking in and out where possible, that’s fine. However, it’s even more frustrating if for example you stay at a luxury resort which is not cheap for 14 nights and is only considered as one stay (higher spend less benefit) All chains seem to do this .

[MartynSinclair]

I think some of you may be interested about what the hotels recieve when free nights are redeemed.

I have just used 6 nights in Sheraton’s around the east coast of USA. A couple of nights I was allocated enourmous suites as I had my family with me. The hotels recieve $35 per night, which may explain the absolutely shocking service i recieved.

I presume that each hotel is individually owned and just managed by Sheraton/Starwood. I cant imagine that hoteliers are too pleased at having to open up suites for $35 per night (including a free breakfast) when the points were earned at other hotels.

I do try and use in house dining facilities to create some sort of spend for the hotel, when using points. On this occasion I had a birthday party in the suite and invited friends up for dinner.

[VintageKrug]

It’s a top tip, Martyn.

Call up ahead of your stay and book lots of Spa treatments, restaurant reservations etc.

Always establishes your spending pattern and ensures you aren’t bottom of the pile when redeeming points.

[dutchyankee]

Hi Martyn, being a small hotel owner and having worked for some big chains I can add some light on the redemption issue. Each brand within a company has certain bands that their hotels will fall into, similar to the bands we fall into when we want to redeem. So a standard Sheraton might fall into band 4, when the Sheraton New York Hotel and Towers would fall into band 6, and the Shearton Park Tower in Knightsbridge would be in band 9 say. Each band has a value of course such as the $35 you mentioned, but this varies by band. What most chains do, however, is that if a hotel runs at an occupancy higher than say 90% on the night of your redemption, then that hotel will receive the average rate for that night, and not the flat band rate. Same goes if you have redeemed for a suite, or for an executive/club room, then if the occupancy hits a certain level on the night of your redemption, the hotel will receive the average rate for suites that night, or for club level that night. As you so rightly say, these costs hit hotels and owners, and hence the process to make it fair on the hotels, while still being attractive to clients such as your self.

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