Priority Club or Starwood?

[dji]

Do Priority Club or Starwood offer the best return with their loyalty program? These two groups would be the hotel chains I'd most likely be staying with while traveling for business. The Hilton, Hyatt and Marriott chains have less of a presence worldwide so I doubt I'd be able to accumulate as many points with their loyalty cards however any recommendations would be much appreciated.

 

[markis10]

Redemption options matter, with the demise of a few Sheratons in Australia I decided to switch to PC, given I now average 5000 pts a night and I can redeem a free night for that using the pointsbreaks I find it good value. Coupled with the priority privlege program my work gets the value of the promotions with the BOGOs while I get the points, you also need to consider what corporate rates you can access and what their conditions are as well.

 

[futaris]

Earn/burn is always better on Priority Club, except if you are spending on Cat 1 or 2 properties, or don't mind points&cash on redemptions.

Make sure to make use of *** IC Master Promo Thread 2010 *** - FlyerTalk Forums

Upgrades and other perks (late checkout, free internet, etc) will be better with SPG, as PC Plat means almost nothing (besides extra points).

 

[dajop]

I gave up on PC a few years ago, because back then there (appeared to be) a decided lack of transparency around which rates qualified for accrual of PC points and counted as qualifying stays for status. I hope that has improved in the intervening period.

 

[markis10]

I gave up on PC a few years ago, because back then there (appeared to be) a decided lack of transparency around which rates qualified for accrual of PC points and counted as qualifying stays for status. I hope that has improved in the intervening period.

In APAC all locally negotiated rates are eligible, with the exception of family and friends and third party website bookings .

 

[oz_mark]

In APAC all locally negotiated rates are eligible, with the exception of family and friends and third party website bookings .

It can be hard work getting points though

 

[markis10]

It can be hard work getting points though

I dont use travel agents or any other website other than ICHG, and I have never had an issue with points despite 130 stays in the past two years, all within Australia though.

 

[Worldtraveller8888]

In APAC all locally negotiated rates are eligible, with the exception of family and friends and third party website bookings .

I stayed at the AKL Airport Holiday Inn 3 weeks ago and despite booking via the Holiday Inn site found out this week that it was a non-qualifying stay.

How are you meant to tell BEFORE you book?

WT

 

[markis10]

I stayed at the AKL Airport Holiday Inn 3 weeks ago and despite booking via the Holiday Inn site found out this week that it was a non-qualifying stay.

How are you meant to tell BEFORE you book?

WT

Would be interested to know more about that experience as it sounds like you have been duped or got a bad operator, unless its family and friends or a reward night you should not have an issue, keep in mind the customer service centre often overlooks the T&C's:

Eligible Charges Worldwide include the following Qualifying Room Rates paid for hotel room nights: including the hotel’s Advanced Purchase Rate, Best Flexible Rate, worldwide sales negotiated rate, national/regional/local government rate and specified leisure rates as confirmed by IHG's HOLIDEX® Plus reservation systems. Points will be awarded for Qualifying Room Rates booked through IHG central reservation offices, IHG web sites, travel agents or directly at the hotel. In addition, in North, South and Central America and the Caribbean, points may be collected on locally negotiated rates if these rates are discounted less than 30%. At Asia Pacific hotels, Qualifying Room Rates also include all locally negotiated rates.


HI Auckland Airport has only just become a HI, there may be an issue with their system, regardless I would send your email confirmation along with the T&C's highlighted and ask for an explanation.

 

[HB7]

Just to add on, same question, but slightly different. I like to use points mainly for airline usage, and I pretty much pay for all my hotel stays, which I don't mind doing. As someone who like to maximise my airline miles, which is better for me in terms of the partnership with airlines, starwood or priority club?

 

[markis10]

No brainer for airlines miles - SPG wins hands down.

 

[drron]

Yes I am with Starwood precisely so i can build up my Aadvantage miles quickly.Hhonors isnt too bad with the double dipping but Hhonors points to airline miles is poor.Hilton have a much greater presence than SPG.
If you want to stay at higher end full service hotels then SPG has been great and beats Hilton hands down.i have not been a user of PC hotels.

 

[oz_mark]

I dont use travel agents or any other website other than ICHG, and I have never had an issue with points despite 130 stays in the past two years, all within Australia though.

I often book the 'Weekend Saver' rate on the ICH website. It is random as to whether or not it will post at all. Oddly, I can stay at the same hotel twice, one will post and the other will get called 'deeply discounted'.

Two recent stays on 'Weekend Saver', at the same hotel: The cheaper weekend posted okay, the more expensive weekend two weeks later got called deeply discounted. Lack of transparency is a significant issue with the program.

NB: It is being challenged.

 

[markis10]

I often book the 'Weekend Saver' rate on the ICH website. It is random as to whether or not it will post at all. Oddly, I can stay at the same hotel twice, one will post and the other will get called 'deeply discounted'.

Two recent stays on 'Weekend Saver', at the same hotel: The cheaper weekend posted okay, the more expensive weekend two weeks later got called deeply discounted. Lack of transparency is a significant issue with the program.

NB: It is being challenged.

That sucks, unless ICH specifically state on the rate its not eligible for points, I reckon they should be earned, saves mucking around with the call centre that is full of fiction writers!

 

[Warks]

Sheraton is pretty expensive generally isn't it? With PC you've got HI which is usually more reasonable.

I'm with PC, Rydges and Escape Club (Chifley/Country Comfort). Escape Club used to be good as you got a free weekend (2 night stay) for every 15 nights whether it was the Chifley in Little Bourke St or the Country Comfort in Dubbo. They changed it to how much you spend so I rarely ever use them now.

Rydges makes you a Platinum member after 15 nights which gives you 50% off meals and late check out. Plus you get a free night in the hotel of your choosing. No FF points though.

Anyway back on topic...

 

[docjames]

I made the same decision about 12 months ago and went for PC.

Factors: better availability (ie. more) of their hotels, at a better price, for the destinations I was more likely to travel to.

Whilst it hasnt worked out 100% (I ended up at Grand Hyatt in NYC due to exceptional rate), I have been happy with the decision.

Note both are free to join, so I joined both, then went looking at accom options for my upcoming trips. As it turned out, PC-hotels had the best pricing/location/availability and hence easiest to stay with the one chain and earn points.

Their redemption, although I havent used yet, seems simpler too so that's a bonus, and as others have mentioned, they seem to have regular "points-breaks" (ie. discounted "award" rooms) at multiple locations which ehances our ability to use points. There also seems to be multiple "bonus" offers with PC so all in all, I'm quite happy with the decision to go with them.

YMMV.

 

[dji]

thanks for the insight guys, I'll try and stick with Priority Club in the future where possible. (the 3 bonus points per dollar on my citibusiness gold card are a good incentive too haha).

 

[Amberlower]

I think you should consider Hilton as it is considered by many as the best loyalty program around. I originally joined it as it allowed a ''double-dip'' meaning you can claim hotel stay points and airline points. Also, once you get to Diamond status, (spend US$10K/year or 60 nights or 28 stays) the perks are really good with double points with every stay, guaranteed paid bookings and pretty much guaranteed redemption bookings as well - never been knocked back; also upgrades and executive lounge access. I find they have properties in most major cities and in all our capitals and their properties are generally excellent.

 

[markis10]

Hilton just devalued their points and also lost a few properties, notably the Conrads in BNE & Gold Coast, making them a less attractive option IMHO as a SEQLD resident. By comparison you have at least one ICHG property where a Hilton is, in the case of QLD there are 6 to choose from.

 

[drron]

And I defected last year from Hilton to SPG as really no major difference between Gold and Diamond at Hhonors.SPG Plat beats Hilton Diamond hands down-and SPG is much better when transferring points to an airline program than Hhonors which is an important factor for me.