SPG Platinum amenity - 500 Starpoints or wine?

[KeithMEL]

Well so far I've twice declined free bottles of wine in favour of 500 extra Starpoints as I am saving up for an award stay in NYC later this year. Not really interested in CDs, "local gift"s etc, but the wine options were REALLY tempting.

But I was just wondering at what point would it be worthwhile to go for the wine rather than 500 Starpoints? I have no idea what kind of wine I'd get (am meant to choose from a list) but what do people reckon would a suitable price point be for giving up 500 Starpoints in favour of wine? ie how much should 500 Starpoints be valued at?

Look forward to hearing your thoughts on this.

[jhm]

I work it out on this basis:

I tend to convert my Starpoints and 20,000 Starpoints = 25,000 BA miles

Therefore, 500 Starpoints = 625 BA miles

1 BA mile = 2p (guesstimate) with an Amex 241

Therefore, 500 Starpoints = £12.50

However, I view 500 Starpoints as de minimis in the grand scheme of things so (in my limited experience so far) if I like one of the other amenities, I go for that (and don't give it a second thought) but otherwise, 500 Starpoints is my default option.

So far, I've turned down wine, a free pay-movie and a cocktail and only gone once for a free music CD.

[milehighj]

There are some pretty decent Cat 1 & 2 hotels in Asia which require only 2000-3000 points per weekend night. Le Meridien Khao Lak, Royal Orchid Sheraton Bangkok, Sheraton Hanoi are just some which come to mind.

Hence my approach for 2008 is to maximise points earning and would go for the 500 points.

[cawhite]

There are some pretty decent Cat 1 & 2 hotels in Asia which require only 2000-3000 points per weekend night. Le Meridien Khao Lak, Royal Orchid Sheraton Bangkok, Sheraton Hanoi are just some which come to mind.

Hence my approach for 2008 is to maximise points earning and would go for the 500 points.

Likewise. As an example, I had 28 revenue stays in 2007 which meant 14k additional *points. That was enough for several nights at a Cat 1 or Cat 2 property, or one night at a Cat 5 property.

I've also never seen a bottle of wine listed as a PLT amenity offering for which I'd be willing to forego the points amenity.

[KeithMEL]

Cheers for the perspective - looks like I'm sticking with 500 Starpoints, which is what I went for yet again when I checked into the hotel I'm currently at.

[kevino]

I think more than 90% of plats. pick the points, according to the front desk people I ask at check-in.

I figure it the same way as others. If you use 3k pts. to stay at a cat. 2 hotel in Asia a weekend night, it can save more then $150 US. So, 500 points can be worth more than $25 US. With cash and points, it could be worth even more!

[cawhite]

I think more than 90% of plats. pick the points, according to the front desk people I ask at check-in...

I've received a similar reaction when I've asked how often a property has a PLT chose anything other than the points.

[Savage25]

Don't you get 500 Starpoints anyway if you enter all nines in the TA# field. Thought I saw somewhere that it replicates the promo for when spg.com is down and you have to call to book.

[kevino]

I'm not sure if that trick works. I've tried it and it didn't work for me. Maybe it has worked for others. It seems that the link works often enough (usually every couple of days at least) that it's safer to book when the link is working.

[cawhite]

Don't you get 500 Starpoints anyway if you enter all nines in the TA# field. Thought I saw somewhere that it replicates the promo for when spg.com is down and you have to call to book.

I'm not sure if that trick works. I've tried it and it didn't work for me. Maybe it has worked for others. It seems that the link works often enough (usually every couple of days at least) that it's safer to book when the link is working.

I've heard it's "hit or miss" in working for those who use it. As kevino mentions, it seems to work much better when the link is working.

FYI (for those who aren't familiar with this), the PLT amenity is different from the 500 points that Savage25 is asking about.

[kevino]

In my experience, the link seems to work fairly often sometime between noon and 4:00 pm Pacific Standard Time. It seems to work better on weekdays, though I've had success during the weekend too.

[kluau88]

Plats at the Sheraton SIN can get both a bottle of wine and the 500 points

[SQ LPP]

I generally will take 500 points for the bonus. 25 stays x 500 points will get me 12,500 points total bonus. One or two free nights! Of course, unless someone prefers 25 bottles of wines in a year.

Note: I do recall the free wine at SPG properties are in small sizes. But when I used to be Hyatt Diamond, I received the normal big wine bottle. Grand Hyatt SF used to gift me a Chilean wine "Caliterra" if not mistaken.

[KeithMEL]

Since I started this thread I have always taken the points, have never taken anything other than that. At some properties they'd even automatically offer the points without asking about your choice of PLT amenity, reason being that they've rarely seen anyone choose anything else. Though at Westin Taipei, taipeiflyer chose the free internet which seemed to be a good deal given we were there for a couple of nights.

[cawhite]

... At some properties they'd even automatically offer the points without asking about your choice of PLT amenity, reason being that they've rarely seen anyone choose anything else...

More often than not, I'm usually asked "Would you like the 500 points for your amenity?" rather than initially providing the selection (which is fine with me as I always take the points). I've asked a few times if anyone ever chooses anything different, and they answer usually tends to be along the lines of "not very often." Some properties who offer a stuffed animal have indicated folks with children will sometimes ask for that, and others will sometimes take a minibar or internet credit (as per your comments above). My favorites are the properties who offer the standard PLT amenity and then also a second "local" amenity.