Official 2013 Category Changes

We’re making our annual hotel Category adjustments for 2013 and would like to provide you with an advance look at the preliminary list of changes. We want to be sure you are able to maximize the use of your Starpoints, so please review the information to decide if it makes sense to redeem before or after the changes take place on March 5, 2013.

While our Categories remain the same, individual hotels may move between Categories each year. You can click here to see each Category’s Starpoints requirements.

This year the majority of our hotels have stayed the same, but we have a few more hotels moving up than down. To view a list of the upcoming changes, please see the attached PDF. Please note that a select number of additional hotels may be added to the list prior to March 5th.

When you’re ready to book, visit spg.com or contact one of our Customer Contact Centers.


Best regards,

Christopher Carman
Social Media Specialist
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide


spgchampion@starwoodhotels.com

Thanks for letting us know early.

Most of where I planned going this year/next year has gone up

Thanks very much indeed for the information.

At first glance from a few markets I know pretty well, those going up merit it and those going down merit it too. No wholesale changes here people.

Initial feedback in the context of other programs making their changes is a thumbs up in comparison.

That's how I feel too.

Let's only hope there isn't "more" to come.

Indeed. There are usually a few that arrive later on to the change party, but hopefully nothing significant.

MP folks will be amused to check the corresponding thread on FT which currently has technical difficulties in showing us the list.

Ain't no file upload function over at FT

Surprised that so many Detroit hotels are going up in price. As for hotels with multiple category upgrades i've noticed
Sheraton Denarau Villas and Aloft New York Brooklyn both going up 2 categories to 6 and 5 respectively. Also the SPG properties in Kuala Lumpur have all gone up by one category.

Just the highlights that I've noticed.

A quick skim indicates that most of the changes seem fair. Category 6 for the Sheraton in Chiba (Japan) seems excessive and both SFO properties, aloft and W, have gone up one category. I see category decreases for one Tokyo hotel, a bunch in Shanghai, two in Athens, and the financially troubled but stunning LC Ivy in Minneapolis (although the hated Sheraton Minneapolis West moved up one).

thanks so much, its good to see the list for now is not as bad as Hilton's.

They are just following the trend set this year by IHG, Marriott and HH.

Well seen! Shall we call "Hyatt" next?

I think they'll "call" you pretty soon. It's funny, I was gonna post last night after reading HH forum that we should expect SPG to be the next one and sure enough today they were.

All in all, I think it's nice to see transparency in the up and down list. There are some I'm sad to see go up a category, but also happy to see some go down. Thanks for letting us know!

They may have called already.

Maybe that wasn't all.

20% of all properties moving up. 5% of all properties moving down. 4:1 ratio in the direction that hurts members on top of the 25% increase for Cash + Points awards. Discouragement of loyalty is definitely the trend for travel in 2013.

Agreed. I'm sure they have more fun for us

Or that demand for paid stays is up? Yeah, not the year of "I'm changing my business to xxx"

Nothing outrageous here, most properties are staying at their current level. As usual, there are some changes that are puzzling and out of whack due to the price level of a room night, but they seem to adjust themselves back to where they should next year.

Hotels in India did not move up. Great.

Let's all start planning a vacation there.

Looks pretty good after the beating that Hhonors points took.

Didn't Hyatt already announce theirs