SPG Category Changes announced. Book by Feb 28 for old award rates!

177 hotels are changing category.
93 moving DOWN in category.
84 moving UP in category.

Category changes take effect on March 1. If you want to book an award at a property that is going up in category, book it before March 1 to lock in the current award cost.

Legend:
First column is the 2010 category level.
Second column is the new 2011 category level (effective March 1, 2011).

Alphabetical moving down:

Code:

4    3    down    Al Sondos Suites by Le Méridien
3    2    down    Aloft Arundel Mills
2    1    down    Aloft Beijing
3    2    down    Aloft Bengaluru
3    2    down    Aloft Bolingbrook
3    2    down    Aloft Charleston Airport
3    2    down    Aloft Chennai
3    2    down    Aloft Chesapeake
4    2    down    Aloft Dulles Airport
3    2    down    Aloft Frisco
4    3    down    Aloft Harlem
3    2    down    Aloft Overland Park
3    2    down    Aloft Phoenix Airport
3    2    down    Aloft Portland
3    2    down    Aloft Rancho Cucamonga
3    2    down    Aloft Richmond West
3    2    down    Aloft San Antonio
6    5    down    Castillo Hotel Son Vida, Mallorca
3    2    down    Dar Al Sondos Hotel Apartments by Le Méridien
4    3    down    Four Points by Sheraton Bur Dubai
3    2    down    Four Points by Sheraton Cary
4    3    down    Four Points by Sheraton Chicago Downtown
3    2    down    Four Points by Sheraton Columbus Airport
4    3    down    Four Points by Sheraton Downtown Dubai
3    2    down    Four Points by Sheraton Jacksonville
5    4    down    Four Points by Sheraton Manhattan Chelsea
3    2    down    Four Points by Sheraton Philadelphia Airport
3    2    down    Four Points by Sheraton Pineville
3    2    down    Four Points by Sheraton Raleigh Durham
3    2    down    Four Points by Sheraton San Antonio Northwest
4    3    down    Four Points by Sheraton San Jose
5    4    down    Four Points by Sheraton Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai
3    2    down    Four Points by Sheraton Tempe
6    5    down    Hotel Excelsior, Naples
6    4    down    Le Méridien Abu Dhabi
5    4    down    Le Méridien Barbarons
3    2    down    Le Meridien Chiang Rai Resort
3    2    down    Le Meridien Dallas Galleria
3    1    down    Le Méridien Dead Sea
5    4    down    Le Meridien Royal Shanghai
5    4    down    Le Meridien San Francisco
6    5    down    Le Royal Méridien Abu Dhabi
5    4    down    Luxury Collection/ITC Royal
6    5    down    Luxury Collection/SLS Beverly Hills
5    4    down    Luxury Collection/The Joule
5    4    down    Luxury Collection/US Grant
5    4    down    Luxury Collection/Windsor Bengaluru
7    6    down    Santa Marina Resort & Villas, Mykonos
6    5    down    Sheraton Abu Dhabi Resort
3    2    down    Sheraton Atlanta North
3    2    down    Sheraton Bologna Hotel & Conference Center
4    3    down    Sheraton Bratislava Hotel
4    3    down    Sheraton Cairo Hotel, Towers and Casino
3    2    down    Sheraton Charlotte Airport Hotel
5    3    down    Sheraton Deira Hotel, Dubai
5    4    down    Sheraton Dubai Creek Hotel
4    3    down    Sheraton Fort Worth Hotel
3    2    down    Sheraton Gambia Hotel Resort & Spa
3    2    down    Sheraton Gateway Hotel (LAX)
3    2    down    Sheraton Genova Hotel & Conference Center
3    2    down    Sheraton Great Wall
5    4    down    Sheraton Hacienda Del Mar Resort & Spa Los Cabos
4    3    down    Sheraton Hanoi Hotel
4    3    down    Sheraton Herndon Dulles Airport
3    2    down    Sheraton Houston Brookhollow
5    4    down    Sheraton Khalidiya Hotel, Abu Dhabi
4    3    down    Sheraton Mendoza Hotel
4    3    down    Sheraton Metechi Palace Hotel, Tbilisi
3    2    down    Sheraton Norfolk Waterside
4    3    down    Sheraton Old San Juan Hotel
6    5    down    Sheraton Palace Hotel, Moscow
4    3    down    Sheraton Parsippany Hotel
3    2    down    Sheraton Pleasanton Hotel
5    4    down    Sheraton Prague Charles Square Hotel
4    3    down    Sheraton Reston Hotel
5    4    down    Sheraton Saigon Hotel & Towers
4    3    down    Sheraton Sofia Hotel Balkan
3    2    down    Sheraton Suites Cypress Creek
3    2    down    Sheraton Suites Orlando Airport
4    3    down    Sheraton Suites San Diego
4    3    down    Sheraton Tianjin Hotel
5    4    down    Sheraton Tribeca New York
5    4    down    The Westin Resort & Spa, Los Cabos
4    3    down    The Westin Resort & Spa, Puerto Vallarta
5    4    down    The Westin Valencia
4    3    down    W Atlanta - Perimeter
5    4    down    W San Diego
3    2    down    Westin DFW Airport
4    3    down    Westin Dulles Airport
4    3    down    Westin Lake Mary
4    3    down    Westin Peachtree
4    3    down    Westin Resort Macau
4    3    down    Westin Tampa Bay

Alphabetical moving UP:

Code:

2    3    -UP-    Aloft Dallas Downtown
3    4    -UP-    Arabella Western Cape Hotel & Spa
5    6    -UP-    Arion Resort & Spa, Astir Palace, Athens
3    4    -UP-    Element Arundel Mills
3    4    -UP-    Element Summerlin
1    2    -UP-    Four Points by Sheraton Brauneck
2    3    -UP-    Four Points By Sheraton Cali
1    2    -UP-    Four Points by Sheraton Chung Ho
3    4    -UP-    Four Points By Sheraton Curitiba
2    4    -UP-    Four Points by Sheraton Geelong
1    2    -UP-    Four Points by Sheraton Huntsville Airport
3    4    -UP-    Four Points by Sheraton Le Verdun
2    3    -UP-    Four Points by Sheraton Lhasa
1    2    -UP-    Four Points By Sheraton Monterrey Linda Vista
2    3    -UP-    Four Points by Sheraton Navi Mumbai Vashi
1    2    -UP-    Four Points by Sheraton Oklahoma City Airport
3    4    -UP-    Four Points by Sheraton Sydney
6    7    -UP-    Hotel Gritti Palace, Venice
3    4    -UP-    Le Méridien Chari
1    2    -UP-    Le Meridien Jakarta
1    2    -UP-    Le Meridien Kota Kinabalu
5    6    -UP-    Le Méridien Piccadilly
3    4    -UP-    Le Méridien President
2    3    -UP-    Luxury Collection/ITC Mughal Agra
3    4    -UP-    Luxury Collection/ITC Sonar Kolkata
4    5    -UP-    Sheraton Amsterdam Airport Hotel & Conference Center
2    3    -UP-    Sheraton Augusta
1    2    -UP-    Sheraton Bandung Hotel & Towers
4    5    -UP-    Sheraton Barra Hotel & Suites
3    4    -UP-    Sheraton Bogota Hotel
3    4    -UP-    Sheraton Carlton Hotel Nuernberg
3    4    -UP-    Sheraton Casablanca Hotel & Towers
3    4    -UP-    Sheraton Cavalier-Saskatoon
3    4    -UP-    Sheraton Centre Toronto
2    3    -UP-    Sheraton Changsha Hotel
2    3    -UP-    Sheraton Djibouti Hotel
2    3    -UP-    Sheraton Duluth Hotel
3    4    -UP-    Sheraton Grande Walkerhill
2    3    -UP-    Sheraton Guayaquil Hotel
2    3    -UP-    Sheraton Haikou Resort
3    4    -UP-    Sheraton JFK Airport Hotel
1    2    -UP-    Sheraton Jinan
2    3    -UP-    Sheraton Jiuzhaigou Resort
3    4    -UP-    Sheraton Kobe Bay
3    4    -UP-    Sheraton Langkawi Beach Resort
3    4    -UP-    Sheraton Montevideo Hotel
3    4    -UP-    Sheraton Munich Arabellapark Hotel
2    3    -UP-    Sheraton Ningbo Hotel
4    5    -UP-    Sheraton Noosa Resort
4    5    -UP-    Sheraton Oman
4    5    -UP-    Sheraton On The Park
3    4    -UP-    Sheraton Philadelphia City
4    5    -UP-    Sheraton Pretoria Hotel
2    3    -UP-    Sheraton Qiandao Resort
2    3    -UP-    Sheraton Rajputana Palace
4    5    -UP-    Sheraton Sao Paulo WTC Hotel
3    4    -UP-    Sheraton Skyline Hotel London Heathrow
4    6    -UP-    Sheraton Steamboat Resort Villas
1    2    -UP-    Sheraton Surayaba Hotel & Towers
3    4    -UP-    Sheraton Taipei Hotel
4    5    -UP-    Sheraton Tel Aviv Hotel and Towers
3    4    -UP-    Sheraton Tirana Hotel
3    4    -UP-    Sheraton Urumqi Hotel
2    3    -UP-    Sheraton Wenzhou
1    2    -UP-    Sheraton Zhoushan Hotel
5    6    -UP-    St. Regis Singapore
4    5    -UP-    The Park Lane Hotel, London
5    6    -UP-    The Romanos, Costa Navarino
3    4    -UP-    The Westin Cape Town
5    6    -UP-    The Westin Excelsior, Rome
3    4    -UP-    The Westin Leipzig
2    3    -UP-    The Westin San Luis Potosi
6    7    -UP-    W Retreat Koh Samui
4    5    -UP-    W Seoul Walkerhill
3    4    -UP-    Westin Chosun, Busan
3    4    -UP-    Westin Harbour Castle
5    6    -UP-    Westin Ka'anapali Ocean Resort
4    5    -UP-    Westin Langkawi
4    5    -UP-    Westin Melbourne
3    4    -UP-    Westin Nusa Dua
4    5    -UP-    Westin Riverfront Mountain Villas
4    5    -UP-    Westin Sendai
3    4    -UP-    Westin Siray Bay
4    5    -UP-    Westin Sydney

Two properties are moving up 2 category levels:
Four Points by Sheraton Geelong (from 2 to 4).
Sheraton Steamboat Resort Villas (from 4 to 6).

Properties moving UP in category sorted by new Cat level:

Code:

2010    2011    Property
6    7    Hotel Gritti Palace, Venice
6    7    W Retreat Koh Samui
5    6    Arion Resort & Spa, Astir Palace, Athens
5    6    Le Méridien Piccadilly
4    6    Sheraton Steamboat Resort Villas
5    6    St. Regis Singapore
5    6    The Romanos, Costa Navarino
5    6    The Westin Excelsior, Rome
5    6    Westin Ka'anapali Ocean Resort
4    5    Sheraton Amsterdam Airport Hotel & Conference Center
4    5    Sheraton Barra Hotel & Suites
4    5    Sheraton Noosa Resort
4    5    Sheraton Oman
4    5    Sheraton On The Park
4    5    Sheraton Pretoria Hotel
4    5    Sheraton Sao Paulo WTC Hotel
4    5    Sheraton Tel Aviv Hotel and Towers
4    5    The Park Lane Hotel, London
4    5    W Seoul Walkerhill
4    5    Westin Langkawi
4    5    Westin Melbourne
4    5    Westin Riverfront Mountain Villas
4    5    Westin Sendai
4    5    Westin Sydney
3    4    Arabella Western Cape Hotel & Spa
3    4    Element Arundel Mills
3    4    Element Summerlin
3    4    Four Points By Sheraton Curitiba
2    4    Four Points by Sheraton Geelong
3    4    Four Points by Sheraton Le Verdun
3    4    Four Points by Sheraton Sydney
3    4    Le Méridien Chari
3    4    Le Méridien President
3    4    Luxury Collection/ITC Sonar Kolkata
3    4    Sheraton Bogota Hotel
3    4    Sheraton Carlton Hotel Nuernberg
3    4    Sheraton Casablanca Hotel & Towers
3    4    Sheraton Cavalier-Saskatoon
3    4    Sheraton Centre Toronto
3    4    Sheraton Grande Walkerhill
3    4    Sheraton JFK Airport Hotel
3    4    Sheraton Kobe Bay
3    4    Sheraton Langkawi Beach Resort
3    4    Sheraton Montevideo Hotel
3    4    Sheraton Munich Arabellapark Hotel
3    4    Sheraton Philadelphia City
3    4    Sheraton Skyline Hotel London Heathrow
3    4    Sheraton Taipei Hotel
3    4    Sheraton Tirana Hotel
3    4    Sheraton Urumqi Hotel
3    4    The Westin Cape Town
3    4    The Westin Leipzig
3    4    Westin Chosun, Busan
3    4    Westin Harbour Castle
3    4    Westin Nusa Dua
3    4    Westin Siray Bay
2    3    Aloft Dallas Downtown
2    3    Four Points By Sheraton Cali
2    3    Four Points by Sheraton Lhasa
2    3    Four Points by Sheraton Navi Mumbai Vashi
2    3    Luxury Collection/ITC Mughal Agra
2    3    Sheraton Augusta
2    3    Sheraton Changsha Hotel
2    3    Sheraton Djibouti Hotel
2    3    Sheraton Duluth Hotel
2    3    Sheraton Guayaquil Hotel
2    3    Sheraton Haikou Resort
2    3    Sheraton Jiuzhaigou Resort
2    3    Sheraton Ningbo Hotel
2    3    Sheraton Qiandao Resort
2    3    Sheraton Rajputana Palace
2    3    Sheraton Wenzhou
2    3    The Westin San Luis Potosi
1    2    Four Points by Sheraton Brauneck
1    2    Four Points by Sheraton Chung Ho
1    2    Four Points by Sheraton Huntsville Airport
1    2    Four Points By Sheraton Monterrey Linda Vista
1    2    Four Points by Sheraton Oklahoma City Airport
1    2    Le Meridien Jakarta
1    2    Le Meridien Kota Kinabalu
1    2    Sheraton Bandung Hotel & Towers
1    2    Sheraton Jinan
1    2    Sheraton Surayaba Hotel & Towers
1    2    Sheraton Zhoushan Hotel

Four properties are moving DOWN 2 category levels:
Sheraton Deira Hotel, Dubai
Le Méridien Abu Dhabi
Le Méridien Dead Sea
Aloft Dulles Airport

Properties moving DOWN in category sorted by new Cat level:

Code:

7    6    Santa Marina Resort & Villas, Mykonos
6    5    Castillo Hotel Son Vida, Mallorca
6    5    Hotel Excelsior, Naples
6    5    Le Royal Méridien Abu Dhabi
6    5    Luxury Collection/SLS Beverly Hills
6    5    Sheraton Abu Dhabi Resort
6    5    Sheraton Palace Hotel, Moscow
5    4    Four Points by Sheraton Manhattan Chelsea
5    4    Four Points by Sheraton Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai
6    4    Le Méridien Abu Dhabi
5    4    Le Méridien Barbarons
5    4    Le Meridien Royal Shanghai
5    4    Le Meridien San Francisco
5    4    Luxury Collection/ITC Royal
5    4    Luxury Collection/The Joule
5    4    Luxury Collection/US Grant
5    4    Luxury Collection/Windsor Bengaluru
5    4    Sheraton Dubai Creek Hotel
5    4    Sheraton Hacienda Del Mar Resort & Spa Los Cabos
5    4    Sheraton Khalidiya Hotel, Abu Dhabi
5    4    Sheraton Prague Charles Square Hotel
5    4    Sheraton Saigon Hotel & Towers
5    4    Sheraton Tribeca New York
5    4    The Westin Resort & Spa, Los Cabos
5    4    The Westin Valencia
5    4    W San Diego
4    3    Al Sondos Suites by Le Méridien
4    3    Aloft Harlem
4    3    Four Points by Sheraton Bur Dubai
4    3    Four Points by Sheraton Chicago Downtown
4    3    Four Points by Sheraton Downtown Dubai
4    3    Four Points by Sheraton San Jose
4    3    Sheraton Bratislava Hotel
4    3    Sheraton Cairo Hotel, Towers and Casino
5    3    Sheraton Deira Hotel, Dubai
4    3    Sheraton Fort Worth Hotel
4    3    Sheraton Hanoi Hotel
4    3    Sheraton Herndon Dulles Airport
4    3    Sheraton Mendoza Hotel
4    3    Sheraton Metechi Palace Hotel, Tbilisi
4    3    Sheraton Old San Juan Hotel
4    3    Sheraton Parsippany Hotel
4    3    Sheraton Reston Hotel
4    3    Sheraton Sofia Hotel Balkan
4    3    Sheraton Suites San Diego
4    3    Sheraton Tianjin Hotel
4    3    The Westin Resort & Spa, Puerto Vallarta
4    3    W Atlanta - Perimeter
4    3    Westin Dulles Airport
4    3    Westin Lake Mary
4    3    Westin Peachtree
4    3    Westin Resort Macau
4    3    Westin Tampa Bay
3    2    Aloft Arundel Mills
3    2    Aloft Bengaluru
3    2    Aloft Bolingbrook
3    2    Aloft Charleston Airport
3    2    Aloft Chennai
3    2    Aloft Chesapeake
4    2    Aloft Dulles Airport
3    2    Aloft Frisco
3    2    Aloft Overland Park
3    2    Aloft Phoenix Airport
3    2    Aloft Portland
3    2    Aloft Rancho Cucamonga
3    2    Aloft Richmond West
3    2    Aloft San Antonio
3    2    Dar Al Sondos Hotel Apartments by Le Méridien
3    2    Four Points by Sheraton Cary
3    2    Four Points by Sheraton Columbus Airport
3    2    Four Points by Sheraton Jacksonville
3    2    Four Points by Sheraton Philadelphia Airport
3    2    Four Points by Sheraton Pineville
3    2    Four Points by Sheraton Raleigh Durham
3    2    Four Points by Sheraton San Antonio Northwest
3    2    Four Points by Sheraton Tempe
3    2    Le Meridien Chiang Rai Resort
3    2    Le Meridien Dallas Galleria
3    2    Sheraton Atlanta North
3    2    Sheraton Bologna Hotel & Conference Center
3    2    Sheraton Charlotte Airport Hotel
3    2    Sheraton Gambia Hotel Resort & Spa
3    2    Sheraton Gateway Hotel (LAX)
3    2    Sheraton Genova Hotel & Conference Center
3    2    Sheraton Great Wall
3    2    Sheraton Houston Brookhollow
3    2    Sheraton Norfolk Waterside
3    2    Sheraton Pleasanton Hotel
3    2    Sheraton Suites Cypress Creek
3    2    Sheraton Suites Orlando Airport
3    2    Westin DFW Airport
2    1    Aloft Beijing
3    1    Le Méridien Dead Sea

Thank you for compiling this list SC. As an owner at WKOR, I find my thoughts on the increase level mixed. Since I presume the Category increases are based on revenue/night for rooms, this should mean more people are paying the prices here for the nightly stays. However, I will miss being able to stay here for 5th night free points award...it simply isn't worth the higher rate imho (Cat 6 80k-100k starpoints vs Cat 5 48-64k starpoints).

On the flip side the increase means my ownership here technically is worth more than it was So...am conflicted.

Nice post SC Flier.

Thank you for posting the list. Had heard that it was going to be released today. Confirms the rumor that some of the London hotels were going up a notch.

Thanks for the info, this is very helpful. Looks like there are a bunch of hotels in China moving up the list, and a few down...

Well, if you have the points on hand, you can lock in some dates at the current award prices.

Deadline to book under the current (old) category is Monday, Feb 28!

This is something that I think many people forget (and newbies would probably not even know). If we could edit the title this might be a good thing to add to it in parentheticals!

I would also remind anyone with the 25% off certificates awarded last year during the summer promotion to use them to book now, so you could stay for example at the WKOR for 5 nights at 36k points (instead of 48 k points). Those 25% off certificates expire this coming July so - since you need to use them soon anyways - now would be best to book (unless your hotel of choice is DROPPING in category...in which case it would be a better idea to wait!)

I agree. My suggested new title:
SPG Category Changes announced. Book by Feb 28 for old award rates!

This is the main reason that I have been keeping a careful eye on this announcement. I have not redeemed this award yet and have no specific plans for it yet. However, none of the hotels going up are really on my list of properties for which I would've used this except perhaps the Westin Riverfront Villas.

I will likely gripe more about the Westin Riverfront Villas' lack of online availability in a separate thread sometime soon. I don't think that they are managing their rates correctly. Why does it currently only have a total of 5 nights available at all at any rate?

In the past couple years, we went to Greece and Italy. So neither of those are in our plans for the coming 18 months. We'll be in Hawaii within this time frame, but not at all on Maui -- so the WKOV change doesn't impact us this year.

Off-topic a little, but the SPG online availability vs the availability when you call Plat Concierge is becoming almost as drastic a difference as booking award seats on AA versus calling the Exce Plat desk!

OT: Westin Riverfront Villas

Even if that were true, I'm even talking about paid reservations in this case. Only 5 nights total are available right now for paid reservations, and I don't think that even the Plat Concierge sees anything different. I believe that the hotel is holding back inventory for some reason and that paid reservations can be booked for lots of nights only if you call the hotel directly. It would sort of make sense for them to be holding inventory for owners up to a certain point. But I don't think that's what's going on here.

I could be wrong about this. I've only talked to the resort about it once. But I do expect to get to the bottom of this issue soon. I guess that means that I'll try to get to the bottom of it before Feb 28!

Back on topic a bit, I'm curious to look into the award situation at the recently renovated Sheraton Steamboat Resort Villas which is going up from Cat4 to Cat6. Lately, I'm not a huge fan of the Steamboat ski area since they were neglecting to do any upgrades to the ski facilities for a number of years, but I'm hoping that the ski area managers are getting their act together just as there has been new investment in renovating the Sheraton and other base area facilities. I'm not seeing any online award availability at this property which is entirely 2 and 3-bedroom villas.

That strong Australia dollar is a double hit for Americans with currency exchange combined with higher category Starwood properties.

Hmm,

I guess I should feel good about my current booking at the Westin in Rome this summer, but the point requirements for cat 6 and 7 are just out of this world.

There are a few properties which have an extra bonus for us in their category decrease. The following properties dropping from Cat5 to Cat4 had previously announced their Peak Season dates but will now lose that Peak Season award pricing difference:
Four Points by Sheraton Manhattan Chelsea
Le Méridien Barbarons
Le Meridien San Francisco
Luxury Collection/The Joule
Sheraton Hacienda Del Mar Resort & Spa Los Cabos
Sheraton Khalidiya Hotel, Abu Dhabi
Sheraton Prague Charles Square Hotel
The Westin Valencia

However, there are also 15 properties that will move up from Cat4 to Cat5, and any of them could declare Peak Season dates that would make for an even more harsh jump in award cost:
Sheraton Amsterdam Airport Hotel & Conference Center
Sheraton Barra Hotel & Suites
Sheraton Noosa Resort
Sheraton Oman
Sheraton On The Park
Sheraton Pretoria Hotel
Sheraton Sao Paulo WTC Hotel
Sheraton Tel Aviv Hotel and Towers
The Park Lane Hotel, London
W Seoul Walkerhill
Westin Langkawi
Westin Melbourne
Westin Riverfront Mountain Villas
Westin Sendai
Westin Sydney

Thanks for the heads up on this point. And of course I completey forgot the peak seasin thing

The peak season thing was one of my first thoughts. It can really boost the number of points needed for a hotel that goes from Cat 4 to 5 plus adds a peak season.

In addition to the hefty jump on a percentage basis, the following properties moving up from Cat2 to Cat3 will also lose their 1K Starpoint weekend award discount:
Aloft Dallas Downtown
Four Points By Sheraton Cali
Four Points by Sheraton Lhasa
Four Points by Sheraton Navi Mumbai Vashi
Luxury Collection/ITC Mughal Agra
Sheraton Augusta
Sheraton Changsha Hotel
Sheraton Djibouti Hotel
Sheraton Duluth Hotel
Sheraton Guayaquil Hotel
Sheraton Haikou Resort
Sheraton Jiuzhaigou Resort
Sheraton Ningbo Hotel
Sheraton Qiandao Resort
Sheraton Rajputana Palace
Sheraton Wenzhou
The Westin San Luis Potosi

Properties moving DOWN from Cat3 to Cat2 are now eligible for the additional 1K point savings on Friday and Saturday nights. There are 38 properties moving down to Cat2. I'm happy to see the Aloft Charleston Airport in this category, though it is not one of my favorite properties. And other airport hotels will probably be of interest to other leisure travelers.

With 15 Aloft properties dropping a level, I wonder how that will impact Aloft's development pipeline (particularly in the US). Will developers rethink the value in building Aloft hotels? (To be fair, I must admit that I have begun frequenting an Aloft in my travels.)

Great information. Thank you.

Great post. thank you

Great post SC Flier. Lots of good information here.

As for changing the title to your thread, I created a thread on this topic in the "suggestions" forum. The functionality to edit your own thread title is currently not available, so you have to send a message to one of the admins (I sent mine to Mikel) to request they update your title. I would recommend this, given that 2/28 is fast approaching.

When I submitted the title change suggestion, I also submitted such a request through the "Report" link on my post.

the HSV Sheraton was one of the biggest steals out there for me

a Cat 1 right in the airport

looks like they caught on

Sheraton Gateway LAX down to a 2 --- guess it just been too long between renovations and upgrading, but it's still my preferred SPG stay at LAX - usually good service, and nice sized rooms.

More down then up? While there are some disappointing changes, on the whole it could have been a whole lot worse!