California dreamin. Two new Starwood promotions that lure me back home

It’s been three and a half months since I moved from San Francisco to Singapore.  In these months I’ve journeyed to Phuket, Bangkok, Bali, Kuala Lumpur, and Hong Kong, with upcoming trips to Saigon, Hanoi, Hong Kong, Shanghai, and Manila scheduled in the next two months.  I miss San Francisco dearly, and if the roundtrip flights didn’t cost over $1,500 on average to get back, these two Starwood promotions below would have easily lured me back for a visit.

I think the second one might be a targeted offer, so don’t be too surprised if it doesn’t allow you to register.  Worth a shot though.

1) Starwood California Sale – Three days remaining to book participating Starwood properties throughout California.  Book by Friday, April 23 and stay by June 16.  Haven’t checked for availability myself, but the site claims rates at the St. Regis are as low as $275/night.  A border line steal for the city’s newest five-star hotel.  Or stay at the W for a low $150/night.  The hotel just received some awesome recognition for its green initiatives from LEED.

2) SPG Promotion, 1,500 bonus Starpoints PER NIGHT in California – Combine the above sale rates with this new SPG promotion which gives you 1,500 Starpoints per night you stay in a participating Cali Starwood.  Register now and earn through July 31, and you could really rack up some Starpoints quickly with this promotion.  I didn’t realize the SF Starwoods were hurting that much for business!

Of course if you wanted to maximize your gains here, you’d book the lowest rate hotel from promotion number 1 and get the 1,500 bonus Starpoints from promotion number 2.

On a side note, I’d like to give some props to inFLIGHTout, a blog with some great travel tips and current events with a bit of a California twist. Keep up the great work!

Starwood Q2 SPG promotion starts May 1 – Free weekend nights!

Here’s a heads up on the upcoming 2010 Q2 Starwood SPG promotion.  Free weekend nights!

The promo is simple.  Stay on three separate occasions between May 1 and July 31 and earn a free weekend night that’s redeemable up until December 19.  For every three stays you make in the earning window, you get another free weekend night to use during the redemption window.

Some of my buddies aren’t so thrilled about this promotion, especially when compared to the promo that came out same time last year when you only had to stay twice to earn a free weekend night.

Regardless, free is free, and with occupancies and ADRs picking up from this time last year it’s understandable that the promo has a bit of the weak sauce.  Anyway, here’s a quick recap of what’s important in the offer:

Booking window: May 1 – July 31

Promotion earning window: May 1 – July 1

Redemption window: May 7 – December 19

Just don’t forget to register for this promo when it comes live on May 1.  The deadline to register is June 30.  Click here for the full terms and conditions.

Raising the beef over two less W Hotels in New York City

W The Court and its mini living room

Well, it’s well known now that the W Court and the W Tuscany are leaving not only Starwood’s SPG loyalty program but also Starwood management all together.  There’s reports that the steel W sign that is typically found on the facade of the W buildings (usually around eye level from the sidewalk) are no longer there.

You know, I’m not terribly bothered by the departure of these two hotels.  Recently a friend of mine paid a walk-in rate of $450++ at the W Court.  I was in house at the time at a much lower rate and couldn’t believe the money he was about to drop on such an old and tired hotel.  In his defense though it was 5am and he had a supermodel in tow.

But really these two properties were worn out and bringing the rest of the Ws down.  Especially with the new W Hoboken in New Jersey and the W Downtown to open later this year.  The disparity between these two shall we say ‘classic hotels’ and the new ones would easily be night and day.  But W takes a hit by losing some great real estate on the map.  The only one near midtown now is the W Times Square . . . great for those folks visiting Manhattan for the first time or those who just enjoy the chaotic atmosphere of Times Square for reasons unknown to me.

There are some really pissed off people though, primarily those SPG members who were holding on to reservations at either hotel thinking they would get the elite treatment or at least Starpoints.  Thankfully I wasn’t holding on to any reservations, but I can feel for those who did have them.  The abrupt news of the properties leaving left this person on FlyerTalk with some fightin’ words . . .

As W gets older and continues to refine its brand positioning I’m not at all surprised these two are getting chopped.  In fact, a PR rep said that the two Ws “were not in keeping with the brand’s current direction” because they lacked the same degree of focus on design and fashion.  The two hotels are going to be branded as St. Giles The Court and St. Giles The Tuscany.  St. Giles is a London based hotel operator.

W San Francisco takes the LEED! Congratulations Michael Pace!

Trees lovin the W San Fran!

A big congrats to the W San Francisco and its passionate GM, Michael Pace.  The property has gone down in the record books for being the first existing hotel chain building to earn LEED certification.

Here’s what Michael Pace, my former GM, had to say about the achievement . . .

“For our guests, the green experience at W San Francisco is a seamless part of their overall W experience, which is extremely gratifying for us.  W San Francisco is a leader in the area of sustainability and green practices for W Hotels Worldwide. Green has become part of modern living and is expected by our guests, who can feel our team’s true passion for green practices, which are infused in everything we do, everyday.”

Even during my short time at the W SF, it wasn’t uncommon to see Michael Pace exhibiting his passion for sustainability by proudly announcing his endeavors for the hotel.  I remember he once shared with me an idea for alternative energy wind turbines on top of the roof.  Mr. Pace was also a sought after speaker in the subject of sustainability.   From my desk, I could easily see him sitting down with vendor after vendor to carefully execute his green initiatives.  And now, as I finished reading the press release from my new desk in Singapore, I’m happy to see that he and my former team at the hotel have done it!

=)

Among the energy efficiency steps taken at W San Francisco without negatively impacting the sensory experience and atmosphere of the hotel: More than 70 percent of guestroom lighting and 90 percent of back-of-house lighting is energy efficient, using CFLs, LEDs, motion sensors, and other technologies; the hotel’s HVAC cooling towers were replaced with energy-efficient models, saving 300 kWh/year; motion sensors power off HVAC in unoccupied guestrooms; and ENERGY STAR power management features are activated on all PCs. Management continues to track energy usage and savings with a third-party vendor through the hotel’s utility company, PG&E. Lastly, to further improve energy efficiency and encourage the use of renewable energy, management is considering installing wind turbines on the hotel’s roof–a first for a commercial building in the city.

Source: Starwood

1,000 bonus Starpoints for each stay in April

So this new SPG promotion popped up on FlyerTalk but as far as I know it’s open to anyone.  Basically you get 1,000 Starpoints for each stay you make in April. Plus, you can enjoy unlimited bonus earnings!

Not sure if this 1,000 Starpoints promo has anything to do with Starwood opening it’s 1,000th hotel (in Qiandao, China) just the other day.  Either way, it’s nice to get 1,000 bonus Starpoints all month with this new SPG promo.

But first you gotta register.

Element’s message in a bottle = free night stay!

The new Element in NYC coming Oct 2010

With Earth Hour behind us but Earth Day fast approaching, the eco-conscious Element Hotels brand just released a new package called “I am not a plastic package.”

Basically, you have to be one of the first 100 callers to book this specific package through the call center (1-877-ELE-MENT).  Then when you check in, bring with you ten of those recyclable water bottles (or coke, juice, etc.) and hand them over to the hotel.  In return, you’ll get a free night over Earth Day weekend which is April 22-25.

This promotion will most likely raise some awareness for the new eco-brand.  Considering there are only a handful of operating Elements, not that many guests will be able to take advantage of the package itself.  Elements are now in Lexington, MA, Las Vegas, Baltimore, Denver, Dallas, Houston and Ewing, NJ.

Be on the lookout for the new Element Times Square (NYC) in October 2010!  Also, here’s a map view of existing and upcoming Elements . . .

This isn't enough, we want more!

Starwood getting over the hill, opens 1,000th hotel

Lucky number 1,000: Sheraton Qiandao Lake Resort in China

Well the milestone has finally been hit.  Starwood’s opened it’s 1,000th hotel today and it’s little surprise that it happens to be in Asia, and in China.  Which property is going down in Starwood’s history books?  The Sheraton Qiandao Lake Resort which is near Hangzhou, China.  Most people probably don’t know what the hell Qiandao is so read this if you’re interested, or just remember that it means “thousand islands” and use your imagination.

Here’s what Frits had to say . . .

“We are delighted to welcome our 1000th hotel, and the fact that it is a Sheraton in China seems pre-destined,” said Frits van Paasschen, president and CEO of Starwood. “This hotel is emblematic of both our history and our bright future. As Starwood’s largest and most global brand, Sheraton provided us early footholds in emerging markets, including China in the early 1980s when we were the first international hotel there. Today, Starwood is the world’s most global hotel company . . .”  - blah blah blah you get the idea.

For you plats out there you’re in luck because there is a club lounge at this property so get ready to wine and dine yourselves beside picturesque lake views.  Another perk is the new Shine Spa by Sheraton, which will be the first of its kind in China.

So what’s in store for the future now that 1,000 is already behind the company?   Starwood expects to open 80-100 additional hotels in 2010 alone.  Most (almost 70%) will be outside the US and primarily in APAC.  Great for me now that I’m in Singapore!