Bailing on Diamond

Xtina

New Member
I have been diamond for a few years and love the perks, however, it is starting to look like the cost to remain diamond each year is outweighing the benefits. Am reacquainting w/other chains...was wondering how / if anyone has decided to move on differently? Any plans for the future?
 

SanDiego1K

Level 2 Member
You need to look at your travel and see what chain naturally fits with it. You also need to look at the cost to achieve top tier, how many unnecessary stays are done to achieve it, and what it would cost you out of pocket for the benefits you find attractive. I loved being Starwood platinum but had to make the decision that my travel no longer supported two top tiers. I chose to maintain Hyatt. Now, if I stay at Starwood I look into using extra points for a higher level room. For example, at the Augustine in Prague, a base room was 12K points. Two levels up was an additional 2.5K points. It was well worth it. The hotel was sold out so even plats weren't getting upgrades. One plat complained on FT about booking a base room and being left in it. Their base rooms face a tram line and are noisy. Breakfast at the hotel is 21 euros. We didn't eat there, but we could have had breakfast for two days for less than the cost of one unnecessary night in a hotel.

Also, consider the Hilton credit card that comes with gold status. I believe it's called Citi Hilton Hhonors Reserve. At Hilton, gold delivers many of the same benefits as diamond. We have the card and plan to keep it in perpetuity. It's worth the annual fee.

If you decide to pursue Starwood top status, then get both of the SPG AMEX cards, the personal and the business card. Each card gives 2 stay credits. That is really helpful in chipping away the number of stays you need to do in a year. If you want some status (though it is rather weak), and you have AAA, then you can get a status that is almost equivalent to gold.

Look at where you have airline status and see if it can be leveraged to give you hotel status. We are plats on United. I already have lifetime plat status on Marriott, but my husband does not. His UA status gives him Marriott gold. That's pretty good.
 

MickiSue

Level 2 Member
SPG MAY, once your status drops, match to another chain. I status matched to gold w/Hilton, early this summer, and I'll be gold through the end of next year. The Amex card gives you gold lite, so I wanted to get the whole thing.

It's not platinum. But it IS an upgrade, if upgrades are available.
 

MickiSue

Level 2 Member
SPG MAY, once your status drops, match to another chain. I status matched to gold w/Hilton, early this summer, and I'll be gold through the end of next year. The Amex card gives you gold lite, so I wanted to get the whole thing.

It's not platinum. But it IS an upgrade, if upgrades are available.
 

Xtina

New Member
You need to look at your travel and see wha chain naturally fits with it. You also need to look at the cost to achieve top tier, how many unnecessary stays are done to achieve it, and what it would cost you out of pocket for the benefits you find attractive. I loved being Starwood platinum but had to make the decision that my travel no longer supported two top tiers. I chose to maintain Hyatt. Now, if I stay at Starwood I look into using extra points for a higher level room. For example, at the Augustine in Prague, a base room was 12K points. Two levels up was an additional 2.5K points. It was well worth it. The hotel was sold out so even plats weren't getting upgrades. One plat complained on FT about booking a base room and being left in it. Their base rooms face a tram line and are noisy. Breakfast at the hotel is 21 euros. We didn't eat there, but we could have had breakfast for two days for less than the cost of one unnecessary night in a hotel.

Also, consider the Hilton credit card that comes with gold status. I believe it's called Citi Hilton Hhonors Reserve. At Hilton, gold delivers many of the same benefits as diamond. We have the card and plan to keep it in perpetuity. It's worth the annual fee.

If you decide to pursue Starwood top status, then get both of the SPG AMEX cards, the personal and the business card. Each card gives 2 stay credits. That is really helpful in chipping away the number of stays you need to do in a year. If you want some status (though it is rather weak), and you have AAA, then you can get a status that is almost equivalent to gold.

Look at where you have airline status and see if it can be leveraged to give you hotel status. We are plats on United. I already have lifetime plat status on Marriott, but my husband does not. His UA status gives him Marriott gold. That's pretty good.


thank you for such a well thought out argument and strategy. i have the amex plat so i have the spg gold with that, and i have both spg cards. i cant lie, i am quit attached to all of them, esp the perks of platinum that i take advantage of - i.e. reservations at french laundry they were able to secure for me.

but i digress, even with work travel which is between 35-50 nites a year, i cant swing diamond on hyatt this year. and the out of pocket costs, even at the excalibur in vegas at 20$ a nite and then the resort fees that cost more than the room - i dont think its worth it. i would rather spend the money on breakfast in the hotel or elsewhere. i am also going to focus on earning some marriott points and more spg. want to vary my portfolio a bit more.

i think that to close out the year, i will end up just earning as much as i can. save for a trip to africa, i have no plans for travel next year. was planning on long weekends based on whatever crazy cheap airfares popped up. then either paying for the room depending on location, or burning points. its just going to be too much to squeeze in. i suspect next year i will have almost no issues getting hyatt diamond on work travel alone, which is, of course, preferable.

thanks for making me take a good hard look at my overall status and goals!
 

Xtina

New Member
SPG MAY, once your status drops, match to another chain. I status matched to gold w/Hilton, early this summer, and I'll be gold through the end of next year. The Amex card gives you gold lite, so I wanted to get the whole thing.

It's not platinum. But it IS an upgrade, if upgrades are available.

not a bad idea, either. thanks for bringing to my attention. ill be on the look out for it.
 

smittytabb

Moderator
Staff member
thank you for such a well thought out argument and strategy. i have the amex plat so i have the spg gold with that, and i have both spg cards. i cant lie, i am quit attached to all of them, esp the perks of platinum that i take advantage of - i.e. reservations at french laundry they were able to secure for me.

but i digress, even with work travel which is between 35-50 nites a year, i cant swing diamond on hyatt this year. and the out of pocket costs, even at the excalibur in vegas at 20$ a nite and then the resort fees that cost more than the room - i dont think its worth it. i would rather spend the money on breakfast in the hotel or elsewhere. i am also going to focus on earning some marriott points and more spg. want to vary my portfolio a bit more.

i think that to close out the year, i will end up just earning as much as i can. save for a trip to africa, i have no plans for travel next year. was planning on long weekends based on whatever crazy cheap airfares popped up. then either paying for the room depending on location, or burning points. its just going to be too much to squeeze in. i suspect next year i will have almost no issues getting hyatt diamond on work travel alone, which is, of course, preferable.

thanks for making me take a good hard look at my overall status and goals!
I am in exactly the same situation. I have maintained Hyatt Diamond for a couple of years and this year I am going to have to let it go too. Part of it is my travel pattern differing with better options in other locations for one city, but also I am finding since a lot of people got matched to Diamond this year that it is harder to use my suite upgrades. I also have found using my free night for a standard room harder. And a lot of the properties are now using specific rooms for suites that are "suite like" but not true suites. All in all, I see a big difference this year in how Hyatt is adapting to the influx of matched Diamonds. And it has made a difference in my own analysis of the viability of continuing to maintain it. I am also Marriott Platinum and Hilton Diamond (matched) so having three top tiers to choose from has been nice this year. In addition some other mid tier statuses by credit card (SPG Gold, Club Carlson Gold, IHG Platinum). So I tend to stay at the best hotel for my needs.

I think my emphasis in the short term will be working on lifetime status with Marriott for Lifetime Gold. Frankly I sort of wish I had done this the last few years with the stays I gave to Hyatt sometimes. Had I done that, I would be there by now for sure. Wish I had locked it in before the SPG/Marriott integration.

Just got home from an amazing stay for a week in Santiago, Chile in a suite there at the Grand Hyatt. Hard not to love points plus cash and a suite upgrade with a club lounge. When it works, it's hard to beat. I love that you can guarantee a suite with Hyatt. Marriott will often give me one, but it's not predictable.
 

Xtina

New Member
I am in exactly the same situation. I have maintained Hyatt Diamond for a couple of years and this year I am going to have to let it go too. Part of it is my travel pattern differing with better options in other locations for one city, but also I am finding since a lot of people got matched to Diamond this year that it is harder to use my suite upgrades. I also have found using my free night for a standard room harder. And a lot of the properties are now using specific rooms for suites that are "suite like" but not true suites. All in all, I see a big difference this year in how Hyatt is adapting to the influx of matched Diamonds. And it has made a difference in my own analysis of the viability of continuing to maintain it. I am also Marriott Platinum and Hilton Diamond (matched) so having three top tiers to choose from has been nice this year. In addition some other mid tier statuses by credit card (SPG Gold, Club Carlson Gold, IHG Platinum). So I tend to stay at the best hotel for my needs.

I think my emphasis in the short term will be working on lifetime status with Marriott for Lifetime Gold. Frankly I sort of wish I had done this the last few years with the stays I gave to Hyatt sometimes. Had I done that, I would be there by now for sure. Wish I had locked it in before the SPG/Marriott integration.

Just got home from an amazing stay for a week in Santiago, Chile in a suite there at the Grand Hyatt. Hard not to love points plus cash and a suite upgrade with a club lounge. When it works, it's hard to beat. I love that you can guarantee a suite with Hyatt. Marriott will often give me one, but it's not predictable.
yes! i cant wait til the matched diamonds fall out of the program and realize they can't maintain for one reason or another. i do wish hyatt had a lifetime status like the others - would have made it more attractive for those of us who can truly make the status.

i typically like the hyatts abroad as well. there was nothing like the hyatt moscow, i have to say that. location, food...just great. in any case, i do have to let it go. i will refocus next year and see what happens.

good luck with your lifetime marriott! i am going to have to look into that myself.
 

smittytabb

Moderator
Staff member
yes! i cant wait til the matched diamonds fall out of the program and realize they can't maintain for one reason or another. i do wish hyatt had a lifetime status like the others - would have made it more attractive for those of us who can truly make the status.

i typically like the hyatts abroad as well. there was nothing like the hyatt moscow, i have to say that. location, food...just great. in any case, i do have to let it go. i will refocus next year and see what happens.

good luck with your lifetime marriott! i am going to have to look into that myself.
Of course it's hard for me not to be one of the those people who want to then match my Marriott Platinum to Hyatt Diamond once I am not one:)
 
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