Exciting Starwood news! - Newest SPG Platinum benefit

Great news from Starwood today! They announced that SPG Preferred Guest Platinum members will get complimentary in-room internet access. This is big!, because guests often prefer to stay at the lower end hotels like the FourPoints, aLoft , Courtyard, Springhill Suites, Holiday Inn Express or Choice hotels. The free internet offered at these budget hotels, often entices pundits adverse to nickel and diming, away from the Luxury hotels. SPG are indeed showing how much they value us.

The $9 to $20 can add up when you have to pay connection fee for all your devices, like your iPod, iPhone and laptops. I travel with a regular Notebook, a MacBook and my Asus Netbook. All this can add up to double the room rate.

Please note that in-hotel Platinum benefits, including complimentary Internet access, do not apply when the reservation is pre-paid or booked through a third party.

I stayed at the Raddison in Dallas last week and felt like the cat that got the cream when I enjoyed the free internet in the room and in their business center.

Traveling with my husband, adds another 4 internet charges to the room of a full service hotel. I forgo luxury because full service hotels don’t have much comfort anymore. Previously, luxury was being pampered with the extra treats like : Welcome fruit, newspapers and other amenities. I’d sooner pay for soap and towels than for internet. Don’t scoff at me ! That’s the way airlines are going . – charging for pillows, blankets and water.