Both Starwood and Hyatt allow their loyalty program members to earn points for dining at a hotel restaurant… when not a registered guest at the hotel.
Starwood has done this for years, and Hyatt rolled out the benefit for the most part across their hotels in 2012. (I got to use the benefit with Hyatt for the first time back in November when I had dinner in DC with Mommy Points)
Starwood makes it easy, while you’re supposed to be able to hand over your member card with the bill and have them credit you in my experience folks in the restaurant often don’t know about the benefit let alone how to credit points. So you wait for the points not to post, then submit a missing points request — I send in an email with a scan of the bill, and Starwood posts the points no problem.
Hyatt says you need to work directly with the restaurant (they also give points for spa services) if the points don’t post, you don’t go to corporate, but things have worked smoothly so far.
Apparently, though, there’s a new innovation in earning points for dining — @GlobeTrotScott tweeted
Just did an @OpenTable reservation at a Starwood hotel restaurant and was asked for my @SPG number! Love it!
He tells me he’s had that experience at Lamb’s Club in New York and also at Adour at the St. Regis in Washington DC.
If points post seamlessly that’s potentially huge — for the customer, no more hassle and awkwardness with the check, ready to leave but dealing with a restaurant staff with no idea how to post the points, and for the loyalty industry with hotel points potentially becoming a cross-platform currency the way that airline miles have, an incentive to make purchases from vendors in other industries even. (No question Starwood has been creative in that space, launching Crossover Rewards where status is reciprocally recognized between their program and Delta’s, as I undestand it after Marriott and Delta couldn’t come to terms on a cross-selling partnership.)
I really like the Park Hyatt’s Blue Duck Tavern and the St. Regis’ Adour in DC, so when someone else is paying either would be my pick, since you can earn OpenTable points and loyalty program points for your check. It sounds like Starwood is going a step further, making the points collection process easy.
Has anyone else been asked for their Starwood number when making a restaurant reservation at a hotel’s restaurant?
I ask Hilton about this often and they don’t offer it.
TIP: if you are staying at Starwood, always charge everything to the ROOM.
The ROOM always has your SPG number and may take into consideration additional benefits like 3 points for every dollar spent at SPG for Gold members. While checking out you can still pay for your room & dining using SPG credit card giving you 2 additional points making it 5 points/dollar spent.
If you dined and just gave them SPG AMEX, then you will not be getting the 2 points or 3 points(Gold) and be just getting the double points from AMEX since the restaurant doesn’t know abt ur SPG membership.
Again, this is assuming you are staying at the hotel and for sake of simplicity..always best to charge everything to the room.
For those of us lucky enough to live in a city with many hotels, this could affect our dining out habits. Potential win/win
The Bazaar at the SLS in Beverly Hills is also a great place to earn SPG Points and get an amazing meal.
I’ve had no problem with getting SPG pts by submitting my receipt to SPG…recommend Bourbon Steak in the Westin SF SF. Most places give free bread, but here, you get duckfat fries with 3 dipping sauces.
I’ve also gotten bonus CC pts for using branded CCs at restaurants in hotels: PC VISA at Harbourside in the InterContinental HK, and SPG AX at Bourbon Steak.
Westin Grand Munich gives you 10% off as spg-ite, but you need your actual card or show the app. They have a kind of charge slip to fill for th credit. Other German Sheratons do too.
I am about to have a test case with Hyatt, been putting off dealing with the missing points because I don’t want to deal with the restaurant over in Shanghai, would much prefer sending my receipt to Gold Passport.
You call having to scan your receipt an email it in a “smooth” process. That sounds like a PITA to me!
Very kool…..I have to believe that frequent travelers will reward Starwood restaurants with this extremely smart idea……..
Do you have to pay with your SPG Amex?
Hiltons in China offer dining pts as well. Too bad, it’s not available in most other countries.
Jumeirah also let you do this into their Sirius programme, more useful for EMEA. Points also count for status.
In D.C., I would pick the W’s J&G Steakhouse over St. Regis’ Adour for what comes out of the kitchen.
Also, with the Amex Starwood card, the points kick in without that muss and fuss, right?
@Patrick – J&G is another good one. You get your 2x points with the SPG Amex of course but I’m talking about ALSO earning Starpoints for spend at the hotel (2x for base member, 3x for Gold, etc)
@Karen no you do not
Thanks Gary for the reply! Do you know if this applies only to restaurants or does it also apply to other services at the hotel (spa, etc)?
This is for restaurant food and beverage charges only, not spa services (such as BlissSpa at W hotels).
For what it is worth, W Koh Samui knew exactly what to do when I gave them my SPG number when eating at their Japanese restaurant. Points posted in a couple of days along with an Elite bonus!