My recent stay at the Sheraton Frankfurt Airport validates my decision to retain my Starwood Preferred Guest ® Business Credit Card from American Express.
Hyatt is my primary hotel chain and Hilton is my back-up. Once in a while, however, I find myself in a Starwood property. Last week I was in Frankfurt on a business matter and the company arranged a room for me at the Sheraton Frankfurt Airport. Had they asked for my preference I would have suggested the airport Hilton, but I enjoy this Sheraton property.
By virtue of my American Express Platinum card, I have SPG Gold status. That’s not worth much, though. Three points per dollar and late checkout is appreciated, but without a club access or breakfast benefit, the status is of limited worth to me.
But the SPG Business Credit Card, also from AMEX, has an added benefit: complimentary club access at Sheraton hotels. That’s a benefit I can use and appreciate.
The club in Frankfurt is fairly nice and since I was alone and very jet lagged after a long flight in, I had both dinner and breakfast in the lounge plus afternoon coffee.
I figure that I stay in a Sheraton property 3-4 times per year, usually with my family. So we’ll exclude little Augustine but say we average four visits per year with two people. Take the $95 annual fee and divide it by eight and you get ~$12 per-person per stay. That’s worth it, even if we are only having breakfast in the lounge.
CONCLUSION
I value the SPG Business Credit Card from American Express for the Sheraton lounge benefit alone. The $95/year annual fee is offset by the complimentary breakfast and afternoon coffee inside lounges.
That is a nice lounge and have used it many times. Since the Hilton opened the seem to have upped their game a bit. Do they still have that annoying rule whereby they switch the TV to fireplace mode in the evening and refuse to show the news?
Absolutely correct. Likewise, the Citi or Amex upper tier Hilton cards are great for the same reason.
Noob question: How does one get access? Do you just show the SPG Business card to gain entry? I have the card but my first stay at Sheraton is this weekend at Sheraton Universal Studios and I’ve been wondering how the hotel would know that I’m an SPG business card holder. Thanks.
Show it at check-in and your key will be coded with lounge access.
While this perk is supposed to be automatically coded to your account without even showing your card, I’ve often gotten the blank stare when mentioning this benefit upon check in. It’s generally offered as a “gift” when I mention it, but I’m not a fan of fighting for things that are supposed to be automatic.
Doesn’t SPG Gold link to Marriott Gold too? So should you stay at a Marriott, JW Marriott, or Renaissance you’ll get breakfast there too. That’s from your AMEX Platinum, and it seems you prefer Sheratons to Marriotts, but it’s an option.
I have Marriott Gold as well from MileagePlus. Not sure why, but don’t really care for Marriotts.
Don’t you value the starpoint currency enough to keep the Amex SPG anyway, and use it as a primary spend card?
No, but only because of category bonuses on other cards.
What’s 50k member ship rewards from amex worth in dollars met the spend on a offer now what? THANKS
We stayed at the Sheraton Frankfurt in 1988. I gave the bellhop at $5.00 tip. He was so appreciative, that he sent up a lot of fresh fruit to our room. Incidentally, the spacious room that we stayed at, only cost $88.00 for the night, which was a bargain even then. At that time, the Frankfurt Airport, did not have too many (if any signs), informing the passengers where their luggage was. When we asked some British Airway pilots where the luggage area was, one of them told us “that’s what we’ve been trying to figure out all week”.
Thanks for this report – Great timing as I was just trying to pick between the Sheraton and Hilton at FRA.