SPG.com Starwood Hotels Compare Rates Tool
The main point of this article is to examine features of the SPG.com Compare Rates tool that allows three additional Starwood corporate, group and promotional rates to be compared to Standard Rates in a display.
My initial rate checks for the St. Regis Florence pulled up several dates with low rates at 550EUR or USD$752 per night in October and November 2011. This certainly seemed the appropriate time to search the SPG.com Compare Rates and Browse Dates/Rates tools. I also checked St. Regis Florence hotel special offers.
SPG Compare Rates allow me to check different rate types while Browse Dates/Rates allow rates on different dates to be compared far more quickly than simply plugging dates into the homepage calendar search.
Finding the SPG Compare Rates and Rate Calendar tools
- Go to SPG.com or StarwoodHotels.com.
- Enter City Location and preferred dates.
- Hotel search results page looks like these two examples.

Both screenshots show the option to compare more rates or browse dates/rates. My account is set to show AAA rates shown as SET/Corporate Account # 298940.
Compare more rates allows three rates to be compared and even a specific promotional or corporate rate code to be used.

When my interest is paid rates rather than using points, then I can compare AAA, Senior and Breakfast rates together.

Different dates I tried resulted in rate differences of a couple hundred euros per night.
Promotion Code Z3H is a third night free offer I entered into the Compare Rates option and the St. Regis Florence returned availability.

The 3 nights for the price of 2 rate is prepaid and nonrefundable. The rate discount looked to be the best deal going.

Two special offers at the St. Regis Florence showed a 20% discount for a 3-night stay and 30% discount on a 4-night stay. These rates have the same prepaid, nonrefundable terms as Z3H and provide a smaller discount for a three night stay compared to Z3H for November 3-6, 2011.

St. Regis Florence Rate Comparison November 3-6, 2011
Deluxe King (no river view)
- Z3H = 290 EUR/night
- 20% = 335 EUR/night
Deluxe King – Panoramic river view
- Z3H = 340 EUR/night
- 20% = 393 EUR/night
Premium Deluxe Panoramic River View
- Z3H = 390 EUR/night
- 20% = 445 EUR/night
St. Regis Florence Rate Comparison on 4-night stays
St. Regis Florence has a hotel special offer 30% discount on four night stays. This rate should be lower than Z4H fourth night free which works out to 25% discount. I went back to the SPG.com Compare Rates function to input Z4H.

Search results show no Z4H availability, but the lowest rate is the 30% discount on a four night stay.

The lowest rate so far is 262 EUR per night on a four night stay November 20-24, 2011.
Rate Calendar for Quick Checks of other dates
The 30% discount special rate on 4-night stays is the best deal seen. The Starwood Rate Calendar allows a quick check of other four-night dates to see if there are even lower rate dates for November 2011.

The 262EUR rate is for November 20-24, 2011. I can enter alternate dates and see a quick rate display.

Shifting the arrival date one day earlier pushes the rate up 100EUR per night for the entire stay from 262EUR/night to 363 EUR/night. About $600 more to arrive one day earlier on a four night stay. The calendar rate function shows this rate instantaneously once dates are inserted into calendar.
Shifting the Arrival date one day later has no impact on the 262EUR rate. I can quickly check every date of the month using four night stays and find 250EUR/night is available beginning November 24.

Starwood Rate Comparison and Rate Calendar make searching for the best rate a simpler task. The features could be improved by showing lowest daily rates on calendar without having to enter specific dates.
Finding the lowest rates for your hotel stay can be challenging. Starwood’s tools make the task a little bit easier. There is still room for improvement.
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