Starwood Preferred Guest - For Starwood Lurker, 'Guaranteed' Revenue Reservation VS Award

I think this question would benefit many members so I decide to post it rather than do it by e-mail.

First, the Westin Tremblant Resort is showing 0 availability at the date of my choice during the month of July. A call to SPG, being a new Platinum, I must say the service and attention of the special SPG agent is impressive. Because this hotel is a resort, they could be exempt from giving the guarantee reservation but the agent offered himself to call the hotel just to give it a try. Guess what, he was successful! But the resort imposed a special condition: The stay has to be at least 2 days at the Rack rate of the Standard Room. I then asked if I could pay one of the two nights with points, but the agent said the hotel insists on paid nights only. Here is my question:

Even though this resort claims that they are sold out, the SPG agent managed to find a standard room for me at Rack rate. Doesn't that also allow me to pay for those room nights on points/awards since those are only Standard Rooms?

Can you please help me on this one?

From my experience using Platinum 72 hours guarantee reservation, only PAID stay is allowed. Sometime they are nice enough to let me pay the corporate rate instead of rack rate, but no points can be use. This is a benefit to Platinum and the room does not group under the standard reward room category. Of course, there is always exception. Hope William can help out.

BTW, I was trying to reserve a room on 08/03 but no availability. Is this hotel so hard to book a stay?

Resorts are specifically excluded from the guarantee.

The fact that a room was found probably had nothing to do with the fact the the platinum desk called. Hotels often block a set of rooms that can only be reserved if you called them directly.

If the resort was kind enough to honor you a room when sold out don't you feel like you're pushing it now asking for an award?

Guava, Platinum members who are using their benefit to override non-availability for a stay may only be confirmed in RACK, SET, or COR rate plans. They are not allowed to confirm other rates such as SPG Preferred Nights or 50% Off Awards.

"Non-availability" refers to rooms not available by calling the normal reservation line. Since your Platinum Concierge had to call the hotel for availability, you are exercising your Platinum override benefit. The fact that the hotel bent the rules a bit in your favor (no overrides at resort properties) does not mean they were hoarding inventory by any stretch of the imagination. They probably had a cancellation that they had not yet returned to open status. It is also very likely that they may have a waiting list for any rooms that are returned, and may have opted to have you as their guest instead since you are a Platinum elite member. I can find no fault with them asking you to pay RACK rate for two days either. They could well have demanded it for the entire stay. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

Best regards,

William R. Sanders
Specialist, E-Communications Department
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide

guest.forum@starwoodhotels.com