Starwood Preferred Guest - Room Codes on Free Weekend bookings

I tried to book a weekend using the Free Weekend facility on the Starwood site, but was unable to complete the booking for some reason or other. In reviewing the availabilities, I noticed there were several room category codes "J", "K", etc. Can anyone explain what these represent in terms of actual rooms?

Bringing this one forward, as I had the same question re: room codes.

There's a legend for bed types, but not room codes.

Thanks.

[This message has been edited by landspeed (edited 08-07-2001).]

How about just calling SPG to book? They should be able to decipher the room types.

This is really irrelevant since Starwood Preferred Guest does not confirm room types on award reservations. It is my greatest hope that these alpha characters will be eliminated when the Starwood Preferred Guest Web site is re-launched later this year.

For a more in-depth discussion of this subject, please see the following thread:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum74/HTML/001249.html

Best regards,

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

guest.forum@starwoodhotels.com

Here is one to explain if room types are as William says.

Why can't we book Free Fridays and Free Saturdays unless specific room types are open. And I do not mean suites.

Example--(Real) I just tried to book a free friday at the Hotel Excelsior or Hotel Grand in Florence Italy (around a paid stay). I am only paying for double occupancy and they have that available but neither hotel had the 3 nights available with the Free Friday included ("Because that room type is not available").

No complaints but it does seem inconsistent with both the above and the common statements from Starwood that no blackouts apply.

200 ngts/200 legs/year, this is usually resolved by making a reservation for the Free Weekend and linking it with another one for the two nights you want at a paid rate. Even if you want days on either side of the Free Weekend, this can be accomplished with three linked reservations. There is every possibility that you will have to stay in whatever award room there is available for the Free Weekend and then move to (and/or from) the other room type the other reservation is being held under, but the hotels are clever and usually willing to help avoid this if they are able. Even if you had to live with this inconvenience, I don't see how we've broached the no black-out dates/no capacity controls claim. An award room is available, after all.

Best regards,

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

guest.forum@starwoodhotels.com

William-
As a Platinum member I recently booked a free weekend in Port douglas.My friend who is gold booked the same property.
In both on line res -which i can now see I got a pool lagoon room she got a basic garden room so it seems to me that my Platinum status was recognised upon booking.
is this correct?
Also if I am staying with a gold member and book with her number a free stay- technically can i call and put my number in for an upgrade?

tinkybelle, it's hard to say without actually looking at your reservation. If you will send me an e-mail with the confirmation number or travel dates, I can check. The hotel may have upgraded your room type when they received your reservation. If they did, this is why you would see the poolside lagoon room instead of a garden room. Otherwise, could you have chosen this room when you made the reservation instead of a garden view room? Regrettably, you cannot secure an upgrade on a second room for a Preferred (free) Night Award even if it was being held in your name. On a Free Weekends stay this would also not be possible since you cannot book two rooms for the same weekend using this award.

Best regards,

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

guest.forum@starwoodhotels.com

[This message has been edited by Starwood Lurker (edited 08-09-2001).]

Hi William.
After I posted I called starwood about the room types.
I was not aware that the room type was able to be booked i THOUGHT that that room type just meant non smoking king.

I read it wrong!!
Yes I must have booked the pool room and then my friend picked a different type!.
As to the platinum upgrade-
I wasnt referring to this particular weekend but just in general-if I am staying with someone and made the desk aware would it get us a better room if one was available.
Thanks for the quick reply!!

Thanks for the update, tinkybelle. If I understand correctly, you want to know if your friend can get an upgrade based upon your status either by you holding a second room for them under your Starwood Preferred Guest Platinum number or by having Platinum Concierge note it on her reservation that she is traveling with you.

The answer to both situations is the same - no. Starwood Preferred Guest memberships are set up as individual memberships and the benefits of one member do not affect the benefits received by another. While you may certainly hold more than one reservation under your name, the Terms and Conditions limit the upgrade and Platinum amenity to your room alone. Every now and then we see a hotel really go out of their way to accommodate a Platinum member by allowing both the upgrade and Platinum amenity to a second room. We both applaud and encourage this practice, but it is more likely to happen in the case of a Platinum member who has stayed with them often and their occupancy being a non-issue. You can always ask, however, Starwood Preferred Guest would never force them to do this out of hand.

Best regards,

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

guest.forum@starwoodhotels.com

During a recent trip (April/May) to southeast Asia (Thailand,Singapore,Bali,Malaysia) my wife and I travelled with another couple who were unfamiliar with Starwood Hotels (She is/was a big fan of Marriott). During this trip we stayed at 6 different hotels and all reservations were made for 2 rooms in my name under my Starwood Platinum number. At each hotel my wife and I were upgraded to a premium room or suite and on only 1 occassion was the 2nd room for our friends not also upgraded.

Needless to say, our friends are now big fans of Starwood and she is well on her way to her own Platinum status this year.