Starwood Preferred Guest - Upgrade award list?

In this thread: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum74/HTML/002155.html

Starwood Lurker wrote:
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Upgraded room types can be confirmed in advance or at check in using additional Starpoints, but these awards are confirmable only in standard room types otherwise.</font>

So far I've been unable to find anything about how many points I need to confirm an upgrade. Is this available on the web anywhere? Or do I need to call the Plat Concierge? Do I need to call the hotel I want to upgrade at?

750 points or 1500 points depending on type of upgrade. A suite upgrade cost the same as the room points value. ie Cat 3 is 7,000 for the room, or 7,000 for a suite upgrade.

Actually, it is 750 Starpoints for a Specialty Upgrade and 1,250 Starpoints for a Specialty Select Upgrade. Where either of these upgrade awards put you depends upon what the hotel lists as Specialty or Specialty Select room types.

An upgrade using Starpoints can be confirmed ahead of your check-in by calling the Customer Contact Center nearest you or by requesting one as an Instant Award upon check-in.

Regrettably, I have to agree that this information should be more readily available at the Starwood Preferred Guest Web site. Instead, it is buried in the Terms and Conditions of Membership.

Best regards,

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

guest.forum@starwoodhotels.com

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 10-10-2001).]

For a suite upgrade if I only do the upgrade for the first day of a five day trip, being a plat member what would happen?

Probably your next four days would be spent in whatever room type you originally booked if there was no possibility of keeping you in the same room as a Platinum upgrade, but your experience may vary.

Sorry, but it is difficult to be dogmatic about extremely hypothetical situations. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

Best regards,

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

guest.forum@starwoodhotels.com

Strange. I was told that it would require 10,000 points for an upgrade at a category 4 hotel I was staying at. Of course they booked a suite for me but this puzzled me.

Hmmm... I'll ask my original question again. Is the list of what you can spend your points on available on the web, or in print somehwere? Or is this one of those "how much you got?" kind of situations? :-)

holland, I could not find this information on the Starwood Preferred Guest Web site. Please do not ask me why it is not there. Perhaps it was an oversight, which is something I will discuss with the Interactive Marketing gurus later today. More than likely, since they cannot be ordered online, they did not list them as an award possibility for that reason.

Flybynight, the cost of a suite upgrade at a Category 4 hotel is 10,000 Starpoints, the same as if you were ordering a Preferred (free) Night Award reservation. These other upgrades are not for suites.

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 10-11-2001).]

William,

If it's not avaialable online, is there a hard copy somewhere at SPG that I can get a copy of? I'd just like a nifty little "chart of possible awards" for my star points. Anything from "20 points for a free coke" to "100,000 points for a trip to Hawaii" and everything in between. Does anything like that exist? It sure would make redeeming my points & vacation planning easier....

holland, I have one here that is on the reverse of a paper statement. I can send it to you via fax if you send me your fax number.

In all fairness to Interactive Marketing, most of the awards mentioned are available online and are described on the web site.

Best regards,

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

guest.forum@starwoodhotels.com

You've got mail! :-)

Actually you can find it on their website
http://www.preferredguest.com/awards/aw_redemption.jhtml
There's list of all the points required for each type of awards.

For room upgrade:
http://www.preferredguest.com/awards/upgrades/upgrades.jhtml

Starpoints
Required Options
750 Specialty 1 upgrade
1,250 Specialty 2 upgrade
3,000 Suite Upgrade - Category 1 Hotel
4,000 Suite Upgrade - Category 2 Hotel
7,000 Suite Upgrade - Category 3 Hotel
10,000 Suite Upgrade - Category 4 Hotel
10,000 - 14,000 Suite Upgrade - Category 5 Hotel*
14,000 - 20,000 Suite Upgrade - Category 6 Hotel*


I must be spending too much time on the net, if I can find the page on SPG site while William didn't.

I was just looking for this afternoon and was able to locate it. As best as I can tell, you have to be logged in to the "Your Account" portion of the website to be able to see this information. Then click the menu item "Awards" at the top of the page, then click on upgrades. You should get a page listing the required points.

I'm curious, William, you once referred to an "instant upgrade award". Seemed to be something done at the checkin once you know what room you're really getting. Can you expound a bit?

Thanks iepiat and tfjim. I could swear it was there, but just couldn't locate it. But then I didn't log on an actual account, so that probably explains it. My humblest apologies to the Interactive Marketing gurus. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif

Several types of instant awards are available to our members. Instant Upgrade may be purchased at the hotel upon arrival. You can purchase Instant Upgrade Awards on any rate, even when you are staying on a Preferred (free) Night Award. The number of Starpoints needed for these instant upgrades are as follows:

750 Starpoints per night - Specialty 1 upgrade
1,250 Starpoints per night - Specialty 2 upgrade
3,000 Starpoints per night - Suite upgrade - Category 1 Hotel
4,000 Starpoints per night - Suite upgrade - Category 2 Hotel
7,000 Starpoints per night - Suite upgrade - Category 3 Hotel
10,000 Starpoints per night - Suite upgrade - Category 4 Hotel
10,000 - 14,0000 Starpoints per night - Suite upgrade - Category 5 Hotel (depending upon season)
14,000 - 20,000 Starpoints per night - Suite upgrade - Category 6 Hotel (depending upon season)

You may also redeem Starpoints for hotel services. The redemption must be done before check out of the hotel. The hotel service award is as follows:

1,500 Starpoints - $20.00 US Hotel Services Credit

As you can see this list matches up nicely with the one iepiat provided, but they can only be redeemed at our Starwood Preferred Guest participating properties.

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 10-11-2001).]

[This message has been edited by Starwood Lurker (edited 10-11-2001).]

Just want to add when I called to book an award; level 1 and level 2 which req less points on a weekend req the same less pts for a suite. Ex level 2 room for 3000 pts req 3000 pts for suite upgrade on fri/sat nite

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Don't forget that Advance Upgrade (as oppose to Instant Upgrade) can only be confirmed within five days of arrival. They are very strict to this, at least to me a month ago.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">
5. Preferred Guests may use Starpoints for Specialty Room, Specialty Select Room, or Suite upgrades in advance. Advanced upgrade only awards may be used when paying any eligible rate. All Advanced Upgrade Awards may only be confirmed within five days of arrival. </font>



[This message has been edited by OnePassLover (edited 10-11-2001).]

Thanks for the reminder, OnePassLover. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif

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 10-12-2001).]

Ok, here are my two questions.

1) I want to book a trip to the Sheraton Bal Harbor for January and I want to use 10,000 points to upgrade to a one bedroon or larger suite. I am traveling to Miami Beach with my wife and 2 sons (5 and 2) to visit in laws and they have both a house on North Bay Road and a new luxury apartment right on the beach 3 buildings down from the Sheraton. Therefore there is no need to stay in a hotel, but enjoying the resorts amenities and pool would be a nice thing for the family. Plus I want to contribute to the travel economy if I can. I called today for rates using the UA 50% cert and the rates were good. I have ample points in AMEX to transfer to Starwood but before transferring these points how can I be sure that I will get a suite since you can't book them in advance. Our first son never had a problem sleeping in the crib in any hotel with us in the room, but the 2 year old will only scream and scream unless his crib in the dark and in his own room or corner. That means no noise, light or TV for us after 7:30p. Until he is at least 6 months older regular hotel rooms are out. So unless I can get a suite I will stay with the in laws this trip where we all get our own room. Is there any way, even for extra points, to guarantee a suite?. (Note, I am gold but only from AMEX Platinum).

2) How does one find out online about the specific suites at a hotel and which ones are and are not upgradeable?

amazing nj, five days before your arrival, call the Customer Contact Center to see if you can use 10,000 Starpoints to buy an upgrade to a suite.

As far as I know, the information you are seeking about the suites at the Sheraton Bal Harbour is not available online.

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 12-10-2001).]