Starwood Preferred Guest - Internet Only Fully Prepaid/Non-Refundable

Can I participate with following Rate in the Weekendpromotion and can collect I with it Starpoints?

Internet Only Fully Prepaid/Non-Refundable

If this is booked from the Starwood Web site, yes. You would earn Starpoints and stay credit.

Best regards,

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

guest.forum@starwoodhotels.com

Not related to your question, but related to how you booked it...

Be sure to carefully watch you credit card billing when booking these pre-paid stays. Also be sure to watch your SPG account carefully on these.

Sometimes they bill your card in advance (as they said they would), but when you arrive at the hotel, there is no record of pre-payment and they nick you again and you have to sort out the over/double billing when you get home.

Sometimes they don't bill your card in advance, but you assumed they did, so when you check-out from your hotel, you are suprised and confused when the hotel presents you will a bill for your room nights.

Sometimes, when you check-out, you only get a bill that shows incidentals and does not show the room night or prepayment at all. In these cases, you sometimes don't get stay credit and points for your room nights until you call Customer Service and provide them with the details after the fact.

Sometimes you get a bill at check-out that does show the room nights and the prepayment (if they did one), which is best because you then know you are going to get your points and stay credit.

So, in other words, totally inconsistant property by property on these prepaid non-refundable bookings.

IMHO, a minor problem considering the savings. But do wish they could get consistant on this.

I speak from great experience in this regards.

Whenever I do any booking on-line, I make sure I print out the final transaction page or any page that contains a list of payments or confirmation numbers. I stick the printouts in an envelope or my planner, and take the with me when I travel.

It's always a horrible experience when you reach an overbooked hotel that "lost" your reservation. So, after the one time it happened to me, I learned to make sure I have documentation with me!

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by NickyD:
[B]Whenever I do any booking on-line, I make sure I print out the final transaction page or any page that contains a list of payments or confirmation numbers. I stick the printouts in an envelope or my planner, and take the with me when I travel. [B]</font>

I make extra sure to do this when the room rate I book includes extras (such as buffet breakfast). Just last week I was at a hotel that swore breakfast was not included in my rate plan, and only relented after the General Manager came out and examined my print-out.

Incidentally, this was a pre-paid rate booked through the starwood site. Interestestly, when the desk clerk asked me what type of rate I booked and from where, she said, "But this is not a prepaid rate."

[This message has been edited by dw (edited 03-18-2002).]

Yes. Always a good idea to hit the "Rate Details" link and print out a copy of that along with the confirmation page.

Many a time a rate included breakfast, a dinner or some other element, and they didn't know anything about it at check-in.

If you don't have a copy of the deal with you, ask them to call Starwood Central Reservations, as they always seem to have all of the original booking details in their database, even if the property does not.

But it's probably simpler just to print out your "proofs" and bring them along with you to present if needed.