Starwood Preferred Guest - time period for platinum room guarantee?

This is posted on the SPG website under platinum benefits:
"Guaranteed Availability: You'll have a room with us, guaranteed, whenever you make reservations 72 hours or more in advance."

I called the SPG service center tonight at 8pm EST to make a reservation at the Sheraton Omaha, arriving Thursday around 11pm for two nights. The hotel is sold out and I was hoping they could get me a room with the platinum room guarantee. I was told by the rep that I needed to call three full days before. I read to her the website guarantee of 72 hours and she wouldn't budge. She said it is three full days and the latest I could have called was Sunday night.

Can someone please clarify? I think the website should be updated if this is the case.

It is three days prior by 4pm. So, if you want a room on Friday, you have to call by 4pm *hotel time* Tuesday. The hotel time is a kicker, and some will forget, but they call the hotel and force it.

but then, why does the web site say 72 hours?

I dont know, and William, you probably need to fix that. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

It does say "Platinum Preferred Guests will be guaranteed one room for personal use only for reservations made at least 72 hours prior to the date of arrival."

Date of arrival. So, technically, you would have to reserve by Midnight Monday to fall outside of that 72 hour by "Date" on friday.

Basically, they set an arbitrary "arrival time" so the hotels have a set time. Though, a good Platinum concierge will probably call the hotel to see what they can do. They should do that even within the 72 hours. The hotel itself has a lot more discretion than SPG does.

[This message has been edited by StacyCat (edited 04-23-2002).]