Starwood Preferred Guest - Can confirmed hotel rate be changed by hotel?

I booked a room at the Westin Bonaventure in L.A. months ago for a conference last week at a rate of $99/night which is the government rate. I have valid i.d., etc. When I was checking in, they announced that my rate had been increased to $106 per night since the government allowable rate had increased since the time I booked my reservation. I tried to argue that I was being penalized for booking early, but had no luck. I had no choice but to accept the $106 rate since I had no where else to go. Now I will have to justify the rate change to my fiscal office next week since that was not the rate quoted in my travel authorization. Grrr...

Has anyone else had this happen to them?

TF

What they did is illegal. If it goes down would they lower the rate? A hotel should not change the rate when you get there. This is basically price gouging since you were desperate for the room at that point and stuck. Besides the canceltation penalty had passed. They didn't take any steps to notify you either.

I would send a letter to GM asking for
(1)A cease and desist of doing this to everyone affected (not just you)
(2) Refund of $6
(3) Some type of punitive damages be it 10% off next time or points or a search of their records to refund $$ to everyone overcharged as they collected $$$ off people who didn't have the time to complain.

I mean changing rate on you and others is a classaction offense. When you book it did it say they can change rate on you?

I had something similar happen at the Westin in Princeton about a year or so ago. They were in the process of refurbishing it (used to be a Marriot, I think) and were not open for business at the time I made the booking - about 2 months before I was due to stay. The rate was superb, something like $70 for an executive room, and not pre-paid so was still cancellable. However when I checked on SPG.com just be fore my trip, the booking was still there, but with a different booking reference, and a VERY different rate ($300+).
I still had the original confirmation email, so I forwarded that to *W and they (eventually) put it back the way it was. No excuse offered, or apology for that matter, but I was lucky I had evidence of the original booking.
I would have thought a quick email to customer service (hah!) with whatever back-up you have might get some response, but I dare say they won't back down now they have your money.
So your experience is not unique. Sorry I can't be of more help.
Sleepy

Normally I would say you have full rights to the previous rate, but since you mentioned govt rate, it may be a bit different. They probably changed their rates since the govt rate in the area went up for the 2004 Per Diem year, which starts in October 2003. So from the hotel's point of view you had booked the maximum govt per diem rate, which per the govt just changed to $106.

I'm not sure if it makes a difference legally, but it is difference than a one-sided hotel change to your rate -- in this case, an outside body sets the max rates that these hotels can charge.

Even with the govt rate excuse, it sounds like a deceptive trade practice. Your state attorney general or governor's office of consumer affairs might have a thing or two to say to them.

starwood's ever-increasing practice known as "nickel and dime." http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/rolleyes.gif

i am not a lawyer, but this must be illegal, no? if you have a confirmation letter with the lower rate, how can they change it to a higher rate without notifying you first? http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/rolleyes.gif

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by pitflyer:
They probably changed their rates since the govt rate in the area went up for the 2004 Per Diem year, which starts in October 2003. So from the hotel's point of view you had booked the maximum govt per diem rate, which per the govt just changed to $106.</font>

It's the maximum per diem rate that went up, which is absolutely no excuse for changing the previously agreed upon rate. It's not like the governement mandates that hotels charge the listed maximum rate, many hotels have their government rates well below the maximum allowable.

Maybe you should run this by Hotel Customer Service and see what they say? 800-328-6242.

Sincerely,

William R. Sanders
Customer Service Coordinator
Starwood Preferred Services

guest.forum@starwoodhotels.com

A coworker and I just checked out of the Westin Bonaventure today on gov rates. While we didn't have the problem you mentioned, for each of us they tried to give us rooms that were not what we reserved (doubles instead of kings, told us that we both didn'thave profiles setup when we did, etc).

My biggest annoyance has just been places that only offer governement rates above the per diem. Like in SF (which went from $159 to $139 this year) all the hotels dropped to the new lower rate except for the W. I can understand not offering the rate when they are booked up, but choosing not to offer it at all...

I agree that this practice is deceptive and probably illegal. However, when the per diem went up in Washington a few years ago, this happened to several people I know, at Starwood and non-Starwood hotels. Some folks complained, but I don't know anybody that won the complaint. But, I don't think anybody tried too hard, either.

Yes .. this sounds illegal.

I checked into a *wood last year (unnamed) and was told the rate went up because I had put in my request an upgrade (like I usually do only for special occasions/leisure trips). Being a Plat, I am often given this upgrade gratis but was stunned that they were insisting the upgrade was a +$100 increase in rate. I called SPG Plat line and they squared it away immediately and said the hotel was in error. Call SPG .. they should take care of this ...

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by AA_SPG_Fan:
...Call SPG .. they should take care of this ...</font>

Please don't call SPG. Starwood Preferred Guest is the frequent stay program. They can do nothing about a billing/rate issue. If you call SPG, they will only transfer you to Hotel Customer Service.

Sincerely,

William R. Sanders
Customer Service Coordinator
Starwood Preferred Services

guest.forum@starwoodhotels.com

Thanks, William. I finally got around to calling customer service who agreed that it was not right for the hotel to change the rate at check-in. However, they had to send the info back to the Westin Bonaventure for them to resolve it for me. I guess I'll wait the 7-10 days and see what happens.

TF

Update on situation:
The manager of the Westin Bonaventure called me and told me basically what the front desk person said. They have the right to change the guaranteed government rate if it goes up after the reservation is made. He kept telling me that I was told at check-in since there was a note in the computer to tell me. Well, I wasn't told and I didn't like that he implied that I was forgetting that I was told. I know when to cut my losses. The ironic part is that if I had been informed at check-in, I would not have been annoyed enough to complain over the $7 difference.

I just calmly logged on to spg.com and cancelled my remaining Starwood hotel stays and rebooked at other hotels.

TF

[This message has been edited by TropicalFlyer (edited Nov 29, 2003).]

What an absolute idiot of a Manager. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/mad.gif

I cannot believe a Manager would call back a customer over a trivial $6 a night issue to DENY anyone the right to access it.

I hope William emails him this thread. VIA head office. Talk about nickel and diming. And now they lost the booking - what a marketing genius that Manager has proven to be for Starwood. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/rolleyes.gif