Starwood Preferred Guest - Same city-1 night Sheraton, 1 night Westin=2 stays?

I am going to be in San Antonio for work and want to stay 1 night at the Westin and 1 night at the Sheraton downtown.

Will this count as one stay or two?

I am hoping two since different hotels, but does Starwood have a back to back rule at different hotels in the same city?

does Starwood have a back to back rule at different hotels in the same city?
No.

I am going to be in San Antonio for work and want to stay 1 night at the Westin and 1 night at the Sheraton downtown.

Will this count as one stay or two?


Two stays - I've done this many times.

If the hotels have the same management/ownership AND the same reservation system, I believe it is possible that you might only get one stay, but it is unlikely that is the case.

If the hotels have the same management/ownership AND the same reservation system, I believe it is possible that you might only get one stay, but it is unlikely that is the case.

In this case, very likely two stays. The owners are not the same, IIRC.

Regardless, we do have such a rule regarding the same hotel; however, it is up to the hotels to enforce it, so YMMV.

Sincerely,


William R. Sanders
Customer Service Coordinator
Starwood Preferred Services

guest.forum@starwoodhotels.com

. . . Regardless, we do have such a rule; however, it is up to the hotels to enforce it, so YMMV.

William, is this to say that there is a rule stating that back-to-back stays in different hotels within the same city should only be counted as one stay?

I get the YMMV reality when it comes to something like this, but I was somehow under the impression that while checking out and checking back into the same hotel qualifies as only one stay, if you change hotels it would be two.

What, exactly, is the rule? I'm very curious as to how the lines are drawn.

William, is this to say that there is a rule stating that back-to-back stays in different hotels within the same city should only be counted as one stay?

I get the YMMV reality when it comes to something like this, but I was somehow under the impression that while checking out and checking back into the same hotel qualifies as only one stay, if you change hotels it would be two.

What, exactly, is the rule? I'm very curious as to how the lines are drawn.

under the terms and conditions, it should be one stay if you in the same city. But, YMMV. it varies even if you check-in/check-out of the same hotel.

Starwood Lurker - Thank you for the info and the 'rule'.... I do have to admit, I just relooked at the Preferred Guest T&C's regarding the definition of a 'stay', and it states:

"An "Eligible Stay" is defined as one or more consecutive nights spent at the same hotel, whether or not you checked out and checked back in again, during which you paid a qualifying room rate and a Preferred Guest membership number is presented at time of registration. "

Nowhere does it have a 'rule' about it counting as 1 stay if you move hotels within a city. In fact, it specifically states counting night at the same hotel.

see: http://www.starwoodhotels.com/preferredguest/terms_conditions.html

Two stays - I've done this many times.

I have done it many times as well. Always counted as separate stays.

Duplicate; see below

I have done it many times as well. Always counted as separate stays.

I recently did a bed run in Washington DC. I stayed at various *wood properties for one night at a time and each counted as a separate stay. It was probably unnecessary; I currently have 26 stays/46 nights, but it's better to be safe than sorry.

Just @the Westin (San Anton) last week - RM 838, nice quiet corner room with water pipes that would wake the dead. If they give you this one, get another. ;)

Starwood Lurker - Thank you for the info and the 'rule'.... I do have to admit, I just relooked at the Preferred Guest T&C's regarding the definition of a 'stay', and it states:

"An "Eligible Stay" is defined as one or more consecutive nights spent at the same hotel, whether or not you checked out and checked back in again, during which you paid a qualifying room rate and a Preferred Guest membership number is presented at time of registration. "

Nowhere does it have a 'rule' about it counting as 1 stay if you move hotels within a city. In fact, it specifically states counting night at the same hotel.

see: http://www.starwoodhotels.com/preferredguest/terms_conditions.html

Sorry for any confusion. Somehow I forgot we were talking about two different hotels in mid-sentence. ;)

Sincerely,


William R. Sanders
Customer Service Coordinator
Starwood Preferred Services

guest.forum@starwoodhotels.com

More than glad to help! Perhaps I should be called "Starwood Lurker II"

dislcaimer: I have nothing to do with Starwood. I am not employeed by them, the above reference is merely meant in jest. Please, do not flame me ;)

...
Regardless, we do have such a rule regarding the same hotel; however, it is up to the hotels to enforce it, so YMMV.
...

Interestingly enough, I had a couple 'back to back' stays at the Wetin Cincinnati, inadvertently of course - for client billing purposes I kept my reservations seperate as I was visiting with each on a different day. Anyway, the hotel posted both stays individually, along with seperate platinum bonuses. I ended up having to contact SPG for another matter, and in the process, a 'nosy' rep/supervisor took it upon themselves to review my account. To make a long story short...she proceeded to delete the extra stay credits and associated platinum amenity bonus. I argued it wasn't fair in as far as the hotel already posted it and gave it to me. They argued back it is the programs right to giveth and taketh away as needed.

While I agree with the letter of the law, per the T&Cs I didn't feel this was a very customer friendly move. If this truly was a problem, they should chalk it up to hotel training and not upset a loyal customer.

William,

If you say its up to the hotel to post seperately or not to, was SPG customer care in the right to take away my 2 stay credits? Shouldn't they have left me alone and informed hotel management to not post like this in the future?

Thoughts / Help ??

Interestingly enough, I had a couple 'back to back' stays at the Wetin Cincinnati, inadvertently of course - for client billing purposes I kept my reservations seperate as I was visiting with each on a different day. Anyway, the hotel posted both stays individually, along with seperate platinum bonuses. I ended up having to contact SPG for another matter, and in the process, a 'nosy' rep/supervisor took it upon themselves to review my account. To make a long story short...she proceeded to delete the extra stay credits and associated platinum amenity bonus. I argued it wasn't fair in as far as the hotel already posted it and gave it to me. They argued back it is the programs right to giveth and taketh away as needed.

While I agree with the letter of the law, per the T&Cs I didn't feel this was a very customer friendly move. If this truly was a problem, they should chalk it up to hotel training and not upset a loyal customer.

William,

If you say its up to the hotel to post seperately or not to, was SPG customer care in the right to take away my 2 stay credits? Shouldn't they have left me alone and informed hotel management to not post like this in the future?

Thoughts / Help ??

In the Terms and Conditions of Membership it also states that we can make any adjustments to an account that may be required, so strictly speaking, they were right to take away the extra stay credit and the extra Platinum amenity points.

Personally, I usually leave them alone when I find them and alert the SPG hotel coordinator for the property to have them fix it going forward. So, I guess, YMMV as far as customer service goes as well.

Sincerely,


William R. Sanders
Customer Service Coordinator
Starwood Preferred Services

guest.forum@starwoodhotels.com

Here is a summary, so that everyone is clear about the rules as it applies to this issue:

1) Stays at the same hotel on consecutive nights are treated as a single stay, regardless of whether you booked separate reservations and checked out and checked back in. In practice, the hotels sometimes miss this, so many people receive the duplicate credit in error, but the rules are clear on the issue. As Starwood Lurker says, YMMV (your mileage may vary).

2) Stays at different hotels in the same city on consecutive nights count as multiple stays. So, for example, if you are in Chicago for three nights in a row and you spend one night at the Westin Michigan Avenue, one night at the W Lakeshore and one at the Westin Chicago River North, that is three separate stays.

Here is a summary, so that everyone is clear about the rules as it applies to this issue:


2) Stays at different hotels in the same city on consecutive nights count as multiple stays. So, for example, if you are in Chicago for three nights in a row and you spend one night at the Westin Michigan Avenue, one night at the W Lakeshore and one at the Westin Chicago River North, that is three separate stays.

Also you can stay 3 nights. Night 1 in Hotel A, Night 2 in Hotel B and night 3 in original Hotel A and also get 3 stays and 3 plt bonuses! I'm sure come Decemeber this trick is used to bump up those stays to 25.