Starwood Preferred Guest - Why do they give me a crappy room just because it's on the SPG floor?

I stayed a couple nights this week at the Sheraton University City in Philly. I checked in, and asked if an upgrade was possible. I got the "Oh, you're on our SPG floor" :rolleyes: which is their nice way of saying "take a hike." Well, I got up to the room, and, not only was it not upgraded, it had two double beds (I had to phone in the reservation, and didn't specify what kind of room I wanted). So I go back down and ask them if they might have something with a king or queen. They say "Well, yes, but you'd have to give up the SPG floor" to which I respond "Gladly." So, instead of a room in the middle of the hall, with two beds on the 15th floor, I have a corner king on the 7th floor. So ...? Wouldn't they just assume that a freqent hotel stayer would go for the corner king every time? Or is there something wonderful about the SPG floor that I'm missing?

I stayed a couple nights this week at the Sheraton University City in Philly. I checked in, and asked if an upgrade was possible. I got the "Oh, you're on our SPG floor" :rolleyes: which is their nice way of saying "take a hike." Well, I got up to the room, and, not only was it not upgraded, it had two double beds (I had to phone in the reservation, and didn't specify what kind of room I wanted). So I go back down and ask them if they might have something with a king or queen. They say "Well, yes, but you'd have to give up the SPG floor" to which I respond "Gladly." So, instead of a room in the middle of the hall, with two beds on the 15th floor, I have a corner king on the 7th floor. So ...? Wouldn't they just assume that a freqent hotel stayer would go for the corner king every time? Or is there something wonderful about the SPG floor that I'm missing?

You missed nothing other than maybe a free bottle of water. IME, most Starwoods don't even bother putting SPG guests on SPG floors any more; it seems pretty much random. And as many have written here, upgrades for Golds in the US seem to occur with about the same frequency as upgrades for non-SPG members.

The bottom line is that most of the time, Gold does nothing to get you a better room, though some have reported luck by putting an explicit upgrade request in the comments field when reserving online.

You missed nothing other than maybe a free bottle of water.


Nope, had them comp me that ;). Told them that afaik, as SPG Gold, I got one of those, and I wanted it. They gave me the line about the SPG floor getting it, to which I responded that the SPG floor room was crummy, so I'd switched for a better one. They took all four bottles I drank off the bill :D.

The Sheraton Uptown in Albuquerque has always upgraded me - even as a gold! Either a suite or a room on the 'club floor' with free breakfast in the 'club floor lounge'.

Isn't that Sheraton not exactly known for service?

-Vincent

I hate the upgrade to the Starwood floor...what the heck is that any way? I always get it in Charlotte and it is the nosiest floor...always.

Ya know the way UA has started boarding by "columns" instad of rows, windows, middles, aisles? SPG needs to start having SPG "columns" whereby the corner rooms are saved for elites. What really got me on this trip was that my key card for the first room came in this fancy gold holder that said "You've been upgraded." When I switched rooms, I almost asked how bad the original room, before the upgrade would have been, because I couldn't imagine it on my own.

Ya know the way UA has started boarding by "columns" instad of rows, windows, middles, aisles? SPG needs to start having SPG "columns" whereby the corner rooms are saved for elites. What really got me on this trip was that my key card for the first room came in this fancy gold holder that said "You've been upgraded." When I switched rooms, I almost asked how bad the original room, before the upgrade would have been, because I couldn't imagine it on my own.

Fly AA, that's really funny, if not true (sadly) btw.

You missed nothing other than maybe a free bottle of water. IME, most Starwoods don't even bother putting SPG guests on SPG floors any more; it seems pretty much random. And as many have written here, upgrades for Golds in the US seem to occur with about the same frequency as upgrades for non-SPG members.

The bottom line is that most of the time, Gold does nothing to get you a better room, though some have reported luck by putting an explicit upgrade request in the comments field when reserving online.
The requests go through without having to put it in the comments, although making a remark about it doesn't hurt.

The trick with gold upgrades is to show up early, and ask if they can put you up somewhere. If they have space plus a few extra rooms, they'll do it. Otherwise, if there are a few rooms left, it won't happen. It's capacity controlled.

The adage "upgrades for Golds in the US seem to occur with about the same frequency as upgrades for non-SPG members" is true, only that as a Gold, I can ask and not feel like sleaze bag, being that Golds are entitled to an upgrade.

I'm 3/6 on gold upgrades to club this year, FYI.