Starwood Preferred Guest - Would you turn down this upgrade?

On a recent stay at the Sheraton Towers NYC, I booked a club level, refurbished king room. When I checked in, they gave me a suite on the 25th floor. I kept asking the agent if the suite is refurbished, and he kept on insisting that it was. Needless to say, once I got to the room, it was a tired looking suite which time seems to have past by. I was furious, went back down, and demanded what I actually reserved. It took them a full half hour to straighten things out, but I finally got the room I reserved. Long story short, I turned down this upgrade (which I do not consider to be such), but wondering what the broader group would have down.

My contention is that the following is how I perceive upgrades should work:
Scenario 1:
Room Reserved is a standard room
Upgrades would be to deluxe rooms, and then standard suites

Scenario 2:
Room reserved is a club room
Upgrades would be to special club rooms (better view, corner, etc.), and then club level suite

Since most SPG hotels do not offer upgrades from standard rooms to the club floor, how do some of them perceive moving a person from a club room to a bottom of the barrel suite an upgrade? In these instances, I would just be happy to get what I reserved.

I would have done exactly the same as you. When I am staying somewhere by myself, room size is low on my list of priorities. Here are some of the criteria (roughly in order) which are more important to me:

- location: away from the elevator and ice machine
- decor: refurbished versus old
- amenities: club floor, jacuzzi, etc.
- floor: upper floor preferred
- size: obvious

Any defects, odours or stains are automatic grounds for a trip back to the desk. I have made up to three trips back to the desk in order to get the right room. Normally, when I ask for a room away from the elevator or ice machine, they recognize me as a hotel snob, and they know to give me a good quality room. I am also always polite and empathetic.

So again, to answer your question, you're darned right I would have gone back to the desk and demanded what I reserved.

Since most SPG hotels do not offer upgrades from standard rooms to the club floor,

I'm not sure I follow you.....as upgrades from a 'standard' room to a club floor room seem to be more common than upgrades from a 'standard' room to ANY suite.

Heck....even Golds are occasionally upgraded to club floor rooms (happened at least twice to me while a Gold)......probably more likely than being upgraded to a suite of any type.

As a Plat, it's even more likely........but not as necessary as Plats are eligible for lounge access (unlike Golds) even if not actually staying in a club level room.

Also...the number of StarPoints needed to upgrade a 'standard' room to one on a club floor (if such an upgrade is available at a particular hotel) appears to be less than that needed to upgrade to any suite.

Personally, I did recently turn down an upgrade to a suite on a 'regular' floor in favor of an upgrade to a simple single king club floor room......but that was primarily because I wanted to be relatively close to the club lounge and didn't really need the extra space during that short stay. ;)

Now...a club floor suite is the best of both worlds. :cool:

A.J.

Your basic point is quality vs. quantity. A larger room is not necessarily better, especially if it's run-down.

Whether I'd accept the "upgrade" to a run-down suite or demand a renovated standard room would depend on a number of factors, the first of which is how run-down the one is compared to the other. If the suite has shabby furniture, smells funny, or has a rattling HVAC unit, that ends the discussion right there. If it's just a matter of wallpaper and a marble-tiled bath, I'm not that picky.

After that it'd depend on how long I'm staying and whether I'm traveling alone or with my spouse. On shorter trips by myself the room's quality level is more important than its amount of space. When I have to be in and out quickly I want things to look nice, work right, and fit comfortably. No surprises. On longer trips, or if there are two of us, extra space becomes more valuable. For those kinds of trips I'd be willing to make some compromises in quality to avoid feeling like the walls are closing in on me.

I'm not sure I follow you.....as upgrades from a 'standard' room to a club floor room seem to be more common than upgrades from a 'standard' room to ANY suite.

A.J.

From my experience where the club or towers section offers more amenities than the standard club lounge, I typically would not get the free upgrade from standard room to towers/club level. So, a move from the club level to standard suite, from my persepctive, is a downgrade. Though in the case of the Sheraton NYC, club level rooms do not offer more, but they are generally the newest, and on the highest floors.

I turned down a gloomy Executive Suite infavour of a bright Executive Room (with a balcony) at the LeMeridien Singapore. Both rooms were on the same floor and slightly worn, but I chose the brighter room. The Asst Manager was puzzled by my choice.

Frankly, I think you would have been within a reasonable argument of landing a renovated suite based on the front desks insistance that the suite had been renovated. Also if you are paying for a club room and access, that access should follow you to your suite upgrade even if the suite is not located on the club floor. Right?

Regards,

Scho