Starwood Preferred Guest - Change date from old cat award booking?

Hi All,

So I was smart enough to use some of my points at a hotel that was a category 5 and is now a category 6 before most of the category changes went into effect. I booked for this coming August. I was dumb enough to book about 2 weeks off from when I'm actually able to go on vacation. My question: Is there a way for me to change my dates, while still keeping this old award rate (i.e. 12,000 per night rather than 20,000 per night)? Or is it the case that if I change my dates, I will have to pay the new cat 6 rate for all nights?

Thanks!

If you change your dates on reservations booked under old point system you will have to pay the new category rate. Sorry

If you call the hotel directly they *may* be willing to adjust the dates.
I know it can be done, but they are certainly under no obligation to do so. If you call corportate reservations they will have to charge you the new starpoint cat.

A related question - if I cancel a starpoints award reservation, what's the policy on refunding points? Do you get a full refund, or partial, or what? And how late can you cancel? I seriously did try searching for this, but I couldn't find it.

A related question - if I cancel a starpoints award reservation, what's the policy on refunding points? Do you get a full refund, or partial, or what?...

As long as you cancel within the property's cancellation policy, you get the all of the points back.

...And how late can you cancel?

Without penalty, you mean? I ask because you can still cancel even though the cancellation policy has passed, but you will lose either the Starpoints or whatever number of nights the hotel charges at RACK rate plus taxes if you do.

I seriously did try searching for this, but I couldn't find it.

Really? Maybe you aren't looking in the right place. ;) This is what it says in the Terms and Conditions of Membership in SPG:

9. USE OF STARPOINTS: HOTEL AWARDS

9.1 Participating Property standard guarantee policies and cancellation policies apply for all hotel Awards, as well as all other reservation and use of services requirements. These requirements include standard reservation requirements such as, but not limited to, minimum length of stay requirements and charges for late cancellation. Credit cards may be required to guarantee a Free Night Award reservation. Failure to cancel a guaranteed reservation within the permitted cancellation time will result in the cancellation fee charged by that property, whether it is a monetary charge and/or the loss of the redeemed Starpoints. Cancellation policies vary by property.

Best regards,

William R. Sanders
Online Guest Feedback Coordinator
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide

guest.forum@starwoodhotels.com

Thanks! I guess the T&C isn't where I looked, but I did google search for various things like starwood award cancellation and also searched the spg.com website and FAQ, and really couldn't find it. But thanks for answering, now I know!

Can a day be subtracted from an existing reservation made before the Points changes without repricing the entire reservation to the new higer point levels?

Can a day be subtracted from an existing reservation made before the Points changes without repricing the entire reservation to the new higer point levels?

Yes, I'd done that.

Can a day be subtracted from an existing reservation made before the Points changes without repricing the entire reservation to the new higer point levels?

I've done it too, but I'm pretty sure it has to be done over the telephone rather than the Internet (no great hardship there).