Starwood Preferred Guest - Staying at the Sheraton within budget

I was recently moved from one client to another in the same city and the hotel budget dropped from a respectable $150/night to only $105/night, thus pricing out my favorite (and the only nearby Sheraton). I've been stuck at a horrible little Hampton Inn for weeks now and it's driving me up the wall. Any suggestions on alternative routes/plans to make this work?

Rack Rate: $320
Company rate: $141
SPG50 rate: $160
Cash and points: unavailable
Other nearby company rates I tried: all higher than $141
Calling the hotel's corporate travel office directly: "Please use the company rate."
Calling Platinum Concierge and stonewalling for a promotion: $109 but expires at the end of August (guess what I'm using this week?) -- nothing else available into September

I'm desperate. Anyone know if they actually check for government employee ID? ;)

Yes, they do check/ask for government ID when you select government rates. If you want to stay at the Sheraton then why not pony up the $36 yourself?



I was recently moved from one client to another in the same city and the hotel budget dropped from a respectable $150/night to only $105/night, thus pricing out my favorite (and the only nearby Sheraton). I've been stuck at a horrible little Hampton Inn for weeks now and it's driving me up the wall. Any suggestions on alternative routes/plans to make this work?

Rack Rate: $320
Company rate: $141
SPG50 rate: $160
Cash and points: unavailable
Other nearby company rates I tried: all higher than $141
Calling the hotel's corporate travel office directly: "Please use the company rate."
Calling Platinum Concierge and stonewalling for a promotion: $109 but expires at the end of August (guess what I'm using this week?) -- nothing else available into September

I'm desperate. Anyone know if they actually check for government employee ID? ;)

I was recently moved from one client to another in the same city and the hotel budget dropped from a respectable $150/night to only $105/night, thus pricing out my favorite (and the only nearby Sheraton). I've been stuck at a horrible little Hampton Inn for weeks now and it's driving me up the wall. Any suggestions on alternative routes/plans to make this work?
\

If you're talking weeks, not days why not call the hotel's manager or director of sales directly and explain you have a budget of $141. I'm sure they'll work with you.

Have you tried AAA rate? or the hotel specific promotions tab on the far right of the properties's spg.bomb page?

Click on the hotel's name during an spg.com search, then try the "Hotel Offers" link that is often near the top right. Book directly from the offer you want to try. You may find something in there that will help, if it's available.

Thanks for the suggestions, guys.

AAA is in the $180s.
"Hotel Offers" only has stuff valid for the weekends.
I called the corporate travel office, as mentioned in my first post, and they said they can't offer me anything better than the client-negotiated corporate rate.
Making up the price diff would be reasonable for the very short run (one or two nights) but I'll be here three or four nights a week for the next four months. That's a little outside my Analyst-level salary (and would eat up all but $2 of my per-diem).
I thought of buying the points but as it's a Cat-3, that come's out way more expensive.


Anybody got anything else? Are there dollar or percent off coupons (other than SPG50) floating around out there? Companies that have great negotiated rates? Any way to bulk-buy nights or coupons for nights at certain categories?

You called the Hotel Manager, and explained your situation and they said no? I'm surprised. I negotiated a rate with a Sheraton after I called the hotel and told them my DH would be spending 2-3 nights at that hotel for the next 6+ months. The only rub is that I can't make the reservation on line or via the PLT desk. I have to call the hotel's reservation rep directly every week. Small price to pay to save a significant amount of money per week.

You called the Hotel Manager, and explained your situation and they said no? I'm surprised. I negotiated a rate with a Sheraton after I called the hotel and told them my DH would be spending 2-3 nights at that hotel for the next 6+ months. The only rub is that I can't make the reservation on line or via the PLT desk. I have to call the hotel's reservation rep directly every week. Small price to pay to save a significant amount of money per week.
I emailed the manager (who had given me his card once) and he forwarded my request to the Corporate Travel person. She hemmed-and-hawed and eventually said that the client-negotiated rate was the best they could do. It is definitely way cheaper than the "Best Available Rate" shown without logging into SPG, just not quite cheap enough.

I hear You. about all you can do then is to play the Switch Hotels every night game. 1 night at the Sheraton and the next at the Hampton Inn, this will get you close to if not top status with both. and this way you wont have to pay out the extra $36 every night.

If you do this and since from your profile you say you're a SPG Plat you will get 500 pts each time you check in instead of just 500 for the whole stay.

I hear You. about all you can do then is to play the Switch Hotels every night game. 1 night at the Sheraton and the next at the Hampton Inn, this will get you close to if not top status with both. and this way you wont have to pay out the extra $36 every night.

If you do this and since from your profile you say you're a SPG Plat you will get 500 pts each time you check in instead of just 500 for the whole stay.

I love FlyerTalk'er logic! ^ If it were me, I'd probably do this! :D

I emailed the manager (who had given me his card once) and he forwarded my request to the Corporate Travel person. She hemmed-and-hawed and eventually said that the client-negotiated rate was the best they could do. It is definitely way cheaper than the "Best Available Rate" shown without logging into SPG, just not quite cheap enough.

Have you ever seen the rate you need posted for that hotel? That's how I got around it. I said that I saw that rate on the web site, albeit for a limited time, and hoped they would give it to me. They did. My rate is significantly lower than the BAR.

I emailed the manager (who had given me his card once) and he forwarded my request to the Corporate Travel person. She hemmed-and-hawed and eventually said that the client-negotiated rate was the best they could do. It is definitely way cheaper than the "Best Available Rate" shown without logging into SPG, just not quite cheap enough.

Try the manager again. Explain that the corporate travel person could not get you within your company's budget of $105, just the client's rate of $141. Remind him you're talking about weeks of stays, not just a few nites. Be prepared to negotiate. Would you accept $125/night?

It may also help for you to tell us the property. But honestly, the $36 difference between the Hampton and Sharaton sounds about right or even a deal in most markets.

I emailed the manager (who had given me his card once) and he forwarded my request to the Corporate Travel person. She hemmed-and-hawed and eventually said that the client-negotiated rate was the best they could do. It is definitely way cheaper than the "Best Available Rate" shown without logging into SPG, just not quite cheap enough.

Also, I would call instead of e-mailing. It's easier to whip off a quick no on an e-mail, versus saying no to a live body.

Wow! Thanks for all the suggestions, guys. It's the Sheraton Overland Park at the Convention Center (Overland Park, KS -- just south of Kansas City).

Try the manager again. Explain that the corporate travel person could not get you within your company's budget of $105, just the client's rate of $141. Remind him you're talking about weeks of stays, not just a few nites. Be prepared to negotiate. Would you accept $125/night?

It may also help for you to tell us the property. But honestly, the $36 difference between the Hampton and Sharaton sounds about right or even a deal in most markets.
I'll do this. No, $125 would be too much, seeing as it's already $121 with all the taxes on the $104 rate. And it is much more than $36 different -- closer to $70, but the Hampton is pretty much the only thing in range under $105.

Have you ever seen the rate you need posted for that hotel? That's how I got around it. I said that I saw that rate on the web site, albeit for a limited time, and hoped they would give it to me. They did. My rate is significantly lower than the BAR.
I got a great $104 promotional rate, but it expires at the end of this week. I had a great lady on Plat Concierge helping me trying to push it through (literally, she sat on the phone with me for over an hour) but couldn't make it work. Any suggestions on how to resurrect a dead rate?

I hear You. about all you can do then is to play the Switch Hotels every night game. 1 night at the Sheraton and the next at the Hampton Inn, this will get you close to if not top status with both. and this way you wont have to pay out the extra $36 every night.

If you do this and since from your profile you say you're a SPG Plat you will get 500 pts each time you check in instead of just 500 for the whole stay.
I'm actually already top status with HH, too. The points would be great, but aren't my main concern. I hate the Hampton. I love the Sheraton. Hotel quality, cleanliness, people -- it's all just night and day. Unfortunately, I'm not sure my manager would go for the "but if you average it out, it's pretty close!" argument. I may try, though...

I think another part of the problem is that this hotel has no problem maintaining nearly 90% occupancy -- they are already sold out for a few different weeks in the fall! They don't need my money, so why should they help me out? (Other than to win a fan for life! PLEASE!)

William, care to help an FTer out? :D

I got a great $104 promotional rate, but it expires at the end of this week. I had a great lady on Plat Concierge helping me trying to push it through (literally, she sat on the phone with me for over an hour) but couldn't make it work. Any suggestions on how to resurrect a dead rate?

Since you got this promotional rate, I would call the hotel manager, again explain that this hotel has run the promotional rate, can't they extend it for you on an on going basis. This is exactly what I did, and they accommodated. But like I said previously, if they make the accommodation you may have to phone a specific person at the hotel to make your reservations as the rate override is a manual process.

...William, care to help an FTer out? :D

Not on this deal. Can't begin to tell you how much authority I don't have in revenue matters involving hotels. :o

Best regards,

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

guest.forum@starwoodhotels.com

I think another part of the problem is that this hotel has no problem maintaining nearly 90% occupancy -- they are already sold out for a few different weeks in the fall! They don't need my money, so why should they help me out?

Ding, ding, ding.

When I had an 8 person project in Milwaukee for 4 months ($50K in revenue), our corporate travel department, which has a special group dedicated to negotiating project-specific rates, was able to get $85/night, lounge access, and double points for the entire team, at a property with a $125 corporate rate and $140-$150 BAR rate.

When I moved to lead a team of 40+ in NYC, projected to last nearly a year (that's $1.6M in revenue) , the same team came up with nothing - corporate rate of $279 vs. BAR of $300'ish was the best they could do.

Supply and demand.

This may not be a popular opinion here, but honestly- you're WANTING to stay at the Sheraton because you "hate" the Hampton Inn. There really isn't any benefit to your employer or client and if you want this so much then why won't you pay the $36 differential (not sure how you're coming up with $75 since you're saying that it's $104 for the base rate at the Sheraton - are you paying $30 at the Hampton Inn?) :confused:

Otherwise, if you're not willing to pay the differential, you have exhausted talking with the GM, the Platinum line, etc. then why not just wait until there is another promotional rate? Or, look for another hotel in the Kansas City area that does meet your expense requirements.

This may not be a popular opinion here, but honestly- you're WANTING to stay at the Sheraton because you "hate" the Hampton Inn. There really isn't any benefit to your employer or client and if you want this so much then why won't you pay the $36 differential (not sure how you're coming up with $75 since you're saying that it's $104 for the base rate at the Sheraton - are you paying $30 at the Hampton Inn?) :confused:

Otherwise, if you're not willing to pay the differential, you have exhausted talking with the GM, the Platinum line, etc. then why not just wait until there is another promotional rate? Or, look for another hotel in the Kansas City area that does meet your expense requirements.
Wow. Unexpected.

I'm staying at the Hampton for $85. The best I can get at the Sheraton right now is $141. That makes the difference $56. Sorry, not the near $70 I guessed but certainly not anything you're thinking.

I already addressed why I can't make up the difference in post #5, right after the last time you asked.

The benefit to my employer/client is that I and the rest of the broken and damned wouldn't be fighting so hard to get off this project. Morale? Ya know?

Wow! Thanks for all the suggestions, guys. It's the Sheraton Overland Park at the Convention Center (Overland Park, KS -- just south of Kansas City).

I just plugged a few different weeks in Sept. into spg.bomb and wow, you get a good corporate rate compared to mine at $194.10 Seeing that it's a convention hotel, I'm guessing you will have some really high rates/occupancy and some lows depending on the conventions.

good luck!

There is an AAA rate promo code AAANAD (2 day min stay)
http://www.starwoodhotels.com/sheraton/search/pre_decider_all.html?propertyID=1400&ratePlanName=AAANAD&IM=SOP_AAAPART_SI_1400_MOUSD 105.00 + charges & taxes = USD 122.36
Rate Includes $20.00 Credit Per Stay...
I would think that you should be able to negotiate $95++.

The AARP rate is available on a lot of days for $105++. You are not old enough (50??) to be be a AARP member but you can get an SO who is of age to get a membership and name you as the SO. Then you can get the AARP membership rate.

There is an AAA rate promo code AAANAD (2 day min stay)
http://www.starwoodhotels.com/sheraton/search/pre_decider_all.html?propertyID=1400&ratePlanName=AAANAD&IM=SOP_AAAPART_SI_1400_MOUSD 105.00 + charges & taxes = USD 122.36
Rate Includes $20.00 Credit Per Stay...
I would think that you should be able to negotiate $95++.
That looks like a great rate, but it doesn't seem valid on any weekdays! I tried every Monday-Thursday from now until the end of October and it was never valid. What days do you see it?

Now that I'm armed with this and another good-lookin-but-mythical rate, I'll go back and try to negotiate again. Thanks!

That looks like a great rate, but it doesn't seem valid on any weekdays! I tried every Monday-Thursday from now until the end of October and it was never valid. What days do you see it? ...I tried today 8/30/2007 to 9/1/2007 and it is available then. Looks like only available for Thu-Mon.

The $105++ AARP rate is available lots of dates if you check in on Sunday.

The $105++ AARP rate is available lots of dates if you check in on Sunday.Are 22 yr olds eligible? ;) What's the code? Just "AARP"?

Are 22 yr olds eligible? ;) What's the code? Just "AARP"?You are if your 50+ year old spouse/partner is an AARP member :) Find someone. Select the "Senior Discount" rate. The hotels do occasionally ask to see your membership card, I bet they will 100% of the time for you. When your spouse/partner joins you can print a temporary on online.

http://www.aarp.org/membership/aarp/Anyone 50 or over can get all the great benefits of membership in AARP for only $12.50 a year. And membership includes your spouse or partner, free!

Hmm. I'm pulling up $189 for AARP -- even checking in on a Sunday. Yes, I am considering this. :P

Hmm. I'm pulling up $189 for AARP -- even checking in on a Sunday. Yes, I am considering this. :PAARP rates that I was seeing a few hours ago are no longer there. Was this a bug in spg.com (never :) ) or is someone reading this thread and changed the rate? (am I being paranoid)