Starwood Preferred Guest - Gold Gets better upgrade than Platinum!

My roommate and I both have a FWN to use (he is Gold, I am PLT). I booked a room at the W Westwood and then told him that they have 1 room left. He then uses his FWN and books the last room. A day before the stay, we both look at our reservations and his states he has been upgraded to a Fabulous suite and my reservation states a Spectacular suite. We check in within 30 minutes of each other and we both get the room we were preassigned to. I'm just wondering how it is possible that he got a better upgrade than me. Front desk clerk offered no real explanation.

I am SPG Gold with 200,000 + points. My friend is no status SPG with <1,000 points. We both check in to Hong Kong Sheraton and he gets a great room with a great view. I get an "inside" room with a view of other rooms.
After complaining, I eventually got a better room but on a lower, non-SPG floor.

Perhaps you put different arrival times on the reservation? Oftentimes the default check-in time is before SPG members upgraded the night prior would be checking out of the rooms...