Fly AA J all the way

So under FT suggestions, I moved from the Westin LAX to the Sheraton Gateway LAX. When I arrived, I asked about an upgrade to a suite or club floor. I was told that at this hotel I wasn't entitled to such upgrades as a Gold, and that only Plats got club floor. This is news to me. At the Sheraton Pomona Fairplex this week was very appologetic that the club floors were undergoing maintenance, but gave me extra drink vouchers and then had all the club amenities sent up to my room. At the W Westwood, they upgraded me right away from a queen Urban Suite to a king one, and told me they could also get me a good view or a slightly bigger living room on top of that. Then, here, I am told no club or suite or anything.

On my way to Encounters for dinner, I stopped and had a few words with the manager, telling him this was the first time I'd been denied a club floor room, and that had I checked in two minutes earlier (I checked in at 6:01) I probably would have just cancelled and gone to the Hilton. He told me that this is policy at all Sheratons, that the only upgrades they could give Golds were to suites. I explained that I'd not been given this choice at check-in, but would be very happy with that. I had to go from the 14th floor down to the 10th, but the room is twice as big, so I'm happy.

So, did I get something wrong? When I looked, the 14th floor said "SPG floor" by the elevator, but this meant nothing considering it was a crappy room in the middle of the floor and there were no free bottles of water. I'd like to think that this hotel is the one that is the one that is off, and that something hasn't changed. This is actually the stay on which I requalify for Gold (also meaning I'll likely hit Plat this year), and I can't say I was overwhelmed. William, maybe you can answer this for me in definite terms, but this just puzzled me a bit.

sc flier

The T&C's say that Golds get...
I've never been to this particular hotel, so I have no idea what the difference is between the SPG Floor and other floors. It sounds to me as if the SPG Floor is their "preferred room" simply because it is a higher floor. But if you didn't even go into a standard room on a lower floor, I don't suppose that you know if it had any extra features. (I've seen such minor additions as robes, gold faucets, upgraded coffee, upgraded soaps, and marble counters in some other hotels.)

Regardless of what makes it different, a "preferred room" is a very loose definition that some properties don't make much different from a standard room.

While you were there, it would have been a suitable time to call SPG Customer Service. I believe that there have been a number of situations like this in which the SPG Cust Service agent immediately contacted the hotel to get the facts or to set them straight.

I certainly don't understand the philosophy of upgrading to a suite but not to a Club Floor. It looks to me as if the suite's room rate is higher than the Club room's rate.

rdchen

Golds are not entitled to upgrade to suite or even the club floor. Per SPG T&C, 4B.9.a,

Ready2Go

To answer the question posed in the thread title: You do not understand the Gold benefits right. But you do seem to have figured out that many hotels reward the squeaky wheel. In that regard it sounds like you're doing just fine.

MikeBOS

In my experience, this is the norm for Gold. I've had the status for years and have *never* been upgraded to a suite or to a club floor. At best (maybe one in 8 or 10 stays) I'll get upgraded to a higher category room, and maybe 50% of the time get the SPG floor which is, as you point out, indistinguishable from other floors. The main benefits of Gold, in my experience, are the 50% point bonus and late checkout. The upgrade benefit, as many have pointed out here, isn't worth much. It sounds like you've done *much* better than average.

Fly AA J all the way

On the one hand, my SPG membership is no longer worth as much as I'd thought. On the other, I can now attribute my success at SPG hotels to my irresistable charm and good looks .

grayland

I have never been upgraded to a suite or the club floor at a SPG property, except in Uruguay. Usually just to the "preferred" floor without any club access. Never a free breakfast. I decided to look elsewhere.

I switched the majority of my stays to Hilton this year and now only have about 5 nights at SPG this year. I have been upgraded (as a gold) to executive floor with lounge access by Hilton 95% of the time with free breakfast always.

deckman

The only entitlement for a Gold is the bonus points.

yossimills

I just got back from the Sheraton Skyline - I'm a Gold.

I usually get decent rooms there with additional amenities, but this time I got a RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH room with Terribly Poor amenities (for two). This time I got unlucky and got no better than a pleb - i.e. what I booked and nothing more. They usually give me nice amenities, complimentary water, an inward-facing room and a King sized bed.

When I enquired about the upgrade, they told me "It's an executive room on the club floor) - it was on the 2nd floor and the club lounge is on the 3rd floor, and so I'm not too sure what I got. Particularly since they seem to have only 2 categories of room on SPG.com - Club and Classic.

I'd have appreciated an apology, saying "we're sorry, but it's space-available and we don't have space" to spending 10 minutes trying (unsuccessfully) to convince myself that I'd received some manner of upgrate.

It's a pity, and the first time I got a rubbish room at the Skyline in quite a few visits.

But, as a Gold, I can't expect much.

iggyv

In my experience, repeat visits as a Gold matter. So as time goes on, you will probably see upgrades or amenities offered at the Gateway. I know that multiple visits to the Westin LAX and even the 4pts LAX have given me added recognition in the form of suite upgrades at the Westin and fruit and cheese plates/preferred rooms at the 4pts.

AJLondon

and they get late check-out too.