snufl

Recently I was looking to book a room at the SOTP Sydney. The rates were higher than usual but what grabbed my attention was every room description included "executive club access" and there was no availability for redemptions online.

I mentioned in another thread and here is what I understand the situation to be. Rooms normally available as standard rooms change to specialty rooms because they include club access. They can be redeemed, but only for a higher number of points. At the time I thought it was one-off so I didn't worry about it.

This morning I've found the same situation with dates as far ahead as August. If interested try looking at 15th March for 2 nights. I could normally book some of the rooms listed for 10K points but now they will cost more points because they include club access, something I'm entitled to as a Plat.

Considering the no blackout dates for standard rooms, I find this a bit "iffy".

Starwood Lurker

We discussed before that this particular room type is not a standard room. It is on the Specialty Select award rate plan, so it costs extra Starpoints.

You didn't want to believe me then, but that doesn't make this a standard room.

Best regards,

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

[email protected]

snufl

William, I do believe you, you are my guru However, my understanding it is the inclusion of club access alone that puts it on the Specialty rate plan.

If that is the case any hotel with a lounge could include club access in the rate description of every room at any time and therefore only offer standard room redemptions at off-peak times. Hypothetically, I could redeem room 1016 one week for 10K but next week 1016 would be 11.5K because it includes club access.

I was told on the phone it was because all "standard rooms" were sold out, even in August, due to high demand. I can't get my head around this, it seems like introducing a peak period to cat 4 but in a round about way.

I'm not trying to prove a point here, I'm trying to work out the real value of my status for another year. One of my Plat benefits is club access. If I have no option but to pay extra points for a room because it includes club access, it diminishes the value of that Plat benefit.

If you check my posts you will find I praise more than dissent and I do value both your participation and that of SLII. If this is the way it is, then it is, I'll just have to factor it into my calculations of cost/benefit.

Starwood Lurker

That might be true as including executive level access is going to add more value to the room. A room with more value naturally sells for more money, whether it be cash or Starpoints.

The hole in your theory is thinking that this changes from week to week. I can assure that it does not. There are two room types and 50 rooms total affected by this and there are another 239 rooms still available as standard rooms under the SPG4 rate plan.

I can find SPG4 standard rooms all through 2010; however, it is true that they are sometimes sold out for consecutive days in a stretch.

I don't think you are out of line to question this at all. But, when you've been given the right answer twice now, I think it's time to accept it.

Best regards,

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

[email protected]

myperks

Availability is frustrating, isn't it...
i had this happen once, can't find standard rooms but only club access rooms available which i get regardless with platinum... solution...check often, since it is for august, hopefully some more standard rooms will open up.

kitsura

Now the real question is, "Does the lounge charge for soft drinks during non-regular hours?"

soitgoes

Thanks for this key piece of info. At first I was thinking that this seems sort of sneaky, but seeing the number of rooms allotted to each type, I changed my mind. With a ratio of 239:50, standard is indeed standard--even if it's popular and books up.

3Cforme

I will take a contrary opinion - and offer thanks to the OP for pointing out the problem.

SPG already has lots of flexibility in what it defines as a standard room. If the definition consistently and completely maps to classic/superior/deluxe I have missed the connection. Taking a standard room and adding a modest service element, with the resulting combination neither bookable online nor available for standard points redemption - that's well down the slippery slope. What's next:

Standard + valet parking to yield non-standard?

Standard + breakfast to yield non-standard?

Standard + restaurant credit to yield non-standard?

stevens397

I understand the OP's concern and William's response.

To the OP -

If you are committed to certain dates, it often pays to search those nights on a night by night basis. You might find standard rooms available for some of the days, tho it will not show up that way when you look at five days in a row. It often works when looking for Cash & Points too.

snufl

This has made me feel much better as well. If the allocation of 239 rooms has to be exhausted before the 50 "club" rooms come into play, I can live with that.

My initial understanding (or misunderstanding) was that in periods of historically high occupancy any proportion of the 289 could be reclassed as club rooms.

3544quebec

Report in today's Sydney Morning Herald somewhat explains Sydney's lack of room availability and current high prices

The NSW Australian Hotels Association chief, Sally Fielke, could not be happier with the start to the year.

''Sydney and metropolitan hotels have had on average 90 to 95 per cent occupancy throughout February 2010, which is significantly better than in February 2009,'' she said. ''Much of this is related to the many fantastic events being held across Sydney.''

RLG

I agree with those who feel better on hearing the ratio of standard to non-standard rooms and that it doesn't vary with seasons at the OP's property.

I'm having a similar issue with the Westin Riverfront in Avon, Colorado. I'm looking for the night of 2/27. From now to the end of March they have no standard rooms available for points reservations. However, they have rooms which seem pretty darn similar available for cash.

Award room description: "400 Sq Feet Standard View Mountain Comfort Brings Outside Indoors With Warm Colors And Oversized Windows-eco Friendly:

Alleged non-standard room description: "400 Sq Ft Mountain Or River View. Comfort Brings Outside Indoors With Warm Colors And Oversized Windows-eco Friendly".

The sole difference in the text is that one has a "standard view mountain" while the other has "mountain or river view". Are these actually two different room categories and how many are allocated to each one?

sc flier

Every room in the hotel has a view of mountains. Some have a view on the river side of the hotel, and some are on the front side that faces toward the town of Avon?

Here are some photos from Feb 2008 when it was still under construction. First is the river side. The last photo is from a corner living room on the front side away from the river and Beaver Creek.

I'm not sure that there's a good answer about how many of each are allocated, but you can imagine that there are a number on the front side of the building and another number on the back side (river side). The numbers can change because the standard rooms in this condo-hotel are all lock-offs from larger suites. If the entire multi-bedroom suite is offered in inventory, then the lock-off is not in inventory.

River side




Front side

Starwood Lurker II

According to the information I have, these two rooms are of different categories and the standard room should be that of a "standard view".

[email protected]

Thyetus Lee | Online Forum Coordinator(AP)
Starwood Customer Contact Centre (AP) Pte Ltd

soitgoes

Can you look up how many "standard" rooms there are at the hotel out of how many total rooms?
Thanks!