702Jimmy

Just recently SPG denied me points for having two stays the same night in two different hotels... this is the first time this has happened. I checked into one property for a week and kept the room so I wouldn't have to pack everything up and take it for one night to another hotel in a different city that I needed to make a trip to for work. I was only checked into the other airport hotel for about twelve hours on points then traveled back to where I had my room for the week.

Everything was okay at first, I received credit and points for both stays. Then about five days later they canceled all of my points for the week stay that was over $2,500 but lucky me they let me keep the points for the one night stay during that period that I received the 500 point platinum welcome amenity and a few points for dining but canceled about 10k points on the other stay that were earned with promotions etc.

To me this doesn't make any sense, if this is their policy then in the future if I do the same I'll just stay with Hilton or another competitor. I've done this in the past with no problems. I don't see why they would want to lose business over a few points but here is their response:

Thank you for your email reply. I do apologize for any frustration or disappointment this has caused.

A stay is defined as one or more paid consecutive nights consumed in a participating Starwood Hotel or Resort regardless of the number of check-ins or checkouts that occur. You may not receive stay credit and Starpoints for more than one stay per date or in more than one hotel per night. Unfortunately, our records indicate that another stay was credited to your account during this same period. As per section 2.8.c of the SPG Terms and Conditions, Starwood may correct the amount of Starpoints shown as credited to an SPG Member at any time.

If you are a registered guest, you may receive Starpoints for Eligible Charges for up to three rooms (i.e., your room plus two others) if all such rooms are registered in your name at the same hotel and you personally settle all room charges upon checkout. Multiple rooms on the same stay count as only one "stay" in order to earn elite levels of membership and for threshold bonuses and promotions.

RogerD408

This does happen from time to time. My guess is the system kicks it out as an error and some "human" makes a decision. Unfortunately, they may be thinking what's best for SPG and not you, hence the longer stay being negated. I suggest you call in and speak with someone and explain what has happened and request full credit for both properties. If they are not willing/able to help, contact Customer Care to escalate.

If you're not up for that, send a PM to the Lurkers with your particulars and ask if they would be up for helping you out.

Dr. HFH

I don't think that this was caught by the system. I've done it more than once with no problem. Not going to post the details here, obviously, but I have a friend who sometimes is not up for the spend where I'm staying, so I put him at a less costly Starwood property not too far away. Both rooms in my name and I get stay, nights and points all posted to my account for both rooms.

rooivalk

Why did they cancel the longer one and not the shorter one? Can't you give up the shorter stay instead of the longer stay?

m0hamed

I have had multiple *wood properties booked on the same nights in Egypt, Greece and Spain.

One example is booking a week at the W BCN, and take a 3 day trip to the Westin Valencia and Le Meridien Ra Beach, but wanted to return to BCN before we fly home, and wanting to leave our luggage at the W.

In all my stays, I have only received points for these stays, never extra night or stay credits. I thought that was the policy?

RAPC

That was my understanding too - you can get credits for multiple rooms at one property, but not multiple properties on the same night.

MSPeconomist

You shouldn't get credit for the cheaper hotel where you are not staying.

Dr. HFH

I'd have to see the applicable rule. I checked in personally at the front desk with my credit card. At checkout, I was again there personally with my credit card. If I am entitled per the rules to receive credit for up to three rooms in the same hotel, one might make an argument that up to three rooms in the same city regardless of hotel shold also get credit provided that other requirements are also met. What if my hotel had been sold out?

TallestHotelInJapan

I agree with this statement, the OP should get his points and nigh credits for all the nights. He may want to refuse the payment for the nights which are not credited on his SPG account!

RogerD408

Common sense maybe? If they felt one of the two stays should be canceled, I would expect them to go for the one that costs them the most. No, it's not the best for the guest, but they don't work for the guest.

OP should talk with SPG, explain the situation, and I suspect they will get credit for both. Not an uncommon event when someone is on an extended stay.

RogerD408

Failure to issue loyalty points is not grounds to refuse payment. He was at the property, he stayed at the property, he should pay for the property. Yes, the points should be issued, but requesting a charge back is a bit extreme.

Abusing your CC company may not be a wise thing to do. There are times you need them to be on your side during a legitimate dispute and if they show a history of frivolous disputes, they may choose to be less than helpful.

HHonors OUTSIDER

This should be easy to have corrected. If you stayed for example March 1 - 8 on the paid nights and March 5 on a free night they can only refuse to credit one of the nights on the 7 night stay if March 5 was a paid night and you checked into the second hotel first which is not possible because you checked into the 7 night stay first. Since the one night stay was a night using points you should receive credit for all 7 of the paid nights and not receive the Platinum bonus or any other points for the one night free stay other than dining credit. Just call it in and customer service will fix it.

702Jimmy

I've received email responses from three "Platinum eConcierge" and they haven't been of any help. I'll go to work on this next week and see what else I can do.

This is their most recent response:

"Thank you for your reply. I welcome this opportunity to further assist you.


Per the Terms and Conditions of the Starwood Preferred Guest program, a guest can only physically stay at one hotel at a time. If you were to stay at one Starwood location for one evening, check-out, then check-in into another Starwood location, you would then be able to receive the stay/night credit for both stays.


Please remember, if you are staying at the same hotel, there must be a minimum of 24 hours between check-out and check-in.


I understand your frustrations with this policy and I regret any inconvenience this may cause you."


My first question is, is this the actual policy and it would be nice to get some clarification on it whether or not you can get points (not stay/night credit) at two hotels. If it is then in the future I would just get the second room through a discount travel site or stay possibly at Hilton where I do have points and some status. It doesn't make sense to me that Starwood would want to lose business over a few points that might have to be awarded for the additional stay... but that's what it sounds like.

I've done this in the past and have had multiple rooms in the same city at different hotels with no problems but maybe this is new enforcement.

Secondly, you would think if they were going to cancel a stay it would have been the second one that was for 12 hours. But I would think you'd still be entitled to the few points for food as you're entitled to that even if you're not a registered hotel guest.

Neither hotel had any problems with it, I received SPG Platinum benefits at both, I was there to check in and check out, and they credited me the points. The problem came later with SPG. They never address the question that I should be able to receive points and credit for the seven night stay and they can cancel the credit for the twelve hour one.

RogerD408

Kudos for at least trying to get the Platinum Desk to address the issue. They have had their chance so it's now time to escalate to the Lurkers or Customer Care.

This sounds like an issue I had with AA when trying to fly to China without a visa. The first page addresses who needs a visa. It's not until you drill down several pages that you find the section about who doesn't. The GA only read the first section and stopped there saying I needed a visa. She was wrong and had to escalate to Dallas and then they even got it wrong at first but gave in (not sure if I was persuasive or relentless).

Good luck.

HHonors OUTSIDER

Lets assume this statement in an email you received is correct "You may not receive stay credit and Starpoints for more than one stay per date or in more than one hotel per night" So for the night you stayed at two different hotels. 1) you were checked into the paid night hotel first so the second hotel should not count. 2) the second hotel was a free night so it does not count and you should not receive the platinum bonus but could receive points for the dining but I am guessing you don't care about the dining points.
You are entitled to and will receive full points for the 7 night paid stay.