Totoro

I recently stayed at the Westin Lombard Yorktown and was upgraded to an Executive Club Level room. My room key would not open the lounge door. I knocked, and the lounge attendant opened the door. She called the front desk and confirmed that I indeed did not have lounge access.

I inquired in person at the front desk and was told lounge access was granted only with rates that included it. I called the SPG Gold desk, and the CSR confirmed that Starwood has guidelines mandating lounge access for Sheraton Club level rooms but not for Westin Executive Club Level rooms.

Do upgrades to the Executive Club Level room not include lounge access, or does booking an Executive Club Level room does not confer lounge access either? I feel a bit confused I searched the "Sticky" for "Westin" and "lounge" but didn't find an answer.

This was my last stay to become Plat, so the point is moot for future stays. I would like to know Starwood's official policy and the logic behind my incident.

WScottsdaleInsider

Guaranteed Lounge Access at Westin and Sheraton are for Platinums only. The hotel should have given you access, if they were going to put you in an Executive club room, but as a gold they did not have to. Now as a platinum, this should not be a problem anymore

RAPC

I'd disagree - no they shouldn't as a matter of course. A number of times when I was Gold I was given an upgrade to an executive room at various properties. More often than not it didn't come with lounge access, however the room was better. If I did get lounge access then it was considered a bonus, but an upgraded room was decent enough.

tony2x

As A Gold, I found it to be a total crapshoot. I've been given lounge access with my club room as often as i've not. I've also found that with a little bit of English charm I can usually get the lounge access even if I'm not strictly entitled to it.

But I'm Plat now, so like the OP it is something of a moot point.

gleff

Whether or not this is permissable -- a club floor room should entitle the (registered) occupants to access to the club. Anything else is just silly, confusing, and leads to unhappy customers. If you don't want to give a guest access to the club then don't put them in a room that makes them think they're going to have that access, or at least be very sincerely apologetic and upfront at checkin to avoid such awkward embarassments.

3Cforme

There was a thread a while back with this issue an at Asian property. The hotel used similar logic: we'll give you a room upgrade to club level, but you don't get all the benefits of paid club level. That seems simple enough to me, and manages to serve two interests: it maintains the distinctiveness and monetary value of paying for club level, and gives elite levels a benefit.

Gleff's solution means fewer room upgrades. Hence the warning 'Be careful what you wish for.'

Totoro

I didn't state outright on my OP, but I didn't push the issue because I suspected they might stop upgrading Gold members to the Executive Club level. This was my first stay at this property, but I suspect the Executive Club level rooms do not differ much from the SPG floor rooms anyway.

BlissWorld

I totally agree. It's a poor business practice. I'm certain upper managerment had every intention of letting the OP use the club lounge, however, the moronic front desk agents ruined it all.

DH

I agree with gleff. (At least properties I have been to) There aren't much difference between club level rooms vs regular rooms. I don't consider getting executive level room without lounge access that as a worthwhile upgrade.

RAPC

As a Gold, this is at least an upgrade in room type. Many Gold upgrades are just a room on a preferred floor, or a slightly nicer view.

SleepDoc

I would have to agree. Why bother "upgrading" to an Executive Club Level floor and not give lounge access. I've stayed at both Sheratons and Westins as a Gold and have been given lounge access when upgraded to the Club Level Floors and Executive Floors respectively. In addition even when not staying on a Club floor I've been given lounge access when asking politely at the front desk if they could do this for me.

Land-of-Miles

Some properties (e.g. Sheraton Skyline Heathrow) are low rise with a large number of rooms per floor. The "club floor" potentially encompasses half of the hotel. There is no way that the club lounge could ever hold all these guests, hence keeping club lounge benefits for plats or paying club room guests is a sensible policy.

This does seem to contradict lurkers recent clarification of policy at properties in the Meridien MRU thread.

Starwood Lurker

1. Sometimes exceptions to policy are based upon need.

2. Thanks for giving us a reasonable example of when such an exception might be made.

Best regards,

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

[email protected]

Starwood Lurker II

Hi all,

Just received confirmation that a room on an executive level gets complimentary access to the lounge, regardless if one gets that room by buying it or being upgraded to it, regardless if they are SPG member or not, they should get all the amenities of the room including lounge access.

Hope this helps.

[email protected]

Aircoco

Good to know this is the case.