7300ponce

I booked a W Hotel for this weekend using Amex FHR since they were offering a $100 food and beverage credit in addition to the usual benefits. I could not pull up my reservation online to add my SPG # so I called W hotels and the agent told me that I had a special rate so was not entitled to SPG benefits such as points and stay credit. I called the hotel directly and had to talk to two people in order to get the number added. At this point, I just want free internet. If the SPG Lurker sees this post, will you please tell me what the Starwood policy is? Thank you

Starwood Lurker

The policy is that if you book an eligible rate with AMEX FHR, then you get the benefits. If the AMEX FHR person books it pre-paid through a wholesaler, then you would not.

Best regards,

William R. Sanders
Social Media Specialist
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide

[email protected]

MSPeconomist

AFAIK AmEx FHR rates are never prepaid, although some resort properties could require deposits and cancellation far in advance of arrival. It's a special rate plan that's offered only through AmEx PTS and CTS. I can't imagine an agent booking a FHR rate through a wholesaler, although PTS and CTS have access to other rate plans, including the standard AAA and government rates, plus AmEx Select special rates in some properties and AmEx corporate rates in a much larger number of properties. AmEx Select and AmEx corporate rates are available far beyond FHR properties.

Starwood Lurker

I thought the same about Virtuoso bookings myself and then encountered a situation just like I described above.

Best regards,

William R. Sanders
Social Media Specialist
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide

[email protected]

MSPeconomist

I would hope upscale travel agents would tell/warn the client before booking nonrefundable or wholesaler rates.

BTW, is Passkey considered by SPG to be a wholesaler when they handle reservations for a conference room block?

Starwood Lurker

The travel agent booked a normally-eligible rate, from what I can tell. The mistake was running it through the wholesaler, who was pre-paid.

I have no idea what Passkey is, but conference room blocks are notorious for being done by rooming list or housing bureau and 99 times out of 100, they are not eligible being booked that way.

Best regards,

William R. Sanders
Social Media Specialist
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide

[email protected]

7300ponce

Thank you for your response William. I booked it online through the FHR portal so I assume I am fine.

punkmonkey

If you take a look at the Amex confirmatory email, there should be a confirmation number listed. I was able to manually add the stay using "find a stay" under the my account section. It now shows in my list of upcoming stays. I do not know if the hotel sees this or not. I did not notice this using prior FHR reservations and had to call SPG to have it added. My next stay using FHR is not until August.

woolfcross

Saw a great deal at the US Grant in San Diego through the FHR (Fine Hotels and Resorts) plan--stay four nights and get the fourth for free. So I booked it.

My question: as this is a special promotion through FHR (using my AMEX Platinum card), will it count toward my annual stays/credits? Is it eligible for the "double points" promotion currently going on?

The reservation has not yet showed up on my "upcoming stays" list at spg.com (the ones I book online or by phone show up almost immediately), so I'm wondering if this stay is somehow different. Do I have to book at spg.com or at the Starwood line to get stay/points credit?

Would really appreciate this group's expert advice.

Thanks!

Donna

remymartin

As all of SPG's own Stay X, Pay Y rates are eligible I don't see why FHR rates should be any different.

woolfcross

Amex FHR booking is pretty much the same as booking through directly on the property's website. The confirmation #'s are identical and when you book through FHR, it immediately appears in the property's computer system. They talk hand and hand is amex is NOT a 3rd party opaque consolidator site.

My confirmation number is not identical. I just called the Starwood Platinum line and was told that this FHR booking is being treated as a "third party' booking--so no night/stay credits granted. Perhaps this is because of the "Stay for four nights, get the last night free" promo?

The reservation does appear on my spg home account site, but with the following message:

We have found your reservation. It is not possible to display this particular reservation online. This is usually due to an unusual or complex rate or set of rates associated with the reservation in question. For questions regarding this reservation, please refer to the original booking source for more information.

Sure sounds "third party" to me. Would really like to resolve this, but I see that William is out of the office. Any other suggestions about someone I can contact to get an "official" ruling on whether this stay/nights/promotion will count or not?

MSPeconomist

Call AmEx PTS/CTS and ask how they booked it. It's their reservation and therefore their responsibility to clarify whether it will earn SPG credit.

merrickdb

That's the language I normally see with any FHR SPG reservations. You can click "Send Confirmation" to get the full details. $100 says you get SPG credit for the stay and at least the three paid night (and you should get platinum benefits too, but it's harder to account for the whims of front desk agents).

MSPeconomist

The times I've been sent to Passkey by a link from the meeting's website or an eamil from them, there has been no rooming list or housing bureau. These are situations where there's a room block in a single hotel for a small meeting and each person makes and guarantees their own room reservation, and then pays for their own room and other charges. It isn't a master bill or paid by anyone else. Passkey looks very similar to the hotel's own brand booking website and it's only if you inspect the url that you notice that it's not clear whether you're booking directly with the hotel/chain or not. The T&C tend to be a bit more restrictive than normal reservations with IME a two night deposit or guarantee being required. Also, IME there's a range of room types at different prices rather than a single run of house or standard room rate only.

woolfcross

That's the language I normally see with any FHR SPG reservations. You can click "Send Confirmation" to get the full details. $100 says you get SPG credit for the stay and at least the three paid night (and you should get platinum benefits too, but it's harder to account for the whims of front desk agents).

Alas, when I click "Send confirmation", I get the following message: "We’re unable to send a confirmation for this stay. Please contact us for details.". the contact is customer care. I have contacted them, but as yet have no reply. Sure doesn't sound too promising!

I'm thinking I'll just give this up and book the competitive pre-paid rate and use my suite upgrade certificates. Means I'll have to forgo the free breakfasts and the $100 food/beverage credit, but it's worth it if this is a "Third Party" booking, meaning that I won't get stay/night credits. It would help very much if Starwood (or the hotel) made the terms clear upon booking.

I've written to the hotel Front Desk manager for clarification, and will post if I get it!