Starwood Lurker

No.

Best regards,

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

[email protected]

PresRDC

I'm not arguing that this is illogical from the hotel's perspective, but if the guarantee cannot be offered in all circumstances, then the benefit should not be offered at all.

freeloader

i think it'd be better if not termed as a "Gaurentee", since it isn't a true gaurentee. but i'd hate for the benefit to disappear for the other 95% when it works just bc of semantics.

vandalby

I think this is more than a bit much. The Platinum Guarantee does bring a lot of value to the level and can be used in sold out situations that occur during the normal course of business: high tourist seasons, heavy travel holiday seasons, notable events, conventions, etc.

What SPG has done is provide an out for extraordinary events. Examples that I've seen so far on FT have been Super Bowls, Final Fours, the Olympics and the Republican National Convention. Frankly, I think this is a very reasonable approach to take toward managing this type of benefit and gives Platinums the ability to use the offering in 99.5% of situations. To expect to be able to unblock a room during extreme marquee events is just silly.

MSPeconomist

The other aspect of the guarantee is how high the rack rate is. Some hotels set it reasonably as the rate that people actually pay when the hotel is full with business travelers or during the middle of high season at a leisure resort. However, I know of at least one property in a USA city that makes their hypothetical "rack rate" so high as to be laughable, at almost four times the full business price. Would one really pay $1500 extra for an ordinary room? I suspect this is really the rate they use to threaten guests who overstay their welcome.

ldsant

Tried using this two weeks ago at the Sheraton Seattle when they were sold out and I was already staying there (trying to extend my stay due to work commitments). Was told not possible. Called Hyatt (am a Diamond with them) and although they were sold out they were able to accommodate me with no problem.

I'm with others who say that this really shouldn't be touted as a benefit since it is not only rarely available, but is so restrictive when it is available.

jibi

Did you give them 72+ hours notice?

jibi

Most people who had business at the RNC booked last year. I'm not sure that most people really understand the gravity of the RNC in modern politics, especially this particular one. Here's some tidbits from the RNC's website:

* With approximately 13,000 – 15,000 members of the media in attendance, the RNC is the single largest media event in the world except for the Olympic Games.

* The Host Committee has more than 15,000 hotel rooms booked for each night of the Convention and more than 75 event venues under contract.

* The direct spending impact for the Convention will total approximately $175 – $200 million. This does not take into account the economic "multiplier" effect which can equate to 2.5 times the actual amount of hard dollars spent.

* The Convention is designated by the Department of Homeland Security as one of only four National Special Security Events (NSSE) to be held in 2012; other examples of potential NSSE events include G-8/G-20 Summits and the World Bank/IMF meetings.

So in this particular case, I think most people would happily understand that the Tampa area hotels are subject to the black-out clause. I would recommend that the OP and anyone else not in attedance at the RNC reschedule your vacation or business for a different week... or stay outside of Tampa. Traffic is going to be horrible and security will be increased for the entire week. There will be more than a hundred thousand extra people in and around the city, so expect chaos. For a place like Tampa, the infrastructure will certainly bend quite a bit under that pressure. I personally wouldn't want to be in the middle of it.

The Sheraton Punta Gorda is open at $99 per night. That puts you about 1.5 hours out of Tampa, although traffic may push that to 2-3 hours.

MSPeconomist

Restaurants and bars will be closed for private parties. There will be long waits even for fast food. Roads will be blocked off at random times. The airport will be extremely congested. Parts of downtown will be closed to nonRNC people for the duration. Security will be high to the point of paranoia. There will be protesters and some clashes with police. Some of these protesters will live in parks, etc. for the duration.

ldsant

Actually it was 5 days notice.

lingua101

I think you miss the point. For people like me who do not stay in Tampa/Florida or even US, how I suppose to know there is such thing call RNC?

the point people are trying to make here is the use of the word GUARANTEE. If you say this is a GUARANTEE but with soooo many conditions attached to it, then it is not longer a gurantee in normal English word definition.

Of course at the end of the day, there is T&C which comes along with it. But shouldn't the provider give more "plain" English definition.

"Guarantee with min 72 hours notice" is ok
But if the condition stays getting more and more, like there is a list of non participating properties, each property has their own blackout that, then it is getting stupid.... as every time you want to get this Guarantee privi, you need to make a reference if this privi should be applicable or not

tyn

There is a reason why hotels need to have special event blackout dates.

1 Platinum using the availability override = 1 guest (who maybe has booked months in advance) getting walked.

If the city is full for a special event you cannot risk walking guests because you have to find them rooms and you know there will be none to be had.

Mafai

I believe there is no discount/corporate rate on guaranteed rooms. My experience has always been rack rate only, if and when the guarantee is accepted (which isn't often for me)

Rolling Stone

I've had to use the Platinum benefit three times over the past eight years. I was told that I would have to pay the rack rate if I wanted the room. Two times the need was great enough that I paid it for one night. I would have paid it a third time too but was told I didn't meet the minimum length of stay requirement. I only wanted to stay one night, but the property had a three night minimum in place, again at rack rate. I did decline paying for three nights for a one night stay.

From what the agent told you it sounds more like your stay wasn't meeting the minimum length of stay more than a complete black out. How many nights did you want to stay?

vandalby

In my mind then, this is an example of where something went wrong on the SPG side. Again, unless some extraordinary event was going on you should have been allowed in. Did you press the issue with the Platinum Concierge?

I'd say I use this benefit about 10 times per year and have never had a declination at a sold out property, although sometimes the Concierge does need to call the property directly to get the room opened. I've needed a little nudging from time to time, but it's always been available to me so long as I'm 72 hours or more out.