Concerning Behavior re: PLAT Upgrade at W Union Square (NYC)
Apr 4, 2015, 6:55 pm
#46
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Agree or disagree Platinum Concierge said the property can withhold all benefits until the Platinum guest arrives, which at the time included the suite upgrade, Internet and club access hence my partner waiting in the lobby.
Just because most properties don't practice this way, does not negate what Platinum Concierge states, combined with the other reports here.
In reality, it doesn't affect most but when it does it is very inconvenient.
Just because most properties don't practice this way, does not negate what Platinum Concierge states, combined with the other reports here.
In reality, it doesn't affect most but when it does it is very inconvenient.
I'll continue to take the reality of my own experience plus apparently hundreds of other examples by other Plat FTers at likely dozens of different properties.
Such a rule (published or not) would be asinine by SPG. They're smarter than that.
Apr 4, 2015, 8:01 pm
#47
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So some Plat Concierge told you this at some point and you now take it as gospel? Reminds me of UA agents... I have heard some true whoppers from them.
I'll continue to take the reality of my own experience plus apparently hundreds of other examples by other Plat FTers at likely dozens of different properties.
Such a rule (published or not) would be asinine by SPG. They're smarter than that.
I'll continue to take the reality of my own experience plus apparently hundreds of other examples by other Plat FTers at likely dozens of different properties.
Such a rule (published or not) would be asinine by SPG. They're smarter than that.
Apr 5, 2015, 9:26 am
#48
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You may huff and puff about a single rogue property, but since a rule, by definition, is typically 1) published and 2) widely followed, and this is neither - it's not a "rule". :-:
Apr 5, 2015, 9:28 am
#49
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Apr 5, 2015, 7:35 pm
#50
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If you check carefully you will see that Plat benefits only apply when the Plat is staying at the hotel, so offically if the guest checks in before the plat then benefits should not be extended, however this rearly happens as of course most properties understand the benefit ( to them also ) to extend the benefits. However the rule is there to stop Pltas making bookings for others and not showing up.
I have experience have my wife was denied any benefits until I turned up, I also have cases where she and a friend and my daughter spent 3 nights in a hotel without me even being in the same country and getting full Plat benefits.
As mentioned there is no rule to my knoweldge saying no benefits if Plat is not there, however you will see thet the benefits are available to plats in residence. Just because the rule is often ignored does not make it no existant.
I have experience have my wife was denied any benefits until I turned up, I also have cases where she and a friend and my daughter spent 3 nights in a hotel without me even being in the same country and getting full Plat benefits.
As mentioned there is no rule to my knoweldge saying no benefits if Plat is not there, however you will see thet the benefits are available to plats in residence. Just because the rule is often ignored does not make it no existant.
Apr 5, 2015, 8:04 pm
#51
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Apr 6, 2015, 12:18 am
#52
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Agree or disagree Platinum Concierge said the property can withhold all benefits until the Platinum guest arrives, which at the time included the suite upgrade, Internet and club access hence my partner waiting in the lobby.
Just because most properties don't practice this way, does not negate what Platinum Concierge states, combined with the other reports here.
In reality, it doesn't affect most but when it does it is very inconvenient.
Just because most properties don't practice this way, does not negate what Platinum Concierge states, combined with the other reports here.
In reality, it doesn't affect most but when it does it is very inconvenient.
They explained platinum benefits are for platinum members when staying in the hotel, and not for rooms booked by a platinum member who may not even be staying in the hotel. For this reason, some hotels have a stricter policy that upgraded rooms will only be given out when (and in some cases if) the platinum member arrives. This is to better accommodate platinum members in residence. However, once the platinum member arrives all benefits should be made available. Room upgrades are always on a space available basis. She went on to explain that my late arrival in the evening could effectively lower my chances of an upgrade if the hotel decided not to give the upgraded room to my partner and she has seen this multiple times for some hotels when they are fully booked.
It makes sense to me. While I have never booked a hotel room in my name for someone else to use, I can understand that others would. At the end of the day, a complimentary upgrade is just that. I never expect it and make the effort to smile when I do get one.
Apr 6, 2015, 12:49 am
#53
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The question of whether Plat benefits should be offered before the Plat member arrives should probably be spun off into a separate thread, as we seem to now have two pages' worth of discussion solely on that topic.
The hotel is supposed to offer you an upgrade to a Standard Suite, of course subject to availability. By all accounts they did, certainly by the time you arrived - an unspecified "bigger room" on a lower floor on the first occasion, and a Fantastic Suite the second time, albeit on a floor which you didn't like. This sounds very much like an upgrade exactly as per T&Cs. Which you declined. You and your wife made a choice.
They are not obliged to keep finding you different rooms for upgrade until they find one you're 100% happy with. You're checking in for a hotel stay, not looking for your next dream home.
The question of whether Corner Suites were specialty suites, and therefore inside or outside of the Platinum upgrade pool, can probably be answered easily as a matter of fact. Your personal opinion as to whether these should or shouldn't be part of the upgrade pool is, in this case, completely irrelevant.
And even if the Corner Suites were not a specialty suite, you are going back to the perennial question of: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/starw...hlight=upgrade
Check-in rep told her no suites, she could either take a bigger room on a lower for or a similar size room high up away from the noise. I told her to take what she wanted and I would check with them in 45 minutes when I arrived.
[...]
She offers an Accessible Fantastic Suite but on the 5th floor (so noisy). I declined
[...]
She offers an Accessible Fantastic Suite but on the 5th floor (so noisy). I declined
They are not obliged to keep finding you different rooms for upgrade until they find one you're 100% happy with. You're checking in for a hotel stay, not looking for your next dream home.
The question of whether Corner Suites were specialty suites, and therefore inside or outside of the Platinum upgrade pool, can probably be answered easily as a matter of fact. Your personal opinion as to whether these should or shouldn't be part of the upgrade pool is, in this case, completely irrelevant.
And even if the Corner Suites were not a specialty suite, you are going back to the perennial question of: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/starw...hlight=upgrade
Apr 6, 2015, 12:54 am
#54
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OP I'm totally with you on this one. The others doubting, I truly disagree with them.
This is like a scam many SPG properties like to pull overseas particularly in Asia.
It's a principal problem that the hotel lied to you straight out. If they were smart they could have re-worded it and said it differently. However upfront lying to a customer is uncalled for!
I hope you have screen shot'd the inventory from your phone so you can prove SPG the time & date.
-----------------
On the side note, NY Times square lies about their inventory too! They will tell you that they oversold on suites and would bump an upgraded guest down should they sell a room.
However selling it at that price, I highly doubt it.
This is like a scam many SPG properties like to pull overseas particularly in Asia.
It's a principal problem that the hotel lied to you straight out. If they were smart they could have re-worded it and said it differently. However upfront lying to a customer is uncalled for!
I hope you have screen shot'd the inventory from your phone so you can prove SPG the time & date.
-----------------
On the side note, NY Times square lies about their inventory too! They will tell you that they oversold on suites and would bump an upgraded guest down should they sell a room.
However selling it at that price, I highly doubt it.
Apr 6, 2015, 1:03 am
#55
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m0hamed, I have had this happen a few times in the past. I have a contact at Starwood Corporate who had someone check on it and get back to me.
They explained platinum benefits are for platinum members when staying in the hotel, and not for rooms booked by a platinum member who may not even be staying in the hotel. For this reason, some hotels have a stricter policy that upgraded rooms will only be given out when (and in some cases if) the platinum member arrives. This is to better accommodate platinum members in residence. However, once the platinum member arrives all benefits should be made available. Room upgrades are always on a space available basis. She went on to explain that my late arrival in the evening could effectively lower my chances of an upgrade if the hotel decided not to give the upgraded room to my partner and she has seen this multiple times for some hotels when they are fully booked.
It makes sense to me. While I have never booked a hotel room in my name for someone else to use, I can understand that others would. At the end of the day, a complimentary upgrade is just that. I never expect it and make the effort to smile when I do get one.
They explained platinum benefits are for platinum members when staying in the hotel, and not for rooms booked by a platinum member who may not even be staying in the hotel. For this reason, some hotels have a stricter policy that upgraded rooms will only be given out when (and in some cases if) the platinum member arrives. This is to better accommodate platinum members in residence. However, once the platinum member arrives all benefits should be made available. Room upgrades are always on a space available basis. She went on to explain that my late arrival in the evening could effectively lower my chances of an upgrade if the hotel decided not to give the upgraded room to my partner and she has seen this multiple times for some hotels when they are fully booked.
It makes sense to me. While I have never booked a hotel room in my name for someone else to use, I can understand that others would. At the end of the day, a complimentary upgrade is just that. I never expect it and make the effort to smile when I do get one.
Apr 6, 2015, 1:04 am
#56
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m0hamed, I have had this happen a few times in the past. I have a contact at Starwood Corporate who had someone check on it and get back to me.
They explained platinum benefits are for platinum members when staying in the hotel, and not for rooms booked by a platinum member who may not even be staying in the hotel. For this reason, some hotels have a stricter policy that upgraded rooms will only be given out when (and in some cases if) the platinum member arrives. This is to better accommodate platinum members in residence. However, once the platinum member arrives all benefits should be made available. Room upgrades are always on a space available basis. She went on to explain that my late arrival in the evening could effectively lower my chances of an upgrade if the hotel decided not to give the upgraded room to my partner and she has seen this multiple times for some hotels when they are fully booked.
It makes sense to me. While I have never booked a hotel room in my name for someone else to use, I can understand that others would. At the end of the day, a complimentary upgrade is just that. I never expect it and make the effort to smile when I do get one.
They explained platinum benefits are for platinum members when staying in the hotel, and not for rooms booked by a platinum member who may not even be staying in the hotel. For this reason, some hotels have a stricter policy that upgraded rooms will only be given out when (and in some cases if) the platinum member arrives. This is to better accommodate platinum members in residence. However, once the platinum member arrives all benefits should be made available. Room upgrades are always on a space available basis. She went on to explain that my late arrival in the evening could effectively lower my chances of an upgrade if the hotel decided not to give the upgraded room to my partner and she has seen this multiple times for some hotels when they are fully booked.
It makes sense to me. While I have never booked a hotel room in my name for someone else to use, I can understand that others would. At the end of the day, a complimentary upgrade is just that. I never expect it and make the effort to smile when I do get one.
Apr 6, 2015, 1:16 am
#57
Join Date: Aug 2009
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I wish every Starwood hotel would strictly enforce the rule of no Plat benefits before the Plat guest arrives. It's not fair to others who have earned their Plat status to lose benefits to the spouses/SOs/friends/relatives of Plats when the Plat has no intention of making an appearance to stay at the property on the date in question. I suspect that a nontrivial number of Plats try to cheat the system this way.
Apr 6, 2015, 3:24 am
#58
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OP I'm totally with you on this one. The others doubting, I truly disagree with them.
This is like a scam many SPG properties like to pull overseas particularly in Asia.
It's a principal problem that the hotel lied to you straight out. If they were smart they could have re-worded it and said it differently. However upfront lying to a customer is uncalled for!
I hope you have screen shot'd the inventory from your phone so you can prove SPG the time & date.
-----------------
On the side note, NY Times square lies about their inventory too! They will tell you that they oversold on suites and would bump an upgraded guest down should they sell a room.
However selling it at that price, I highly doubt it.
This is like a scam many SPG properties like to pull overseas particularly in Asia.
It's a principal problem that the hotel lied to you straight out. If they were smart they could have re-worded it and said it differently. However upfront lying to a customer is uncalled for!
I hope you have screen shot'd the inventory from your phone so you can prove SPG the time & date.
-----------------
On the side note, NY Times square lies about their inventory too! They will tell you that they oversold on suites and would bump an upgraded guest down should they sell a room.
However selling it at that price, I highly doubt it.
Suites are pre-assigned for certain Plat. members and remain available for sale until this particular Platinum member checks in, so theoretically until early a.m.
Very very simply (but still dynamic) approach.
Apr 6, 2015, 8:36 am
#59
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Apr 6, 2015, 8:36 am
#60
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...It's a principal problem that the hotel lied to you straight out. If they were smart they could have re-worded it and said it differently. However upfront lying to a customer is uncalled for!
I hope you have screen shot'd the inventory from your phone so you can prove SPG the time & date.
-----------------
On the side note, NY Times square lies about their inventory too! They will tell you that they oversold on suites and would bump an upgraded guest down should they sell a room.
However selling it at that price, I highly doubt it.
I hope you have screen shot'd the inventory from your phone so you can prove SPG the time & date.
-----------------
On the side note, NY Times square lies about their inventory too! They will tell you that they oversold on suites and would bump an upgraded guest down should they sell a room.
However selling it at that price, I highly doubt it.
Yes, we all want upgrades when we arrive. Being the one denied is frustrating. But it's a known fact properties will oversell to deal with no shows. Sometimes rooms go out of inventory for maintenance reasons (who hasn't been in a room that should not have been in use). Sometimes guests will stay over (I've had to do this for medical reasons). Every chain has walk policies that attempt to make up for the inconvenience and some are very good. Getting the property to pay up may be a challenge.
Personally, I encourage properties to sell their suites whenever they can and I will forego my upgrade in those situations. I understand they are in business to make money and not to be holding a suite for my use should I show up. I do expect them to deal honestly with me but know DYKWIA's causes them to exaggerate things from time to time.