TennisNoob

Hi All,

I want to know exactly what the rule is when it comes to upgrade.

Checked in at a hotel in Europe w/ limited rooms (less than 100)

They claim that due to scarcity and an major event going on, they are not giving there suites away. First the agent said we have a lot of suites but since you are staying 3 nights we can't accomodate that.

Than after a brief chat they said they can only upgrade if I paid because they had only 1 suite left. They had 3 this morning which 2 disappeared.

I checked in at 3pm. Front office AM came out and said unfortunately she could only sell it and made no better offers other than provide the existing room I had paid for.

What are members exactly entitled to when it says "Upgrades are based upon availability".

They also have many suites avail for the 2nd and 3rd night of my stay.

Out of my Element

Your profile says SPG gold which doesn't get suites for free, unfortunately. Not sure why the conversation went any further than that. Gold gets "enhanced" rooms, which usually means SPG floor and/or higher floor.

TennisNoob

hmmmmm......No one ever for years mentioned that as gold.
The AM said even they weren't giving it away to there platinum members.

I already paid for the most enhanced room of the 3 types. The next level up is a suite. I've received many suites at many properties in the past years. The hotel manager even said if it's avail they would give it away prior to arrival.

600 Euros for the basic room, 800 euros for the suite, it wasn't like it was an suite that was double the price.

RogerD408

There is so much wiggle room for the properties that there is no good way to tell what you will get until you get there. Add to that where many properties will lie about their current situation claiming no upgradable rooms are available.

Technically, upgrade possibility should be evaluated at the time of your arrival. Many will assign rooms the morning of arrival or the day before. What rooms are part of the upgrade pool is at the discretion of the property and there is no way for anyone to see what is actually available. The web site is not a good source given they may have loaded more rooms than available expecting some no shows or some rooms may out of service for a maintenance issue.

Your best bet is to ask nicely and hope they can find something. Calling SPG when denied might help the process, but I wouldn't count on it. Personally, I book the minimum I'm willing to accept and be surprised if anything better is offered.

miloworld

Considering even P50 or LtP are actively denied suites, it's not something you can complain about, especially at a small property. But the same advice goes - email/call in advance, tell them how important the stay is and talk to a manager whenever there's a slight problem.

Being a repeat guest helped me score many suite upgrades when I was a Gold.

KENNECTED

Please remember, Suite upgrades are NOT a published benefit of Gold members. Just because you've received a suite upgrade in the past that doesn't mean it will happen in the future. That just means the hotel decided to upgrade you above the published benefits.

In addition, Select Standard Suites are the suites that platinums are upgraded to. Just because you see a "suite" available that does not mean it is earmark or categorzed by the property to be used in the upgrade pool.

Nothing is final or even up for discussion until check-in.

TennisNoob

I already checked-in to the basic room that I requested. The property admitted they had suites avail and that they would not upgrade even platinums because it's there last suite. They were willing to upgrade me only if I paid there discounted upgrade offer which was almost nothing.

The suite we are talking about is the crappiest suite they have that's just above the room I requested. Which would be an enhancement but a really crappy suite.

KENNECTED

Then it seems, based on what you've written, they don't have select standard suites available.


Questions?

1. What hotel exactly? We can't give help without that information.
2. What is the total number of inventory at the property?
3. What is the total number of suites AND how many are categorized "select standard" or "in the platinum upgrade pool"?

You do understand the gold benefits, "upon check in you'll be upgraded to an enhanced room if available".

I'm not following or understand what your issue is, it's unclear.

If you want a real answer, contact CCS.

TennisNoob

They do because the suite avail is the lowest avail suite (marvelous suite)

They agreed to upgrading in advance based on availability via email.
At check-in they said they were only selling the upgrade.

IMO it's more of an principle issue if you don't follow through with what was quoted.

And yes I understand "Enhanced room" doesn't mean a suite that's why I asked FT here if there's an better clarification or anything more I should know.

And to make matters worst they said they weren't even upgrading platinums. YMMV but up to date for years, I've never been doubted that Golds can't be upgraded to suites at ANY Spg property.

miloworld

Yet, you are fighting for the upgrade, hoping to be placed in said suite?

TennisNoob

Spent 5 minutes and gave up.

KENNECTED

You didn't answer any of the three questions. Yet you add more information each post, some of this information should have been in your initial post.

We're trying to help you. You're about "follow through", right?

They cannot agree to upgrade you in advance for free. They can if you choose to buy up .

"Follow through"? A you received the room type booked. Complimentary upgrades are not guaranteed. If you want a particular room type, book it.

This unnamed hotel sent you a direct email saying they would upgrade you in advance of check in?

supatight80

OP youre asking for benefits that technically youre not entitled to. Standard suite upgrades are meant only for platinums. That's in the t&c.

If you booked lets say a marvelous room, as gold youre entitled to a marvelous room with a view, highest floor, etc. Not a category up upgrade.

Youre asking what a "legal" upgrade is, because perhaps you didnt get a suite as gold. To answer your question, being upgraded to a suite is "illegal". It's not fair for platinums checking-in later on the day right?

As for FD saying the suites are only to be sold, could it be possible that they are just being polite as those rooms are held for plats checking-in later on the day? Of course theyd sell it first to golds or whoever who wants to buy up, and then the plats are down the totem pole. But then again, with less than 100 rooms and max 1 standard suite available (2 disappearing that day), i wouldnt even count a Plat getting it...

Flews

OP - to answer your question, based on info you have shared with us, no your status does not entitle you to a suite upgrade.

Cheers

silentbob1974

In my view, the OP is misapplying what "the rules" are meant to convey.

As I've always understood them, SPG's T&Cs regarding upgrades are simply talking about what the minimum requirements are for upgrading Platinums and Golds. If a property chooses to (and in fact does) go above and beyond these minimum requirements, any upgrade they provide is already "legal" insofar as the T&Cs are concerned, and there are no further rules that govern how the property actually goes above and beyond.

So the fact that OP may have gotten suite upgrades in the past as a Gold is completely irrelevant. As others have already said, all that the property must do is the minimum, which is an enhanced room in the category booked if available. And if they choose to do more (e.g., offering paid suite upgrades before check-in, actually giving a higher category room), SPG isn't in the business of regulating that -- there is presumably no more concept of what's "legal" and what's not in their eyes.