FlyingTomboy

Wow, thanks all for replies! I didn't expect a real conversation on this topic.

Update: Yup, Starwood replied back pretty quickly and adjusting the nights posting.


Actually, to clarify about my asking them to consolidate, it was implied by accident. The story is they sent me a bill after the first two nights, so when I was returning to the room for the third night, I went to front desk letting them know I'm here for 3 nights checking out the next day but they already sent me a bill already for the first 2 nights, so my question to the front desk was "Can you please ensure my key works for the room?" I was trying to save myself a trip back down in case it didn't work. I'm sure you guys travel frequently to know this could be annoying to go back down again and we're experienced enough to avoid that long walk back/forth now

The front desk, with intention of superior customer service, said he'll check and indeed he says the key expired so he scan me a new one. Also, said he'll fix it all for me and get it consolidated into one that I'll get a new bill on one. I said, OK, very good, thanks. I mean, this decreases my number of receipts and line items for expensing!

I travel purely for a busy life of business, with often last minute meeting schedule changes, so I can't always keep up with all the stays/nights/rules, etc. I just want to make sure I've got a place to sleep at night! Only on some weekends, I review this stuff to see where I am in the program. After all, the rewards will be for family outings later.

I do find it easier and faster to book nights separately for extending a stay than to go into original reservation and modify with all those extra steps. Or I cancel original booking completely then rebook anew as alternative, though sometimes this is a risk due to rates/availability changes based on their algorithms. Or sometimes I phone it in when I'm in a cab or something like that, which is the easiest. Be nice if I had an EA to help with all this!

Allan38103

OP says, two invoices. Two copies each. 2 x 2 = 4

Two-night folio zeroed is just ONE.
One-night folio triple billed is still just ONE.

1 + 1 = 2. Correct.

lingua101

I really wonder why it seems so difficult for the hotel to combine 2 bookings into one.

I also have similar issue with other hotel. I end up with 2 folios of each night, make me lose a double promo.

But on the other hands it will be good if you are chasing after #of stays

RogerD408

It's not difficult at all if they would pay attention to what they are doing. So many people only look at the bottom line and presume if the total is right all is ok. WRONG! Gotta look at the details too.

If properly posting the stay would have qualified you for a promo, contact SPG Research and have them fix it. FDC blunders should not cost you the promo.

SPG now allows credit for up to three rooms. That's for nights and stays, so two rooms for two nights should post as two stays and four nights. The rooms do need to be booked under your account and paid by you (not to say someone else can't pay down the account and leave a $1 for you to pay).

MSPeconomist

When I had a problem this summer with two back-to-back one night stays in the same property and the hotel botched the operation of combining the reservations, two different Plat Concierges told me that the only way to avoid the problem would have been to cancel the two reservations and rebook it as a single two-night stay at a MUCH higher rate. Very frustrating.

RogerD408

Not surprised by that response. It does put all the burden on you to do the work to let the process do it right the first time. Personally, I measure the quality of a company by what they do when things go sideways. SPG had been pretty good about fixing things after the fact. Yes, some CSRs are a bit dense and need to be led to the solution, but usually they see what has gone wrong and are able to fix it. Especially the Lurkers, and when they are involved, there's even a good chance a learning opportunity will happen to keep the same problem from happening again (not always so when dealing with a CSR).