Aug 21, 2014, 5:42 am
Last edit by: controller1
UPDATE: Per Starwood Lurker, Starwood no longer guarantees bed type with any reservation.
Multiple Issues at hotel.. Sold out hotel. Advice needed.
Bed type booked is guaranteed with paid reservations. Bed type booked is not guaranteed with award reservations.
If booked on a BRG rate, the room type is guaranteed but bed type isn't.
Multiple Issues at hotel.. Sold out hotel. Advice needed.
If booked on a BRG rate, the room type is guaranteed but bed type isn't.
FAQ: Starwood policy: guarantee bedding and smoking preference on paid/award stays
Nov 20, 2008, 3:07 pm
#16
Company Representative - Starwood
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Austin, Texas
Programs: Marriott Employee Level
Posts: 31,593
Would it still be worth the effort to notify Corp Cust Service if I had a stay during the middle of October where the hotel gave me the "its only a preference" line? I was a Gold at the time, and I'll admit I'm really new to the SPG rules, so I just took their word for it and went about my business.
But if it is helpful to let Cust Service know, I can call them. (Note I have since stayed at that same property 3 times since and haven't had a bedding issue.)
But if it is helpful to let Cust Service know, I can call them. (Note I have since stayed at that same property 3 times since and haven't had a bedding issue.)
If you do file the complaint, I would mention that you've stayed three times since and the issue has not come up again, but that you felt that this needed to made a part of the hotel's record.
Best regards,
William R. Sanders
Online Guest Feedback Coordinator
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide
[email protected]
Nov 21, 2008, 11:18 am
#17
Join Date: Oct 2008
Programs: AA PLT, SPG Plat
Posts: 295
Hi Condition One,
As William has mentioned earlier, on a paid rate, room preferences, such as bedding type and smoking preferences, are guaranteed.
[email protected]
As William has mentioned earlier, on a paid rate, room preferences, such as bedding type and smoking preferences, are guaranteed.
[email protected]
Nov 21, 2008, 11:43 am
#18
Company Representative - Starwood
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Austin, Texas
Programs: Marriott Employee Level
Posts: 31,593
...I was confused, and the lovely woman with a British accent at corporate said that if you arrive past 8 or 9 then the chances of your not getting your bedding preference greatly increase. She said the only thing guaranteed is the room type (standard room, club room, etc).
Otherwise, why would an RTD file be a billable offense? It is precisely that to prevent these things from happening or the hotel has to both pay and suffer the consequences on their GSI scores for not delivering what the customer ordered.
Best regards,
William R. Sanders
Online Guest Feedback Coordinator
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide
[email protected]
Nov 21, 2008, 11:56 am
#19
Join Date: Oct 2008
Programs: AA PLT, SPG Plat
Posts: 295
She's dead wrong about bedding types and smoking preferences not being guaranteed on paid rates, unless your room type is Run-of-House; however, she is spot on regarding the chances that you may not get what you guaranteed the later you check-in.
Otherwise, why would an RTD file be a billable offense? It is precisely that to prevent these things from happening or the hotel has to both pay and suffer the consequences on their GSI scores for not delivering what the customer ordered.
Otherwise, why would an RTD file be a billable offense? It is precisely that to prevent these things from happening or the hotel has to both pay and suffer the consequences on their GSI scores for not delivering what the customer ordered.
Nov 21, 2008, 12:12 pm
#20
Company Representative - Starwood
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Austin, Texas
Programs: Marriott Employee Level
Posts: 31,593
Precisely so...but she did not code it correctly, which I fixed. 
Best regards,
William R. Sanders
Online Guest Feedback Coordinator
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide
[email protected]
Best regards,
William R. Sanders
Online Guest Feedback Coordinator
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide
[email protected]
Nov 22, 2008, 12:20 pm
#21
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: IAD
Programs: Free Agent
Posts: 1,937
My stay posted this morning, so I called up customer service. A British lady confirmed that the room type booked was guaranteed, but sometimes rooms are given away if you arrive late. I also mentioned that I had some room service issues, which she noted.
She said that she would forward my complaint to the manager of the hotel, and things would be conducted via email.
As a side note, she also said that Hilton Diamonds are now matched to SPG Gold (instead of Platinum). I hope she's wrong!
She said that she would forward my complaint to the manager of the hotel, and things would be conducted via email.
As a side note, she also said that Hilton Diamonds are now matched to SPG Gold (instead of Platinum). I hope she's wrong!
May 4, 2009, 9:53 am
#22
Original Member and FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Kansas City, MO, USA
Programs: DL PM/MM, AA ExPlat, Hyatt Glob, HH Dia, National ECE, Hertz PC
Posts: 16,579
Checked into the Sheraton Crystal City at 11:30 PM on Saturday night, reserved a King Bed room. When we got up to our room it was a double bed accessible room, much less than ideal. I called down and the woman who checked us in said it was the room we were assigned and was allegedly the last room available. I said that I expected a call in the morning from the manager to explain what happened that I didn't get the room I reserved.
In the morning a manager calls and explains that room requests are based on "availablity" and then she says there were lots of platinums at the hotel. She repeatedly insisted that room type is not guaranteed. She also said something about the Club level, I asked her if the lounge was open on the weekend, she said no, so I simply told her why would I care about the Club level then, I want the room I reserved. She later in the same phone call said "I may not have gotten my room type even if I checked in early", which was different than what she told me earlier in the discussion (that there was no way she could have accomodated our reserved type). I told her I would complain to corporate and she honestly didn't care. Finally I just came out and said, "So you aren't even going to try and make me happy", and she offered free breakfast or points, I said "A couple thousand points would be acceptable," and she agreed.
Since they "paid me off" I'm not sure if I should complain to corporate or not ... the thing is there doesn't seem to be anything on the website about this one way or the other.
In the morning a manager calls and explains that room requests are based on "availablity" and then she says there were lots of platinums at the hotel. She repeatedly insisted that room type is not guaranteed. She also said something about the Club level, I asked her if the lounge was open on the weekend, she said no, so I simply told her why would I care about the Club level then, I want the room I reserved. She later in the same phone call said "I may not have gotten my room type even if I checked in early", which was different than what she told me earlier in the discussion (that there was no way she could have accomodated our reserved type). I told her I would complain to corporate and she honestly didn't care. Finally I just came out and said, "So you aren't even going to try and make me happy", and she offered free breakfast or points, I said "A couple thousand points would be acceptable," and she agreed.
Since they "paid me off" I'm not sure if I should complain to corporate or not ... the thing is there doesn't seem to be anything on the website about this one way or the other.
May 4, 2009, 10:26 am
#23
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: West Texas, Chicago, Dallas
Programs: National Executive, AAdvantage Platinum, SPG Platinum, FPC Platinum, Hyatt Diamond
Posts: 397
Checked into the Sheraton Crystal City at 11:30 PM on Saturday night, reserved a King Bed room. When we got up to our room it was a double bed accessible room, much less than ideal. I called down and the woman who checked us in said it was the room we were assigned and was allegedly the last room available. I said that I expected a call in the morning from the manager to explain what happened that I didn't get the room I reserved.
In the morning a manager calls and explains that room requests are based on "availablity" and then she says there were lots of platinums at the hotel. She repeatedly insisted that room type is not guaranteed. She also said something about the Club level, I asked her if the lounge was open on the weekend, she said no, so I simply told her why would I care about the Club level then, I want the room I reserved. She later in the same phone call said "I may not have gotten my room type even if I checked in early", which was different than what she told me earlier in the discussion (that there was no way she could have accomodated our reserved type). I told her I would complain to corporate and she honestly didn't care. Finally I just came out and said, "So you aren't even going to try and make me happy", and she offered free breakfast or points, I said "A couple thousand points would be acceptable," and she agreed.
Since they "paid me off" I'm not sure if I should complain to corporate or not ... the thing is there doesn't seem to be anything on the website about this one way or the other.
In the morning a manager calls and explains that room requests are based on "availablity" and then she says there were lots of platinums at the hotel. She repeatedly insisted that room type is not guaranteed. She also said something about the Club level, I asked her if the lounge was open on the weekend, she said no, so I simply told her why would I care about the Club level then, I want the room I reserved. She later in the same phone call said "I may not have gotten my room type even if I checked in early", which was different than what she told me earlier in the discussion (that there was no way she could have accomodated our reserved type). I told her I would complain to corporate and she honestly didn't care. Finally I just came out and said, "So you aren't even going to try and make me happy", and she offered free breakfast or points, I said "A couple thousand points would be acceptable," and she agreed.
Since they "paid me off" I'm not sure if I should complain to corporate or not ... the thing is there doesn't seem to be anything on the website about this one way or the other.
May 4, 2009, 4:11 pm
#24
Suspended
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: New York, NY
Programs: Delta - Gold; Starwood - Platinum; HHonors - Diamond & Avis Preferred
Posts: 10,869
Checked into the Sheraton Crystal City at 11:30 PM on Saturday night, reserved a King Bed room. When we got up to our room it was a double bed accessible room, much less than ideal. I called down and the woman who checked us in said it was the room we were assigned and was allegedly the last room available. I said that I expected a call in the morning from the manager to explain what happened that I didn't get the room I reserved.
In the morning a manager calls and explains that room requests are based on "availablity" and then she says there were lots of platinums at the hotel. She repeatedly insisted that room type is not guaranteed. She also said something about the Club level, I asked her if the lounge was open on the weekend, she said no, so I simply told her why would I care about the Club level then, I want the room I reserved. She later in the same phone call said "I may not have gotten my room type even if I checked in early", which was different than what she told me earlier in the discussion (that there was no way she could have accomodated our reserved type). I told her I would complain to corporate and she honestly didn't care. Finally I just came out and said, "So you aren't even going to try and make me happy", and she offered free breakfast or points, I said "A couple thousand points would be acceptable," and she agreed.
Since they "paid me off" I'm not sure if I should complain to corporate or not ... the thing is there doesn't seem to be anything on the website about this one way or the other.
In the morning a manager calls and explains that room requests are based on "availablity" and then she says there were lots of platinums at the hotel. She repeatedly insisted that room type is not guaranteed. She also said something about the Club level, I asked her if the lounge was open on the weekend, she said no, so I simply told her why would I care about the Club level then, I want the room I reserved. She later in the same phone call said "I may not have gotten my room type even if I checked in early", which was different than what she told me earlier in the discussion (that there was no way she could have accomodated our reserved type). I told her I would complain to corporate and she honestly didn't care. Finally I just came out and said, "So you aren't even going to try and make me happy", and she offered free breakfast or points, I said "A couple thousand points would be acceptable," and she agreed.
Since they "paid me off" I'm not sure if I should complain to corporate or not ... the thing is there doesn't seem to be anything on the website about this one way or the other.
Call CCS.
May 4, 2009, 5:36 pm
#25
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: From: PWM
Programs: United GS, Fairmont Platinum,SPG LTPlat, Hilton Diamond, MarriottGold..like the rest of the world
Posts: 4,401
When we got up to our room it was a double bed accessible room, much less than ideal. I called down and the woman who checked us in said it was the room we were assigned and was allegedly the last room available. I said that I expected a call in the morning from the manager to explain what happened that I didn't get the room I reserved.
In the morning a manager calls and explains that room requests are based on "availablity" and then she says there were lots of platinums at the hotel. She repeatedly insisted that room type is not guaranteed.
In the morning a manager calls and explains that room requests are based on "availablity" and then she says there were lots of platinums at the hotel. She repeatedly insisted that room type is not guaranteed.
I wasted no time messing around with them and I simply called *wood directly to report it.
Had the hotel apologized to me at check in and alerted me to the room type change, I frankly wouldn't have cared. But knowing they had changed my room type and not bothering to clue me in was not acceptable. But being told I was wrong was what pushed me over the edge.
I really suggest that each person who finds themselves in this sort of scenario kindly take the time to contact *wood Customer Care to ensure that it's documented. Hotels that attempt this sort of thing are operating outside of the guidelines of the SPG program!!!
May 4, 2009, 5:45 pm
#26
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: California
Programs: UA BA SW SPG
Posts: 52
Thanks.
May 4, 2009, 5:50 pm
#28
Company Representative - Starwood
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Austin, Texas
Programs: Marriott Employee Level
Posts: 31,593
Best regards,
William R. Sanders
Online Guest Feedback Coordinator
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide
[email protected]
May 4, 2009, 7:24 pm
#29
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: From: PWM
Programs: United GS, Fairmont Platinum,SPG LTPlat, Hilton Diamond, MarriottGold..like the rest of the world
Posts: 4,401
May 6, 2009, 1:05 pm
#30
Original Member and FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Kansas City, MO, USA
Programs: DL PM/MM, AA ExPlat, Hyatt Glob, HH Dia, National ECE, Hertz PC
Posts: 16,579
Yes you should! If this is what the property is doing, which is the wrong thing. By not contacting corporate customer service the problem will not be fixed. You want the problem fixed call. If they do this, who knows what else they are doing incorrectly or not by SPG/Starwood policies.
Call CCS.
Call CCS.