OZJET

If you have status better to book in your name and add her as you will get the stay credit and any upgrade, breakky etc.

MSPeconomist

OP should NOT receive the nights/stay credit if he doesn't stay = physically arrive at the hotel in person.

KENNECTED

Agreed! This is one loophole I wish SPG would fix.

Land-of-Miles

What about if booking for someone who has Plat status in their own right? Will that person get benefits and stay/night credit?

You can book a straight redemption for another person I thought you do not need to book as a party to the stay.

travellingcari

This is so ridiculously YMMV it's impossible to make heads or tales. Last week at the (now former) 4P Savannah. I booked two rooms on C&P. One that I was staying in and one that my brother and sister in law were in. Neither has any SPG status so we left everything on my credit card. He paid cash for car parking yet they still insisted the points were credited to his account. Two issues there: no points credited other than incidentals (there were none) for C&P stays and two, there is no account to credit them to. It was just a cluster.

Bro/SIL had flight issues and missed last flight out of DCA. Booked them a free night at Sheraton Pentagon City. I wasn't in the hotel or even the city and didn't expect stay credit, yet it's in my account. Not looking a gift horse in the mouth but it's bizarre.

Starwood Lurker

Regarding the two most recent questions, if the hotel does it right, this is how it should pan out:

1) The giftee will get the stay/night credit, if the giftee's SPG account number is given to the hotel before check-out.

2) The giftee will not get elite member in-hotel benefits entitled to the giftor.

Anything else is YMMV.

Best regards,

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

[email protected]

KENNECTED

Thats the point, the giftee does not give their information at CHECK IN. If a giftee is not required to give their spg number or sign up for the spg program at check in, they could very well receive benefits they are NOT ENTITLED to.

I've said this before, if I was a platinum at a hotel where a non platinum giftee received an upgrade that caused me to slide back in the pecking order, I would be pissed.

Starwood Lurker

I guess it is a good thing then that SPG tells the properties how to avoid this being a problem for loyal Platinum members as yourself.

Best regards,

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

[email protected]

KENNECTED

One of these days!

Land-of-Miles

So should the giftee receive upgrades etc. due to their own status and is there any way to notify the giftees SPG number in advance of the stay (e.g. Plat Concierge)?

Starwood Lurker

I don’t see why the Platinum member would not receive their in-hotel benefits as the designated guest of a gifted reservation, as long as the property is made aware.

The problem, I suppose, is that the SPG number of the giftor has to stay on the reservation, so it is going to have to be noted by contacting the property in advance or at check-in. Platinum Concierge should be able to assist if it needs to be done in advance.

Best regards,

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

[email protected]

jb3t

Regarding putting that second name on the reservation... I recently had my Ambassador put my wife's name on my reservation for a 2-night stay at a hotel I stay at often. It did make it in to the reservation and she checked in fine. Due to a travel snafu, I did not make it to the hotel, so my wife had a friend who lives close by to come hang for the day. When she checked out, "Person A" at the front desk was nice and cordial while "Person B" (who was a computer terminal away) turned to "Person A" and said... "That woman stayed using her husband's points and he never showed up. That is illegal and we should make her pay for the room". Person A handed my wife her folio and my wife left.

Needless to say when I heard about it, I was not pleased. I stay at this hotel often. It was clearly documented in the reservation. What upset me most is the condescending way she told "Person A" while my wife was right there.

This is the only time I've had an issue with gifting a room. Even though it was an unintentional gift. Oh... And my wife did not get a monster suite upgrade.

KENNECTED

I've been vocal about this.

I've also mentioned I've been present for things such as this. I completely understand it was NOT your intent to do this. So I'll ask, are you upset because a hotel employee wanted to enforce a rule or are you upset in the manner how it was delivered?

I'm glad this happened and it should happen more. However, it should be done in a tactful manner.

Oxon Flyer

Under which provision of the SPG T&Cs does the second guest become liable to pay for the room, if the first guest, who has already paid for the room with points as an award stay, fails to physically show up for whatever reason ?

KENNECTED

I should have been clearer, I'm addressing the issue if a non elite potentially benefits from the platinum members published benefits.