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-   -   Another question for Starwood Lurker on best way to shorten an award booking (https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/starwood-starwood-preferred-guest/674055-another-question-starwood-lurker-best-way-shorten-award-booking.html)

TravelTil Mar 22, 2007 4:50 am

Another question for Starwood Lurker on best way to shorten an award booking
 
Hi William,

This query is regarding a 50% off platinum award stay I made in January before the Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit went up a level. As I am back to living far away from any Starwood hotels, I now need to get one more paid night to qualify for the Mastercard Asia Pacific promo on the same visit to Bangkok. I understand that I cannot shorten the award stay without cancelling and rebooking at the higher rate. What I did was to book at the Westin Grande Sukhumvit on the last night of my award stay to get that paid night. From what I can see, this now means that I have two alternatives:

On my last day as the hotel to tell them I am checking out a day early, or check into the Westin while still checked into the Sheraton - then go across to the Sheraton and check out the next morning.

From memory, they share the billing details, etc between the two hotels, but would a paid stay at the Westin still trigger an actual stay even though I am showing as being on an award stay at the Sheraton the same night? Or should I pay my bill in advance, or check out before midnight?

There are probabaly other and better suggestions, but trying to kill a whole flock of birds with one stone is very difficult. Every trip now requires all this additional planning to maximise stays, get the most out of the many promotions, and minimise points etc:confused:

I did try searching, three or four times even, but could not find a similar question.

Many thanks,

TravelTil

Starwood Lurker Mar 22, 2007 9:15 am


Originally Posted by TravelTil (Post 7448259)
Hi William,

This query is regarding a 50% off platinum award stay I made in January before the Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit went up a level. As I am back to living far away from any Starwood hotels, I now need to get one more paid night to qualify for the Mastercard Asia Pacific promo on the same visit to Bangkok. I understand that I cannot shorten the award stay without cancelling and rebooking at the higher rate. What I did was to book at the Westin Grande Sukhumvit on the last night of my award stay to get that paid night. From what I can see, this now means that I have two alternatives:

On my last day as the hotel to tell them I am checking out a day early, or check into the Westin while still checked into the Sheraton - then go across to the Sheraton and check out the next morning.

From memory, they share the billing details, etc between the two hotels, but would a paid stay at the Westin still trigger an actual stay even though I am showing as being on an award stay at the Sheraton the same night? Or should I pay my bill in advance, or check out before midnight?

There are probabaly other and better suggestions, but trying to kill a whole flock of birds with one stone is very difficult. Every trip now requires all this additional planning to maximise stays, get the most out of the many promotions, and minimise points etc:confused:

I did try searching, three or four times even, but could not find a similar question.

Many thanks,

TravelTil

This is a hard question to answer because I don't know what the individual hotels' policies are. I would just tell them what I needed to have happen and see what they suggest that could make it so. As long as you aren't looking for a refund of Starpoints on the last night of the Westin award stay, then I really don't think they would care one way or another. Why would they? They are going to get paid twice on the same day...once by you at the Sheraton and once by us at the Westin. ;)

Sincerely,


William R. Sanders
Customer Service Coordinator
Starwood Preferred Services

[email protected]

scrog Mar 22, 2007 1:28 pm

I have sort of a similar question William. If I'm on a five night award (points for four nights) and I decide to leave after the fourth night does the hotel still get paid for all five nights? If they don't would I have to pay them a penalty for leaving early?

Thanks

Starwood Lurker Mar 22, 2007 4:00 pm


Originally Posted by scrog (Post 7451140)
I have sort of a similar question William. If I'm on a five night award (points for four nights) and I decide to leave after the fourth night does the hotel still get paid for all five nights? If they don't would I have to pay them a penalty for leaving early?

Thanks

No, I don't think there should be any penalty for leaving early in an instance like this. After all, even though you only spent the points for four nights on a five-night award stay, we are still going to reimburse them for the whole stay as it was booked.

Sincerely,


William R. Sanders
Customer Service Coordinator
Starwood Preferred Services

[email protected]

scrog Mar 22, 2007 4:26 pm

So just to be sure I understand, what if I check out after the first day? Do they still get paid for all 5 nights?

Thanks

Starwood Lurker Mar 22, 2007 4:30 pm


Originally Posted by scrog (Post 7452205)
So just to be sure I understand, what if I check out after the first day? Do they still get paid for all 5 nights?

Thanks

Yes. But, you aren't getting any of the Starpoints back because you leave early. Understand now? :D

Sincerely,


William R. Sanders
Customer Service Coordinator
Starwood Preferred Services

[email protected]

scrog Mar 22, 2007 4:36 pm

Got it William.

Thanks

clublounger Mar 23, 2007 8:32 am


Originally Posted by Starwood Lurker (Post 7452223)
Yes. But, you aren't getting any of the Starpoints back because you leave early. Understand now? :D

Sincerely,


William R. Sanders
Customer Service Coordinator
Starwood Preferred Services

[email protected]

Does that mean that once an award stay has begun that there is no refund of points for unused nights if an early check out is necessary?

I certainly understand that the 5th night free cannot be credited, if the check out is after just 4 days. But if I book 3 nights, but inform the front desk at check in or soon thereafter that I will be staying only 1 or 2 nights, am I completely out the points for the unused night/s?

Mahalo

Oxon Flyer Mar 23, 2007 8:51 am

In this particular instance the OP has a reservation using the January "50% off points" promotion.

I have a similar reservation using this promotion and when I called up to try and reduce the stay from 7 nights down to 6, I was told that this would require the the whole stay to be cancelled and rebooked at current redemption rates, but also that that terms of the promotion stated that if I cancelled, all the points would be forfeited.

Starwood Lurker Mar 23, 2007 11:46 am

dupe. sorry.

Starwood Lurker Mar 23, 2007 12:08 pm


Originally Posted by clublounger (Post 7455672)
Does that mean that once an award stay has begun that there is no refund of points for unused nights if an early check out is necessary? ...

Yes, if a hotel has an early departure fee policy, it has the right to make a choice of either charging the early departure fee (probably based upon prevailing rates) and returning the Starpoints for the unused portion of the stay or they can choose not to charge the early departure fee and keep the Starpoints for the reservation as originally booked.

Sincerely,


William R. Sanders
Customer Service Coordinator
Starwood Preferred Services

[email protected]

scrog Mar 23, 2007 12:37 pm

Quote:
Originally Posted by scrog View Post
So just to be sure I understand, what if I check out after the first day? Do they still get paid for all 5 nights?

Thanks
Yes. But, you aren't getting any of the Starpoints back because you leave early. Understand now?


Originally Posted by Starwood Lurker (Post 7456993)
Yes, if a hotel has an early departure fee policy, it has the right to make a choice of either charging the early departure fee (probably based upon prevailing rates) and returning the Starpoints for the unused portion of the stay or they can choose not to charge the early departure fee and keep the Starpoints for the reservation as originally booked.

Sincerely,


William R. Sanders
Customer Service Coordinator
Starwood Preferred Services

[email protected]

So now I'm getting confused again. Are you saying that the hotel can charge me an early departure fee if they want to refund the points, rather than keep the points? The early departure fees are usually a lot more than the hotel would get paid for an award nigh I think.

Thanks William.

Starwood Lurker Mar 23, 2007 12:43 pm


Originally Posted by scrog (Post 7457182)
...So now I'm getting confused again. Are you saying that the hotel can charge me an early departure fee if they want to refund the points, rather than keep the points? The early departure fees are usually a lot more than the hotel would get paid for an award nigh I think.

Thanks William.

Yes. I agree that it is confusing, which is why I checked and this is what came back to me. It only applies in instances where a hotel has an early departure charge policy. Not every hotel does.

Sorry if I was wrong previously.

Sincerely,


William R. Sanders
Customer Service Coordinator
Starwood Preferred Services

[email protected]

gatorboy Mar 23, 2007 12:45 pm

Split Reservations
 
While not directly applicable to this situation, especially since a 50% off award was used, I sometimes make split reservation with my 5 night for the *point cost of 4 booking immediately preceded or followed by any additional nights I may want. Then if there is a need to shorten a stay I have some additional flexibility. Just did this for a St. Maarten trip next January - especially since I'm not sure what flights will be available. Book now and cancel as necessary.

scrog Mar 23, 2007 12:54 pm

Thanks again William,

When you say the hotel can charge you a fee IF they have an early departure fee, how do know they just don't make the fee up on-the-spot? Are the early departure fees posted somewhere?


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