Originally Posted by
Spent_All_My_Miles
I have a related question, for which this thread seems as good as starting a new one.
When booking a suite as an award, what are the rules?
1) Can they put you into the lowest category if they wish? Can they get away with putting you in a junior suite?
2) Are they obliged to put your in the premium-type suites if available?
I recently stayed at the Sheraton Sana'a, and booked suites for 3 of my 4 nights (I did so when it was a cat 1, and thus a trivial extra number of points). When I checked in, I was told something to the effect that I was given a junior suite. On my last night, I point-blank asked for the best possible suite they had, and what they gave me was the exact same type of suite, only on a newly refurbished floor.
As I was only Gold, I suppose the extra points made a difference. But a Plat would have presumably little motivation to book a suite at a hotel that doesn't sell them out, if they would wind up with the exact same type of suite that they could get by being upgraded from a normal room.
The T&Cs for Plat upgrades is the best available room at check in including
select suites. I would say this applies regardless of the type of room you book. Of course some hotels might be generous and go above and beyond if you initially book a suite but there is no obligation to do so. Maybe the suite you booked was classed as a junior suite.
Recently I used points to book a suite for an upcoming stay. As a Plat, I
may have been upgraded to the suite without the extra points, but on this stay I don't want to take the gamble. I don't expect they will upgrade me any further, in fact I will be surprised if they do. I do know I will get a suite and it seems good value for the amount of points paid.