I have an abundance of certificates to "spend" before the end of February and have made arrangements with our babysitters & in-laws to take my wife away for a long (3 night) "grown-ups" weekend (without our two very young kids) at the Chicago property. I have amassed all of my 50+ nights at the same Fairmont property where they always treat me like royalty despite a pretty skinny corporate rate. As such, I have never had an opportunity to use my Premier & Platinum certificates in the past. Can the seasoned veterans of this forum please guide me to the best use of my cert inventory?

I still have certificates for two room upgrades, two suite upgrades, a comp night and a comp 3rd night. I do not need (nor expect) to use them all but want to max the value as this will be our first weekend away without our kids in more than 2 years.

My goal: I would like to end up in a suite at the lowest A/I cost. Gold would be wonderful but I have followed this forum for long enough to know that the certs won't get me there. We intend to arrive on a Friday and check out on the following Monday. If "the weather outside is frightful", we are perfectly content staying in those fluffy robes and watching PPV movies in between naps but expect to do some spa visits and in-room dining, too.

Two other important questions:
1) Can I use the Friends & Family rate?
2) What phone number do I use to reach the mythical "Platinum Desk"? The book which I received with the certs doesn't list one -- the only number I see is on the back of my bag tags.

OK, Jedi Masters -- how do I make this a great weekend for my bride?? Thanks in advance for the gift of your experience & wisdom!!


Fly'nGyn