StarWood Lurker and sc flier:

Thank you for your input. I booked via the SPG website, so presumably the rate I paid was not a non-qualifying one. I will indeed raise this with the mother ship, I found the front desk staff's explanation both disingenuous and annoying.

I'm pecking this out from a hotel that has a real lounge, and a nice one at that -the LM in Amman. What a lovely hotel with first-rate people. All thoughts of putting my SPG Amex through the shredder have dissipated.

Happy trails.