I'm finishing a 3 night award stay here, leaving on Monday morning. I've stayed here 4 or 5 times, and it's always a mixed bag.

This time, no way they would give me early check-in at 11AM. In fairness, there's a huge Opthamalogy conference underway, so I accept that my "upgraded" room wasn't ready. I told them I'd skip the upgrade if they'd give me ANY room at 11AM, and the answer was still no. I even gave them my [clank!] SPG Lifetime Platinum card, and they all oohed and ahhed about it, said it was the first one they'd seen, etc.....but it made zero difference in terms of my room assignment. I got a slightly larger than usual room (for this hotel anyway), overlooking the interior loading dock/employee access in the back. Ugly view, but extremely quiet compared to the street-side rooms I've had here in the past....fair tradeoff, I prefer quiet whenever possible. But absolutely no serious "junior suite" upgrade, or the like. Just a slightly larger than normal small room...which is pretty much what I've come to expect from this hotel, they are not especially cognizant of Plat guests. When I was here a year ago, I at least got a welcome letter personally signed by a front desk manager...didn't get one this time, but it's not as if that letter a year meant anything of value whatsoever.

Earlier in this thread, there was a discussion about a museum tickets amenity, but that never was offered to me, and I forgot to ask. I took the Plat amenity points instead of breakfast, I'll be curious to see if I ever actually get the points, since this is an award stay.

I also had a second award room reserved for my neighbor who came with me. When we came back at 4PM to checkin, his room was still not ready, they'd booked him in the room directly next to mine. I never asked them to do that, told them that I really wanted them to find him a room ASAP. They did, and hilariously, it was a much bigger room than mine, complete with an already pre-arranged bottle of wine waiting in it, and a welcome note on registering early to get his Opthamalogy conference badge/credentials, addressed to Dr. Smith. Except my neighbor is Mr. Smith (not Dr.), he's not an Opthamalogist, and we aren't here to attend the Opthamalogy conference. He called the front desk to tell them of the mix up, but they said not to worry, they'd find Dr. Smith another room, and he could keep the wine.

I'll be curious to see in the morning if my bill (which should have a zero balance) is correct. I have fond memories of the Westin Paris handing me a bill for a couple thousand dollars on an award stay a few years ago, forcing me to correct it at the front desk at 5AM while trying to beat the traffic to the airport.