Didn't think a Business Class room guaranteed you access to the Executive Lounge. Thought it had to be an upgrade to an Executive Room. You would possibly get the upgrade to a Business Class room on your Gold status without spending the points. Then as a Gold member, you should be entitled to the excellent breakfast downstairs in Oscars.
As other state in the thread, the basic upgrades for gold seems to be (when available and outside of private deals you make with the hotel):
1. Basic room booked, upgraded to business room with buffet breakfast, not executive lounge access
2. Business room booked, upgraded to executive room with executive lounge access
Therefore from what I’ve gleamed from this forum by spending 6k/night to upgrade to a business room I’ll significantly improve my chance of getting a one level upgrade to an executive room with executive lounge access. That seems much more attractive than trying to make a deal at the hotel re-giving up laundry or whatever to get executive access. Additionally my starting point would be at a higher level should negotiation be required.
But yes it’s not a guaranteed upgrade. If I wanted to guarantee executive club access (rather than improve my odds), I would need to book that level of a room.
I guess the question is since I self-upgraded myself to a Business class room, would that prevent an at hotel one level upgrade? My booking now reads: Room: 1 KING BED BUSINESS ROOM , PREMIUM ROOM REWARDS