Originally Posted by
MSPeconomist
I'm confused. Your OP sounds like you paid extra points to book a Premium Grand Deluxe room and the SNAs "upgraded" you to a Grand Deluxe, which should be a LOWER category room. Even if the names are reversed and you got a slight upgrade for your SNAs, IMO it was an Ambassador error to check this category in the SNA request without verifying that you would want to use your SNAs in this way.
I think you should start by going back to your Ambassador ASAP to clarify. If the Ambassador requested an upgrade category very similar to the room you booked without asking your approval for this, you have an case here IMO to cancel the SNA request for the "upgraded" room and have your SNAs returned without cancelling the reservation, but this should be done ASAP. If your SNAs actually caused your room to be downgraded, of course the case is even stronger.
I booked a Premium Deluxe Non-Smoking Room for 3 nights at 53,250 points and asked my Ambassador to apply 3 SNAs to the reservation with the hope of getting a suite (the Duplex Suite seems to be the most common Plat upgrade reported in the hotels MT.) I did not have a conversation with my Ambassador about what the SNA options were because I mistakenly assumed the upgrade would be to a Suite! (I didn't realize that SNAs could be used for just upgraded rooms...hence my overall reason for this post.). I received a confirmation that my SNA had cleared so I emailed my Ambassador to find out to what I had been upgraded. He confirmed that the hotel had me in a Premium GRAND Deluxe Room. (So essentially the SNA gave me an upgrade to a GRAND classification which I assume is a better view or a higher floor.).
You are right that I've essentially wasted 3 SNAs but based on the comments by Christina this would seem to be ok based on the T&C. Not happy about this especially since I could have saved and just booked a regular room and spent less points on it and applied the same SNA. Just didn't want to be stuck in a Regular Room. You live and learn I guess!