Originally Posted by
MSPeconomist
If we ignore the junior suite preupgrade, the OP purchased a premium view oceanfront room and was asked to pay extra for an ordinary ocean front room with balcony. It sounds like he's being asked to pay $58 for a DOWNGRADE relative to what was booked, or at worst the same room type. To me, that's fraud on the part of either the hotel, Starriott, or both. I'm just some people will mistakenly rush to pay the money for the opportunity to get either the same room or a lower room category than was booked.
I'm familiar with this property. OP is being asked to pay extra for going from an ocean view to an ocean front, which is an upgrade.
There is another thread on this ... some company has an algorithm that pushes this and is in place with most of Hilton properties and some Marriott properties. I get this at the Lexington NYC as well, trying to upgrade me at time of booking to a room that I should be upgraded to if it is available when I arrive. I don't think the algorithm catches that there has been a preupgrade.
This is a very pro-elite property. For example, this thread caused me to check and I have already been upgraded to a junior suite on an upcoming stay, which is consistent throughout my stays (which is why I keep staying there rather than the Westin or RH, which don't give great upgrades).