Thanks Nowhereman. I will very likely be looking into alternative options as well- perhaps a Taj property following your advice. However, I find it hard to believe the Sheratons in Hyderabad/Bangalore are so heavily booked for a period of 8 months. One can obvousy get a paid room for pretty much any date one likes at these properties. I do understand how playing around with room designations can yield the result that paid rooms are available but award rooms are not but that is perhaps a counter productive strategy for a property to follow. In your case, when you could not find an award availability, you chose to pay for a stay at a different hotel chain. I will very likely end up doing the same thing, and make even less effort (award or paid stay) to use a Sheraton in either of these cities in future.

Compare this to my stays in Bangkok, where I have fair success in finding an award stay in a Starwood room. But if I don't occasionally find an award room when I want it, I am happy to buy a paid stay within Starwood because I am used to these properties. However, it is possible that the Sheratons in Hyderbad/Bangalore do not have to compete in the same way as the Starwoods in Bangkok, so they can get away with their current business practices.