I was under assumption in order to use the Milestone Suite upgrade:
- must hook flex rate / member's flex rate
- must book direct with IHG/Site/App
- call in to get upgrade
As mentioned
https://www.ihg.com/content/us/en/cu...er-tc/2nd-page- Confirmable Suite Upgrade can only be applied to stays that are on an eligible rate, e.g., Best Flexible, Member Discount, Government, and select Corporate and package rates
- Confirmable Suite Upgrades cannot be used with the following rate types:
- Group rates, package tour or convention where charges are being paid by a third party
- Reward Night/Free Night (eligible at a future date)
- Non-Qualified rate like Wholesale, OTA, and Employee rate
- Prepaid rates if deposit is already applied
- Some hotel defined packages
Maybe in your case "select package rate" is not valid because of a certain market ?
*
But supposedly Virtuoso TA as preferred partners,
have such good relations & connections with their hotels
that they can pull some strings for their clients
.....
if you believe the blogs
*
with that in mind......
I am not here to defend or attack but just from mere observation
Think of IHG's reasoning concerning upgrades:
elite level is:
plat/diamond will get +1 subject to availability
AMB/Innercircle wil get +1 guaranteed
RA will get +2 guaranteed
if booking Virtuoso or L&L rate + having the appropiate elite level,
would offer all elite levels with their virtuoso/L&L booking:
VirtuosoL&L upgrade subject to availability + elite's +1 catagory upgrade
there is reason to believe:
some hotels go beyond,
upgrade + upgrade
some hotels do the minimal, so upgrade but then suit to best of that upgradable category roomtype
some hotels are strict, cite the elite status transforms the virtuoso/L&L rate from subject to availability to confirmed
----------------------
and with that logic think about stacking above all with the CSU = confirmable suite upgrade
Which should mean all elite levels + virtuoso/L&L + CSU =
cause all guests bookings to change
be set to entry suite
AND
then apply the upgrade benefit of the elite member on the suite cat+1
AND
then apply the upgrade benefit of the virtuose/L&L on the suite cat +1
That would create a logistic nightmare like Marriott has with its to many ranks of elite for upgrade
and with virtuoso/MarriotStars-lumiious/AmexFH&R bookings
(whom to upgrade in what dominant rank?)
or
An inventory nightmare like Hyatt with all Globalists going auto-upgraded into standard suites + virtuoso/HyattPrivé booking upgrade benefit
(are there even enough suites of all types left to upgrade into )
Which causes ofcourse disappointment and frustration with the regulars & elite members
because the upgrade chain has become to complex by corporate and hotels can't / won't deliver
So this might reasons why IHG-hotels / reservations act/think
https://www.ihg.com/content/us/en/cu...er-tc/2nd-page
as they interpret corporate's t&c
- Confirmable Suite Upgrade cannot be stacked with guaranteed upgrades for Royal Ambassador, Ambassador, and Inner Circle Members, any additional upgrades are at the discretion of the hotel
Note: Diamond & Platinum not memtioned in above line as their upgrades where always subject to availability ......!
Note: though that hotel CAN go beyond at their own discretion
Note: if a Virtuoso TA is touted to be excellent in his relation with a certain hotel, it would suit their image to push for the upgrade & statusfy their client
with corporates's t&c
- Confirmable Suite Upgrade can only be applied to stays that are on an eligible rate, e.g., Best Flexible, Member Discount, Government, and select Corporate and package rates
- Confirmable Suite Upgrades cannot be used with the following rate types:
- Group rates, package tour or convention where charges are being paid by a third party
- Reward Night/Free Night (eligible at a future date)
- Non-Qualified rate like Wholesale, OTA, and Employee rate
- Prepaid rates if deposit is already applied
- Some hotel defined packages
sorry for the long story!
but just giving my 2 cents in thought and observation