OK, but so long as a "standard room" is available, it should be there for points, just as it would be for if you were paying $s for a standard room. In other words, Sheraton does not make the two-tiered "saver" vs "standard" award distinction on their basic product that airlines do, requiring a "saver" inventory seat in coach before one can redeem a "saver" award, though there may still be a great many unsold/unreserved coach seats out there. Sheraton properties may offer higher category rooms or suites in return for more points, but again they don't discriminate between customers who would redeem points and those who would pay $s for a room. Right?

And how does Starwood Gold come into play where award bookings are concerned? (Starwood Gold is one of the perks of Ameniti.)

(I only started using a SPG AmEx card relatively recently, on the strength of FT recommendations. Perhaps I need to spend some time fisking SPG T&C, but any useful pointers will be appreciated, especially as I go ahead and pay taxes with my card today to build those points.)