This is confusing

so for C&P available, C&P+DSU available even with no normal DSU suite availability: You are upgraded to a higher category suite?

same for : C&P not available, but C&P+DSU available even with no suite availability?

Availability for a suite using Diamond Suite Upgrade for a Points + Cash rate is separate from availability for a Points + Cash room.

Most people think there are two steps to booking a suite using a DSU:

A. Book a room on Points + Cash rate
B. Upgrade to a suite using DSU

But, by contacting the hotel directly, you can go directly to step B.

So if a hotel still has a suite available in the "Diamond Suite Upgrade with Points + Cash rate" availability "box", you can book this suite at P+C price using a DSU, even if there are no P+C rooms available.

This would just be the regular eligible suites, not anything higher.

And of course, there's no way you can independently check to see whether this is possible for any given case. You are at the mercy of whatever the hotel or HGP tell you.

I agree but at times hotels do the weirdest things.

For example: I had a P+C booking and I contacted the hotel to apply the DSU to it. The hotel switched my booking a a cash rate with a DSU applied.

In order to get the P+C & DSU, I had re-book the P+C and repeat the whole process a second time.

I've also tried contacting hotels directly to check if they have a P+C rate or P+C & DSU. Thus far I am batting 0.000 in terms of difference between hotels and hyatt res even for res for next year.

A poor attempt to illiustrate the concept:

There's also a possibility of some intersection between the sub-boxes within the suite box.

No, there's nothing about a higher category suite implied. Either they're being weird, or different agents see different availability. We have no evidence for the latter yet.

first thing that popped into my head when seeing that.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...03/Aybabtu.png

I gather the same as you do, but with some of what you said above, it could also mean that some of the small boxes protrude from the "base suite box"

Thanks for the clarification.

so what happens when you book a C&P available, C&P+DSU available even with no normal DSU suite availability?

or C&P not available, but C&P+DSU available even with no suite availability?

OT: With all your friends, you need all the space to wrestle ;)

Basically, what it says is that you cannot predict the availability of anything based on the availability (or not) of anything else. Just decide what you want, and try to get it.

Haven't read the whole thread, but it would be very rare for the C&P+DSU to be available if normal DSU room is not available.

Sometimes the system can trick you into thinking that normal DSU room is not available, because online it only shows available under certain rate types which are not the Daily Rate. But if the DSU category is generally sold out, I can't see how you would do a C&P+DSU.

You have experience/evidence of a DSU being available for a base-level suite on P&C but not on a cash rate?

The only time I've seen DSU being available on P&C via the hotel but not via GP was when the hotel did confirm to a higher level suite, which of course GP could not do.

By contacting the hotel directly. Some (maybe only a handful) properties will confirm a DSU, either on P&C or cash rate, into a higher level suite (or sometimes lower level, such as a junior suite), when GP cannot.

But of course you're correct that if GP says there is no DSU available on a cash rate, the same agent on the same phone call is not going to say that a DSU is available for P&C.

I would not be surprised if sometimes it would be possible for GP to say no DSU on P&C but only for cash, book that, and then call the hotel and be able to switch from cash to P&C. Properties have a lot of discretion re the availability of P&C.

Update on this:

Today I called to extend my C&P stay by 1 day. Then I asked if a DSU was available - and, lo, it came to pass!

So I am left wondering what made the difference:
- new availability came on stream overnight
- agent error - either yesterday or today; because of call times I got a European agent yesterday (who confirmed lack of DSU with supervisor); today I got an American agent
- the change in the length of stay from 4 to 5 nights
- something else?

Anyway, very pleased with this result. It isn't a cheap stay by my standards - but it is an excellent price for this property.

Those two come to mind.

"the change in the length of stay from 4 to 5 nights" is a unique one that I've experienced before

I've done booking where 2-3 nights all rooms are sold out but if you book 3-4 nights there are still rooms available.

So I won't be surprised if that is a reason for the availability.

"Agent error" gets my vote. "Software error" runs a close second.

Double check to make sure that your that your helpful agent kept your P+C rate, and didn't "upgrade" you to a fully paid rate.

(And c'mon, people, it's the "Points + Cash" rate. How hard is it to use proper terminology?)