s0ssos

April is Songkran.

I've found minimum stay for points at 4 points Penghu over weekends.

bertheike

I already stayed there aprox 20 times, and them only have 2 room types.
King bed and 2 double beds. ( not speak about suites )
Why them differ between URBAN and CHIC ( no idea ), I always book the ALOFT room and always be in the same rooms.

However them already doing this since January.
From May onward ( low season ) them open it.
Nobody can tell me, that every weekend FRI/SAT, the standard rooms are sold out ! Them simply close CHIC and sell as URBAN, so that them not have to give the reduced award booking.

And there is also absolutely no difference between this URBAN and CHIC, even not the view or floor

Oxon Flyer

The hotel's own website lists Urban Rooms as having Bangkok skyline views; Chic doesn't.

http://www.aloftbangkoksukhumvit11.c...TPRP&SWAQ=8CPE

When you make a dummy booking on this site, under "Aloft Room", it specifically sub-lists Chic and Urban as 2 separately bookable types.

UKTraveller4Fun

Afraid the website lists different rooms and the description is

"Appealing to on-the-go and in-the-know travelers, the Aloft rooms at Aloft Bangkok Sukhumvit 11 are equally carefree and bold. Nine-foot ceilings and extra-large windows create a bright, airy environment full of natural light. You’ll face the windows—not the walls—as you drift to sleep in our ultra-comfortable platform bed topped with plush bedding.

Check out side-street views from a Chic Room. Take in an Urban Room’s perspective of the Sukhumvit area. Or opt for a quiet Breezy Room on an upper floor—you’ll enjoy vibrant Bangkok skyline vistas.
"

While you may not like it the practice is perfectly normal and while it is quite possible in low seasons they release more 'Chic' rooms and upgrade people to Urban as they know they will not sellout otherwise this is again quite normal in the hotel industry managing inventory.

The cannot sell the Chic rooms as Urban / Breezy room as they will not match the description and people would be entitled to compensation. It can be frustrating when hotels classify different rooms on small differences but it is very normal practice and what they are offering on spg.com matches what is available for points, thus they are not in breach or committing any type of fraud.

geminidreams

In January I booked a Friday night room for 3000 points and rarely are there no 3000 point rooms available on weekends.

bertheike

So which side them call side street view ?
The entrance side ? where bed supper club was ?
or the left side, where you really look in direction to Sukhumvit NANA station
or the right side, where you look to the connecting Sois between Soi 9 and 11
Still strange, that them sold out standard every FRI/SAT, and rest from week when costs 4000 points it's available.

cln

The lowest room types have the windows facing to the building next door. The urban rooms are located opposite and have a view in direction of Fraser Suites Sukhumvit. That's the only difference, there are also touch rooms with that mobile device to control lights/aircon ...

They also have a savvy suite in addition to standard suites which features an outdoor jacuzzi and terrace.

UKTraveller4Fun

They are not sold out, they have a minimum stay requirement of 2 or 3 nights sometimes 4 depending when you look. As this minimum stay requirement is applied to paid stays it also applies to redemption bookings. Quite normal for SPG and many other programs as well.

cur

i found a difference:
whichever one is higher gives you a free disposable toothbrush

they're great to take home and have for "friends" that stay over

oh
and the rooms don't face that condo, they face north and towards the airport link

i always got "upgraded" to those rooms as a gold.

but this is indeed new. weekends are 3k, and i'd often use a single one of those 3k nights to stay-hop in order to get plat. i think they're catching on. plus they seem to be swamped, checking in as a gold at 6-7pm i had to wait for rooms on 2 occasions.

bertheike

Sorry I not really see a difference, ( because in my eys there is no few @ all ! ) If I stay in ROS, I can see a difference, if a have a nice river view, or face to city, but I really not care if I look on frasor suites or another building
I think anyhow this was my last year as a platinum. All these catg. changes in Thailand makes the progr. anyhow uninteresting for me.
I not spend points if the value is less than 3 cent.
Between 15 and 20 of my stays per year are in BKK / CNX / CEI and Huahin and almost every hotel I frequently stayed went up one cat., and now the point value went down to 10k for aprox 4700 THB = 1.3 c per point.
The only kat 2 left was the ALOFT and when rates went 3000 THB up, it was worth to book by 3k points.
For this weekend now i vote by my wallet !
The first night i booked 2 rooms in CITRUS 13 for 1690THB per room per night incl. all taxes/fees and ABF
The second night i move to Dream hotel in Soi 15 for 2.250 THB per room per night also incl. all taxes/fees and ABF.
In ALOFT and/or 4P it would have cost me @ least 3.800 THB per room per night.

UKTraveller4Fun

I am afraid there are many hotels that a small change in the view means a change in room type! Simply a higher floor can do it and this is certainly not limited to SPG.

I would agree you should always use the program that suits you best and stay where you can get best value for but clearly the Thailand SPG hotels are doing well if the categories are increasing as you suggest and while voting with your wallet is a good way to do it, their revenue departments clearly think they can fill the hotel over the weekends with longer stays and as such not have someone blocking a room for a weekend by taking only a single night. This is again common practice around the world especially in major cities.

Aloft is a brand that is growing and by most accounts doing pretty well in many of the places it has setup so the increase in category is as unsurprising as the increase in rates! If they have it wrong though you will soon see the rates drop as rooms are empty.

s0ssos

Case in point-look at Hong Kong. Any room with a nice view is pricier, as my brother pointed out (no status, no view).

seanthepilot

.....

UKTraveller4Fun

I a not sure what anything you state above has to do with your actual question,

"Why are the able to restrict availability to book awards ON NIGHTS THAT THESE ROOMS ARE AVAILABLE"

Have you any evidence that the hotel has paid rooms available for a Chic room that they do not offer for standard redemption, bearing in mind the stay length needs to be the same?

As for your comment about the hotel having hundreds of standard rooms, the total number of all rooms & suite is 297 so while technically accurate at describing the total number of rooms is very misleading to suggest there are hundreds of standard rooms!

Please show some actual evidence of this blocking and how the hotel is not complying with the SPG program terms and conditions rather than making accusations without factual support.

Starwood Lurker

Based upon reports here at Flyertalk, the SPG Hotel Coordinators investigated and found this hotel to be compliant with regard to the No Black-out Dates policy on standard rooms used for Free Night Award availability.

Best regards,

William R. Sanders
Social Media Specialist
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide

[email protected]