margarita girl

voweffekt

So I stayed here twice within the last couple of months. Despite wide availability for Junior Suites, suites and Deluxe suitess was told there is no upgrade possible for platinum premier members. On both occasions I was actually told that there are no rooms available and that was the reason for no upgrades. Also on both occasions I reminded the person at the desk that the website lists wide availability for rooms and different types of suites. So after saying that there were no suites, they admitted that there were available rooms but they were not going to offer them as upgrades. The upgrade for platinum premier is a "preferred room".

I understand the availability issue but in both cases I feel like the two different people at check-in we're being dishonest about the availability of rooms. In both cases I ended up with a preferred room which was a room on a high floor but not the club floor.

The dishonesty party puts me off and that it happened twice in the same manner by different people leads me to believe that its hotel policy to only upgrade to suites in rare cases, not based on availability.

KSA_USA

In my experience, you are correct. I stayed many times at this hotel. I got upgraded to Jr. Suite twice. Each time they made it clear that this was an exception. I really do not care about suite upgrades at this hotel. the rooms are perfectly fine in the tower section which I always get upgraded to ( some times as soon as I make a reservation). Nice clean rooms, excellent airport location, and good lounge. No complains and I will stay again if the price is right.

christianj

Did you confirm that the suites you saw as being bookable were indeed part of the "select Suites" which are part of the upgrade pool? Just because a "suite" is shown as available doesn't necessarily mean it is one that is included in the upgrade pool.

I stay here frequently but since it's just for one night before or after a flight I like KSA_USA am ok with a club room due to the amount of time I am spending there.

I do have to chuckle and I apologize for this in advance BUT.....I wonder if this will be the new norm...original MR Platinum members (which I am assuming you are based on your profile listing of only MR Plat) that likely didn't see many suites under the old Marriott program will now expect them under the new program after they said us SPG Plats were a bunch of overentitled whinners.

voweffekt

No, this had nothing to do with my perceptions of SPG vs Marriott. It's more about my long-standing attempt to understand individual properties and the whole upgrade process. It seems in Marriott world, that one is rewarded by asking questions about availability, pushing gently, and asking again and again. Otherwise known as begging for your upgrade. I relented with the FRA-Sheraton and took the room they offered, but it seemed that the first answer is we would love to offer you an upgrade, but we're booked up. I did press them a little, asking if no "larger" rooms were available or were they full? They were full. So that's dishonest, I'm sorry. I stated calmly that the website has many different room types for sale right now.
As you pointed out, It's better to say that they have a pool of rooms, or whatever and that they aren't giving out any more room upgrades to larger rooms. The second reception worker did say, that if I "Insisted" they would try to find me a junior suite, but it may take a while, was far away, ugly. something else I forget. I got the point. So after all, there were rooms available and it was not true what they said at the beginning of the conversation. It told me enough about the property and that's reinforced by what others have said here: Nice lounge, no upgrades.
Generally, though, it goes to being proactive with loyal members and the variability of benefits in the MR program has been frustrating, sometimes confusing.

PS: Were / are suites easier to get at legacy SPG properties?

yyznomad

Yeah, this is a favourite property of mine to unwind at after a busy Europe trip. I often use FRA as my gateway to/from Canada.

christianj

@ voweffekt...upgrades and having to fight (or ask) for them under the old SPG program depended on the property. Some legacy SPG properties tried to game the system and this will likely continue at those properties plus at Marriott flagged properties that now should upgrade Platinum members. SPG however seemed to be more active in trying to get properties to actually stick to the upgrade rules.

Just exactly which category of suite falls into the upgrade pool has always been an issue even under the old SPG program. Reality is that the hotel is NOT going to include a Presidential suite in the regular upgrade pool but they might actually give it to you if they are feeling generous or if they are indeed sold out for the night and feel they can sell your room if they give you the Presidential suite as a platinum upgrade. To add more confusion to this, you might get to a hotel and they say they can't upgrade you to a suite because they have none available. Based on the app you however seen that they have a suite and you know it's part of the upgrade pool but they are not giving it to you. The hotel can argue this under the premise that the suite is NOT ready (likely not cleaned) for them to give it to you but they can still sell it to a later arriving guest. (In this case I ask if I wait if I can have the suite if I really want it.)

It was always a game under the old SPG program but we all played the game. Some people seem to have been upgraded all the time while others complained that they never saw many suites. We all tended to ask for a suite upgrade if one was not volunteered. If they said they didn't have one...we asked if they didn't have one NOW and if I waited would they have one later. If you were at the hotel for multiple nights it might be worthwhile to ask if they would have one available mid-stay that you could change to. Really depends on your persistence and flexibility. Sometimes you just take a regular room because it's the easiest thing to do.

yyznomad

Well, from a legacy perspective (pre Aug 18), I rarely got upgrades at this property but they did happen. I've stayed at the Sheraton FRA around 30+ times now and I've been upgraded to a suite/jr suite about five times. One time I turned down an upgrade because it wasn't on the main club floor (I like the convenience of just dropping in and out of the lounge area, as well as the accessibility of the club lounge "front desk" staff during extended business hours).

christianj

I have gotten a suite a couple of times but I have only been on the main Club Floor once! When I was at the property last month, I commented that I hadn't had a room on the actual club floor in forever to the agent checking me in. She was surprised and said she would put a note in the system to try and get me on the floor for my next stay. We will see! Definitely more convenient when you don't have to take the elevator down to your room.

yyznomad

Yeah that's a bit unusual I'd say... of my stays there, I've only been put on the lower club floor twice. Three times if I hadn't rejected my upgrade to stay on the main floor.

kilo

MSPeconomist

christianj

There are two over the road bridge options into the hotel. One is the one that is also marked as the way to the Fernbahnhof that also brings you to the Squaire and the other is further down in Terminal 1 that brings you into the Sheraton on the other end past reception where the airline crew check-in is.

Main alternative to Fernbahnhof, Squaire and hotels:

Second alternative in Terminal 1:

MSPeconomist

kilo