Peak Period : "[comp] Rewards member upgrades will not be availabl"
 

Notation for the Westin Whistler: "Please be advised that complimentary Rewards member upgrades will not be available during peak holiday periods." showing up as a warning on the top of the rate page when booking for April.

Not sure what to make of this comment. It has always been the case that upgrades are availability-based, but this special call-out strikes me not as a statement of fact but one of policy. Stayed at this property multiple times in ski season as a platinum and always enjoyed an upgrade of some degree, so this is pretty lousy.

While we can only really guess what their true motivation is, it is possible this is just a pre-emptive attempt to set realistic expectations for Plats and above. I seem to remember a few similar threads, pre-merger, in the Starwood forum where other hotels did the same thing for high occupancy dates.

Yup. It's now the wild wild west.

Hilton Hawaiian Village provides a similar warning, but will still upgrade based on availability.