Duke5150

I had the same problem with the Bora Bora Nui last May.

However, stays at the Sheriton Moorea and Sheriton Tahiti were credited automatically and on time.

DCF

Sorry it's taken me so long to expand.

The St Regis BB has turned out to be exceptionally good, although as I've flagged it is clearly man-made (the location as well as the rooms!).

With respect to the SPG participation, the line about the hotel not participating was on the final confirmation page as I made an on-line repeat booking. Try it yourself and see if it's still there! I trust William and the hotel staff, however, when they say they do actually participate fully.

The difference in quality between the rooms here and at the other St Regis properties I've been to (Monarch Beach and Washington DC) is VAST: these are the best suites I've ever seen by miles. As I wrote earlier, they are so large, and so well constructed (no holes in the ceiling or walls!) that you can easily forget you're in an overwater bungalow.

There are about five free daily shuttles to the town of Vaitape, but you if you are planning on shopping (we met all six couples from the boat in the supermarket!) you need to book a golf-cart for your return to take you to your room. We didn't, and there was a 25 minute wait.

I haven't tried the gourmet restaurant. The beach cafe has wonderful, attentive staff but a very limited menu, although they are willing to prepare alternative dishes if you ask.

There are fish in the lagoon. I first came here as a kid a quarter of a century ago, and I must say that while BB's lagoon is still exceptional above water, the tourists killed most of the coral (and aquatic life) 15 years ago, and if you plan on snorkelling or diving try Rangiroa (Kia Ora Village hotel) or Taha'a instead.

The location is actually more breathtaking than BB Nui, because rather than facing out over the ocean it faces back across a turquoise lagoon to the majestic jagged mountains of Bora Bora, as if over a gigantic private pool.

The one bad thing is that jetboats are allowed to come and go from the only area of beach, which spoils the calm irreparably. This is not Cabo San Lucas, and I find that intrusion really irksome. Why couldn't they use the boat port away from the beach?

Anyway. Great staff, great location, wonderful rooms.

Starwood Lurker

I would really be interested in finding this. Can you expand further and tell me exactly what you did to get this message? I'm assured by the property that this message would never come up at spg.com or any other Starwood proprietary web site, so they assume you booked a wholesale rate online with another company to get this message.

Thanks.

Sincerely,


William R. Sanders
Customer Service Coordinator
Starwood Preferred Services

[email protected]

Starwood Lurker

Nevermind...I found it...now to get it fixed before any further confusion is created.

Sincerely,


William R. Sanders
Customer Service Coordinator
Starwood Preferred Services

[email protected]

DCF

Sorry William (good luck with the surgery by the way!), but I'd just gone for a dip.

For the record, I'd rebooked another stay at the Best Available Rate online at spg.com.

There is another irksome detail there too.

My two BB Nui stays were at the SPG50 rate (around $400 per night for a beach bungalow). My St Regis BB Nui stay was at the SPG35 rate which was previously sold for that property, in a beach villa at $610 per night.

Before re-booking online at the public Best Available Rate I asked reservations at the hotel if they could offer an SPG50 - no dice, an SPG35 - no dice or even an SPG25.

They do still offer SPG25s, but only for room categories which even with it cost in excess of $1600 per night. As a result I booked the online BAR of $760 for a repeat stay, and just cut the length of stay accordingly.

I think that is bad business though. At least SPG35s allow loyal SPG customers to book online and the hotel to avoid commissions. But if SPG members can get nothing better than the standard BAR, and travel agents can undercut it (and they can at least equal it) then the hotel is looking at unnecessarily giving away commissions.

It would be nice if they could reconsider SPG35s or at least SPG25s on ALL room categories, or failing that 10% off BAR for SPG members who reserve online.

In my market (Australia) the Sofitel chain (which has a very similar Bora Bora property, the Sofitel Motu) offers a loyalty program with 50% off rack rate or 10% off BAR.

There simply won't be SPG members who stay at the Bora Bora properties if booking online or via telephone isn't at least as keenly priced as through a travel agent, because of course if they use a travel agent they earn no Starpoints anyway. In that situation they'll probably avoid the properties entirely.

So, as I said, it may be worthwhile reviewing SPG50, 35, 25 or discounted BARs for Starwood Preferred Guests who reserve directly with Starwood.

Starwood Lurker

Well, I'm pretty sure that smarter guys than me have already looked at this, but I was able to confirm with the St Regis Bora Bora folks that they will not be participating in SPG35. It will be SPG25 for the time being. Maybe that will change over time, maybe it won't. Whatever happens, however, will probably be decided at the hotel management level in conjunction with the regional Starwood authorities.

I'm pretty sure we will never see SPG50 in the Hawaiian division (where Bora Bora falls), however.

Sincerely,


William R. Sanders
Customer Service Coordinator
Starwood Preferred Services

[email protected]

DCF

Thanks for your reply William.

I'd be happy even with the idea of SPG25s, except for the fact that the St Regis Bora Bora doesn't offer them for the vast majority of the rooms (the deluxe overwater bungalows and the beach villas, which have BARs of $1100 and $760 respectively), but only for the most expensive rooms.

As I wrote, when I asked directly at the hotel for the cheapest SPG25 I was quoted $1600 per night.

So for those of us who do book the non-commissionable way (ie by phone with Starwood or at spg.com) we have no price benefit over the general public, and indeed access considerably worse rates than people who book through travel agents who can access wholesale rates.

As I wrote, the current structure of room rates discourages loyalty by Starwood Preferred Guests, which is disappointing.

jgold

I just got off the phone with the platinum desk, and the rep I spoke with told me that the BB St. Regis does NOT give a platinum amenity period, and certainly not one for every night of the stay. William, could you please clarify the situation and let me know who I should contact to get any/all of my platinum amenities?

Also, somewhat annoyingly, the rep indicated that I have to send in a copy of my credit card statement in order to get ANY points for my three-day stay there. Just a warning to check your online statement to make sure your points post as expected.

I'll also note that the Sheraton Tahiti didn't give me a platinum amenity either, although the *wood rep was able to fix that over the phone b/c it was a rewards stay. The Sheraton Perth, on the other hand, did everything perfectly.

DCF

I'm going to side with the St Regis BB on the amenity issue.

It's true that Platinums get no special treatment (except I DID get an overwater upgrade) but then at this hotel every client is treated like royalty.

A couple of bits of free publicity for them....

On Day 1 of our stay, the butler greeted my little daughter on the walkway to the bungalow and she let go of her balloon and it flew into the ocean. My own fault for not being more careful! But the butler rang the beach hut (half a mile away!) and some poor guy got sent out in a canoe to look for the balloon.

Similarly, the care shown to small kids was just amazing, like nothing I've seen anywhere before. Everywhere from the restaurant to a pair of infant slippers brought to the room.

In terms of amenities, there is a twice weekly Manager's cocktail party (in the form of unlimited food and drink), and every other evening a small platter of fruit or cheese is delivered to every room.

BTW, I'm sure I'm right about badly thought out room rates. Yes, even the worst room is worth double the best room at the Westin Maui. But while the most expensive bungalows are selling out, the cheaper ones are not (because at a BAR of $760 for a beach bungalow, people in that price bracket just go for an overwater bungalow at a different hotel). I met noone at all who had booked directly with Starwood: every Starwood Preferred Guest I met said that they found it cheaper to book as part of a package deal with atravel agent.

There are 400 Business and First Class seats on planes from the USA to Tahiti each week, but now there are over 1000 rooms in the territory selling at rack rates in excess of US$1000 per night, which to all intents and purposes only Americans can afford. So either Starwood need to have cheaper lead-in prices for their rooms or they need to accept ultra-low occupancy. (On Thursday morning there was noone whatsoever at either the pool or the beach!). And this is one of the peak seasons.

Starwood Lurker

If you are talking about Starpoints, then Platinum Concierge is right. If you are talking about a welcome amenity period, then I have already told you what the property told me over the phone in a conference call with their corporate office in White Plains...they give a different one every day.

If you didn't get anything at all, then I would contact Corporate Customer Service and file a formal complaint. Be mindful that we only expect them to give you only one (not Starpoints), however.

If the bill was over US$1,000, then you will be asked to fax us a bill to post a missing stay.

Glad that got sorted out for you.

Sincerely,


William R. Sanders
Customer Service Coordinator
Starwood Preferred Services

[email protected]

jgold

Thanks for your reply William. I've faxed in my folio, so hopefully that will sort out matters.

GUWonder

The above-mentioned manager's cocktail party and small platter of fruit/cheese isn't a substitute for an SPG Platinum amenity, right? That is, if non-Plat hotel guests get that routinely too, then a Platinum amenity is still to be expected, right?

Starwood Lurker

In this instance, a small platter of fruit/cheese would suffice as a Platinum welcome amenity. If they want to give that to everyone else as well, then that would be up to them. SPG would not expect them to give more than one welcome gift per stay, regardless, and this fits the bill nicely.

Sincerely,


William R. Sanders
Customer Service Coordinator
Starwood Preferred Services

[email protected]

GUWonder

To my ears, it sounds a bit strange if an amenity that is routinely given to all guests, non-Platinum guests too, suffices as the Platinum amenity. Sounds more like an amenity available to all guests, if all guests get the same.

Maybe some hotel could say "designer" toilet paper in the bathroom with the hotel logo's sticker is the Platinum amenity too, to be taken home at our discretion.

DCF

Well, it's beginning to look as if the hotel really doesn't participate in Starwood Preferred Guest, just as the SPG on-line booking confirmation for my NEXT stay warned.

I stayed on an SPG35 rate booked by phone with Starwood, and paid $6,000 at check-out 13 days ago.

When no points or night or stay credit had posted after 5 days I emailed SPG to try to prompt the.

When there was still no action four days later I also faxed my full itemised bill and credit card receipt to SPG.

After ANOTHER four days there is still no credit for this stay. I'm waiting for about 20,000 Starpoints, plus stay and night credits.

I'll advise Flyer Talkers if I ever get those points and nights credited. If not, there is basically no point any SPG member booking this property through Starwood on-line or by phone, given that wholesale package vacation companies get better rates.