MR members : post your Starwood stay experiences after linking your account
 

I have been a Marriott person for years and years. For a number of years I was a PP but after semi-retiring I lost that. With over 2800 nights and nearly 9 million points, Lifetime Platinum was a good fallback position. :p I linked my MR and SPG accounts the first day and was instantly an SPG Platinum,

I must say that as an MR PP, I got the occasional suite upgrade including the Presidential Suite once or twice. Since losing PP, the suites have been few, if any. Recently, I was on a trip to Asia and had stays that included a Westin and two Sheratons. At the Westin Shenzhen Nanshan I was upgraded to very nice rooms but at the Sheratons in Beijing and Taipei I got full suites with a separate bedroom and living room. Should I get used to this at SPG properties?

What experiences have MR members, especially Plat and PP, had at SPG properties since linking their accounts?

As a Plat Premier, I have relatively good luck on getting suites in Marriotts but ... I often have to ask and sometimes push.

In contrast, the few Westins and W's I have stayed in since matching seem to think that suites are a matter of course. They've upgraded me beforehand and apologize if a suite isn't available. They seem to think its a requirement whenever possible as opposed to an inconvenience.

I find the difference odd since I have a seven figure MR points account, am a plat premier, and am a Charter Ambassador.

At least it is "odd" in a good way. :)

My sole SPG stay this year (Le Meridien SF), they offered me a choice of suites at check in. As a Gold. It was obviously a low occupancy night.

Stayed one night at the Ft. Walton Beach 4Pts. Reservation was for their standard "courtyard" view room and was upgraded to an Oceanfront King Suite. I asked for and did receive a 4pm late checkout. Note that when I originally showed up around 3pm to check-in, the room was not ready. I went out to do a little shopping and have dinner. I didn't receive the "room was ready" text until about 6pm that evening. (But it wasn't an issue as I was out having dinner and they didn't make any fuss about my getting a 4pm checkout time.)

I didn't think Starwood differentiates among Marriott Plats like that?

I think Starwood just sees me as an SPG Plat. They seem to think the default is to upgrade me to a suite whenever possible.

I know that Marriott sees me as a Plat Premier and apparently as a Charter Ambassador since I received a basket the other day. They also see my points account.

However, most Marriott properties won't upgrade to a suite absent a request.

I'm still mainly staying at Marriott properties but the outlook at the Westin and W is definitely to provide greater recognition of status (but no concierge lounge ...)

Because it is!

https://www.starwoodhotels.com/prefe...efits.platinum

Third bullet point - "An upgrade to best available room at check-in — including a Standard Suite."

Now plenty of us long-time SPG loyalists have felt properties will play games wrt inventory...but publishing this as a benefit (vs. just putting it in the T&Cs like MR or HH) does seem to have helped UG percentages.

I get the difference but don't fully understand the mindset of why some Marriott's would prefer to have an empty suite rather than give it to a Plat Premier.

Some hotels -- both JW Marriotts in Miami, the Beverly Hills Marriott, the Mayflower, the Grosvenors in London ... all give suites to PP's without asking. The Midtown Renn ... def wants empty suites.

Getting a one category upgrade as a PP at the Midtown Renn is a win. Offer them cash, and the nicer rooms will magically become available.

I'm at the point where if my room rate is over $300 and I'm not getting the best available standard room, or if my pre-arrival upgrade is taken away at check in, it's a complaint to the GM and included in my Trip Advisor review.

When my PP preferences say high floor, I shouldn't be on Floor 2 when a non-status coworker is on Floor 6 in the exact same room type/view. Marriott needs to get that stuff right every time. I'd be happy with that. I can't remember the last time I got a suite without begging.

In the past month or so I've had three SPG stays and three Marriott stays to take advantage of double points for six stays instead of three. I was upgraded to a two room suite for all six stays without asking. Although I asked for points as my welcome gift, all six hotels provided some sort of fruit or chocolate tray on arrival.

The biggest difference to me has been whether there is a CL. Many of the SPG properties either did not have one (LM Bangkok Silom) or had something that was below what you'd expect in a similar Marriott (Sheraton Prague). The Bali Sheraton is a Resort, so its not having one was expected on my part.

SPG hotels have treated me well; likely no different than a non-Marriott SPG Plat would be treated.

Have stayed at two Starwood properties since linking accounts. Dolphin hotel in MCO upgraded me to a lovely suite with water view. Westin MCI upgraded me to Club Lounge floor. Both provided free breakfast every day. Late checkout at Westin granted without hesitation even though hotel very full from convention.

In general I am being treated better as a Marriott Platinum at Starwood than at Marriott.

+1

Can't voice this enough. Since getting SPG Plat and staying at more than a handful of SPG properties in different regions, I have had recognitions that blow the MR Plat status away with nearly always an upgrade to a Jr Suite or higher except for a few properties which does not have suites.

How I only wish that MR will be more like SPG as it combines. Now I do understand all the commotions coming from the SPG members.

The only reason I am not moving all my stays towards SPG properties is because I am just < 200k points from being MR LTP (since as a European base member, I can't get a MR credit card to top it off).:(

Cheers!

I have stayed at two Starwood properties in the past month. The Westin LAX GM contacted me after I posted in that hotel thread that I was staying there for the first time. I was preblocked into a corner suite. Property is nice, but the concierge lounge at the Renaissance LAX is still better. I thought the club lounge was decent for the evening. I did not drink, but the alcohol drink prices in the lounge were reasonable. (Around $5-6). They only have the lounge open on evenings from Monday to Thursday. I am used to Marriott exec lounges being open Sunday nights.

I got stuck in an elevator so I had to change my return flight. When I got back to my suite, someone pulled the fire alarm a few minutes after my return. The hotel took care of me with the elevator issue.

My second stay was at the Sheraton Herndon Dulles which is next to the Hyatt Place Dulles East. Both hotels are owned by the same owner. This was my first stay at this Sheraton as a platinum member although I stayed once several years earlier when I booked a club room on the weekend for $55. Club was closed, but I got breakfast for that stay.

For this stay, I booked cash and points for a weeknight around 6:15 pm so I got no upgrade. I was placed on the fifth floor, which is the SPG member floor. Club lounge is right outside the elevator on the sixth floor and was open from 6-8 pm in the evening. Offerings were quite poor with one rice dish with chickpeas, two types of cheese, apples, oranges, raw carrots and raw celery. No dessert was offered, and I didn't see anyone manning the small lounge while I was up there in the evening.

Breakfast was better, but it was definitely more in the average quality level. They had sausage, scrambled eggs, and potatoes. There was a small container of oatmeal that was long gone by the time I showed up at 8:20 am. Very little fresh cut fruit compared to a Marriott exec lounge.

I have never been impressed with Sheraton properties. This one bugged me theee times before I checked out despite having a 4 pm checkout. Two of them were within 2 minutes of each other. The front desk was not that helpful in general. I would not stay at this property unless you get a cheap rate. I attached a photo below of what I took for the evening offering in the club lounge.