Dec 6, 2014, 7:37 pm
Last edit by: TravelinSperry
If no alternative amenity was offered by the FrontDesk for Platinum Members, please use the following template when writing in to Customer Service:
I recently stayed at XX.
The following problem occurred:
Resort fee charged by this property covered amenities already included in my Platinum status (free Internet). The property did not offer alternative amenities. Please advise.
Kind regards
If the Customer Care officer have no clue about this, please advise them to:
Access their intranet site and reference a document there entitled "Resorts: Resort Charge Alternate Replacement Item for Platinum/VIP Members".
They will find this document in the SPG Learning Center under the Resorts/Hawaii section. If after reading this document, the customer care person has difficulty filing a formal complaint on your behalf, please ask to speak to their supervisor.
North America
United States
California - Le Meridien Delfina Santa Monica - Fee: $18.00 daily; Replacement Amenity: Full breakfast
California - Westin Mission Hills & Resort - Fee $35 daily; Replacement Amenity: $5 credit off fee.
Florida - The Westin Cape Coral Resort at Marina Village - Fee: $15.00 daily (tax not included); Replacement Amenity: None offered
Florida - Sheraton Lake Buena Vista - Fee: $19.00 daily (tax not included); Replacement Amenity: Fee waived for Platinum guests
Georgia - The Westin Savannah Harbor Golf Resort & Spa: $22.47 (tax included); Replacement Amenity: None offered
Hawaii - Sheraton Kauai Resort - $31.25 daily (tax included); Replacement Amenity: Free valet parking
Hawaii - Sheraton Princess Kaiulani - $26.18 daily (tax included); Replacement Amenity: None offered
Hawaii - Moana Surfrider, A Westin Resort & Spa, Waikiki Beach - $31.41 daily (tax included); Replacement Amenity: 250 Starpoints
Hawaii - Sheraton Waikiki, Waikiki Beach - $31.41 daily (tax included); Replacement Amenity: 250 Starpoints per night
Nevada - SLS Las Vegas - $30.00 daily (plus $3.60 tax); Replacement Amenity: Two free drink tickets
Nevada - W Las Vegas - $32.00 daily (tax not included); Replacement Amenity: Two free drink tickets
New Mexico - La Posada de Santa Fe - $30.00 daily (tax not included); Replacement Amenity: None offered
No Longer Charging a Resort Fee
North America
United States
Hawaii - The Royal Hawaiian, a Luxury Collection Resort, Waikiki - Previously, $36.65 (tax included); Replacement Amenity: None offered. As confirmed on January 31, 2016 (online and in person), the Royal Hawaiian no longer has a resort fee. This is applicable to all guests.
I recently stayed at XX.
The following problem occurred:
Resort fee charged by this property covered amenities already included in my Platinum status (free Internet). The property did not offer alternative amenities. Please advise.
Kind regards
If the Customer Care officer have no clue about this, please advise them to:
Access their intranet site and reference a document there entitled "Resorts: Resort Charge Alternate Replacement Item for Platinum/VIP Members".
They will find this document in the SPG Learning Center under the Resorts/Hawaii section. If after reading this document, the customer care person has difficulty filing a formal complaint on your behalf, please ask to speak to their supervisor.
North America
United States
California - Le Meridien Delfina Santa Monica - Fee: $18.00 daily; Replacement Amenity: Full breakfast
California - Westin Mission Hills & Resort - Fee $35 daily; Replacement Amenity: $5 credit off fee.
Florida - The Westin Cape Coral Resort at Marina Village - Fee: $15.00 daily (tax not included); Replacement Amenity: None offered
Florida - Sheraton Lake Buena Vista - Fee: $19.00 daily (tax not included); Replacement Amenity: Fee waived for Platinum guests
Georgia - The Westin Savannah Harbor Golf Resort & Spa: $22.47 (tax included); Replacement Amenity: None offered
Hawaii - Sheraton Kauai Resort - $31.25 daily (tax included); Replacement Amenity: Free valet parking
Hawaii - Sheraton Princess Kaiulani - $26.18 daily (tax included); Replacement Amenity: None offered
Hawaii - Moana Surfrider, A Westin Resort & Spa, Waikiki Beach - $31.41 daily (tax included); Replacement Amenity: 250 Starpoints
Hawaii - Sheraton Waikiki, Waikiki Beach - $31.41 daily (tax included); Replacement Amenity: 250 Starpoints per night
Nevada - SLS Las Vegas - $30.00 daily (plus $3.60 tax); Replacement Amenity: Two free drink tickets
Nevada - W Las Vegas - $32.00 daily (tax not included); Replacement Amenity: Two free drink tickets
New Mexico - La Posada de Santa Fe - $30.00 daily (tax not included); Replacement Amenity: None offered
No Longer Charging a Resort Fee
North America
United States
Hawaii - The Royal Hawaiian, a Luxury Collection Resort, Waikiki - Previously, $36.65 (tax included); Replacement Amenity: None offered. As confirmed on January 31, 2016 (online and in person), the Royal Hawaiian no longer has a resort fee. This is applicable to all guests.
Resort Fees : How are benefits that are already free handled at SPG properties ?
Mar 25, 2013, 6:36 pm
#781
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: MAN and LON
Programs: Mucci, BAEC LT Gold, HH Dia, MR LT Plat, IHG Diamond Amb, Amex Plat
Posts: 13,775
I had forgotten about this thread but it does remind me of a slightly odd situation at the Westin Monache In Mammoth Lakes I experienced last month.
The standard alternative amenity at this property is $10 credit for the Whitebark restaurant which seems to translate to $10 off your final bill if you do not take a chargeable meal there (one breakfast experience put us off further dining there).
However on checkout half the resort fee had been refunded ($12.50 per night or thereabouts). It seems this was due to issues with the wi-fi in the rooms (which didn't bother me as I always plug in my own travel router to Ethernet).
The odd thing about this in hindsight is that had the intranet been working it was only worth $10 per stay of alternative amenity. However a fault meant that all guests had a 50% refund of their resort fee. This clearly seems to be double standards even if I did benefit on my stay.
The standard alternative amenity at this property is $10 credit for the Whitebark restaurant which seems to translate to $10 off your final bill if you do not take a chargeable meal there (one breakfast experience put us off further dining there).
However on checkout half the resort fee had been refunded ($12.50 per night or thereabouts). It seems this was due to issues with the wi-fi in the rooms (which didn't bother me as I always plug in my own travel router to Ethernet).
The odd thing about this in hindsight is that had the intranet been working it was only worth $10 per stay of alternative amenity. However a fault meant that all guests had a 50% refund of their resort fee. This clearly seems to be double standards even if I did benefit on my stay.
Jun 4, 2013, 6:06 am
#782
Join Date: Apr 2011
Programs: Bonvoy Amb LTT, HHonors Diamond, AA ExPlat, United Silver
Posts: 645
Sheraton Wild Horse Pass Resort Fee For Platinum
Have any plats stayed here since the resort fee was instituted in March, 2013. If so how are they handling alternative benefits or is the fee waived as it is in some properties?
Sep 18, 2013, 8:36 pm
#783
Join Date: Feb 2006
Programs: HH Silver, MR Plat Prem & LT Plat, Hyatt Plat,SPG Plat, Hertz PC, National EE, UA 1K
Posts: 3,407
Did SPG do away with alternatives???
At the Shertaon Princess K right now...told they "give you breakfast if you want it instead of the points" as the alternative! 
Sep 19, 2013, 12:58 am
#784
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Oslo
Posts: 448
I have just learned to pay the fee (after asking first about any alternative amenity, of course) and then file a customer complaint when I get home. Did that at Westin Savannah and Westin Cape Coral a couple of weeks ago. There is a standard formula for the complaint in this thread somewhere that is great. I usually get the fee refunded (at Westin Savannah this year and last year) or some points (Westin Cape Coral twice this year). I no longer have the energy trying to explain the front desk what I am talking about.
Sep 19, 2013, 2:48 am
#785
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: Here there everywhere
Programs: Bonvoy Lifetime Titanium, Hilton Diamond, IHG Plat, BA Silver, Aegean Gold, Aeroplan 25k, AA EXP
Posts: 2,831
Sep 19, 2013, 9:11 am
#786
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Toronto
Programs: UA 1K, AC MM E75, Marriott LT Ti, IHG Dia Amb, Hyatt Glob
Posts: 15,523
That's great news. I'd much rather have a refund.
Note to self: Don't ask for alternative amenity if it's not offered.
Note to self: Don't ask for alternative amenity if it's not offered.
Sep 19, 2013, 11:33 am
#787
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: YVR
Programs: AC*SE MM, Marriott Lifetime Titanium
Posts: 4,604
Nov 12, 2013, 6:18 am
#788
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Toronto
Programs: UA 1K, AC MM E75, Marriott LT Ti, IHG Dia Amb, Hyatt Glob
Posts: 15,523
I have just learned to pay the fee (after asking first about any alternative amenity, of course) and then file a customer complaint when I get home. Did that at Westin Savannah and Westin Cape Coral a couple of weeks ago. There is a standard formula for the complaint in this thread somewhere that is great. I usually get the fee refunded (at Westin Savannah this year and last year) or some points (Westin Cape Coral twice this year). I no longer have the energy trying to explain the front desk what I am talking about.
Nov 12, 2013, 7:32 am
#789
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Oslo
Posts: 448
Example email:
"Property: xxyyzz
Dates: xx/xx/xxxx
Problem: Resort fee charged by this property covered amenities already included in my Platinum status. Property did not offer alternative amenities. Please advise."
Customer service normally knows the rule - but once or twice I have had to ask for a supervisor to look into it. Lurker has mentioned where in the SPG handbook this is written, but right now I could not find it browsing the thread.
Nov 12, 2013, 10:33 am
#790
Company Representative - Starwood
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Austin, Texas
Programs: Marriott Employee Level
Posts: 31,593
Best regards,
William R. Sanders
Social Media Specialist
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide
[email protected]
Last edited by Starwood Lurker; Feb 19, 2016 at 2:08 pm
Nov 14, 2013, 3:33 pm
#791
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: BOS
Programs: AA ExecPlat, SPG Plat, HH Gold
Posts: 255
I'll send the info on to the spgchampions.
Dec 28, 2013, 9:27 pm
#792
Join Date: Dec 2006
Programs: United 1K, *wood LT Plat
Posts: 826
Westin Aruba
Checked in today and asked about an alternative amenity - met with confusion by the Front Desk clerk. Haven't had a resort fee in awhile, so came on here, looked at the Resort Charge page, and it appears that the hotel now includes internet as as a complimentary benefit for all rooms and is not a "Resort Charge" benefit.
The only duplicate I'm seeing is for Health Club access - not inclined to press the issue.
The only duplicate I'm seeing is for Health Club access - not inclined to press the issue.
Dec 28, 2013, 11:48 pm
#793
Join Date: Jul 1999
Programs: QF WP, AA EXP
Posts: 3,520
Since the alternative amenity is only required to compensate for Internet in the paid resort fee, and they include free Internet for everyone in the base rate, they no longer have to do any thing for plats.
Jan 2, 2014, 5:44 pm
#794
Join Date: Jul 2012
Programs: American Airlines, SPG
Posts: 28
Hawaii Properties
Hello-
Can anyone update me on platinum alt amenities at the following properties?
Westin Maui
Sheraton Waikiki
Moana Surfrider
Thanks!
Shannon
Can anyone update me on platinum alt amenities at the following properties?
Westin Maui
Sheraton Waikiki
Moana Surfrider
Thanks!
Shannon
Jan 2, 2014, 5:49 pm
#795
Join Date: Jul 2010
Programs: AA Platinum, UA Exec Premier, SPG Platinum, AmEx Platinum
Posts: 183
It's discussed on each of the hotel Master Threads. These Hawaii properties it's rarely anything significant. I was just at the Westin in November and it was so insignificant I don't even remember what it was. At the Sheraton Maui it was free Valet parking which they only charge $5/day for anyway. Woohoo!