aj23

We stay at the Westin Times Square all the time in Atrium Club Floor rooms using Starpoints (as in, 6-8 times per year). It's our local, fun getaway for a night in the city. Almost like our second home. Anyway...

Two things struck me with this current stay/booking:

- the base room is now 16,000 points a night not 12,000 a night, yet the Category has remained the same. Is this related to "Peak season"?

- the "ever-so-helpful" and "friendly" SPG phone rep explained to me that upgrading to Atrium Club rooms was never an option, and definitely no longer is an option. She said any previous upgrades I had were complimentary from the hotel. Yet, email confirmations from the past I have all read

These "complimentary upgrades from the hotel" also cost me an additional 2,500 points per stay. Complimentary?

Anyone else hear anything about this property, or other properties in general no longer being able to upgrade to certain room types using points?

Thanks.

jibi

The 16,000 points runs through around 12/18 for this property. It then reverts to 12,000 points. I would imagine this is peak season pricing.

Starwood Lurker II

(i) "Peak Season": Feel free to refer to the following link for details of high and low season for free night redemption

It may be tough for me to judge whether the associate you have spoken to is right or wrong.

One thing that is for sure is that even upgrades using points are subjected to availability. Thus, if your original reservation is RACK, COR, SET, or BAR, you may call up SPG 5 days within the arrival date to request for upgrade using points.

For reservation of all other rates, the request can only be processed during check in, subjected to the arrangement made by the property.

[email protected]

Thyetus Lee | Social Media Specialist
Starwood Customer Contact Centre (AP) Pte Ltd

el_tigre

It is not clear how the OP previously booked the Atrium Club rooms in the first place. Were they booked with cash and then upgraded using points to the Atrium Club, or were points used for the entire outlay? If its the latter, you can book higher category rooms (above standard level) more than five days out, but those are capacity controlled. I think the real question is if the Atrium Club is no longer able to be booked with points, or if there is simply no points availability for the OP's desired dates at this time.

You've also been lucky with the peak season in the past. SPG had suspended peak season for cat. 5-7 hotels for the last two years but brought them back this year with the recovering economy.

etsmyers

recovering, really????

DeirdreTours

The FamilyTours stayed in an Atrium Club room at this hotel on a five night points stay in may. Like the OP, we paid and additional 2500 points per night. It was booked as a specialty upgrade through spg by phone when we booked the room.
Clearly the spg rep was mistaken--but we don't know if the truth is that these specialty points bookings are no longer available at the Westin Times Square or if they are simply sold out of the allotted number for the op's dates.

Eujeanie

So was the Atrium Club worth the extra points? I can either book 5 nights in a regular room for 48,000 pts (buy 4 get one night free -12,000 each for the first 4) or the same 5 nights in the Atrium Club for 58,000 pts (I guess 2,500/nt extra for 4 nts, one free).

I'm not sure what to do. It would be nice to get a light breakfast each morning. Heard the wine, etc. was not free in the evenings (how much is it?) but wouldn't use it that much since more intersted in dining/drinking in Manhattan.

Are the rooms much different from the regular rooms?

Would you spend the extra 10,000 points for 5 nights?

CDNtravler

http://www.westinny.com/atrium/

Eujeanie

Thanks, but of course I have looked at the website. Sometimes words and pictures that a hotel chooses to put on their website differ from personal experiences.

yvr76

The Atrium club gives you a decent, light breakfast for 2. There's also a coffee machine there for cappucinos, lattes etc. You 'sign in' when you enter with your name, room number, and (optional, so they say) gratuity.

Eujeanie

My husband is also excited about the free workout room. And we do tend to pop back to the hotel a couple of times a day to rest and regroup, so we are going to use the extra points for the club level.

But can someone describe the location of the Atrium wing...do you check in at the main Westin lobby, and then it's a walk down a hall or something to get there? Once you're checked in, is there a separate exit to the street from the Atrium wing, and what street would that be on?

penlin

IIRC the rooms are on separate floors (higher) from the regular rooms, but in the same set of elevator banks. The thing I dislike is having to come all the way down to the lobby on one bank and then change to a different bank of elevators to get to the lounge with is I think on the 8th floor. A strange setup.. but the rooms are nice.. the lounge is so-so..