dingo

Long standing award stay at the westin seattle. I tried to apply 3 sna's on Wednesday of this week. the choices were a Deluxe Suite and an accessible deluxe suite. Both room types were available for sale at the time. The denial e-mail came Thursday at 5:00 PM. On Friday, day that I'm checking in, at 5:00 AM sure enough, the website shows that the rooms are NOT available for booking. At 8:00 AM on Friday, day I'm checking in and 3 hours after they were unavailable for booking and 15 hours after my denial email, lookie there, the rooms ARE once again available for purchase.

So when I initiated the request the rooms were available, 36 hours-ish later I got the denial, the rooms were taken out of inventory, and on the day of arrival the rooms are back in inventory.

I'm sure it isn't as it appears...that the hotel refused to grant the upgrade as they should have when i started the process and that they are playing games with their inventory.

Of course, I may be upgraded at checkin without having to use any of my 14 expiring at year end SNA's...I hope it is to the SPG Floor!

Disappointing.

dingo

Amazing... Since I posted, they have had a run on rooms apparently at the Westin Seattle. There had been three different room types with various bed configurations as well as two suite types available. Now, 100% sold out. That's a successful 2 hours!

PanAmWT

William: Did you do something? I just found out that my upgrade cleared and they only took one SNA per night. I got an increase in my SNA account now.

I guess my guess might be right after all. Or else why they originally wanted two SNAs per night?

Flews

Just goes to show you - as Lurkers and others have pointed out - you can't necessarily rely on the website for an accurate indication of what's available and what's not. Remember, hotels overbook, receive reservations from dozens of sources/websites/travel agents, and sometimes neglect to update inventory, all of which can distort actual availability.

Cheers,

BonViveur

SNAs still eluding me. I tried to use a couple for a stay in Sydney, next week, but it wouldn't allow me to apply. A better look at the res shows they've pre-upgraded to exec suite, which is lovely, but I have more SNAs left than I could use.

I have applied for SNAs for every night that has not had a suite booked. So far, 3 were successful (about this time, last year). I have 17 remaining, which expire this year, plus 10 next year. I have 39 more nights booked until 31Dec. 24 are for suites, and 15 have SNAs attached. I still have 2 more left to be assigned for use before 31Dec.

Of course, I could book regular rooms instead of suites for those 24 nights, but the stays are over holiday periods in Hong Kong/China/Macao, San Francisco and New York and with my record of SNA successes, didn't think it was worth the risk when I really wanted a suite. For other stays, knowing that certain properties don't upgrade to the room-type I like, it's easier to just book them on Z3 rates or on points. Of the 15 assigned SNAs, 10 are at hotels which in a combined 115 stays have NEVER not offered a suite. They're probably wasted, but if I don't apply them, they will go totally unused.

Too bad I can't give some away, or trade them for something I CAN use.

BTW, I'll stop talking about this when I finally receive a benefit, instead of something which creates extra thought, takes time, and which has not delivered. I'm not being grumpy. I just feel that this benefit is aimed at a certain kind of traveller - but obviously not at me, and I would enjoy something which was beneficial to me, too.

MSPeconomist

Since hotels seem to get something from SPG for our SNAs, my instinct might be to use some at properties that treat me well, even if I feel confident that I would get a suite upgrade without using the SNA. I'm starting to think about this if it looks like I'll have some expiring SNAs as a sort of thank you to a few properties.

dingo

Thanks. I'd like to understand this though. It seems like if that is the case, I could have (or anyone could have) booked one of these rooms only to find out they don't have the room available at check in? I mean, if they have such inadequate systems and procedures so that the inventory available for sale / booking is inaccurate, that seems ripe for being walked. How does that not happen if what is offered for sale doesn't match what is actually available for sale? I've seen this happen (or had it used as a reason why SNA's don't clear) enough that I'm genuinely curious.

cln

+1

Forstbetrieb

I have not only thought about it, I have also tried it. Still hoping that only less than 10 are expiring...

Up to now used 2 / 20...

PhillyPhlyer40

Well...I had my first failure. (Hoping the lurkers can help).

LeMeridien Ra-booked award. SPG couldn't cancel award I had SNA's attached to for 1 1/2 days... Contacted hotel "ONE ROOM" left.

Got SNA's cancelled and back into account. Attached to new award. Contacted hotel. ONE ROOM LEFT-email response. Have my email "we are working on SNA's" BEFORE hotel says ONE ROOM LEFT!

Didn't clear, now website shows no availability!

Emailing lurkers for help! NOT a happy camper.

Medved

High season there of course now. I stayed there in lower season first week of June, had SNAs denied but a same time hotel upgraded me to a lovely oceanfront huge balcony duplex suite. Not very large but very nice.

atakam

My SNA inventory going up, had 6 SNA a month ago now sitting on 9...3 failures in a row in 1 week. Definitively the program doesn't work.

In the past tried to use SNAs on properties I regularly visit (where they usually upgrade me), when reaching the 5 days window got emails from the general managers asking to cancel the SNA because I should use them on other properties ("...we will upgrade you anyway...").

TravelinSperry

Wow, that's great service. I would love it if GM's emailed me in advance of my SNA's saying don't waste em, we'll upgrade you anyway. Although I've had no luck yet on SNA's, so perhaps that's why I haven't had such an email. I have however just had 2 upgrade successes in the past week without the need for SNA's. I do have a SNA in queue for next week at a property I'm not too sure about. Looking forward to see if it clears.

Keyser

so its been 3 weeks now since i made the reservation & i'm still not being able to attach suite nights at this property even though select standard suites are available for sale....must be some technical glitch....

CPRich

I believe SNA's are only processed once a day, not continuously. So it's quite possible that it either sold or went to another member that had applied their SNA before you. Attaching it to a reservation made at the last minute puts you at the very end of the priority list.