Kekrmr

Point well taken. Suite Night Awards have been rather elusive for me. My experience so far is that I inevitably don't get them. I think that I would much rather be pleasantly surprised upon check in than have my hopes dashed at 2:00 pm the day before.

dingo

I just finished reading this entire thread...I'd like the time back that I spent reading the first part of Feb please!

I was trying to figure out how these things work and I think I've got a handle on them. The big question for me is whether the specific hotels i"m looking at are good with upgrades to Plats vs SNA's. Anyway...if I'd be better off posting this in the specfic hotel threads please let me know.

I've got a five night award stay booked at the Westin Excelsior in Rome. The last time I stayed there on points I was given a Grand Luxe Suite...amazing room. On that same stay, my inlaws were given a Junior Suite; also a very nice room. (My parents also received a Grand Luxe Suite...we were so taken care of on that trip!). I asked to apply the SNA's to that stay and those were the two room choices I had. I would be happy with either of these rooms based on what I've seen in the past. So I think I'll keep those as is for now. If they don't clear I may cancel the request a day out and take my chance at checkin...we're there in mid-October so it should be slowing down a bit.

Before we go to Rome we will be in Venice for two nights. I've got an award reservation at both the E&R and Danieli; I am going to cancel the E&R and hope for the best at the Danieli.

When I look at that reservation online I cannot see any details of the stay, including the suite night options. I see a link that says "send confirmation" and when I click it I get a pop up telling me that the reservation cannot be displayed...please call us. I'll do that, but curious if anyone has experience with the Danieli room types (I've read that master thread as well) from the perspective of what tyes are SNA worthy.

terminalfive

Welcome to FT Kekrmr!!

Will be on course for nearly 50 nights this year - am a bit surprised to read slightly "negative" views on this thread...

Will be intereted to see if things improve over next few months

dingo

Going to post here as it is generic suite night info. Just had an online chat with the SPG Plat rep. I have reservation in Venice that I cannot view online...can't se my current room type, can't see the suite night options / elections...nothing. So my question was this: What are the suite night award optins that I currently have seleced. I was told the room I currently have booked is D 2TK or something like that...(i was hoping I would get a transcript emailed to me). I had asked about the suite night options, not the room I'd booked; and that did sound like the room I recall booking. Keep in mind I cannot view the reservation at all online. So I got an answer to a question I'd not asked...I was told what I'd booked, not my upgrade options. So I asked the question differenlty. The rep apologized for the confusion but that the deluxe 2 twin join as king room is the room to which I would be upgraded if the SNA's go through. At that point, I knew the rep was poorly trained and let them go. A call to the Plat line reveals that my current room is in fact the 2 twin room,but the suite night award option that I have selected is the Jr. Suite with Lagoon View.

Point: I'll not rely on the chat folks for accuracy on this stuff. There are others posts in this thread in which chat has passed along incorrect information as wll.

forumpersona999

After seeing all the bad reviews of suite night awards I went and tested it.

To date I never used mine, I got upgraded just fine without using them at the properties I frequent often.

In other words my suspicion that once Suite Nights are introduced it will be impossible to get a suite upgrade as a normal PLAT were unfounded.

So I made a reservation for a busy weekend at a hotel where I don't stay often. Let it sit for a week until 2 days before check-in I see there's no pre-upgrade showing. I applied for suite nights. I cancelled suite nights. The nights were refunded immediately. So far, so good.

Re-applied suite nights and let it sit.

Overnight, it showed a Junior Suite and told me that my suite nights award has been granted.

I get the feeling that most of the incidents complained about in this thread are genuine technical issues and teething problems. Suite nights is a whole new game for SPG after all.

There's also some properties that just never want to upgrade anyone to anything as a matter of routine.

I am guessing that those will be the ones where you need to use your suite nights. Those that were good about Plat upgrades in the past continue to do so. Those that sucked still suck but at least we have a tool at our disposal now to jump ahead of the pack in the upgrade list.

FWIW my test stay was a 2 night weekend at Four Points by Sheraton in Bangkok.

WhyPayRent

Just used two again this past weekend. Got upgraded into a Marvelous suite at a W that had 99% occupancy with two wedding parties. The confirmation email came exactly 5 days before 4 PM checkin. Pretty sweet. (Pun intended)

Starwood Lurker

Yes...all dozen instances vs. the tens of thousands that have gone through, but unrecorded.

I can confirm this is the case in every single one of the eight or nine that I was allowed to become involved in. Regrettably, three or four requests for more information went unheeded, so I can't say what happened there.

Best regards,

William R. Sanders
Social Media Specialist
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide

[email protected]

itsaboutthejourney

Don't forget that the regular method of Platinum upgrades based upon availability at check-in are still in effect. Recently, I received the email saying "sorry, unable to confirm" but the next day at check-in a wonderful upgrade (beyond the requested SNA options) happened.

pyite

Suite night has been pending for a few days... several suites available to book for the last day or so. No suite night confirmation... is there a standard procedure for handling these issues?

Starwood Lurker

I've offered to help in the past. Still willing to do so.

Best regards,

William R. Sanders
Social Media Specialist
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide

[email protected]

Flyinace2000

Just booked a 5 night stay at the Hotel Marques de Riscal, Elciego Spain, and spg.com says i can't use SNA. It lists the possible reasons why and none of them seem to make sense for this hotel.

My SPG Ambassador is investigating.

atakam

Absolutely not worth going for the 50 nights. I tried to use them in several properties, without success. The only time I could use 2 SNA was a couple of weeks ago on a company trip to Guam. Interesting is that my upgrade was confirmed T-5 as expected, but when we checked in my fellow (SPG Gold) colleague got a nicer suite with ocean view and I (a lowly SPG Platinum 50) got a low floor, city view suite.
I am an SPG Plat 50, had a higher rate booked on spg.com and used the SNA vs an SPG Gold, lower rate and no SNA...and I got the bad room (we all checked in at the same time...as a group).
The T-5 thing is a non-sense system...compare it with Hyatt Diamond UG. They confirm you right away, so very convenient when travelling with family. I will not waste more money on additional nights on SPG.

dingo

From what I've seen thus far here + the overall confusion and lack of consistency with online chat and PC's I'd have to agree. If the 50 nights is attainable without much incremental effort fine, but otherwise it doesn't seem to be of much value.

Symposium

Did this ever get resolved? I'm having the same issue now.

Flyinace2000

Just had my very first SNA clear an upgrade! Nothin fancy. My wife and I are staying at the Westin in Providence RI for my sister's wedding. Wasn't going to use SNA on the stay since we wouldn't be in the room a lot, but since I earned another 10 this year, figured might as well use them!