helvetic

Well, the value of the SNAs should be purely defined by what they get you over regular Platinum upgrades. I haven't tried to use SNAs myself, but if they do ensure a higher level of upgrades than the standard you'd get while traveling, I'd find it to be a valuable program.

I've had great success asking the GM / Insider / my Ambassador directly when I do care about an upgrade. In fact, I'm staying for the second time in a W where I got the same Wow suite on both stays by just contacting them ahead of time. I'd love the SNAs to give me some kind of advantage in getting a higher suite, but I'm afraid that good hotels will always upgrade you as much as they can regardless, and lousy hotels will be lousy either way. So I'm not sure what benefit the SNAs have if they can't be confirmed.

Flews

As opposed to the subset who try apply them on multiple nights in peak season then whine about how SNAs are worthless?

Cheers,

Land-of-Miles

Well I applied 6 SNAs to an upcoming stay at the Westin Turtle Bay Mauritius.

These should have cleared on Monday and there was availability for one upgrade type (of the 2 I selected). There is also availability today (I have screen shots capturing the availability of both). How do I escalate this?

stargold

Unlike Hyatt, availability of the suites for sale does not mean that the upgrade is/should be confirmed. IIRC hotels apparently set a separate inventory for SNA clearing, which is a subset of the overall availability. And the staff do not have manual override over the process which is apparently automated.

Escalating might resolve any issues with attaching the SNAs correctly, but it won't actually help you clear.

Land-of-Miles

That sounds pretty pointless to me if confirmed upgrades are essentially non checkable after all if I arrive and they have that inventory they should give it to me so why is only a subset showing in advance. Glad I am not chasing more.

margarita girl

I was there last month. My SNA did not clear either but I was upgraded to a suite that had the exact same description/size, but with a better location (ocean front). Perhaps you are seeing rooms/suites that are not part of the SNA pool.

Land-of-Miles

That doesn't help me decide whether to ditch this stay or not. I absolutely do not want to stay in the reserved room type even if I need to spend ŁŁŁŁ elsewhere

RogerD408

There are some loyalty programs that seem to go out of their way to make a "benefit" sound valuable (i.e. MR's Cash & Points). SPG's SNA benefit has great value at some properties and much less at others. I attribute this to the property management and their desire to participate in the program.

Yes, the SNA inventory pool is opaque and we have no idea whats being offered up. Several have reported SNAs not being approved but they got the same, or better, upgrade upon arrival. As many have stated, if you really want a suite, book a suite. It's not a perfect game, but the one we have.

Land-of-Miles

As I am pretty sure we have explored her before if you have to book the specific room type you want then you get zero value from any loyalty scheme. It is worse in this case because I had to book a twin room (as all that was available in its type) and absolutely do not want a twin room regardless of the upgrade position.

In this case I have an alternative reservation at the Hilton which is also fully flexible and I am monitoring what is happening with both rooms before committing which to stay at or whether to opt for a total alternative. It would just have been good to get increased certainty because the likely consequence of not getting an early confirmation is that my reservation gets cancelled and I take my booking and considerable additional F&B/Spa etc. revenue with me elsewhere, that isn't really in anyones interest is it?

iadisgreat

With respect, if it isn't "in anyones [sic] interest," then why are you posting on this forum, gauging interest, and asking for opinions?

Land-of-Miles

No of course you are right SNAs aren't completely useless at all they are totally perfect, wow your remorseless logic won me over to your viewpoint

margarita girl

Tried to send you a PM with some info, but:

Land-of-Miles has exceeded their stored private messages quota and cannot accept further messages until they clear some space.

iadisgreat

I've had some work and have had some not work, it's what happens. Calling them "useless" is definitely wrong though.

bhrubin

I will be very pleased if you abdicate SPG due to false and usually ridiculous assumptions that the SNAs are worthless.

As I clean up on SNAs. Thanks.

Canada101

Not sure there's any point in escalation. The property clearly has decided that the rooms they have showing are not part of the SNA pool. I actually stopped choosing the SNA bonus for SPG50 since I always had multiple unused SNAs that expired every year. I found that the properties where I really wanted to use them (those when I was traveling with my family for vacations) would never clear them and using them for trips when I was traveling alone was pointless. I've simply opted for the free night instead as that suits me better even though if SNAs worked better, I know that I could get more value out of the SNA than the one free night.