Platinum Suite Upgrade depending by room category booked
 

I have been recently in a Hotel that on my last stay denied plat upgrade because no room was available...later in the evening, while I was at concierge for restaurant reservation two different guests (talking to two different front desk officers) were upgrade to a Diplomatic Suite and a De Luxe Suite rispectively, both of them Platinum.

I didn't say a single word, but obviously that hotel was now in my "radar".

I have been back to the hotel this week for one night. Internet did show availability of several suites. At check in no mention of my plat status. I confronted the front desk officer and was blandly told that se did not see my status as a plat ???? After a long investigation on the computer she finally sorted out, and upgraded me to a Junior Suite with "enthusiasm".
All this happened under the eyes of a manager that has got close as he noticed that something was not working fine with my check in. But he did not interfer anyhow...just look nonchalantly.

After entering the room, that was honestly very nice and recently renovated, i call the front desk to ask for my future reference it junior suite was the maximum upgrade they had to offer.

The girl started dancing on this and that without focusing on answer my question but at the end she said that was the best I could have....when i reminded them of diplomatic and de luxe suite upgrade in front of my eyes (i gave exact date and hour because she objected my words) she continued dancing and finally stated that based on the room category I booked that was the maximum; probably, she said, a better upgrade was offered to those with an already "nicer" room category booked.

While this make business sense to me, it is not part of the programme (I believe) and platinum are supposed to get the best room available if they are part of the upgrade suite programme. The advantage is to get the most paying the less in terms of rate....I'm wrong on this?

The discussion went on...because I tried to explain her how the programme work. She clearly sayd that she knew the programme better of me because they do 80% of the business with gold and platinum and added on the top of that that even if there were better room available she coudn't give it to me because they wanted to keep a number a room for eventual incoming reservation. I cecked in at 08. p.m. and was going to live at 08. a.m the following morning. BTW, i remind her that this too is not contemplated by the programme (I suppose) and best room should be given to plat if available at check-in.

All this is creating in me a real bad feeling. After my achievement of platinum I have been in 6 properties, never upgraded. Only on my last stay I was upgrade after a long confrontation.

Is this the way guest should be treated by hotels that admit themself they do 80% on guests part of the preferred guest elite programme?

Am I correct in my assumption on the issues bolded above?

Two issues here:

First, get to the bottom of why your Plat status wasn't recognized. I'd call Platinum Concierge to make sure everything is in order on your account. The fact it didn't come up automatically with your reservation probably explain the lack of upgrade for your first stay. A good reason to always ask about an upgrade, if it isn't offered. Mistakes happen.

Second, a much more serious issue, your understanding of the upgrade policy is correct: automatic upgrade to a better room, including standard suites in the upgrade pool, if one is available. The rate you book at is not a factor. Nor are they allowed to set aside available upgrades for incoming guests - unless, of course, they have booked those rooms. But they can't hold them "just in case". Ask SPG to take this up with this property to ensure they understand the rules.

Cheers,

Several hotels do a pre upgrade the day before or the day of arrival. It is obvous that Plat +++, Plat ++, Plat + are higher up in the foodchain than simple Plats. Furthermore regulars at individual hotels might be higher up in the foodchain than any Plat. And for sure, a higher room category can secure a higher upgrade. Hotels are businesses and not charities.

As a platinum you are entitled to an upgrade to a standard suite. For that property, the Jr. Suite may well be the highest room type that fits that definition.

The property would be within their rights to offer complimentary upgrades from higher paid room types to higher-level suites that would not otherwise be eligible as a platinum upgrade.

Agreed.

The OP's understanding of the upgrade pool is incorrect. It is not every type of suite that has ever been given by the hotel to a Platinum guest but select standard suites. Anything more given by hotels is not a platinum benefit but is given by the generosity and graciousness of the hotel and as usual no good deed goes unpunished

I agree on the first part of your post...and partially on the second too.
BUT, the programme DO NOT propose a certain number of level of upgrades based on the room booked. It should be and Must be the best room of those in the standard category without any relation to what you book...what someone can call otherwise graciouness, might create confusion and somehow frustration and can let to properties margins of manouver that can easily border the discrimination.

As a point of fact, I'm a regular at this hotel, I have sometimes booked several rooms for other guests and other guests have booked this hotel because I was there and wanted to travel together.

In my post I believe it quite clear that I know that only standard suite are part of the upgrade platinum process and as said it could easily be and sometimes is Junior Suite.

But the statement of the front desk that the upgrade depends from the category booked I believe is against the spirit of the programme....
Call it graciouness (to some others guests), I saw it as a way to still trying to get more money for plat.... and i don't see the reason for a plat to book a junior suite or a de luxe when standard are available....of course if you do not want to depend on upgrade.
As a fact, if it wasn't for the plat benefit i will not book this hotel anymore as better and cheraper option are available in town.

This is what I call "The FDC making up rules to fit the error". And they are FDCs (Front Desk Clerks) and not FDOs. If you can, have a discussion with a manager and get it sorted out on-site. If not able or satisfied, write it up and send to SPG for the region team to do some re-training.

Ding! Ding! Ding! We have a winner.

The spirit and the letter of the program are the same. A platinum member is entitled to an upgrade to the best available room including a select standard suite. If you book a standard room that is your entitlement as per the program. If you book a deluxe room that is your entitlement as per the program. If you book a Deluxe Suite your entitlement as per the program is still the best available room including select standard suites which means that if the select standard suite is the Junior Suite category there is no entitlement to an upgrade. If the hotel upgrades such Platinum Guests who book higher category rooms to higher category suites that is an individual policy of the hotel and generous and gracious in my opinion. They are going above and beyond. It does not mean that every platinum has the right to expect/demand those higher level upgrades regardless of the room they book.
Similarly if there are no rooms or select standard suites available for Platinum upgrade when you check-in, the fact that the hotel gives you no upgrade but upgrades later arriving guests to the Diplomatic Suite is totally in keeping with the spirit and the letter of the program. They have not denied you anything that you were entitled to

Exactly as I would say it.

Suites: Less "Standard" & more "Speciality"?
 

I think driving max revenue is what all hotel chains try to do.

I am getting the impression that some hotels have started to create different tiers of Suites, and shrunk the "Standard" Suites pool.

Of cos, Hotels can still use their discretion to upgrade their best guests to over and above the "Standard" Suites.

But I do wonder if for some Hotels, they have more "Specialty" Suites than "Standard" ones, and if that is something right. (where "standard" is minority, and "specialty" is not so special when there are so many of them, but not labelled as "standard")

Why not on your next stay have a nice polite chat with a manager to better understand what is their select standard suite = your upgrade entitlement (if available)? As you are a regular guest at the hotel and brought them business I suppose you have met someone from the hotel management

What you define "gracious and generous and when you state "they are going above and beyond", you are subjective interpretating a "space of manouver" within the programme of each individual property that instead, in my subjective opinion, create confusion and sometimes frustration (maybe in other case can generate as well unexpected positive surprise). But I'm not for surprise, i would like to know what I should expect, and what not. If platinum checking in the same day of arrival after me have been upgrade to Diplomatic and De luxe, while I have been not because they said they are solid booked....I think I have a point.
And if they said that those suite are not in the programme while I have seen them giving them out to other platinum....I think I have a point too.
And if they said that rooms available cannot be given to me because they want to hold in case of incoming reservation (I repeat: checked in at 08. pm and checking out 08 am the morning after)....I thin I have a point too.

The property can of course confronts guests....but it will be each time an interpretation of the programme and we will never know if, as someone correctly just said (IMHO), that's a policy in place of ir they are making up rules to fit the error: because those rules are not written anywhere and in my case they are not generating a benefit, actually viceversa. We are both assuming here: but I was there, I have seen it, and i don't think they were gracious and generous. Actually the opposite.
And all this happens because the programme is discretionally enforced.

I appreciate your vision and I found completely logical all of of your comments. But you seems to believe they are over generously treating guests while I have the impression they "manipulate" the programme based on their needs.