May 6, 2014, 7:08 am
Last edit by: beltway
Please use this thread to post failures or difficulties in securing Platinum upgrades, based on the published benefits of the Platinum level, which are :
"Upgrades to best available room at check-in, including Standard Suites"
qualified by
"Subject to availability at check-in for the entire length of the stay, provided the room was not booked through a pre-paid third-party channel.
Specialty Suites such as, but not limited to, premium view, Presidential, Honeymoon, and multiple bedroom suites are excluded. This benefit does not apply to all-suite hotels. Best rooms are identified by each property and may not include upgraded Towers level accommodations unless Towers level accommodations were booked originally.
The upgrade benefit is available for one room for the personal use of the Member only, regardless of the number of additional rooms purchased by the Member. This benefit is not offered at Aloft and Element properties"
For a detailed discussion of the Platinum upgrade benefit, see the wiki at I'm Platinum. Why didn't I get a complimentary suite upgrade? [Master thread].
Starwood do not publish which of the various categories of Suites at each hotel are 'Standard', and which are not, so we don't know which Suites are in the 'Upgrade Pool', and which are excluded. So, if a Suite is available under the terms and qualifications of the benefit, but an upgrade is denied, and it is not absolutely clear that the Suite in question is not a "Standard Suite", then we should report that as a failure.
If you only manage to secure a rightful upgrade after challenging the front desk on check-in, or have instances where SNAs (Suite Night Upgrade) were not honoured, then you may report this too.
You may also report instances where suites are showing as available online, but not actually available at the hotel, due to (apparent) differences in real-time availability online.
Please post in standard format :
Property :
Dates(s) :
Room booked :
Room received : (if different than above):
Award stay :: (yes/no), type (C+P, FAN, FWN, FRN, SPG50, etc.)
BRG stay : (yes/no)
SNA(s) requested : (yes/no)
Comments :
...and include in the comments, particularly, the 'non-Standard' Suite category that you failed to secure an upgrade to.
"Upgrades to best available room at check-in, including Standard Suites"
qualified by
"Subject to availability at check-in for the entire length of the stay, provided the room was not booked through a pre-paid third-party channel.
Specialty Suites such as, but not limited to, premium view, Presidential, Honeymoon, and multiple bedroom suites are excluded. This benefit does not apply to all-suite hotels. Best rooms are identified by each property and may not include upgraded Towers level accommodations unless Towers level accommodations were booked originally.
The upgrade benefit is available for one room for the personal use of the Member only, regardless of the number of additional rooms purchased by the Member. This benefit is not offered at Aloft and Element properties"
For a detailed discussion of the Platinum upgrade benefit, see the wiki at I'm Platinum. Why didn't I get a complimentary suite upgrade? [Master thread].
Starwood do not publish which of the various categories of Suites at each hotel are 'Standard', and which are not, so we don't know which Suites are in the 'Upgrade Pool', and which are excluded. So, if a Suite is available under the terms and qualifications of the benefit, but an upgrade is denied, and it is not absolutely clear that the Suite in question is not a "Standard Suite", then we should report that as a failure.
If you only manage to secure a rightful upgrade after challenging the front desk on check-in, or have instances where SNAs (Suite Night Upgrade) were not honoured, then you may report this too.
You may also report instances where suites are showing as available online, but not actually available at the hotel, due to (apparent) differences in real-time availability online.
Please post in standard format :
Property :
Dates(s) :
Room booked :
Room received : (if different than above):
Award stay :: (yes/no), type (C+P, FAN, FWN, FRN, SPG50, etc.)
BRG stay : (yes/no)
SNA(s) requested : (yes/no)
Comments :
...and include in the comments, particularly, the 'non-Standard' Suite category that you failed to secure an upgrade to.
Post Your Platinum Upgrade Failures [2013 - onward]
Aug 17, 2013, 12:44 pm
#151
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 1999
Location: New York, NY, USA
Posts: 12,482
The trouble with this thread is that it is mostly for ranting. Only about a quarter are upgrade failures (suite upgrade available but refused).
Aug 18, 2013, 6:27 pm
#152
Suspended
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: New York, NY
Programs: Delta - Gold; Starwood - Platinum; HHonors - Diamond & Avis Preferred
Posts: 10,869
Aug 21, 2013, 9:44 pm
#153
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: YVR
Programs: AC*SE MM, Marriott Titanium, National Executive
Posts: 1,586
Property: Westin Long Beach
Dates(s): August 2013
Room booked: Standard
Award stay: No
BRG stay: (yes/no) No
SNA(s) requested: (yes/no) No
Comments:
Suites show available online but no upgrade received at all (not even to a better room).
Dates(s): August 2013
Room booked: Standard
Award stay: No
BRG stay: (yes/no) No
SNA(s) requested: (yes/no) No
Comments:
Suites show available online but no upgrade received at all (not even to a better room).
Oct 2, 2013, 2:33 pm
#154
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Tulsa, OK
Programs: AA EXP, UA Silver, SPG Plat, Marriott Plat
Posts: 1,264
Le Meridien ATL:
Booked a Suite, got a suite. No upgrade beyond that. I'm hesitant to call this a failure. No standard rooms were available at booking.
Booked a Suite, got a suite. No upgrade beyond that. I'm hesitant to call this a failure. No standard rooms were available at booking.
Oct 3, 2013, 10:28 am
#155
Suspended
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: New York, NY
Programs: Delta - Gold; Starwood - Platinum; HHonors - Diamond & Avis Preferred
Posts: 10,869
I don't understand why some people book a particular suite, then think they are entitled to an upgrade?
Oct 3, 2013, 1:51 pm
#156
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Tulsa, OK
Programs: AA EXP, UA Silver, SPG Plat, Marriott Plat
Posts: 1,264
I don't understand why some people book a particular suite, then think they are entitled to an upgrade?
What i don't know is whether the suite I have and booked is a standard suite or not.
Oct 3, 2013, 8:35 pm
#157
Suspended
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: New York, NY
Programs: Delta - Gold; Starwood - Platinum; HHonors - Diamond & Avis Preferred
Posts: 10,869
To inquire about the suites, why not call the property?
Oct 7, 2013, 12:41 am
#158
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: HEL
Programs: SPG LTP, hotels, OWE, STE+, *G, Octopus
Posts: 5,784
Property: Four Points by Sheraton Sheikh Zayed Road
Dates(s): 1 nt in October 2013
Room booked: Classic room king smoking
Room received: Business room king smoking
Award stay: Yes
BRG stay: No
SNA(s) requested: No
Comments: This is grey area. I received a room category upgrade, but I cannot fathom this is the best available room being on the 3rd floor of a 43 storey building. Also, this smoking room really reeks of smoke.
Dates(s): 1 nt in October 2013
Room booked: Classic room king smoking
Room received: Business room king smoking
Award stay: Yes
BRG stay: No
SNA(s) requested: No
Comments: This is grey area. I received a room category upgrade, but I cannot fathom this is the best available room being on the 3rd floor of a 43 storey building. Also, this smoking room really reeks of smoke.
Oct 8, 2013, 2:06 am
#160
Join Date: Aug 2010
Programs: Hilton Diamond, Marriott Ambassador
Posts: 78
Property: Four Points by Sheraton Sheikh Zayed Road
Dates(s): 1 nt in October 2013
Room booked: Classic room king smoking
Room received: Business room king smoking
Award stay: Yes
BRG stay: No
SNA(s) requested: No
Comments: This is grey area. I received a room category upgrade, but I cannot fathom this is the best available room being on the 3rd floor of a 43 storey building. Also, this smoking room really reeks of smoke.
Dates(s): 1 nt in October 2013
Room booked: Classic room king smoking
Room received: Business room king smoking
Award stay: Yes
BRG stay: No
SNA(s) requested: No
Comments: This is grey area. I received a room category upgrade, but I cannot fathom this is the best available room being on the 3rd floor of a 43 storey building. Also, this smoking room really reeks of smoke.
IIRC, all rooms over the 16th floor are specialty suites that do not fall in the upgrade pool so they probably gave you the best available upgradable suite. Unfortunately it was on a lower floor.
Oct 8, 2013, 8:48 am
#161
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: HEL
Programs: SPG LTP, hotels, OWE, STE+, *G, Octopus
Posts: 5,784
How can you classify this as a failure? The 'Business Room' is actually a 1 bedroom suite and is the standard suite at this property.
IIRC, all rooms over the 16th floor are specialty suites that do not fall in the upgrade pool so they probably gave you the best available upgradable suite. Unfortunately it was on a lower floor.
IIRC, all rooms over the 16th floor are specialty suites that do not fall in the upgrade pool so they probably gave you the best available upgradable suite. Unfortunately it was on a lower floor.
Oct 8, 2013, 9:58 am
#162
Suspended
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: New York, NY
Programs: Delta - Gold; Starwood - Platinum; HHonors - Diamond & Avis Preferred
Posts: 10,869
There is no grey area. You are upgrade or not. Are people not being upgraded? Or are people not happy with the room assigned. If that is the case, what is the cause of the non upgrade? Example: Is the property hosting a conference? Booked a wedding/several weddings.
As great and informative as this forum is, the inconsistency of accurate reporting of an upgrade failure, is a major reason why I think this particular thread is joke.
Last edited by KENNECTED; Oct 8, 2013 at 10:17 am
Oct 8, 2013, 10:55 am
#163
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: CLT
Programs: DL DM, AA Gold, Bonvoy Titanium, Hyatt Glob, IHG Plat, Hilton Diamond, Amex Plat
Posts: 438
Property: W Atlanta Buckhead
Dates(s): August 2013
Room booked: Wonderful Room
Award stay: No
BRG stay: (yes/no) No
SNA(s) requested: (yes/no) No
Comments:
Every room category (Fabulous, Spectular and WOW suite) showed available for that night at check in--no upgrade given. I did not make a big stink as I was there for only one night. Should have listened to FTers about this property.
Dates(s): August 2013
Room booked: Wonderful Room
Award stay: No
BRG stay: (yes/no) No
SNA(s) requested: (yes/no) No
Comments:
Every room category (Fabulous, Spectular and WOW suite) showed available for that night at check in--no upgrade given. I did not make a big stink as I was there for only one night. Should have listened to FTers about this property.
Oct 8, 2013, 11:30 am
#164
Suspended
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: New York, NY
Programs: Delta - Gold; Starwood - Platinum; HHonors - Diamond & Avis Preferred
Posts: 10,869
Property: W Atlanta Buckhead
Dates(s): August 2013
Room booked: Wonderful Room
Award stay: No
BRG stay: (yes/no) No
SNA(s) requested: (yes/no) No
Comments:
Every room category (Fabulous, Spectular and WOW suite) showed available for that night at check in--no upgrade given. I did not make a big stink as I was there for only one night. Should have listened to FTers about this property.
Dates(s): August 2013
Room booked: Wonderful Room
Award stay: No
BRG stay: (yes/no) No
SNA(s) requested: (yes/no) No
Comments:
Every room category (Fabulous, Spectular and WOW suite) showed available for that night at check in--no upgrade given. I did not make a big stink as I was there for only one night. Should have listened to FTers about this property.
Shortly after this property opened, I toured it. It's a 290 room hotel and 5 of those rooms being suites. IIRC, all the guest rooms are the same size. The "upgrade" is to a higher floor. The property has four (4) wow suites and one (1) extreme wow suite.
None of the suites, as I recall, are in the select standard upgrade pool. [This may have changed, since my one and only stay].
My question, how can this be a failure, when there is not an select standard suite at this property?
Oct 8, 2013, 1:19 pm
#165
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: CLT
Programs: DL DM, AA Gold, Bonvoy Titanium, Hyatt Glob, IHG Plat, Hilton Diamond, Amex Plat
Posts: 438
I'm going to use this property as another example of why I think this thread is flawed. Not the post, but the situation. Please note I am in no way flaming the poster.
Shortly after this property opened, I toured it. It's a 290 room hotel and 5 of those rooms being suites. IIRC, all the guest rooms are the same size. The "upgrade" is to a higher floor. The property has four (4) wow suites and one (1) extreme wow suite.
None of the suites, as I recall, are in the select standard upgrade pool. [This may have changed, since my one and only stay].
My question, how can this be a failure, when there is not an select standard suite at this property?
Shortly after this property opened, I toured it. It's a 290 room hotel and 5 of those rooms being suites. IIRC, all the guest rooms are the same size. The "upgrade" is to a higher floor. The property has four (4) wow suites and one (1) extreme wow suite.
None of the suites, as I recall, are in the select standard upgrade pool. [This may have changed, since my one and only stay].
My question, how can this be a failure, when there is not an select standard suite at this property?
You are correct (I believe) that the WOW suites and the 1 Super Wow (or whatever the hell they call it!) are not in the pool. With that, I was on the 4th or 5th floor...I just have to believe there were better rooms than that...as I checked in around 6pm.
Now with that, I am one that could care less about floor level, so if you are right and the difference between a wonderful, spectacular and fabulous is simply floor level, I didn't miss out on much
(And frankly, yet another reason for me to avoid this property in the future)