Last edit by: beltway
Hotels not offering a double occupancy room for standard SPG Points redemption availability (but do make single occupancy rooms available). Please feel free to add/edit/amend. Cheers, JK
LOI = Last Offered In (last known date a double room was offered on points)
NOS = Not Offered Since (when it came to your attention that only single occupancy rooms are available for standard redemptions)
The Netherlands:NOTE: Double-occupancy rooms at the Hotel Pulitzer are now available for standard award bookings (confirmed 2/27). As of 3/5/14, the Hotel Des Indes allows double-occupancy rooms for standard award bookings.
An important caveat:
LOI = Last Offered In (last known date a double room was offered on points)
NOS = Not Offered Since (when it came to your attention that only single occupancy rooms are available for standard redemptions)
The Netherlands:
The Pulitzer, Amsterdam [LOI - Dec 2013; NOS - Feb 2014]Hotel Des Indes, The Hague [LOI - Dec 2013; NOS - Feb 2014]
An important caveat:
One thing to bear in mind is that the single occupancy standard rooms remain on the standard awards at these properties, and probably a few more that have not been mentioned, so if the double occupancy rooms are taken, it will leave only single occupancy rooms showing as available for redemption.
Hotels limiting Free Night Awards to single-occupancy rooms only
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2004
Location: SAN
Programs: AA EXP/LT Plat (4 MM), SPG LT Plat (Bonvoy doesn’t exist to me), HH Diamond via cc, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 1,713
Hotels limiting Free Night Awards to single-occupancy rooms only
This policy apparently changed at some point last year, and in a quick scan I didn't see any posts referencing, so...
< At the Pulitzer Hotel, Amsterdam >
Previously, you could book a standard award (12K pts) for 2 adults, and you were booked into a deluxe king room. My father did just this last summer, online with no issues.
Now, the hotel is saying that Starpoint redemptions are only valid for the "classic room". The issue is that they will not allow 2 people to book into a classic room, either for cash or using points. As soon as you change a search from 1 person to 2, the classic room disappears from availability.
So, the hotel is effectively not allowing any standard Starpoint redemptions - at any time - for parties of 2. You can only do a standard starpoint redemption if you are a solo traveler.
Is this allowed by SPG? I asked the Plat concierge and only got a very vague response that no, a standard award was not available for 2 people on my travel dates. I believe it's never available for 2 people.
< At the Pulitzer Hotel, Amsterdam >
Previously, you could book a standard award (12K pts) for 2 adults, and you were booked into a deluxe king room. My father did just this last summer, online with no issues.
Now, the hotel is saying that Starpoint redemptions are only valid for the "classic room". The issue is that they will not allow 2 people to book into a classic room, either for cash or using points. As soon as you change a search from 1 person to 2, the classic room disappears from availability.
So, the hotel is effectively not allowing any standard Starpoint redemptions - at any time - for parties of 2. You can only do a standard starpoint redemption if you are a solo traveler.
Is this allowed by SPG? I asked the Plat concierge and only got a very vague response that no, a standard award was not available for 2 people on my travel dates. I believe it's never available for 2 people.
Last edited by Oxon Flyer; Feb 11, 2014 at 4:01 am Reason: Split off from the Amsterdam Pulitzer Master Thread
#2
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: HEL
Programs: SPG LTP, hotels, OWE, STE+, *G, Octopus
Posts: 5,783
Strange. Why not then let the plat concierge book your room? Alternatively, book a room for one and show up as two.
#3
Moderator: British Airways Executive Club, Marriott Bonvoy
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Englandshire
Programs: SPG LT Plat, BA G, BD*LG, MG Blue+ ...
Posts: 16,014
Originally Posted by spg program T&Cs
3.2 Rooms at SPG Participating Hotels. An SPG Member may redeem Starpoints for single or double occupancy rooms at SPG Participating Hotels including, without limitation, for Free Night Awards.
#4
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Programs: UA-1k, 1mm, Marriott-LT Platinum, Hertz-Presidents Circle
Posts: 6,355
that is very odd.
#5
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: AMS
Programs: KL Platinum
Posts: 95
The same is true for the Des Indes hotel in The Hague - standard redemptions are for single bed rooms only.
#6
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2004
Location: SAN
Programs: AA EXP/LT Plat (4 MM), SPG LT Plat (Bonvoy doesn’t exist to me), HH Diamond via cc, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 1,713
Thanks for all the comments. I'll send this to the lurkers for their thoughts.
Last edited by SAN-man; Feb 8, 2014 at 3:56 pm Reason: Thanks, autocorrect
#7
Company Representative - Starwood
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Guangzhou
Programs: SPG
Posts: 1,021
She wouldn't book it for me for 2 people. And a subsequent reply from the hotel says 2 people are not allowed in the room (some generic comment about fire hazard), and threatened an up charge if 2 showed up.
I can't tell if it's a letter of the law violation, or just a spirit of the law, but it appears to be a violation to me as well. At the very least, it's extremely unfair and not customer friendly. They've effectively raised their category level.
Thanks for all the comments. I'll send this to the lurkers for their thoughts.
I can't tell if it's a letter of the law violation, or just a spirit of the law, but it appears to be a violation to me as well. At the very least, it's extremely unfair and not customer friendly. They've effectively raised their category level.
Thanks for all the comments. I'll send this to the lurkers for their thoughts.
The hotel is allowed to set single standard room occupancy.
According to the terms and conditions, "Free Night Awards are each valid for one free night, single and/or double standard room occupancy at participating properties, and include the cost of your hotel room and room tax/service charge".
Best Regards,
Christina Zhou
Social Media Specialist
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide
[email protected]
#8
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: MAN and LON
Programs: Mucci, BAEC LT Gold, HH Dia, MR LT Plat, IHG Diamond Amb, Amex Plat
Posts: 13,768
Hi SAN-man,
The hotel is allowed to set single standard room occupancy.
According to the terms and conditions, "Free Night Awards are each valid for one free night, single and/or double standard room occupancy at participating properties, and include the cost of your hotel room and room tax/service charge".
Best Regards,
Christina Zhou
Social Media Specialist
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide
[email protected]
The hotel is allowed to set single standard room occupancy.
According to the terms and conditions, "Free Night Awards are each valid for one free night, single and/or double standard room occupancy at participating properties, and include the cost of your hotel room and room tax/service charge".
Best Regards,
Christina Zhou
Social Media Specialist
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide
[email protected]
I would reasonably assume that any standard room would be capable of accommodating 2 people (and this is the norm with any other FG scheme I know even Hilton) and am concerned that Starwood think this is acceptable practice.
Whilst I don't need additional reasons to avoid this crappy property, the broader principle here is important.
#9
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Oslo
Posts: 448
Holy cow...so you have to travel alone in order to redeem a free night "award" at this hotel? Couldn't this lead to other spg hotels creating small single rooms and only offer THEM to members who want to use their hard-earned points? Bad policy, bad customer service
#10
Moderator: British Airways Executive Club, Marriott Bonvoy
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Englandshire
Programs: SPG LT Plat, BA G, BD*LG, MG Blue+ ...
Posts: 16,014
As this question seems to hinge on the wording of the SPG T&Cs, I'd like to seek some clarification here.
This wording (from the "Free Night Awards with No Blackouts (1)" page) differs from the wording of the spg program master T&Cs on spg.com, which is "An SPG Member may redeem Starpoints for single or double occupancy rooms", which, IMHO, means that there's no provision in the rules for a hotel to limit Free Night Awards to single rooms only.
This wording (from the "Free Night Awards with No Blackouts (1)" page) differs from the wording of the spg program master T&Cs on spg.com, which is "An SPG Member may redeem Starpoints for single or double occupancy rooms", which, IMHO, means that there's no provision in the rules for a hotel to limit Free Night Awards to single rooms only.
#11
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: BLI
Programs: Alaska Million Mile Flyer, Marriott Lifetime Titanium Elite
Posts: 3,193
Very troubling change, if it's not just a fluke of some dates.
I booked a room in August 2013 for July 2014 at the Hotel Pulitzer, and the standard award room was still a Deluxe, and I had no trouble getting it for two people with a King bed. Looks like I dare not change anything about that reservation.
I booked a room in August 2013 for July 2014 at the Hotel Pulitzer, and the standard award room was still a Deluxe, and I had no trouble getting it for two people with a King bed. Looks like I dare not change anything about that reservation.
#12
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2004
Location: SAN
Programs: AA EXP/LT Plat (4 MM), SPG LT Plat (Bonvoy doesn’t exist to me), HH Diamond via cc, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 1,713
Hi SAN-man,
The hotel is allowed to set single standard room occupancy.
According to the terms and conditions, "Free Night Awards are each valid for one free night, single and/or double standard room occupancy at participating properties, and include the cost of your hotel room and room tax/service charge".
Best Regards,
Christina Zhou
Social Media Specialist
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide
[email protected]
The hotel is allowed to set single standard room occupancy.
According to the terms and conditions, "Free Night Awards are each valid for one free night, single and/or double standard room occupancy at participating properties, and include the cost of your hotel room and room tax/service charge".
Best Regards,
Christina Zhou
Social Media Specialist
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide
[email protected]
This wording (from the "Free Night Awards with No Blackouts (1)" page) differs from the wording of the spg program master T&Cs on spg.com, which is "An SPG Member may redeem Starpoints for single or double occupancy rooms", which, IMHO, means that there's no provision in the rules for a hotel to limit Free Night Awards to single rooms only.
Very troubling change, if it's not just a fluke of some dates.
I booked a room in August 2013 for July 2014 at the Hotel Pulitzer, and the standard award room was still a Deluxe, and I had no trouble getting it for two people with a King bed. Looks like I dare not change anything about that reservation.
I booked a room in August 2013 for July 2014 at the Hotel Pulitzer, and the standard award room was still a Deluxe, and I had no trouble getting it for two people with a King bed. Looks like I dare not change anything about that reservation.
#13
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: India
Programs: Bonvoy Lifetime Titanium, IHG Plat, HH Gold, Trident Plat, DL Diamond, AI Maharajah
Posts: 29,649
i'm facing a similar problem at the four points by sheraton in milan....award availability is only available for a single room....if i change the search to 2 people then availability disappears....
#14
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: HEL
Programs: SPG LTP, hotels, OWE, STE+, *G, Octopus
Posts: 5,783
#15
Moderator: British Airways Executive Club, Marriott Bonvoy
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Englandshire
Programs: SPG LT Plat, BA G, BD*LG, MG Blue+ ...
Posts: 16,014
As posters have reported that this issue is also affecting hotels other than the Amsterdam Pulitzer, I've split out this discussion to a new thread.
/mod
/mod