factory81

What relevance does this have to the discussion at hand? Business is business. I conduct business with Starwood for leisure and business travel. What do you want to hear? That at some point I was an infant without business travel?

Can you be me more off-topic? What was the weather like in Green Bay last week?

factory81

Delete dupe post

UKTraveller4Fun

To clarify if you checkin and they dont recognise your status or they have suites available that are Platinum Upgrade level then you are fully entitled to complain. If however they only have suites higher than that you are only entitled to ask nicely and see if the hotel will accomodate you.

What I still don't get is where you ever got the idea that being nearly an Ambassador guest or having SNA's mean that you will be entitled to a suite above the standard level at a property you have never stayed at before. Where anywhere in SPG does it suggest that if you want/need a suite you should not book it and just hope for an upgrade! Its not a problem with AA that exists its simply a way to give people a chance to get something above and beyond what they have actually paid for, the key points there being a chance and above what you actually pay for.

factory81

Now we're sitting and talking verbiage of the plat program, but I read this;

"Upgrade to the best available room at check-in - including a standard suite"

From SPG member to SPG member, no plat desk BS, what does this really mean? Do I get "the best room they have", or do I get "the best room, up to a standard suite"?

BigBopper

I think you finally got it

sbrower

I personally don't believe that anyone who gets to 97 nights, and ALREADY knows that they will get an Ambassador when they get to 100, doesn't know whether or not the resort fee is waived for a platinum member. So I have my doubts about efforts to "understand the program." And the subsequent question about not understanding the upgrade benefit means that you haven't taken the effort to read the multiple threads here which answer that question.

factory81

Westin Snowmass is newer property with not many data points, other than prior negative experiences posted (not in regards to fee being waived).

I am a person who as you can tell has the mentality of, if you don't ask, well, you might not get it.

I was boarding my flight just a few minutes ago and I was in 6C on a A321, I was number 2 on standby list. I asked if those on standby were likely to clear and she remarked that its a good thing I asked, because they had a passenger in first class misconnect in PHX, and the person above me on the upgrade list ALSO misconnected, and had I walked up and just scanned my boarding pass - I would have not been upgraded. Only because I had asked.

While this thread portrays me as a entitled douche bag who wants everything for free. I am honestly....a polite guy (okay, sometimes I can be aggravated and unpleasant to work with, but at the end of the day its all about "How to win friends and influence people").

I don't show up checking in, phone in hand showing suites available, demanding upgrades. I wait my turn until called, smile, ask them how they are doing, and see what they say.

Not to dwell on this anymore (on a flight now, semi-bored) or how people are recognized, but to add to the SPG experience;

-more often than not I am not thanked for being a platinum member
-more often than not I am not even asked what I want as a welcome whatever (points, welcome gift, or breakfast). I don't know if they just look at my previous stays and see that I am always taking the points and assuming once again - I want the points. But whatever

I take note of it all. It isn't until recently that I really realized how well IHG treated me in regards to;

-thanked for being a platinum member
-asked what I want as a gift
-and like I have mentioned earlier, after looking at all my IHG stays, it would appear like clock work that I am being told "......we have you upgraded to the XYZ suite"

I kind of discounted IHG quite a bit, especially in regards to being a premium loyalty program.

So I mean, overall impressions still;
-IHG moved up in my book this year. Seriously, they are the underdog that surpassed expectations. I can't even believe it myself really.
-Starwood Starwood Starwood....you guys love your guests. I know you do. Your employees working the hotel are most often awesome as heck. I wish things were a little different, but don't we all? I set my expectations and hopes too high with the preferred guest program. And I need to realign them with reality and where I really stand in regards to status. As frequent travelers we all are told and tell ourselves that Starwood has the best loyalty program in the business. The best this.......the best that. And all of this hype set expectations for me, and availability aside - I was thinking "I got to the peak of the best program in the industry, roll out the red carpet now!". LOL
-Hyatt, mannnn I envy those confirmed suite night awards. I've said it before, but I can't tell you how much the word confirmed means to me right now. Your small footprint aside, you have become a clear choice for 2015. I absolutely must direct enough stays to receive these confirmed suite night awards (for my actual vacations).


So now with the year behind us, and seeing how it all went down. I know that by May I should requalify for SPG Plat, and also be Hyatt (whatever top status is). IHG is getting a lot of love next year too. I was doing a little bit of diversification with Marriott this year - just because they have something like 17 brands and 413 billion hotels.

Oh look, we're descending into Aspen now.......let the games begin. Look forward to a full review! I will be expecting to leverage many of the properties features including
-ski valet
-ski tuning shop
-internet speed (if only I could not work on my vacation)
-gym

If they really go above and beyond - I will book time in their spa as well. But I am not interested in giving this property more money until I see how their operations are.

ScatterX

I'll take the bait and assume you really want to understand this...

That phrase means that they will give the best room they have AVAILABLE FOR UPGRADES away to Platinum members AT CHECK IN.

"Available" is a room that is 1) unsold, and 2) in a category allowing free upgrades. The hotels defines the latter and can change at their discretion. The hotel is completely reasonable by withholding a 40,000 square foot room that a Presidential-type person might think is sweet. Likewise, they SHOULD keep some percentage of rooms in a "wait and hope to sell" category and not a "use for free upgrades" category. The latter is available in this context. The former is not.

"At check in" means that they wait until you are actually at the hotel. If they have an available room (see above), they will give it to Platinum members as they check in.

"Standard Suite" means just that. Each hotel defines which suites are standard and which are not. The $25,000 a night suite is not standard and the reason is obvious.

Back to your situation...

None of this means that you should expect any room you want well before check-in, simply because YOU think you are special or that you are entitled to it. If you think the SPG program guarantees any of this (the logical necessity to support you supposed entitlement), then you are just flat out wrong.

Further, none of this means that YOU should get an upgrade before or instead of someone else that SPG and the hotel rate as a higher priority, simply because you feel special or entitled. Do you really think hotels should work by giving away things to the people that complain the most? Would you run a business like that?

It's really confusing why you think the hotel should give you a suite other than the fact that you think you are special. As a Platinum, you have a certain level of STATUS. However, that is NOT the only status the hotel recognizes. It nearly a certainty that you do not have the highest status, when compared to 200+ night Platinum members, people that regularly stay at a hotel, or other reasons.

So, in all seriousness, why do you think you should get an upgrade before anyone else and instead of other people with they most likely have higher status than you?

ScatterX

You're using the term walked incorrectly. And, you are wrong about the suites.

If there are X suites available, then the highest X people on the priority list will get them. If you are X + Y (both being positive integers) on the list, you will not get one assuming the process works normally.

On the other hand, if you get an upgrade because you are a massive PITA, then the person that was in X -1 on the priority list will not get one.

The only way this wouldn't happen would be for the hotel to have more suites than they have people to upgrade. Since this is Snowmass over Christmas week, that is not possible. And with your issues, that is clearly not the case.

So, back to my original statement. If you get a suite by being a PITA (and not because you were high enough on the priority list the right way), then you are TAKING it away from somebody.

UKTraveller4Fun

I would really like to hear the answer to this also!

The other thing I am so confused about is that it seems IHG treats you so well and Hyatt has the perfect upgrade policy yet for this so important stay it was decided to go with SPG a program it would seem no research has been done and despite 97 nights has no experience of how the Platinum program works or SNA's for that matter!
If it was so important a stay and IHG and Hyatt treat you so well why not stay with them, I am confused! You want SPG to treat you as a loyal guest but you have no loyalty to IHG or Hyatt who you keep saying are great! So simple question why SPG and not Hyatt or IHG considering you seem to much prefer these hotel groups!

BigBopper

Let's add the fact that you're trying to use 2 legit (tho minor and easily resolved ) as the basis for you to literally spend hours looking for a free suite

factory81

You should work for Starwood. You clarified it better than it ever has been before.

All of us subscribe to loyalty programs for the rewards and order it brings. I appreciate the order it brings. E.G. in AA-land you clear your upgrade at 24, 48, etc based on status. I like and appreciate that.

I dont think they should go out of order. And I didn't understand how upgrades and/or SNA worked in their entirety you til you just explained it. So to recap my prior impression;

-Starwood has suites available to be booked
-I applied suite night upgrade
-they decline suite night award
Which left me feeling dissatisfied. As if SNA meant nothing.

So providing they go in order, and my number is up, and a better room is available at check in....I can get an upgrade (independent of SNA). Which is cool. I think that's how it should work.


I could see how everyone thinks I want to take priority over 130/nt SPG folks applying SNA's. But that is not how I feel. I was complaining because I saw suites available and thought my awards made me eligible for them. So I hope that clears the air there.

Really good information there though. This ks my first year obtaining status with SPG, and as you all can obviously tell, my first time using suite night awards.

I can definitely see how Hyatt's execution of the suite night award program is a little more orderly. Its like you apply it - and if its available, you get that room. Its like predetermined. There is no question, there isn't even an order to go in for upgrades (unless they go above and beyond at check in) there is no doubt, its just a real booking.

Makes sense.


On our way back from dinner now. Can't wait to see the hotel.

factory81

At the hotel now. Received a warm welcome. Great looking property so far. Nice staff. I received the best room I could get based on availability. On top of that they even threw in a little welcome gift. Logistics of the trip are perfect. I don't even have to change floors! And I still get that junior suite when it becomes available. This is just the kind of attention to detail I appreciate and am thankful for people like Allison at the Westin Snowmass for offering. I specifically didn't want to move up and down and all around. And we don't.

All things considered - I am happy. Happy with Starwood, Westin, and I look forward to working with my ambassador in FY2015 for as many stays as I can manage with Starwood. I know what I need to do to have a better chance at getting a SNA approved (try in the middle of January when its not peak ski season).

Looking back at it all - I wish I just had hit 100 nts before arriving. They would have been able to answer all the questions I originally had; ($30 or $25 or waived), taken care of the logistics of the individual stays, and eliminated all of the back and forth I did initially with the hotel and the platinum concierge desk. I can truly see where the ambassador will come in handy. And I will definitely leverage them for specifically this kind of stuff.

ScatterX

Glad I could help.

Application of a SNA moves you up the priority ladder and gets you in front of the 'wait until check in crew' (since they always clear before then). This value varies by hotel, by season, by other timing factors, by some hidden magic and undisclosed 'rules', and by what any particular hotel might do. Some hotels play inappropriate games and seem to withhold all suites from upgrades (even if the aren't sold).

If you don't like the way SPG plays the game, try a different chain. They all offer something a little different and another chain may suit you better. Regardless, it would behoove you to understand how each system really works. You seem to have (or had) expectations based on the way other chains did things. That rarely ends well.

Let us know how your stay in Snowmass goes...

UKTraveller4Fun

Glad to hear things have worked out well for you in the end and you are happy with what Starwood was able to give you. It seems your posts on here worked well in assisting you to learn what expectation to have. Look forward to hearing about the trip and hope the suite is available early rather than late in the day for you to checkin.
You may already have addressed this with the property but you may or may not be able to have a 4pm checkout of the suite as it is a resort property, but thought it worth mentioning just in case you were unaware.

Have a great holiday!