Award/paid stays combo question
Mar 19, 2002, 4:22 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2000
Location: MI
Programs: Delta, AA
Posts: 609
Award/paid stays combo question
I am booking three nights in NYC over Thanksgiving. The first night will be a paid night, the next two will be award nights.
If I am upgraded as a Starwood Platinum on the first night, will I be able to keep the room for the next two nights as award stays? What is Starwood's policy on award stay upgrades?
If I am upgraded as a Starwood Platinum on the first night, will I be able to keep the room for the next two nights as award stays? What is Starwood's policy on award stay upgrades?
Mar 19, 2002, 5:41 pm
#2
Company Representative - Starwood
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Austin, Texas
Programs: Marriott Employee Level
Posts: 31,593
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by snackyx:
I am booking three nights in NYC over Thanksgiving. The first night will be a paid night, the next two will be award nights.
If I am upgraded as a Starwood Platinum on the first night, will I be able to keep the room for the next two nights as award stays? What is Starwood's policy on award stay upgrades?</font>
I am booking three nights in NYC over Thanksgiving. The first night will be a paid night, the next two will be award nights.
If I am upgraded as a Starwood Platinum on the first night, will I be able to keep the room for the next two nights as award stays? What is Starwood's policy on award stay upgrades?</font>
Best regards,
William R. Sanders
Specialist, E-Communications Department
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide
[email protected]
Mar 19, 2002, 6:22 pm
#3
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: Santa Barbara, CA
Posts: 7,149
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by Starwood Lurker:
This would be left to the discretion of the hotel when you arrive. They hate moving people around as much as guests hate being moved, but it's totally their call on the award nights.
</font>
This would be left to the discretion of the hotel when you arrive. They hate moving people around as much as guests hate being moved, but it's totally their call on the award nights.
</font>
I was under the impression from your previous posts that elite benefits were valid for all stays, regardless of rate paid or free nights.
Has this policy changed?
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by Starwood Lurker:
Regardless of what you pay, whom you pay, where you pay, or even if you do not pay [Preferred (free) Night Award, etc.], benefits are extended to all levels of Starwood Preferred Guests in accordance to their status. This means amenities and upgrades alike. No if's, and's, or but's.</font>
Regardless of what you pay, whom you pay, where you pay, or even if you do not pay [Preferred (free) Night Award, etc.], benefits are extended to all levels of Starwood Preferred Guests in accordance to their status. This means amenities and upgrades alike. No if's, and's, or but's.</font>
Mar 19, 2002, 6:26 pm
#4
Company Representative - Starwood
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Austin, Texas
Programs: Marriott Employee Level
Posts: 31,593
Thanks, BoSoxFan45. Yes, it would be possible for snackyx to receive an upgrade on his Preferred (free) Night Award nights, subject to availability at the time of check-in as I stated above. I am sorry, but I don't see anything contrary to what may have been said before. Perhaps you can elaborate? Preferred (free) Night Awards are always for standard room types. If the upgraded room type is available, snackyx will probably not be moved.
Best regards,
William R. Sanders
Specialist, E-Communications Department
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide
[email protected]
[This message has been edited by Starwood Lurker (edited 03-19-2002).]
Best regards,
William R. Sanders
Specialist, E-Communications Department
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide
[email protected]
[This message has been edited by Starwood Lurker (edited 03-19-2002).]
Mar 19, 2002, 7:01 pm
#5
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Pamplona, SPAIN
Programs: SPG Platinum, HHonors Gold, Skymiles Gold, Staralliance Gold
Posts: 330
William, as I have understood from previous threads (for instance, the one that BoSoxFan adressed in his previous message), the upgrade depends on availability at check-in, but not on what the rate is, or even if it is a free night or not (that's what you said in that thread). So, as I see things (please, correct me if I am wrong), the hotel can upgrade the room or not when checking-in, but it should not be a hotel choice to change ("downgrade")the room afterwards (unless you consider that there are two different check-ins, one for the first paid night and the other for the free ones!)
Mar 19, 2002, 7:27 pm
#6
Company Representative - Starwood
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Austin, Texas
Programs: Marriott Employee Level
Posts: 31,593
Okay. snackyx checks in the first night. The front desk person says to him/her, "oh, Mr./Ms. snackyx, I see that you are a Platinum member. We would have upgraded your room to a junior suite for tonight, but it will not be available for the next two nights. Do you wish to keep the upgrade for the first night only or stay in the same room all three nights?"
snackyx has a decision to make - at check-in. What will he do?
This is the scenario I envisoned. Sorry if that was not clear - I can certainly see how it could be interpreted otherwise from my unusually brief answers, but I will ask for clarification tomorrow on whether the Preferred (free) Night Award nights would be considered a separate check-in issue.
Best regards,
William R. Sanders
Specialist, E-Communications Department
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide
[email protected]
[This message has been edited by Starwood Lurker (edited 03-19-2002).]
[This message has been edited by Starwood Lurker (edited 03-19-2002).]
snackyx has a decision to make - at check-in. What will he do?
This is the scenario I envisoned. Sorry if that was not clear - I can certainly see how it could be interpreted otherwise from my unusually brief answers, but I will ask for clarification tomorrow on whether the Preferred (free) Night Award nights would be considered a separate check-in issue.
Best regards,
William R. Sanders
Specialist, E-Communications Department
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide
[email protected]
[This message has been edited by Starwood Lurker (edited 03-19-2002).]
[This message has been edited by Starwood Lurker (edited 03-19-2002).]
Mar 19, 2002, 7:34 pm
#7
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: Santa Barbara, CA
Posts: 7,149
William-
The scenario you propose is theoretically no different than if snackyx checked in for a three night stay with all nights being paid nights.
Your first post in this thread implied (at least as I read it) that while the hotel must upgrade if available for the first (paid) night, it need not upgrade for the subsequent two nights, even if available.
The scenario you propose is theoretically no different than if snackyx checked in for a three night stay with all nights being paid nights.
Your first post in this thread implied (at least as I read it) that while the hotel must upgrade if available for the first (paid) night, it need not upgrade for the subsequent two nights, even if available.
Mar 19, 2002, 7:40 pm
#8
Company Representative - Starwood
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Austin, Texas
Programs: Marriott Employee Level
Posts: 31,593
My personal opinion at this point is that this would never become an issue. The hotel knows how long snackyx's stay is. If the upgraded room type is not available for all three nights, it probably would not be considered for the first one either. Whether or not this fosters a non-compliance issue for us will have to be decided upon tomorrow when I have feedback from the hotel coordinators, et al.
Enough said for now. I'm going home.
Best regards,
William R. Sanders
Specialist, E-Communications Department
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide
[email protected]
Enough said for now. I'm going home.
Best regards,
William R. Sanders
Specialist, E-Communications Department
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide
[email protected]
Mar 19, 2002, 7:57 pm
#9
Company Representative - Starwood
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Austin, Texas
Programs: Marriott Employee Level
Posts: 31,593
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by BoSoxFan45:
William-
The scenario you propose is theoretically no different than if snackyx checked in for a three night stay with all nights being paid nights.
Your first post in this thread implied (at least as I read it) that while the hotel must upgrade if available for the first (paid) night, it need not upgrade for the subsequent two nights, even if available.</font>
William-
The scenario you propose is theoretically no different than if snackyx checked in for a three night stay with all nights being paid nights.
Your first post in this thread implied (at least as I read it) that while the hotel must upgrade if available for the first (paid) night, it need not upgrade for the subsequent two nights, even if available.</font>
Best regards,
William R. Sanders
Specialist, E-Communications Department
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide
[email protected]
Mar 19, 2002, 8:51 pm
#10
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2000
Location: MI
Programs: Delta, AA
Posts: 609
Did I start all this???
Just to be clear...let suppose all three nights are award nights---are they subject to the usual Platinum upgrade? Is the regular Starwood policy that upgrades are available to Plats even on award stays?
Just to be clear...let suppose all three nights are award nights---are they subject to the usual Platinum upgrade? Is the regular Starwood policy that upgrades are available to Plats even on award stays?
Mar 20, 2002, 12:07 pm
#11
Company Representative - Starwood
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Austin, Texas
Programs: Marriott Employee Level
Posts: 31,593
Okay, snackyx, don't try to confuse me with any other scenarios. The first one was hard enough. 
Seriously, though, the concensus of opinion from here is that if an upgrade is offered on the first paid night, then it should be also honored on the two award nights.
As has been stated over and over again, elite benefits are given to members regardless of rates, even no rates at all. Subject to the limitations of the Terms and Conditions, of course.
Best regards,
William R. Sanders
Specialist, E-Communications Department
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide
[email protected]
Seriously, though, the concensus of opinion from here is that if an upgrade is offered on the first paid night, then it should be also honored on the two award nights.
As has been stated over and over again, elite benefits are given to members regardless of rates, even no rates at all.
Subject to the limitations of the Terms and Conditions, of course.Best regards,
William R. Sanders
Specialist, E-Communications Department
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide
[email protected]
Mar 20, 2002, 1:22 pm
#12
In Memoriam
Join Date: May 1999
Location: PVD
Posts: 1,560
I had a paid night at a Sheraton with two Priceline nights following (don't ask!), and this is what happened to me. The first night's (paid) reservation was for a suite (nothing special, as I believe the hotel used to be a mostly-suites property of some type), but my Priceline nights were, of course, for a standard room. When I checked in, the clerk pointed this out to me and asked if I wanted to move for the second and third nights. I said very politely, "Well you know as a Gold I'm entitled to an upgrade if you have one available even on Priceline stays I believe, so could you please check and see if that is the case." This was a weekend, and the online reservation system showed lots of suites available. The clerk responded with , "Oh, that's right, let me check," and I got my suite for the entire three days. Now, I know the Sheraton did not have to do this and I would not have raised any fuss if they didn't. But, because they did, I have been happy to give Starwood more and more of my business, and this little gesture of good customer service didn't cost them a thing.