Starwood Lurker

Here is a question for all of you loyal Starwood Preferred Guests who have at one time or another not received the upgrade you were expecting.

As an example...at the original W New York, more than half of all guests that stay each night are SPG members. 35% of these guests are Gold and Platinum level. As you are all very aware, Gold and Platinum level members are entitled to an upgrade to a better room upon availability. In order to better satisfy our most loyal guests, what can the W New York, or any other Starwood property, offer you when upgrades are unavailable? What have other properties or chains done that have impressed you under circumstances such as this?

Sincerely,

William R. Sanders
Customer Service Coordinator
Starwood Preferred Services

[email protected]

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ohmark

William, thanks for asking. Access to the lounge makes me happy.

VPescado

Well access to the lounge is supposed to be a given for the plat members anyway.

I think that just about any consolation prize given is bound to be the kind of thing offered to plats as welcome amenities. I think Starwood already has a good idea of what is more popular from among the choices on the amenity cards.

In short, I expect that most everyone would be pleased to get points. It's not sexy, but we're addicted.

RSMC

Good one!

Actually, the W NY has been good to me the few times I have stayed there.

As a plat, I would like it if I was told at the front desk that while they cannot upgrade me for whatever reason, they would give me some points or some other kind of ammenity. I would be weary though, if they offered me something like a free movie or a 5 dollar minibar credit, because that's junk to me and I would probably feel like they gave me junk rather than upgrading me, especially if traveling on vacation.

If I were traveling for business and they would offer me 500-1000 points instead of the upgrade, I would take the points on most occasions!!

mtacchi

Proof that there not available. I hate being lied to. During a stay @ the Yankee Clipper last winter, they swore up and down that there were not suites available. So I had to go online, book one, call the SPG Plat line. get a rep involved until the hotel staff offered up a suite.

I don't mind not getting an upgrade when the place is full. I don't like getting lied to. I would be happy if there was simply a way to know for sure.

If there isn't I don't expect compensation as that' not part of the program benefits.

JDR Tahoe

William,

Thanks for asking...Upgrades and suites are one of the best Plat. comps around. To enjoy a $300-500 room for less than half the cost is really a nice experiance. Club/Tower lounge access has been the norm for me if an upgrade was not available however, additional 500-1000 points would be very much appreciated, if in fact there were no upgrades available. I look at it as the overall value, and suite upgrades and or points are of value.

Keep up the good work for SPG.

Regards,

JDR Tahoe

Steve M

This matches 100% with my opinion.

rgoel

how about as an alternative to an upgrade you are offered a discussion regarding the available room options? usually, you just get whatever room the staff decides to put you in. instead, what if they said:

"sorry, no upgrade is available right now. but because you are platinum, i can offer you your choice of the following rooms: Room A is a corner room and larger but not renovated; Room B is newly renovated and has a nice view; Room C has no view but it is very quiet, etc."

This way, the stay will be to my liking so I'll be happy, and it didn't cost the hotel any extra money. We both come out winners.

FlyerAl

I had a similar experience while staying at the Westin LAX Airport last April.

A meal credit would be nice compensation for not getting a Platinum suite upgrade. Like $15 per person per night to be applied towards a restaurant meal or room service.

christep

Me too.

LIH Prem

I like that idea.

-David

ILUVCITIBANK

William,
I agree wholeheartedly with mtachhi's comments about having faith and confidence one is being told the truth. It all starts here. When I stayed in the W/Times SQ last March, we purposefully checked out of the Sheraton/NYC just up the road, caught a cab for a very short ride straight down the street to the W/TImes Sq...and by 10:30AM on a FRIDAY morning were checking in at the W/Times SQ...not in any way expecting to really get a room that early, per se, but planned to leave bags w/ bellman and be FIRST IN LINE for a room upgrade. Nope. Didn't happen. Not only were we told at 10:30AM no upgrades available, which of course implicitly meant ALL UPGRADES FOR THE EVENING WOULD HAVE HAD TO HAVE BEEN RESERVED WITH POINTS or at the site rates, ahead of us...but then we were given a room facing....a very unspectacular view of the Marriott Marquis across the street. And we had paid a higher rate for a "spectacular view" room or whatever they call it. Very unimpressed at that point. And I definitely felt deceived re: the suite availability issue, or at least a corner room (which I knew to ask for from having read these threads prior to my trip).

At this point rgoel's ideas would have been called for IMO...if no upgrade was available...then a corner room or one with a true view of Times Sq...would have been sufficient...or maybe an offer to comp the broadband ($15 value back then I think it was).

Instead, they half-heartedly apologized, and only after 3PM-something when they still couldn't give me a room for check-in...did they offer a 500-point bonus for the hassle (3rd time I had returned to actually go through w/ the checkin).

I should point out I was only GOLD at the time, and I realized PLATs would outrank me for upgrades after 3PM normal check-in times, which was a key reason we went to some extra effort to leave the Sheraton and get to this W by 10:30AM...if nothing else to get one of the fabled corner rooms overlooking Times.

Just one example.

So, in the order:
1) like mtachhi mentions, these property clerks MUST stop lying to our face. I would say it happens more than not.
2) Then, any of rgoel's ideas would be fair and reasonable if upgrade simply aren't available, and finally
3) uniquely, I have a strong need for broadband when on the road, so a comp of this would be agreeable to me.

NorthernAtlanticRacer

The problem with alternative perks in cases of unavailable suite upgrades is that it may give those hotels that are not very *aware* of SPG Plat benefits an easy way out: sorry, no upgrade available, but take the 500 Points. If the 500 are cheaper to the hotel than giving away the suite, it will certainly be done by the *problem kids*.

IŽd rather have an upgrade EVERY TIME it is available and nothing if it is unavailable, than having to do the song and dance (check webiste etc.) trying to find out about availablilty and persuading the hotel staff about the contents of the program they have subscribed to.

VPescado

I don't think hotels are more likely to improperly deny upgrades when it costs them points compared to now when it is free.

The problem will no doubt still exist, and the same techniques will exist to force their hand (go to spg.com, confirm availability, call platinum concierge and get them to call the hotel).

boolean64

Ditto.