Starwood Lurker II

Dearest etsmyers,

Currently, your Platinum Status still expires end February 2010 but pretty soon once you reach the required number of eligible stays, it will be renewed/extended till end February 2011.

I have assumed that you are the "Myers" I have been corresponding with recently.

[email protected]

Thyetus Lee | Online Forum Coordinator(AP)
Starwood Customer Contact Centre (AP) Pte Ltd

etsmyers

yes, thanks as always!

Pfrohlich

I recently stayed at a St. Regis hotel in Punta Mita with my family and the bill was approximately $8,000.00. I signed up for the starwood promotion where you get three points for every dollar spent. I was told that all of the amount was not eligable for this promotion. They would not count some of the dining at the hotel, babysitters or taxes on the rooms. Mexico taxes are about 28 percent. Does this sound correct? I was under the impression that the points were awarded based on the total bill.

Thanks, for your help.
Phyllis

Starwood Lurker

Was this booked through spg.com or pre-paid through a tour operator?

Best regards,

William R. Sanders
Online Guest Feedback Coordinator
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide

[email protected]

johnsonb

Is it possible to stay at two or more different properties on the same night and receive stay credits, night credits and points for each property? i.e If one is staying on a paid rate at hotel X and is also staying on paid rate at hotel Y on the same night.

sc flier

Asked over and over again. Most recently answered here...
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/starw...l#post11649989

No. More than one stay/night credit is given only in extreme circumstances (such as having a room in one city before flying to another on a late flight), and it generally would have to be manually credited.

Points can be earned for both stays, though, IIUC.

I think that it's been discussed somewhere about what kind of credit is given for nested stays, but I don't remember the answer. Example: A 6-night stay in San Francisco with a 1-night stay at the Westin Verasa Napa on the third night.

arir

I have a reservation in my name and i will no longer be able to join my mate on this trip.

Must i cancel the reservation and re-book in his name? (not sure if its refundable)
Will he be able to check-in to a reservation made on my account?

I am Platinum, will it help him if he keeps my booking now that i'm not gonna be with him?

KENNECTED

If you're not going, then then the booking is really for your travel companion, correct? I feel you should cancel and have your travel companion rebook. Read your conformation to see if it is refundable. If the rate is the issue, perhaps the PC can change the name/SPG number from you to your travel companion.

Others will say, add his name to the reservation as the second guest. This way he can check in without you being present and this way you still earn credit.

I say, to any gold/platinum elite, who suggests that, remember this when you check in to a hotel and no "upgrade" is available to you or you feel as though you need to haggle for an "upgrade".

sethb

There are two issues: keeping the reserved rate, and upgrades/credit.

Suppose it's a non-cancellable (that is, no refund) rate of, say, $125; but the current rate is $250. Do you really think it's fair to make someone pay $375?

Rather, I'd suggest:

1. Add your mate to the reservation. (That should have been done initially, anyway.)

2. A day or two later, when you can view the reservation and see your mate on it, delete yourself from the reservation.

3. After that, change the SPG number on the reservation.

That way, no undeserved upgrades, and no unfair rate increases.

Starwood Lurker II

Hi arir,

If you do not want to cancel the reservation, you would have to add his name to the reservation.

If you are not able to make it for the stay, you will not receive any credit or Starpoints.

He will not receive any upgrade or Platinum benefits unless he is a Platinum member as well.

[email protected]

Thyetus Lee | Online Forum Coordinator(AP)
Starwood Customer Contact Centre (AP) Pte Ltd

freofan

Having stayed at all three properties also I concur with most opinions here;
Best: Westin Sydney - Great Staff, Great Hotel, Great Location
2nd: SOP - Similarly great Staff, Almost as great a Hotel, Good Location
4 Points - Average Staff, Average Hotel, Great Location

IMHO

UAMike73

I have a question about upgrades to the best possible room, including Jr Suites. I am a platinum member and have been for the last 3 years. At the Westin Bellevue, where I've now stayed 7x this year, I have only ever been upgraded to a mini-suite once. I considered it luck of the draw, and always get upgraded to a 'deluxe king' even though it doesn't seem very deluxe.

At any rate, the last time I was there a colleague who wasn't even a general member got bumped to a mini suite and I just got a basic deluxe king. We stayed the same nights, so I'm confused about how 'best available' really works. Should I be asking for the "best" upgrade? Because there's no reason I can think of that a non-member, let alone when 'competing' with a platinum member, should have gotten a better room.

Thoughts?

KENNECTED

Sounds like you're doing everything right. Without knowing all the facts none of us, lurkers excluded, can determine what happened. Its sounds like a fluke and your friend got lucky.

I will say, if it bothers you that much you should call CCS so that can launch an investigation.

respectable_man

In the footsteps of this post: is there a Gold status offered to SPG-branded MBNA Platinum Plus cardholder in Canada? If so, how do we get it?

Starwood Lurker

No. That is not part of the current co-branded credit card agreement with MBNA.

Best regards,

William R. Sanders
Online Guest Feedback Coordinator
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide

[email protected]