onfo

It seems that since the post above, the terms have changed to:

"Cash components of this award that are confirmed in non-USD will be adjusted, as needed, to reflect the USD equivalent of the award before being posted in local currency to the customer's bill during the hotel stay."
(https://www.starwoodhotels.com/prefe...sh_points.html)

The change seems to indicate that if you receive a hotel confirmation for, say, a Cat 4 C+P stay that quotes 4,000 pts + USD$60, then they will not convert the the cash portion to local currency. It further seems that if a reservation is confirmed in USD, then the CC will be charged in USD and there will not be the foreign currency surcharge that SPG AMEX normally puts on foreign charges.

Does that analysis sound right?

In early August, I stayed at the Sheraton Singapore Towers and had an overall awful stay (for a variety of reasons ranging from overflowing sink to being moved to a new room next to the overly loud elevators to being told incorrect and contradictory information by several hotel staff to having extremely loud people in the adjoining room who the hotel refused to ask to be quiet...at 4 AM.)

On checkout, the hotel insisted on converting my nightly rate of USD$60 into SIN dollars.

My online booking confirmation said:
Rate Plan: SPG CASH & POINTS
60.00 in US DOLLARS per night

Based on my online booking confirmation and the C+P terms, it would seem that it was incorrect to charge me in foreign currency. Since returning to the US, I have called customer service who opened a corporate complaint file and submitted it to the hotel. After a brief email exchange with the Duty Manager (is it against T+C's to name him?) I have not received any further information. In fact, it would seem that he has decided to simply ignore my concerns and emails.

This was my first time using a C+P internationally, so if anyone has further insight, your assistance would be greatly appreciated.

Many thanks.

SanDiego1K

Any time I have used a C+P, as recently as last week, it has been converted to local currency.

ctouchard

Also for every hotel you book in Europe you can pay a foreign fee on your credit card up to 3 % you will see after you come back from your trip....


it is better to ask the manager of the hotel when you do cash and points to pay when the exchange rate is low.... you can do it by asking for a credit card authorisation from the hotel to be faxed to you .....and you can save quiet a lot of money specially in the UK where the GBP is up for now months...

Starwood Lurker II

Hi onfo,

That is not how I interpret though.

To me, the statement means that if the cash component is quoted in a currency other than USD, it will be adjusted to reflect the equivalent value in USD before being converted once again to local currency for the final bill.

I have checked the file that has been documented and the property is correct in charging the bill in Singapore Dollars and it will be converted by your CC company to the relevant currency according to their interests applicable to the card holder.

Hope this helps.

[email protected]

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

camsean

Any time I have used cash and points the 'cash' part is always converted into local currency.

I guess it would fall under the same banner as the new annoying 'special conditions' that are listed for every hotel in S.E Asia. ( Hotels that quote rates in US dollars will convert it to.....blah blah)

Savvy Traveler

Am I nuts, or did I read somewhere (on an SPG confirmation, I think) that the cash portion is set (and payable in US dollars) to avoid fluctuations in exchange rates?

I've had two C&P stays this year (Pulitzer Amsterdam and Westin Chosun) and they both converted to local currency and charged my card at a disadvantageous rate.

So, did I dream that or has anyone else read similar language?

mahasamatman

I think it's a dream. You get charged in local currency, and incur the usual credit card foreign transaction fees. I wish you could just pay in advance in USD.

Starwood Lurker II

Cash components of this award that are confirmed in non-USD will be adjusted, as needed, to reflect the USD equivalent of the award before being posted in local currency to the customer's bill during the hotel stay.

[email protected]

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

mahasamatman

We know that, but the ones that are confirmed in USD (which is all of them as far as I know) still end up paying more. A $90 cash component usually ends up being closer to $100 after poor conversion rates and caredit card markup.

TRAVELBABE

In addition, each night is converted at a slightly different rate depending on the currency conversion for that day. It seems to me like the entire bill should be converted on the day you check out & actually charge the card. I am always debating between paying w/ my Capital One card, which charges no conversion/foreign exchange fees, and leaving it on my Starwood AMEX for the points.

adventurous

Do some hotels not offer the option of cash and points? EVER?

mahasamatman

I noticed that about the Westin Auckland. I finally contacted the hotel directly about their lack of C+P, and magically they now have it on most days (though they won't admit they ever had it blocked).

Sydfly

Sorry, I still don't understand what this means. Currently at Shearton Mirage Gold Coast on C&P. They quoted me A$84 for the US$60 cash component which is outrageous. When I made the booking back in September US$60 would have been A$72 and at today's exchange rate I would not expect to pay more than A$65.

In the past it seems the cash rate was fixed when you made the booking but I also thought that they re-calculate this when you check out and then charge you in local currency (in my case this should be around A$65 per night).

The hotel tells me that they fix the rate for a certain period of time (in their favour I'm sure!) and that they already talked to the accounting department as other guests have complained but nothing has changed.

I think if they don't adjust my rate at check-out, I'll send a complaint to SPG customer service. They need to sort this out for all non US$ charging hotels!

Starwood Lurker II

Hi Sydfly,

The clause I have quoted only applies to C&P reservations confirmed in a currency not in USD.

I have tried making a C&P reservation at Sheraton Mirage Gold Coast and the reservation is confirmed in USD$60 plus 4K Starpoints per day. This clause would not be applicable in this case.

If your reservation is confirmed in AUD and there might be huge differences when a guest converts it back to USD, this clause is to inform them that adjustment will be made if necessary to reflect the correct rate in USD before being converted back to the local currency at the point of payment during check-out.

That would be my interpretation if it is helpful.

[email protected]

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

Sydfly

Thank you for the explanation. Yes, my booking was in US$ like your test booking. However, the A$ amount the hotel was asking for at check-in was far too high. Everything worked out in the end as they adjusted the bill at check-out to reflect the correct exchange rate as of the check-out day. Everyone happy