MKB

Please correct me if this is wrong, but I thought we'd established on here -- a few years ago, admittedly, and in relation to Towers benefits in Cape Town --, that if a hotel chooses to upgrade someone to a room that comes with certain inclusive benefits for paying guests, then those benefits should be provided to the upgraded guests. Is that not still the case?

So, in this case, if the upgrade is to a non-Nirvana room/suite, no Nirvana benefits are due. But if the upgrade is to a Nirvana room/suite, then all the Nirvana benefits are provided. Is that not right?

I had three at Le Méridien Ile Maurice in May this year and was very lucky to be upgraded to the Nirvana Royal Suite twice and a regular Royal Suite once. I was given Nirvana benefits on both the Nirvana upgrades.

Starwood Lurker

Yes. That would seem to be the case, if the breakfast in the lounge for Nirvana guests is normally included as complimentary for guests on that level.

Best regards,

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

[email protected]

estnet

Is this really true b/c I have been denied included benefits for ug'd suites repeatedly in Singapore at the Sheraton and St Regis (eg free laundry or pressing and sometimes free air transport)?

Starwood Lurker II

Hi estnet,

If the property upgrades you to a room that includes certain benefits, you will get to enjoy them as well. Thyetus

[email protected]

Starwood Lurker

The Sheraton Singapore has a Towers concept room, but no actual Towers, which includes benefits such as free laundry and pressing, but these are not given to folks unless you pay for them because there are no Towers rooms, as such.

However, if this is an upgrade to a room or suite that normally has the added-value amenities, then yes, you do get them.

I have no idea what the situation is at the St. Regis in Singapore. Maybe Thyetus can find out and elaborate on that since he is local.

Best regards,

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

[email protected]

ajnaro

I can confirm it: upgrades to the Towers level at the Sheraton Towers Singapore absolutely do NOT include perks associated with Towers status such as laundry and phone calls. Of course, if forced to provide these benefits due to SPG terms and conditions, the hotel will simply halt all Towers upgrades, so it may be best to keep still.

Starwood Lurker

There is no Towers level at this hotel...only Towers concept rooms. A Towers concept room can therefore be on any floor of the hotel they choose and its value-added amenities come only when you purchase said Towers concept room.

Best regards,

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

[email protected]

ajnaro

From the name Sheraton Towers Singapore, I always thought the whole hotel was Towers, i.e., there was no separate Towers hotel-within-a-hotel. Nonetheless, check-in staff do say phrases such as ‘you have been upgraded to a Towers room’, followed by an explicit explanation of the denied Towers benefits. I find this perfectly natural, since access to Towers is not an SPG perk. By the way, at Le Méridien Île Maurice (two years ago, on a paid stay) I was spontaneously offered an upgrade to a suite in the main hotel AND all Nirvana privileges including breakfast. So, the moral is that this sort of thing varies.

SanDiego1K

mod hat on/

I copied the first two posts and moved the subsequent posts over from the Mauritius thread. It helps give this important topic visibility, and allows the Mauritius thread to remain on topic for that specific hotel.

/mod hat off

estnet

SD1K - thanks for separating this out

Sheraton Singapore - I have been upgraded to a suite on a number of occasions and the first time I had a print out of the included benefits (something like 8 pieces of laundry and some other stuff - I think cocktail hour) - they said this IS NOT included b/c I was ug'd but made a one time exception b/c the printout for the laundry but said it would cost around 70sgd for the cocktail hour privlege (well I'm one person and didn't think I could drink that much in 1 hour LOL). On subsequent stays when ug'd I just didn't ask since I thought I wasn't entitled. I do agree that I'd rather not press the issue if it means they won't do ug as often

Recently I was ug'd to a named suite at the Singapore St Regis and was told that the normal transport to and from the airport was not included (which seemed fair as this is a high cost item to the hotel I guess - and much as I would have liked a Bentley ride I wasn't going to the airport anyway).

If it really is policy that ug include all benefits (which seems to include transport to the airport for all suites at the SR if I've read it right) - how can this be addressed without risking not being given a suite?

DUflyer

At the Sheraton on the Park in Sydney, I recently got "upgraded" to an Executive Club room, but was denied access to the Executive Club.
The only extra benefit I received was the mouthwash

SleepDoc

They've clearly wronged you on that account. It even states in the T&C's including what Lurker I and II have stated that this is a benefit included in upgrades. d. Access to the Club Level when staying at Sheraton hotels or access to the Executive Level when staying at Westin hotels, even when not staying on the Club Level or Executive Level floor(s).

MJChicago

is also lax about this one. We were there for ~4 stays during July, and on one stay were upgraded to the Club Floor. Imagine my surprise when we were handed a bill for $68 after enjoying breakfast in the lounge!

Of course, they couldn't even figure out that rooms booked with points were actually free either. Everytime we checked out of a room booked with points, there were room charges on the bill and it took a solid 20 minutes of conversations with a manager and at least four front desk folks to get it resolved.

Totoro

You can add the Westin Lombard Yorktown to the list.

http://flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=864592

Moomba

I have had an u/g to an Executive Suite 3 of 3 stays at St Regis. This u/g also included free breakfast at the restaurant where I was able to order anything I liked.
I agree with you that the Bentley transfers would be a nice inclusion but this benefit also includs the CIP arrivals facility at SIN. This would cost the hotel cold hard cash to pay for.
If SPG force the St Regis' hand on this I fear they would not be so generous on the upgrades.

I for one would not like to push the issue with the St Regis as they are still the best hotel experience I have had to date. The staff are fabulous and the suites are very nice indeed.

They even gave me a bottle of Vintage Champagne for my BD today.