Experience with Gulliver: Consolidator
Jun 20, 2007 | 9:38 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: Cambria, CA
Programs: AA Plat, STW Plat, Hyatt Plat, Avis Pref
Posts: 185
Experience with Gulliver: Consolidator
I initially booked two nights in an Executive room at the Europa & Regina in Venice for 27,000 pts for early Nov 2007 but then ran across a website called www.asiarooms.com and successfully booked two nights in a standard room for $604 including breakfast and all taxes and fees (standard rooms were unavailable via the SPG website, thus the exec room at 1500 more pts/night excluding breakfast which I've learned from another post can be had for a 1500-point instant award per person at the property).
I got my receipt via GTA Gullivers and wondered if anyone has had any experience using them.
Apparently they're a wholesaler who books blocks of rooms "blind" and notifies the hotel only three days in advance who the actual traveller will be.
Any feedback would be much appreciated.
I got my receipt via GTA Gullivers and wondered if anyone has had any experience using them.
Apparently they're a wholesaler who books blocks of rooms "blind" and notifies the hotel only three days in advance who the actual traveller will be.
Any feedback would be much appreciated.
Jun 20, 2007 | 9:52 pm
#2
Suspended
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: New York, NY
Programs: Delta - Gold; Starwood - Platinum; HHonors - Diamond & Avis Preferred
Posts: 10,869
I initially booked two nights in an Executive room at the Europa & Regina in Venice for 27,000 pts for early Nov 2007 but then ran across a website called www.asiarooms.com and successfully booked two nights in a standard room for $604 including breakfast and all taxes and fees (standard rooms were unavailable via the SPG website, thus the exec room at 1500 more pts/night excluding breakfast which I've learned from another post can be had for a 1500-point instant award per person at the property).
I got my receipt via GTA Gullivers and wondered if anyone has had any experience using them.
Apparently they're a wholesaler who books blocks of rooms "blind" and notifies the hotel only three days in advance who the actual traveller will be.
Any feedback would be much appreciated.
I got my receipt via GTA Gullivers and wondered if anyone has had any experience using them.
Apparently they're a wholesaler who books blocks of rooms "blind" and notifies the hotel only three days in advance who the actual traveller will be.
Any feedback would be much appreciated.
4A.2. Preferred Guests will earn 2 base Starpoints for each U.S. dollar or equivalent of all Eligible Charges incurred and paid for by the Member at Participating Properties. See Section
4B.4. for the complete definition of Eligible Charges, but note that pre-paid rooms where the booking is made by an agent or third party and you pay for that booking directly to such third party, such as tour or tour operators, and pre-paid channels, including, but not limited to priceline.com, expedia.com, hotels.com, hrn.com, hotwire.com, lastminute.com, site59.com, orbitz.com, travelocity.com, cheaptickets.com, quickbook.com, travelweb.com, lodging.com, yahootravel.com, and msntravel.com are not Eligible Charges and do not earn Starpoints. Paid shall mean receipt of good funds. Accordingly, if you stop payment on a check, if a check bounces, or if you dispute a credit card bill, you have not paid and you will not earn Starpoints on that transaction.
4B.4. for the complete definition of Eligible Charges, but note that pre-paid rooms where the booking is made by an agent or third party and you pay for that booking directly to such third party, such as tour or tour operators, and pre-paid channels, including, but not limited to priceline.com, expedia.com, hotels.com, hrn.com, hotwire.com, lastminute.com, site59.com, orbitz.com, travelocity.com, cheaptickets.com, quickbook.com, travelweb.com, lodging.com, yahootravel.com, and msntravel.com are not Eligible Charges and do not earn Starpoints. Paid shall mean receipt of good funds. Accordingly, if you stop payment on a check, if a check bounces, or if you dispute a credit card bill, you have not paid and you will not earn Starpoints on that transaction.
Jun 21, 2007 | 1:59 am
#3
Join Date: Feb 2005
Posts: 466
Wholesaler blocks are usually for run of the house rooms, which usually translates into the lowest category rooms in a hotel.
Does your GTA confirmation mention what kind of room you have booked? Some rooms at the Westin Europa are not very desirable
Does your GTA confirmation mention what kind of room you have booked? Some rooms at the Westin Europa are not very desirable
Jun 21, 2007 | 1:14 pm
#4
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: Cambria, CA
Programs: AA Plat, STW Plat, Hyatt Plat, Avis Pref
Posts: 185
Thanks cheap elite for pointing out what was what WRT point earning although that's not what I was after. And tyn, I booked a "standard" room. That also is not the gist of my inquiry.
I'm not concerned whether I earn SPG points with this stay, knowing I will have "saved" 33K points (27K for the room + 6K for breakfasts) by paying $604 for the room and breakfasts which would have cost me either the 33K SPG points or over $1250 had I booked the lowest BAR available at www.spg.com and paid the 50 Euro per day per person for breakfast at the hotel. Neither am I particularly concerned whether I have a great room (I'll take my chances with the front desk and my gold status at c/i).
What I really want to know is if anyone has had any experience booking rooms through GTA Gulliver or www.asiarooms.com. I would like to be more confident about GTA Gulliver before cancelling my points booking and just relying on the GTA booking for this stay.
I'm not concerned whether I earn SPG points with this stay, knowing I will have "saved" 33K points (27K for the room + 6K for breakfasts) by paying $604 for the room and breakfasts which would have cost me either the 33K SPG points or over $1250 had I booked the lowest BAR available at www.spg.com and paid the 50 Euro per day per person for breakfast at the hotel. Neither am I particularly concerned whether I have a great room (I'll take my chances with the front desk and my gold status at c/i).
What I really want to know is if anyone has had any experience booking rooms through GTA Gulliver or www.asiarooms.com. I would like to be more confident about GTA Gulliver before cancelling my points booking and just relying on the GTA booking for this stay.
Jun 21, 2007 | 1:23 pm
#5
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: The City of Angels
Programs: UA Gold, Hyatt Globalist, Marriott LTP, Hilton Gold
Posts: 406
What I really want to know is if anyone has had any experience booking rooms through GTA Gulliver or www.asiarooms.com. I would like to be more confident about GTA Gulliver before cancelling my points booking and just relying on the GTA booking for this stay.
Jun 21, 2007 | 1:30 pm
#6
In memoriam
Join Date: Mar 2000
Location: Seattle WA
Programs: Kimpton IC, Hyatt Diamond, Gold Marriott, Lifetime Platinum Starwood
Posts: 8,664
With that being the case, I wonder if this question is really in the right spot. While you are booked in the E&R, your querie has little to do with *Wood. I would think you might have better luck getting an answer in a forum with a broader array of properties, although I have no idea which forum that would be.
Moving this to Travel Buzz for a broader audience.
ldsant
*wood Moderator