What is SPG Award Room Charge and how to avoid it

by Anshul
9 comments
a large building with many lights

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If you are a SPG enthusiast and redeem for award rooms, it is likely that you have come across the SPG Award Room Charge on your bill. It happens more often than one would like.

What is a SPG Award Room Charge

The SPG Award Room Charge is an internal charge that the hotel property charges SPG for booking a room at award rate. It should not appear on a guest bill. It is a billing error.

I first came across this charge during my stay at Sheraton Denver, last year. My one night cash+points stay was wonderful and I requested a digital copy of my bill. It was only a full week later, I glanced at the bill and was surprised by a $4.99 ‘Room Chrg SPG Awards‘.

SPG Award Room Charge

Room Chrg SPG Awards had sneaked into my final bill

How to avoid/reverse an SPG Award Room Charge

Ideally, you should always review your bill during checkout and identify any unknown charges to the hotel staff. Staff at SPG properties will acknowledge the error and remove the charges. If like me, you don’t catch it until after your credit card has been charged, a quick email or call to the hotel property can fix the issue. I emailed Sheraton Denver with the related details and heard back from the Front Office manager with an email confirmation of the charge reversal. The accounting department reversed the charge within a day and forwarded me a copy for my records as well.

SPG Award Room Charge

Sheraton Denver refunded the SPG Award Room Charge

Take Away

Another minor thing to keep an eye out for. The bottom line is, always check your bill at checkout and question any charges that do not look ‘standard’. While not neferious as Destination Marketing Fee (DMF and how to opt out), SPG Award Room Charge is an inconvenience that can be easily spotted and fixed.

 

9 comments

Peter Richardson January 1, 2019 - 8:58 am

Thank you for posting this. With the changes in the SPG program, the program is a mess. I booked 2 rooms for 2 nights at Thanksgiving and was charged the fee for all 4 nights. When I got home and looked at the folio, I emailed SPG immediately. A month later I just got a reply that said “We will look into this”

After reading your post, I just contacted the hotel but there is no manager today. I look forward to hearing from one soon.

Your fee was small, only $5/night. Mine was $35/night.

Reply
Points Miles and Bling January 1, 2019 - 9:07 am

Hope you hear back from them soon Peter, $35/nt is steep! Since weiting this blog, it has happened to me once more but I caught it at checkout. Same resolution – they were able to adjust it back.

Cheers!

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Peter Richardson January 2, 2019 - 3:31 pm

Heard from the hotel manager today and they are putting $140 back on the credit card

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Points Miles and Bling January 2, 2019 - 6:47 pm

Good stuff. Glad it all worked out 🙂

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747always January 23, 2018 - 1:08 am

What is this charge supposed to be for?

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Anshul January 23, 2018 - 8:13 am

The SPG Award Room Charge is an internal charge that the hotel property charges SPG for booking a room at award rate.

Reply
747always January 24, 2018 - 12:50 am

That’s what I thought. Seems fishy that someone would forget to take it off the bill and add it in to a seperate folio.

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JAXBA January 21, 2018 - 1:24 pm

Is the $75 with the same description the cash supplement for your cash+points?
(I mean, why is the $4 an error but not the $75 – they look the same…)

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Anshul January 21, 2018 - 2:57 pm

Yes, thats the cash portion of my c+p rate 🙂

Reply

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