Hyatt Gold Passport - Stealthy capacity controls? (No standard rooms at all @ HR Maui)

I've been trying to reserve some BWB nights at HR Maui. For every date between now and Aug 31, there is no availability online. I called the Diamond line (twice), and they confirmed that there is no "standard room availability" until Sept 1.

Is this a tech glitch, or are we looking at a sneaky way of introducing capacity controls? What can I do to get some BWB nights booked at that property?

:td::td::td:

This seems really odd. Even if you buy a night, the lowerst category is a Partial Ocean view at $379+ for all of July and August. It seems hard to believe that the hotel is that busy for 2 months solid

I've been trying to reserve some BWB nights at HR Maui. For every date between now and Aug 31, there is no availability online. I called the Diamond line (twice), and they confirmed that there is no "standard room availability" until Sept 1.

Is this a tech glitch, or are we looking at a sneaky way of introducing capacity controls? What can I do to get some BWB nights booked at that property?

I got 5 BWB nights about about a month ago for May 19-23 at the HR Maui. I called the Diamond line to get it and they were able to book it. Of course they had to put it through one night at a time, so I have 5 different one night bookings.

This seems really odd. Even if you buy a night, the lowerst category is a Partial Ocean view at $379+ for all of July and August. It seems hard to believe that the hotel is that busy for 2 months solid

Yep, it looks like even if you use points they have locked it down all the way to Sept 1st. The only room available is a club room/ocean view for 22K. Very sneaky way of keeping BWB out. I guess they figured out that they would be giving away a lot of rooms, I am very glad I got my res in early.

Kind of F'ed up if you ask me...

This is where HHonors trumps Hyatt.

Hyatt's award nights with no blackout dates or capacity controls fails to mention that this applies only on "standard" rooms.

Go find a resort Hyatt with more than 10% standard rooms.

HHonors Diamond Force guarantee means you get a room 100% of the time in my experience, which included a night at the Hilton Whistler in the middle of the Olympics in a room which sold for $1400.

Sorry but there a +'s and -'s to each program and Hyatt's policy just flat out stinks when it comes to Diamond treatment on capacity control.

I've been trying to reserve some BWB nights at HR Maui. For every date between now and Aug 31, there is no availability online. I called the Diamond line (twice), and they confirmed that there is no "standard room availability" until Sept 1.

Is this a tech glitch, or are we looking at a sneaky way of introducing capacity controls? What can I do to get some BWB nights booked at that property?

Capacity controls always existed, but this is not the problem regarding capacity controls. It goes without saying that the Hawaiian properties are subject to massive demand and a couple of weeks into such a promo, it does not surprise me that the capacity set aside for awards has already been used up. It comes down to the actual demand now, if they release additional rooms, so check back frequently.

For some properties, you have to book fast and at the beginning of such promotions to get a room...

Sorry but there a +'s and -'s to each program and Hyatt's policy just flat out stinks when it comes to Diamond treatment on capacity control.

Hyatt Diamond reps. also forced award rooms for me in the past. IIRC, the only occasions when they could not do any magic were the Park Vendome, Regency Lake Las Vegas and Key West, all on Saturday's when the properties were sold out more or less anyway already and only showed suites available.

Yep, it looks like even if you use points they have locked it down all the way to Sept 1st. The only room available is a club room/ocean view for 22K. Very sneaky way of keeping BWB out. I guess they figured out that they would be giving away a lot of rooms, I am very glad I got my res in early.

Kind of F'ed up if you ask me...

Why is it sneaky ?

They also set aside Regency club rooms for point redemption, certainly at a higher price and those capacities are still available...

As a Diamond, I had to book a Grand Club room as well some months ago, when regular point redemption was not available anymore, was more than happy to do spend 3k points more instead of paying $ 680..

Well this property is kind of known for skirting the T&Cs - I'll call Karen's attention to this issue.

Capacity controls always existed, but this is not the problem regarding capacity controls. It goes without saying that the Hawaiian properties are subject to massive demand and a couple of weeks into such a promo, it does not surprise me that the capacity set aside for awards has already been used up. It comes down to the actual demand now, if they release additional rooms, so check back frequently.

My understanding is that if there's any standard room available for purchase, it can be booked with points. There is no "capacity set aside for awards."

Despite the high demand for Hawaiian properties, it is extremely unlikely that all standard rooms would be booked up for the next 3 1/2 months, and then miraculously open back up on September 1st. In addition, the GH Kauai, a vastly superior property (imho, and admittedly on a less popular island), has availability for practically every day of the FFN redemption period (despite the fact that some of their rooms are unavailable due to construction). I strongly suspect that something fishy is going on at the HR Maui...

My understanding is that if there's any standard room available for purchase, it can be booked with points. There is no "capacity set aside for awards."

Despite the high demand for Hawaiian properties, it is extremely unlikely that all standard rooms would be booked up for the next 3 1/2 months, and then miraculously open back up on September 1st. In addition, the GH Kauai, a vastly superior property (imho, and admittedly on a less popular island), has availability for practically every day of the FFN redemption period (despite the fact that some of their rooms are unavailable due to construction). I strongly suspect that something fishy is going on at the HR Maui...

As pointed out by some other poster already, the quantity of standard rooms is very very low...a Garden view ground floor room is also an upgraded room, isn't it ? ;)

No capacity controls ? Yes, if you like to believe some marketing blabla...

While this might be a technical glitch ( I still doubt it ) hotels do sell out, suites sell out every once in a while and one should not expect every hotel to be available all the time...

I do not understand why everyone starts to complain once it is not going into his direction... :rolleyes:

this is what I get when I search in August

The property you have selected is not participating in the promotion you have selected, or the certificate you have selected is not valid. or contact Gold Passport Customer Service at either 1-866-557-6671 or your nearest Worldwide Reservation Center

Nice A-hole move hyatt :td:

A hotel can, and some apparently do, come up with a "standard room" configuration that covers only a few rooms, thereby making the use of free nights nearly impossible at those hotels. If Hyatt corporate is going to run these types of promos then maybe hotels should be required to have some minimum percentage of rooms that are considered "standard."

Also, if you book one of these standard rooms as a cancelable paid reservation and then end up with enough free nights or points by your stay to switch you may not be able to switch (according to to customer service & some folks here). That's cheesy. If the standard room is available (it is, cause it's yours) then you should be able to switch the reservation to an award stay or points stay.

/soapbox

If I have to read one more thing about this hotel being a pain in the rear......

I too am currently at Grand Hyatt Kauai and they have every day open for FFN availability, point availability, etc.

Maui has all rooms available and I was going to cruise over there for a day or two but there were NO rooms for point space at all over two weeks.

I am telling you, this place is crazy. Always stretching the rules so they work out for them - never help a guest out.

I upgraded to a suite once for one night and came back a night later and they made me pay like $380 more in upgrade charge for the same suite I used the upgrade coupon for and wouldn't let me use the upgrade certificate in the split.

Lame property.

In March I wanted a room for 1 night using an award and called frequently for weeks with no availability. Finally a few nights before I needed the booking rooms opened up.

sometimes consolidaters buy up large blocks of prime time standard rooms 9-12 months in advance

What are some good alternatives to this property b/c if they are going to pull this crap, I sure am not giving them a revenue stay either.. not a chance at that

What are some good alternatives to this property b/c if they are going to pull this crap, I sure am not giving them a revenue stay either.. not a chance at that

Never stayed there so can't offer a direct comparison but I have stayed at the Sheraton Maui and it was awesome. One of the best stays I've ever had. Right at Black Rock, gorgeous rooms, great service.

Key West plays the same game, too. For months ahead I tried in both 2009 and 2010 to use FFN nights any time during Jan-April. Made my plans elsewhere and then within 2 weeks of my trip this March, they opened up points/FFN nights. Normally I wouldn't have been able to make or change flights, but this time I was able to so I did stay there. The place was far from being close to capacity--the restaurant & bar had no customers for the 3 days we were there.

this is what I get when I search in August

The property you have selected is not participating in the promotion you have selected, or the certificate you have selected is not valid. or contact Gold Passport Customer Service at either 1-866-557-6671 or your nearest Worldwide Reservation Center

Nice A-hole move hyatt :td:

IME that's simply the error the website spits out when I tried to find multi-day availability at a different property (NYC). Rooms were available when booking one night at a time. In other words, the message shouldn't necessarily be taken literally.

sometimes consolidaters buy up large blocks of prime time standard rooms 9-12 months in advance

True, but:

(1) Just a few weeks ago, Terrace Rooms had ample availability for the BWB redemption period.

(2) We aren't looking at 9-12 months in advance. Who in their right mind would buy up huge blocks of rooms at a destination that's hurting for business? In addition, June-August isn't exactly "prime time" for Hawaii.

(3) If consolidators had bought up all the Terrace Rooms, these rooms would likely be for sale somewhere. I couldn't find any website where Terrace Rooms were bookable.

Sure, it's possible that all Terrace Rooms have been bought up by a huge 3-month convention, or some wealthy Sheik who wants to have all the hotel's worst rooms for his travel group, but imo it's not very likely. This smells very fishy, and reminds me of Delta Airlines' practically zeroing out O class (Business "Low" awards) across the board for months at a time.

Thank you, peteropny, for bringing this thread to Hyatt's attention. I look forward to hearing an explanation for what's going on at the HR Maui.

I was going to book this property also, it seem they do not want our money, I will take it somewhere else who love our business.

I look forward to hearing an explanation for what's going on at the HR Maui.

Just sounds like business as usual for this hotel to me! :td::td::td::td::td::td::td::td::td::td::td:

Just sounds like business as usual for this hotel to me! :td::td::td::td::td::td::td::td::td::td::td:

and part of this par for the course is that no one from hyatt will address the issue either

Just got back using BWB 3 nights, no problem ^

Well, I'm new to Hyatt, having been lured by the free night promotion. Just had my first two stays and am favorably impressed, and have scheduled several more. But if I'm unable to use my certificates as promised, I will take my business elsewhere.

and part of this par for the course is that no one from hyatt will address the issue either

Don't get me wrong, I am not trying to bash Hyatt in any way. It's an immensely generous program, and I am very, very satisfied with the free nights promos. However, the issue I discovered with the HR Maui is worth pointing out, and I'm sure Hyatt will clarify what's going on.

If I have to read one more thing about this hotel being a pain in the rear......

I too am currently at Grand Hyatt Kauai and they have every day open for FFN availability, point availability, etc.

Maui has all rooms available and I was going to cruise over there for a day or two but there were NO rooms for point space at all over two weeks.

I am telling you, this place is crazy. Always stretching the rules so they work out for them - never help a guest out.

I upgraded to a suite once for one night and came back a night later and they made me pay like $380 more in upgrade charge for the same suite I used the upgrade coupon for and wouldn't let me use the upgrade certificate in the split.

Lame property.

Hawaii properties have high demand during the peak season. Just as the airlines cannot give away a whole bunch of seats during peak seasons, hotel properties are the same. Honestly, these programs are pretty good overall. If you want free rooms in Hawaii during peak seasons, then you better be flexible and book as early as possible.

At the end of the day, these properties are trying to make a PROFIT. (What a concept!!):p

IIRC - The Maui Hyatt is actually owned by Marriott.

IIRC - The Maui Hyatt is actually owned by Marriott.

:eek:
Well that would explain a lot!

I was going to suggest this might be some kind of technical glitch where Hyatt Maui hadn't loaded all their room categories properly.

But the fact that there are NO base rooms for even a single night from now until August 31st and then the day BWB redemption ends all the base rooms suddendly open up and become available.....................................some thing smells awfully fishy about that.

Hawaii properties have high demand during the peak season. Just as the airlines cannot give away a whole bunch of seats during peak seasons, hotel properties are the same. Honestly, these programs are pretty good overall. If you want free rooms in Hawaii during peak seasons, then you better be flexible and book as early as possible.

At the end of the day, these properties are trying to make a PROFIT. (What a concept!!):p

FFN's don't allow for booking early; if you book day one that isn't early enough

:eek:
Well that would explain a lot!

All one has to do is to look at Marriott Rewards and one can see that Marriott is not too big on loyalty programs. ;)

FFN's don't allow for booking early; if you book day one that isn't early enough
Historically, FFN nights have been bookable in advance of being earned, unless something changed with BWB I'm not aware of (YMMV to some extent). Also, another option is to book with points and switch to FFN when earned (of course the points have to be available for this option).

I was going to suggest this might be some kind of technical glitch where Hyatt Maui hadn't loaded all their room categories properly.

But the fact that there are NO base rooms for even a single night from now until August 31st and then the day BWB redemption ends all the base rooms suddendly open up and become available.....................................some thing smells awfully fishy about that.

Isn't it possible that it's a combination that they don't have very many "standard" rooms and that the combination of revenue stays and awards stays have booked them up? I've never been to this Hyatt, but it's been alluded to that they have very few basic rooms. If it's a big hotel (which I imagine it is, since it's Hawaii), not having any until after the BWB promo ends would be logical as a lot of people would be using the BWB certs there. Now, whether, it is OK that they have so few standard rooms is a legit question, but I think we could just argue that a decent number of people wanted to use their BWB certs here. After all, isn't the issue on this thread that a bunch of people want to use their certs there and they can't?

Isn't it possible that it's a combination that they don't have very many "standard" rooms and that the combination of revenue stays and awards stays have booked them up? I've never been to this Hyatt, but it's been alluded to that they have very few basic rooms. If it's a big hotel (which I imagine it is, since it's Hawaii), not having any until after the BWB promo ends would be logical as a lot of people would be using the BWB certs there. Now, whether, it is OK that they have so few standard rooms is a legit question, but I think we could just argue that a decent number of people wanted to use their BWB certs here. After all, isn't the issue on this thread that a bunch of people want to use their certs there and they can't?

In good times I have never seen this hotel sold out of award rooms during FFN. This is just the Maui Hyiott playing their we do what ever we want games, while Hyatt holds their hand and looks the other way! These awards have to be booked one night at a time and people are being told that hotels are sold out when they are not. Some hotels are blocking out single night stays during summer holidays making it impossible to book their hotel because of how FFNs are now booked. When in fact there are plenty of standard rooms available but need to be booked with other nights to open up availability.

IIRC - The Maui Hyatt is actually owned by Marriott.

I wish people would stop repeating this statement. The hotel is owned by Host Hotels & Resorts, which owns properties belonging to many different chains including Ritz Carltons, Fairmonts, Four Seasons, various Starwood brands, Hyatts and Marriotts. In the early 1990's it was spun off from Marriott Corp and until a few years ago was known as Host Marriott, but it is not owned by the Marriott hotel group.

I wish people would stop repeating this statement. The hotel is owned by Host Hotels & Resorts, which owns properties belonging to many different chains including Ritz Carltons, Fairmonts, Four Seasons, various Starwood brands, Hyatts and Marriotts. In the early 1990's it was spun off from Marriott Corp and until a few years ago was known as Host Marriott, but it is not owned by the Marriott hotel group.

I would not say a name change from Host Marriott to Host makes it less of a Marriott.


On April 19, 2006, the company changed its name from Host Marriott Corporation to Host Hotels & Resorts, Inc. to reflect its enhanced brand diversity.

Historically, FFN nights have been bookable in advance or being earned, unless something changed with BWB I'm not aware of (YMMV to some extent). Also, another option is to book with points and switch to FFN when earned (of course the points have to be available for this option).

even so; day one of a program or the day its announced is not advanced notice enough to get these; my guess is if they are blacking these dates outs for FFN's then they are doing prior to the release date anyway

the point is; its a sham by certain properties and it doesn't help anything that the website is a POS when it comes to booking (and lets not get into posting correctly) these nights

I have reserved a RC room @10K for the Montreal for June 14--20 for the Fringe. On some other nights in June it is sold out for Standard Rooms. Often the lowest revenue room is a View Room. On such nights there is no award availability--not even for Regency Club rooms, which are readily available for $$$!

That is very distressing to see in an otherwise fine program.

Say what you will about SPG (and there is a lot) but when they say No Blackout Dates they mean exactly that and they have operated that way for many years.

If Hyatt wants to talk the talk that is nice but they need to walk the walk.

That is very distressing to see in an otherwise fine program.

Say what you will about SPG (and there is a lot) but when they say No Blackout Dates they mean exactly that and they have operated that way for many years.

If Hyatt wants to talk the talk that is nice but they need to walk the walk.

This is a known "rogue" property - I don't think that there has been any other reports of this - and if an "entry base" room is available for revenue they have been available for awards (either BWB or points) at other properties (same policy as SPG).

Hyatt overall abides by their T&Cs much better than SPG (I'm also a SPG Plat but have very rarely received a suite upgrade as promised by the T&Cs - even if all room categories including suites show availability - Plat Concierge was totally useless in those situations also - property claimed incorrect inventory).

Dear Flyertalk Members,

Please allow me to take a moment and address your concerns regarding the Hyatt Regency Maui. I can assure you that this property is not “playing games” and fully participates in all Hyatt Gold Passport programs. We do not have any capacity controls or black out dates on standard rooms. If we are selling standard rooms, then those rooms are available for award redemption.

I have double checked the current inventory at the hotel and determined that standard rooms are being held by individual travelers, groups and wholesalers over much of the summer. As you know, inventory can change frequently, so please check back with Hyatt.com or Reservations to determine if inventory has opened up for the dates that you would like to travel.

In addition, please feel free to contact me if you ever believe that there are inventory issues at any of our properties, and I would be more than happy to investigate the situation as soon as possible.

Sincerely,
Karen Smith

Karen,

I am a Hyatt Diamond member. I currently have a reservation for June 24-27 using points. The only room available with points was a club room at 22,000 per night. However, when I look at the rooms that are available if you are paying cash, I see that you have standard rooms available.

Maybe I am misunderstanding your statement "If we are selling standard rooms, then those rooms are available for award redemption."

If I am not misunderstanding your statement, can you let me know why there are no standard rooms available using points, but there are standard rooms when paying cash? I hate to pay 4,000 points per night for an upgrade that I already get by virtue of being a diamond member.

Dear Flyertalk Members,

Please allow me to take a moment and address your concerns regarding the Hyatt Regency Maui. I can assure you that this property is not “playing games” and fully participates in all Hyatt Gold Passport programs. We do not have any capacity controls or black out dates on standard rooms. If we are selling standard rooms, then those rooms are available for award redemption.

I have double checked the current inventory at the hotel and determined that standard rooms are being held by individual travelers, groups and wholesalers over much of the summer. As you know, inventory can change frequently, so please check back with Hyatt.com or Reservations to determine if inventory has opened up for the dates that you would like to travel.

In addition, please feel free to contact me if you ever believe that there are inventory issues at any of our properties, and I would be more than happy to investigate the situation as soon as possible.

Sincerely,
Karen Smith

so when I did a call this a.m. to ask about dates this summer and there were none; then asked if Sept 1st was available and she said yes.. that was just a coincidence right? :rolleyes: As much as I don't think you are trying to BS us; I don't believe that the hotel for one second isn't gaming us

so when I did a call this a.m. to ask about dates this summer and there were none; then asked if Sept 1st was available and she said yes.. that was just a coincidence right? :rolleyes: As much as I don't think you are trying to BS us; I don't believe that the hotel for one second isn't gaming us
Well, technically, September 1st is still summer...

so when I did a call this a.m. to ask about dates this summer and there were none; then asked if Sept 1st was available and she said yes.. that was just a coincidence right? :rolleyes: As much as I don't think you are trying to BS us; I don't believe that the hotel for one second isn't gaming us

If it looks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then it probably is a duck.

Dearest TrojanHorse, you should be in Honolulu on August 30th! You're looking at the wrong island!

Well, technically, September 1st is still summer...

but doesn't BWB redemption end 8/31?

Thank you for looking into this, Gold Passport Concierge!

We should congratulate the HR Maui for its ability to sell all its standard rooms for many months straight, without a single day of vacancy. Maybe all the bad news we've been reading about the Hawaii tourism industry has been unfounded.

So to recap:

- For the next 4 months (until 10/2/10), all Terrace rooms are booked up solid. Every day.

- Then, availability suddenly opens up wide, and Terrace rooms are available from 10/2 until 11/17. Every day.

- Then, starting 11/18, all Terrace rooms are booked up until January 2011. Every day.

And this astounding pattern is due to rooms actually having been sold, rather than the HR Maui playing games with availability? I am impressed!

I am a Hyatt Diamond member. I currently have a reservation for June 24-27 using points. The only room available with points was a club room at 22,000 per night. However, when I look at the rooms that are available if you are paying cash, I see that you have standard rooms available.



I can't see any standard paid rooms for these dates at hyatt.com. Maybe that's why you can't get a standard room

So to recap:

- For the next 4 months (until 10/2/10), all Terrace rooms are booked up solid. Every day.

- Then, availability suddenly opens up wide, and Terrace rooms are available from 10/2 until 11/17. Every day.

- Then, starting 11/18, all Terrace rooms are booked up until January 2011. Every day.

Wow! The sales team has sold every single day of the high seasons -- in spite of island and state-wide occupancy rates (http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/Global/story.asp?S=12364150)? That's. . . um. . . impressive.

:(

Well, I am looking at Hyatt.com right now. On June 24-27 they have a partial ocean view for $341 a night. My reservation using points is for a club king room, which appears to be either 460 per night or 480 er night depending on whether you have full or partial ocean view.

So, why can't I book a partial ocean view using points for 18,000 per night? The only rooms they show that are available are club rooms for 22,000 per night.

So, why can't I book a partial ocean view using points for 18,000 per night? The only rooms they show that are available are club rooms for 22,000 per night.
Anyone else thinking there might be some availability suddenly after June 4? lol

Well, I am looking at Hyatt.com right now. On June 24-27 they have a partial ocean view for $341 a night. My reservation using points is for a club king room, which appears to be either 460 per night or 480 er night depending on whether you have full or partial ocean view.

So, why can't I book a partial ocean view using points for 18,000 per night? The only rooms they show that are available are club rooms for 22,000 per night.

Unfortunately, a partial ocean view is not considered a "standard" room. I believe at this property that would be a Terrace room.

Anyone else thinking there might be some availability suddenly after June 4? lol

Nope, I think they will open up inventory a week or two before each week that they see low occupancy. Unless Hyatt is paying next to nothing for these award nights and they will not open any up. It could also be that they offered these rooms to sites like Expedia and Orbitz at deep discounts, knowing they will still make more then Hyatt was going to pay for awards.

Maybe its just that every one is holding rooms on points waiting to convert to FFNs. :rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:

Thank you for looking into this, Gold Passport Concierge!

We should congratulate the HR Maui for its ability to sell all its standard rooms for many months straight, without a single day of vacancy. Maybe all the bad news we've been reading about the Hawaii tourism industry has been unfounded.

So to recap:

- For the next 4 months (until 10/2/10), all Terrace rooms are booked up solid. Every day.

- Then, availability suddenly opens up wide, and Terrace rooms are available from 10/2 until 11/17. Every day.

- Then, starting 11/18, all Terrace rooms are booked up until January 2011. Every day.

And this astounding pattern is due to rooms actually having been sold, rather than the HR Maui playing games with availability? I am impressed!

I will give the PPC the benefit of the doubt. I bet she really did look into the system and saw everything booked - to me this means one of two things. Either the hotel block sold all these rooms to a consolidatior (i.e. priceline, hotwire, etc..) or they just booked them themselves. Someone did the math and figured that it might be cheaper to sell them all off for next to nothing instead of actually getting less than next to nothing in redemption rates for the BWB certs...

Maybe its just that every one is holding rooms on points waiting to convert to FFNs. :rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:

or just booked the FFN's without having earned them yet

What would you do as a revenue manager whose job is to maximize the hotels revenue?

I think that it is sensible from the revenue point of view to restrict the inventory of the "standard" rooms.

Why would I give the room for $50 when there are people lining up to pay $200+ per night?

What would you do as a revenue manager whose job is to maximize the hotels revenue?

I think that it is sensible from the revenue point of view to restrict the inventory of the "standard" rooms.

It may be, or it may not be. If Hyatt reimburses less than your variable costs for the room it might make sense to have rooms sitting empty (assuming the free night guests don't spend anything at your hotel). More likely there is concern that these free nights are booked instead of revenue bookings.

However, from the standpoint of the GP customer, I am not convinced that the revenue manager's worries should matter. Hyatt promises no capacity controls, and blocking off all standard rooms for months at a time is clearly not in the spirit of the policy.

Why would I give the room for $50 when there are people lining up to pay $200+ per night?

I think it is evident from the Hawaii tourism statistics cited by AZ above that people are not lining up to pay $200 per night. :)

It may be, or it may not be. If Hyatt reimburses less than your variable costs for the room it might make sense to have rooms sitting empty (assuming the free night guests don't spend anything at your hotel). More likely there is concern that these free nights are booked instead of revenue bookings.

However, from the standpoint of the GP customer, I am not convinced that the revenue manager's worries should matter. Hyatt promises no capacity controls, and blocking off all standard rooms for months at a time is clearly not in the spirit of the policy.

I think it is evident from the Hawaii tourism statistics cited by AZ above that people are not lining up to pay $200 per night. :)

Please, your arguments were more or less pure speculation from the beginning, now Karen looked into the matter and your wild conspiracy theories have been declared false...

Revenue managers have all the rights in the world to maximize revenue, they are actually paid for this...and Hyatt is not a non profit organisation.

Reducing cheap capacity ( the amount of standard rooms ) is one of the first basic plays you learn, when you expect demand to be steady, I try to explain this since months. Is it obvious and an often cited recommendation that you should check back frequently and I am sure some hotels will open up award capacity later on.

On a side note, it should not surprise anyone that things like this happen and will continue to happen

Goldpassport can avoid quite some trouble, if they only allow members to book awards that they have earned ( alternatively, let them guarantee those bookings with points )

It is ridiculous that members praise themselves for blocking award rooms over week-long periods, because they wait for a air fare sale... :td:

Please, your arguments were more or less pure speculation from the beginning, now Karen looked into the matter and your wild conspiracy theories have been declared false...

Revenue managers have all the rights in the world to maximize revenue, they are actually paid for this...and Hyatt is not a non profit organisation.

Reducing cheap capacity ( the amount of standard rooms ) is one of the first basic plays you learn, when you expect demand to be steady, I try to explain this since months. Is it obvious and an often cited recommendation that you should check back frequently and I am sure some hotels will open up award capacity later on.


Revenue managers do not have the right to falsify availability info in an effort to avoid playing by the rules the corporate office has issued and advertised to the public. If hotels are playing these games and it turns out that Hyatt corporate is playing dumb then Hyatt is going to lose customers in the long run.

Personally, Hyatt and this property in particular lose ALL credibility with me when they block the summer off (some argue its a reasonable thing to do) and then on 9/1 when the FFN's expire; availability opens up

back to the duck.. walks, quacks, swims

This thread identifies a huge gap in the Gold Passport program:

Allow your Diamond members a true "no capacity controls" award availability. This means if no "standard" rooms are available, but "other" rooms are, allow a booking of the "other" room (non-suite).

Other competing providers allow this and display their commitment to their most valued customers. There's nothing more discouraging than trying to book an award at a resort with 10% "standard" rooms as a Diamond. What's more discouraging is finding out that each property identifies "standard" by a different definition and room description.

Personally, Hyatt and this property in particular lose ALL credibility with me when they block the summer off (some argue its a reasonable thing to do) and then on 9/1 when the FFN's expire; availability opens up

back to the duck.. walks, quacks, swims

Did you ever think about the possibility that all existing Hyatt GPP members ( probably several hundred thousands, if not more ) already booked the capacity set aside for the period...?

And I hope, we can conclude that one BWB award is the far more desirable option to pay in comparison to 18000 points per night....

Members should understand that Hyatt GPP is already the Garden of Eden. I fail to understand that members have accepted the fact that airlines do not offer any capacity for redeeming awards, especially US airlines that are subject to easy credit card earnings for a far longer period of time, however deny to grant hotel companies, especially Hyatt the same option.

One should also not forget that Hawaii in general was and is a tough one when it came to redeeming anything, miles or points...and what do people do when their credit card limits were reduced, they spend their savings....miles and points @:-)

As pointed out before, as a Diamond with a proven track record of loyalty, the perk of additional capacity to redeem is already more or less existing...

Be loyal over a certain period of time and the Garden of Eden offers even more amenities

Revenue managers do not have the right to falsify availability info in an effort to avoid playing by the rules the corporate office has issued and advertised to the public. If hotels are playing these games and it turns out that Hyatt corporate is playing dumb then Hyatt is going to lose customers in the long run.

As pointed out by Karen already, all standard rooms are booked for the period. It is certainly up to every hotel to decide what defines a standard room and what is already an upgraded room...at properties close to the sea, I consider a partial ocean view to be an upgraded room, especially in Hawaii.

Again, please do not be so naive and think that airlines and hotels have no black out periods. I understand that [EDIT: people] can lose the sense of reality, because they are constantly cannonaded by marketing blabla a la no blackout periods, but again, Hyatt is a profit organisation...

Please, your arguments were more or less pure speculation from the beginning, now Karen looked into the matter and your wild conspiracy theories have been declared false...

Goldpassport can avoid quite some trouble, if they only allow members to book awards that they have earned ( alternatively, let them guarantee those bookings with points )

Well I'm still not sure that the conspiracy theory is really false but at least the Maui property will now be more scrutinized by Hyatt corporate on these things. Overtime, properties can be pressured to comply with T&Cs (long time members - remember when the GH SIN routine denied Diamonds GC access - that doesn't happen anymore and when they had the GC in the back tower closed recently they routine upgraded Diamonds to "Jr Suites" in the front tower).

I've had conversations with GP Execs on the 2nd point and they pretty much agree (including the part with guaranteeing with points to be converted to FFNs upon earning) - now its just a matter of proper implementation.

i am just sad they don't have any basic room or cheaper room.
the cheapest room is partial view room around 300$ (july 11-16). i booked two rooms for 5 nights and it cost a fortune.
besides they don't have any BWB.:mad:

i am just sad they don't have any basic room or cheaper room.
the cheapest room is partial view room around 300$ (july 11-16). i booked two rooms for 5 nights and it cost a fortune.
besides they don't have any BWB.:mad:

Actually the AAA rate (with full hot breakfast no less) is $231 for a first room for much of the summer; if you need a second room you can family plan it for around $190 for much of the summer. Note that the $231 rate is diamond-suite-upgradeable. True no BWB, which is too bad for sure, but the rates are lower than $300 if you play around and if you apply a diamond suite UG there's some great value out there for Maui this summer.

On another note, one thing which is disturbing to me is the way in which hotels are allowed to define as a standard room a category which is higher than the cheapest room. For example there are some points in June at Huntington Beach where a "standard" room (which is defined there as "2 Queen Beds" and has a Hyatt Daily Rate of $305) is not available however a King Pool View (Hyatt Daily Rate of $255) is available. Hyatt will then say that the King Pool View is an "upgraded room" and deny the ability to use it as a standard room for redemption purposes. That seems to be a little loophole that hotels can use to further restrict inventory by assigning as "standard rooms" some category where there are "just a few of them", even if they are not the cheapest rooms. The rule ought rightfully to be that any room that is cheaper in terms of Hyatt Daily Rate than the hotel's elected "standard room" ought to be available for redemption.

So, there are clearly some issues around the way the "standard room" concept is implemented, even above and beyond what's being discussed in this thread. This is an area which I believe needs some attention as the brand degredation from missed expectations in the messaging is potentially high. In English, guests don't understand why there are lots of rooms available for purchase of all different types but they can't have one as there isn't a "standard room"; many guests think of "standard room" as any room other than a suite.

Allow your Diamond members a true "no capacity controls" award availability. This means if no "standard" rooms are available, but "other" rooms are, allow a booking of the "other" room (non-suite).
This is a pretty unrealistic request. :rolleyes:

The falsehood in the "no capacity controls" statement is that there is a capacity control: the number of standard rooms each property has.

I don't buy the conspiracy theories about the HR Maui hiding rooms from HGP. There are many thousands of HGP members with boatloads of points and BWB nights. A LOT of them want to go to Hawaii. Ever heard about planning in advance people?

Is it so odd that availability opens up the day after BWB redemption expires? Uh no, because August is when everyone is redeeming them! Think about it. With opportunity to pre-book unearned BWB and make reservations with points... It really doesn't surprise me at all that the HR Maui is booked for standard rooms in August.

The only complaint I have on the award availability issue is when a hotel/resort is showing standard rooms bookable for sale, but not for awards. It doesn't look like that is the situation in Maui.

I'm sorry but this thread just sounds to me like a whole lot of whining from not planning ahead. I booked a peak weekend at Highlands Inn in Carmel in August with points nearly 9 months in advance (now completely sold out). I am elated I can now switch that stay to BWB nights. Families planning Summer trips to Maui did so long before BWB was revealed... and the minute it was announced probably filled up the rest of the August.

It has been known for years that FFN's at top properties during peak times are a much sought after commodity.

Actually the AAA rate (with full hot breakfast no less) is $231 for a first room for much of the summer; if you need a second room you can family plan it for around $190 for much of the summer. Note that the $231 rate is diamond-suite-upgradeable. True no BWB, which is too bad for sure, but the rates are lower than $300 if you play around and if you apply a diamond suite UG there's some great value out there for Maui this summer.

are we looking at the same web?
the only thing i can find with AAA is 296.65 including breakfast and upgrade.
i will be happy to pay and use e-cert if the rate is 231$ and save my BWB(anyway i can't use them)!!

I have strated a thread http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/hyatt-gold-passport/1077172-standart-room-not-available-but-packages.html

I have not received any replies, but now it seems to me that its an easy way to control your standart rooms - reserve all of them as a part of some package!

Because this has become such a big topic, I feel that I should speak up and mention that a colleague of mine secured five FFN nights at this property from the BWB promotion. Granted, he booked them the first day the promotion rolled out. Nevertheless, there were rooms available for the BWB promotion, albeit probably not many.

I have strated a thread http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/hyatt-gold-passport/1077172-standart-room-not-available-but-packages.html

I have not received any replies, but now it seems to me that its an easy way to control your standart rooms - reserve all of them as a part of some package!

Actually I faced the same situation at HR Maui in either february or march trying to redeem FFNs. GP came through after calling the property and confirming availability ^. It was a great stay BTW - an upgrade, all benefits, no resort fee etc - I was very pleased.
I really hope they will sort out this current anomaly.

Because this has become such a big topic, I feel that I should speak up and mention that a colleague of mine secured five FFN nights at this property from the BWB promotion. Granted, he booked them the first day the promotion rolled out. Nevertheless, there were rooms available for the BWB promotion, albeit probably not many.

Discussed this recently with some high ranking Hyatt International managers and we had to laugh, because everybody looks forward to the first morning after a new FFN period started. There are hotels out there with about 7 % more reservations after only a couple hours of allowing FFN/BWB bookings.

I also know of one major resort in the US that significantly increases its bookings after the same period..., so as pointed out numerous times already, there is quite some BWB award space available, but it is gone very fast, so planning ahead and only allowing members to book, if points or nights have been earned is the way to go to avoid threads like this...

there's a lot of sarcasm here. maybe we could tone it down just a bit

there's a lot of sarcasm here. maybe we could tone it down just a bit

This was a dying thread until you just added more gasoline to it?

Revenue managers have all the rights in the world to maximize revenue, they are actually paid for this...and Hyatt is not a non profit organisation.

Reducing cheap capacity ( the amount of standard rooms ) is one of the first basic plays you learn, when you expect demand to be steady, I try to explain this since months. Is it obvious and an often cited recommendation that you should check back frequently and I am sure some hotels will open up award capacity later on.

Did you ever think about the possibility that all existing Hyatt GPP members ( probably several hundred thousands, if not more ) already booked the capacity set aside for the period...?

Normally I agree almost 100% with your posts FD1971, however you are completely contradicting yourself above just 2 posts apart. The first post basically says that revenue managers have the right to game the system by reducing the the capacity of the base rooms. But your second post says that all the capacity has already been sold out.

I'm sure it's very clear what a base room is at HR Maui (I believe it's the Garden/Mountain room or something similar, which is basically the parking lot view). There are plenty of these rooms, and THERE IS NO WAY that all of these rooms were sold out almost instantaneously at HR Maui, AND ONLY SOLD OUT THE DATES OF FFN as well as WINTER HIGH DEMAND TIMEFRAME. This is very clearly a gaming of the "no capacity control" rules by this property. And frankly I think it's almost a slap in the face to FTers for GP Concierge to come post that this situation was looked into and it's completely legit and in fact all base rooms are sold out. To that I say BS. The fact that there are plenty of base/award rooms available all summer long at both GH Kauai and HR Waikiki pretty much refutes HR Maui's claim that their base rooms are sold out. :td:

What is to stop other hotels from creating a "parking lot view" room with a single room in it, and allowing that to be the base room? Then making the next level up Garden View room to get around the no capacity controls. There are truckloads of methods for hotels to get around the capacity controls. In the past (pre-4/2/09) there were also truckloads of methods for hotels to get around this rule. However the difference now is that it is MUCH more transparent to us customers to be able to tell when the properties are jerking us around. In the past since each hotel offered ~2% (or whatever) or their inventory for award rooms, there was no way for us to tell if the property was being straight with us. Now we can tell. The only way we will be able to keep these properties in check and stop them from playing games like this with us customers is to call them out on it in public Forums such as Flyertalk (and probably even more importantly sites like TripAdvisor) to give the individual properties a bad rap. If we bring these types of shenanigans up in public, hopefully Goldpassport will look into it (hopefully better than GP Concierge did with this one) and also hopefully will have the balls to do something to punish them. This is one great strenght of SPG IMHO, that they keep their properties in check quite well in regards to gaming the award capacity controls. ^

So kudos to the OP for bringing this topic up, and I hope everybody else that encounters something fishy with award availability also brings it up here. Many/most times an award capacity control issue is brought up it is because the OP doesn't fully understand the rules (ie, minimum length of stay requirement issue), and we can correct and teach the OP the proper rules. However in this case it is quite clear the hotel in question is gaming the rules to customer's detriment. :td:

Was told by Hyatt that there is no FFN or BWB available until after 9/15/10. How is that possible?

Was told by Hyatt that there is no FFN or BWB available until after 9/15/10. How is that possible?
I'd suggest you read the thread that you are posting to in order to figure out the answer to your question....................:(

Normally I agree almost 100% with your posts FD1971, however you are completely contradicting yourself above just 2 posts apart. The first post basically says that revenue managers have the right to game the system by reducing the the capacity of the base rooms. But your second post says that all the capacity has already been sold out.

I'm sure it's very clear what a base room is at HR Maui (I believe it's the Garden/Mountain room or something similar, which is basically the parking lot view). There are plenty of these rooms, and THERE IS NO WAY that all of these rooms were sold out almost instantaneously at HR Maui, AND

gregorygrady,

I have checked the property in question and for about a dozen random dates, I was only able to find rooms with at least a partial ocean view...

We all know that e.g. airlines do not necessarily open up the cheap booking classes months in advance, in recent years, we have seen airlines coming up with even more booking classes, some will only be open during a few days when certain fares are offered. As pointed out already, I do believe that a profit organisation has the right to engage in dynamic pricing and should be allowed to hold back inventory whenever they want.

FFP and hotel loyality programs were invented to offer surplus capacity as a reward to certain 'loyal' guests..., if a hotel or an airline does not expect to have surplus capacity, I do not believe that they will offer it, at least not for Joe Average.

As pointed out before, the Regency Maui is a franchised property. Let's put us in the shoes of the GM, who very likely has certain bonus payments linked to the performance of his hotel.

I hope we can agree that the property in question belongs to the 'spend at' category, rather than the 'earn at' category, so as the GM you might not really believe in FFN/BWB too much, you consider yourself a loser and not really a winner of these promotions, because you feel you could probably make more money without FFN. Maybe, you also question the GPP strategy to comp more or less every US citizen and his cat to Diamond status, because now you also lose another important incremental revenue factor, breakfast or at least a percentage of it...

Do you really think that a GM would not be tempted to improve the performance by reducing award availability, either by creating a new sub category ( perfectly okay and in accordance with GPP ) or by selling quite some rooms to e.g. a wholesaler for a certain period....?

Even if it is not the case, would't you agree with a strategy that reduces availability in the beginning to see how it is going and maybe open up awards later on closer to the actual date of arrival ?

Classic principle and agent problem, isn't it ??

Coming back to my earlier posts, the ones that you claimed were contradictory, I have very solid contacts to quite some guys within Hyatt, but not have any inside information what is going on in Maui, so I assume it is a combination of several factors, the two mentioned above being part of it.

Again, Hyatt became desperate some years ago, when they allowed everyone to make as many as FFN reservations as possible, something an airline would not even dream of...and this is the problem now.

And believe me, I have posted it before, there are guys out there, who sit down at 0.01 a.m. on the first morning and start making reservations...and here is the problem.

gregorygrady,

I have checked the property in question and for about a dozen random dates, I was only able to find rooms with at least a partial ocean view...

We all know that e.g. airlines do not necessarily open up the cheap booking classes months in advance, in recent years, we have seen airlines coming up with even more booking classes, some will only be open during a few days when certain fares are offered. As pointed out already, I do believe that a profit organisation has the right to engage in dynamic pricing and should be allowed to hold back inventory whenever they want.

FFP and hotel loyality programs were invented to offer surplus capacity as a reward to certain 'loyal' guests..., if a hotel or an airline does not expect to have surplus capacity, I do not believe that they will offer it, at least not for Joe Average.

As pointed out before, the Regency Maui is a franchised property. Let's put us in the shoes of the GM, who very likely has certain bonus payments linked to the performance of his hotel.

I hope we can agree that the property in question belongs to the 'spend at' category, rather than the 'earn at' category, so as the GM you might not really believe in FFN/BWB too much, you consider yourself a loser and not really a winner of these promotions, because you feel you could probably make more money without FFN. Maybe, you also question the GPP strategy to comp more or less every US citizen and his cat to Diamond status, because now you also lose another important incremental revenue factor, breakfast or at least a percentage of it...

Do you really think that a GM would not be tempted to improve the performance by reducing award availability, either by creating a new sub category ( perfectly okay and in accordance with GPP ) or by selling quite some rooms to e.g. a wholesaler for a certain period....?

Even if it is not the case, would't you agree with a strategy that reduces availability in the beginning to see how it is going and maybe open up awards later on closer to the actual date of arrival ?

Classic principle and agent problem, isn't it ??

Coming back to my earlier posts, the ones that you claimed were contradictory, I have very solid contacts to quite some guys within Hyatt, but not have any inside information what is going on in Maui, so I assume it is a combination of several factors, the two mentioned above being part of it.

Again, Hyatt became desperate some years ago, when they allowed everyone to make as many as FFN reservations as possible, something an airline would not even dream of...and this is the problem now.

And believe me, I have posted it before, there are guys out there, who sit down at 0.01 a.m. on the first morning and start making reservations...and here is the problem.

FD, are you a hotel manager? That's a serious question. Your replies always seem to be written from the perspective of a hotel manager as opposed to a consumer.

One of the reasons the Hyatt Maui is so successful is because it has the Hyatt name. People associate Hyatt with good hotels. Well, when you're part of the team (Hyatt) you play by the team rules. Or at least you should. There are all sorts of rules in life we don't like or that aren't optimal for you/me. That doesn't mean we can just eschew them.

If the Hyatt Maui is gaming the system (it certainly looks like they are) and Hyatt is allowing them to get away with it, that's BS. Either Hyatt should prevent it or make it clear when running such a promotion that this property won't be participating.

FD, are you a hotel manager? That's a serious question. Your replies always seem to be written from the perspective of a hotel manager as opposed to a consumer.

One of the reasons the Hyatt Maui is so successful is because it has the Hyatt name. People associate Hyatt with good hotels. Well, when you're part of the team (Hyatt) you play by the team rules. Or at least you should. There are all sorts of rules in life we don't like or that aren't optimal for you/me. That doesn't mean we can just eschew them.

If the Hyatt Maui is gaming the system (it certainly looks like they are) and Hyatt is allowing them to get away with it, that's BS. Either Hyatt should prevent it or make it clear when running such a promotion that this property won't be participating.

No, but if I would be one, let me assure you that Diamond card holders would always get a suite upgrade for free.

In general, two or even more perspectives can never hurt in a discussion, although they might not match your opinion.

Again, we can only guess what is really going on and I still believe that the property 'rightsized' the amount of standard rooms during the last years ( please remember that some posters were able to book RC award rooms at a higher price ) and quite some rooms have been booked already or were sold to a third party vendor.

Ironically, I have just learned over the weekend that another Hyatt sold quite some capacity to a wholesaler for the upcoming winter season, which could effect availability, if there is another round of FFN later on this year. I expect this property to be a Top10 performer when it comes to FFN/BWB redemption...

Ironically, I have just learned over the weekend that another Hyatt sold quite some capacity to a wholesaler for the upcoming winter season, which could effect availability, if there is another round of FFN later on this year. I expect this property to be a Top10 performer when it comes to FFN/BWB redemption...
What is the property?

We are booking some rooms over the 4th of July holiday weekend, and there are tons of rooms available, but no "standard rooms" and thus no rooms available for BWB or points.

The Courtyard view rooms (which would be considered a standard room anywhere else) are available, but evidently the standard room even has less than a courtyard view (maybe no windows at all).

It is just a bit disappointing that Hyatt has great promotions, but some hotels make it hard to capitalize on them.

We are booking some rooms over the 4th of July holiday weekend, and there are tons of rooms available, but no "standard rooms" and thus no rooms available for BWB or points.


Wait couple of weeks. Once the tar balls are hitting the sand and you have oily aroma in the air there will be plenty of availability. :D :D

Wait couple of weeks. Once the tar balls are hitting the sand and you have oily aroma in the air there will be plenty of availability. :D :D

I'm from Houston. Oily aroma in the air is what we call Monday, and Tuesday, and Wednesday, etc.

I booked 4 nights 6/5-9 using FFN's in March - in fact, I got the much-discussed Diamond extension to do it (otherwise they would have expired unused). So the hotel certainly had some award capacity during the BWB time period.

I booked 4 nights 6/5-9 using FFN's in March - in fact, I got the much-discussed Diamond extension to do it (otherwise they would have expired unused). So the hotel certainly had some award capacity during the BWB time period.

I don't think this was ever in question.

I don't think this was ever in question.

Perhaps I misread this thread - seems like the following 4 posts (and others) are criticizing the HR Maui for not having any nights available for FFN or BWB? I'm simply pointing out that the hotel did make some rooms available. I understand that calling an otherwise standard room "special" because it has a partial view is annoying and may even violate the spirit of the deal, but it's not fair to say that this hotel (Maui) has shut off all free nights during the promo period. They haven't.

--------------------------------

... when they block the summer off ... and then on 9/1 when the FFN's expire; availability opens up...

...besides they don't have any BWB.:mad:Was told by Hyatt that there is no FFN or BWB available until after 9/15/10. How is that possible?... no rooms available for BWB or points.

Perhaps I misread this thread - seems like the following 4 posts (and others) are criticizing the HR Maui for not having any nights available for FFN or BWB? I'm simply pointing out that the hotel did make some rooms available. I understand that calling an otherwise standard room "special" because it has a partial view is annoying and may even violate the spirit of the deal, but it's not fair to say that this hotel (Maui) has shut off all free nights during the promo period. They haven't.

--------------------------------

I don't think it was in question that there were some standard rooms available in the beginning of the promo. The part that is in question is the fact that there are not any this early in the redemption period. This is a very large resort and in the history of FFN I have never seen every night sold out for awards. I do think its fair to say that the Hyatt Maui is playing games with inventory for this promo!

I don't think it was in question that there were some standard rooms available in the beginning of the promo. The part that is in question is the fact that there are not any this early in the redemption period. This is a very large resort and in the history of FFN I have never seen every night sold out for awards. I do think its fair to say that the Hyatt Maui is playing games with inventory for this promo!

The main question for me is how this will continue, in other words...

How will the revenue mix look like in the next years ?

It always strikes me as dangerous, when people write trip reports and trumpet the fact that they had a zero bill...and I always ask why don't you pay at least $ 10-15 on top of a free breakfast ?

Wouldn't it be better in the long run, if we could agree on a certain sum for Diamond breakfast and we pay a bit on top of it to make free nights more worthwhile for the hotel......very likely resulting in more availability ?

A loyalty scheme is intended to create a long-term relationship and Hyatt invests quite some money, actually more money than the competition to keep its most frequent guests loyal. Recent threads about playing games at the Park Tokyo and if one would get 8 free breakfasts at an Andaz property, because one guest is a Diamond are oil on the fire of some people within Hyatt that do not really believe that such promotions are to their advantage and I think the GM of the Hyatt Maui belongs in that camp.

Again, there is no doubt that quite some Hyatt properties 'right-sized' the quantity of standard rooms and, once again, they should be allowed to do so. It is still a business that has to make money and award rooms are normally only available, if the hotel expects to have unsold rooms or came up with a calculation that is to their advantage ( mandatory New Year's banquet fees at some SPG properties come to mind here quickly :D )

But once again, one should not underestimate how many additional members are now in the pool for such highly demanded properties. Just very recently, I logged on during the early morning hours here in Europe and saw that about a half-dozen registered users are online as well as something like 45 guests.

Back in the days, the Regency Denver Tech was our best bet when it came to earning FFN's and most of the older members will remember how exciting it was to get half a FFN credit for only $ 53.10.

Nowadays, a prepaid rate of $ 53.10 for half a BWB credit is almost a sin and waste of money for many users.

Back in the days, Arthur Frommer was the sole caretaker of 'value for money' travellers, these days every second rate blog is hyping BWB and even in Europe it got some momentum....on a continent with a handful of properties and almost zero brand recognition in many many markets

I really don't care about the Next FFN promo

this one is not working for me and I've learned my lesson the hard way; All I care about is redeeming for the FFN's I have and then staying away, far far away from this promo the next time around and for the future until this issue is cleared up

back to THIS promo.. the poster above who booked 6/5-9 did it via extension from the last promo? I'm not sure when the last promo officially ended or the extensions ended since I was smart last time and didn't play the FFN game; so wouldn't that mean that he must have done it before this promo started? If so, then that would explain why he was able to get a room at the Maui property wouldn't it. I would think that if there were extensions granted here (and I know.. they won't) but one would find quite a few rooms in the mythical fall extension period at least until the GM could block them out.. so unless he got advance notice where he could play his stealth game; there would be a short period to book Fall FFN's.. again hypothetical extension here

I really don't care about the Next FFN promo

this one is not working for me...

Agreed. Fortunately, I have not yet selected nights or bonus points, and based on the lack of availability at properties where I'd want to use FFN nights, I'm going to choose points.

Back in the days, the Regency Denver Tech was our best bet when it came to earning FFN's and most of the older members will remember how exciting it was to get half a FFN credit for only $ 53.10.


It was even more exciting for the older members at the $32.50 senior rate.;)

Anyone know what the standard room at Park Hyatt DC is - is it Park Deluxe King? I'm unable to find any availability from now until the end of August.

...to the Maui Hyatt using my BWB free nights, late August. But I was persistant. It took 6 different CSR's before one called the Hyatt itself to see if they'd let one more squeeze in for free.

I've very appreciative of the customer service the reservations line gave me. She went above and beyond. I don't know if it mattered that I was a Diamond Member or not. I seriously doubt I will see an upgrade upon arrival... they looked very full online. I'm hoping, but grateful for what I got.

...to the Maui Hyatt using my BWB free nights, late August. But I was persistant. It took 6 different CSR's before one called the Hyatt itself to see if they'd let one more squeeze in for free.

I've very appreciative of the customer service the reservations line gave me. She went above and beyond. I don't know if it mattered that I was a Diamond Member or not. I seriously doubt I will see an upgrade upon arrival... they looked very full online. I'm hoping, but grateful for what I got.

what nights did you get in? (Pm me if you don't want to disclose here)

what nights did you get in? (Pm me if you don't want to disclose here)

I don't mind saying. I am there Aug 18-23.

I'm very excited! This will be my children's first flight and stay in a tropical location.

I don't mind saying. I am there Aug 18-23.

I'm very excited! This will be my children's first flight and stay in a tropical location.

thanks

all on FFN?

thanks

all on FFN?

All on FFN...

I will say, with my 6+ conversations with Diamond Reservations, I asked if they were considering extending the dates, and it was a mixed bag. Some said "probably", some said "I doubt it". If they do, I really want to go after school starts - Not a great crowd person.

It does sound like the hotel is somehow blocking the standard room category with placeholders and then will re-assign them a day before arrivals.

I wonder how they would feel if various people booked the entire hotel for the next year and then cancelled each room just before the cancellation period ends :confused:

I wonder how they would feel if various people booked the entire hotel for the next year and then cancelled each room just before the cancellation period ends :confused:

hmmmmm