LarryU
Jan 26, 02, 1:40 pm
Last January, I had encountered a long succession of Hilton stays in which concierge lounges purported to be open were, in fact, closed. Sometimes this really doesn't matter very much but in other cases, I may have selected that particular property specifically because of the availability of their lounge. This once happened three times in row at the same property; they just didn't feel it was worthwhile opening that day. In one case, I immediately checked out and went elsewhere.
With a variety of Hilton stays coming up this month, I figured it would behoove me to dash off a quick email to a few properties and inquire about the availability of their respective lounges on specific dates.
The Hilton Metropole responded by calling me from London the next day and told me that their exec lounge was closed for the holidays until January 14, the very day I was scheduled to depart. The folks at this hotel could not have been friendlier and all I had to do is show my Diamond card at any lounge and unlimited complimentary drinks would be proffered. AnnaS and I were finally able to check out the lounge before heading to Heathrow and it was very attractive indeed. That morning, we dined on excellent smoked salmon, eyed warily by dozens of tropical fish inhabiting two enormous spherical fish tanks built into the walls.
I sent a similar note to the NY Hilton and, not surprisingly, they could not be bothered to reply.
But the response from the Parsippany Hilton proved to be the most interesting one of all. I sent my original email via www.hilton.com (http://www.hilton.com) on Thursday, January 10, just before I flew to London:
I have several reservations at this hotel commencing in about 10 days and I would like to verify the days and hours for which I can expect the concierge lounge to be open. I am a HiltonHhonors diamond and I very much enjoy use of the lounge at this hotel; in fact, that is the primary reason why I choose to stay here.
At about this time last year, I checked in only to discover that the lounge had been shut down for the entire month of January.
So could, you please forward this email directly to the hotel and ask them to confirm that the lounge will be open on the EVENINGS on these dates:
Friday, 1/18
Sunday, 1/20
Tuesday, 1/22
Thanks for your assistance,
Larry Unger
A couple of days later, as Catman and I were retrieving our respective emails at an internet cafe in Paddington, I received this most unexpected response from the hotel:
Mr. Unger:
Our concierge hours are Sunday through Thursday Evenings. Since you are bringing a number of rooms to the hotel, we will open the evening of January 18.
Please reply with any questions.
John xxxxxxxx
Gee, that's awfully nice of them, I commented to Catman. They are opening the lounge just for me! I have been there quite a few times over the last year and they must evidently appreciate my business. At the FlyerTalk pub-crawl later that evening, I bragged to everyone what an important fellow I must be. I was so proud. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif
On Monday I flew back to PDX and on Wednesday, 1/16, I found myself in LAX on the way to JFK and figured the least I could do would be to acknowledge that very gracious offer from the Parsippany Hilton:
Hi John,
Thank you for your reply to my email and for opening the lounge on Friday evening; it is much appreciated.
I just got back from London to the West Coast late Monday night and I am heading to NYC on Wednesday. I am looking forward to being in Parsippany on Friday.
Regards,
Larry Unger
When I arrived in New York Wednesday night, I received this very unusual response from the general manager:
Dear Mr. Unger,
We are looking forward to your visit this weekend, and per John xxxxxxx's email, our concierge lounge will be made available to you Friday evening. We would like to keep as many of your guests together on the 6th floor as possible. If you can provide us with a list of names so we can pre-block guests on that floor prior to arrival, the check-in process will be much smoother.
Thank you.
Lee xxxx
Guest Services Manager
"We would like to keep as many of your guests together," I mulled over as I drove to New Jersey. Always so adept at figuring out the obvious, I reasoned that something was not right here. I wasn't due at the hotel until the next day but I was going to be in the general area and wanted to try to do the right thing. So I trundled into the lobby of the Hilton, laptop tucked under my arm, and asked to speak to the general manager. "There's nothing wrong", " I reassured the nervous looking desk attendant.
I introduced myself to the general manager and then showed him my original email, which he had never seen. He acknowledged that there was nothing in my email to even remotely suggest that my "group" was comprised of more than myself. All I had asked in my email was whether the lounge would be open on certain dates. He seemed very gratified that I had gone out of my way to alert him in time to undo the damage so I hit the road.
On Friday, the lounge was, for some reason, closed http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif but i was able to enjoy the facilities on Sunday. I told the very charming concierge, Denise what had happened and she replied "That was you?. I should have known." http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif
She said that the hotel had called her up on Wednesday to tell her to be sure to show up for work on Friday. I asked her precisely how many people they had expected to be in attendance that evening. "80, " she answered. That would be a cute trick indeed, given that the rather smallish clubroom could not even accommodate half as many comfortably.
I asked her what would have happened had I not been able to warn the hotel about its error in sufficient time. "You and I would have had some great party!." she smiled.
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif
With a variety of Hilton stays coming up this month, I figured it would behoove me to dash off a quick email to a few properties and inquire about the availability of their respective lounges on specific dates.
The Hilton Metropole responded by calling me from London the next day and told me that their exec lounge was closed for the holidays until January 14, the very day I was scheduled to depart. The folks at this hotel could not have been friendlier and all I had to do is show my Diamond card at any lounge and unlimited complimentary drinks would be proffered. AnnaS and I were finally able to check out the lounge before heading to Heathrow and it was very attractive indeed. That morning, we dined on excellent smoked salmon, eyed warily by dozens of tropical fish inhabiting two enormous spherical fish tanks built into the walls.
I sent a similar note to the NY Hilton and, not surprisingly, they could not be bothered to reply.
But the response from the Parsippany Hilton proved to be the most interesting one of all. I sent my original email via www.hilton.com (http://www.hilton.com) on Thursday, January 10, just before I flew to London:
I have several reservations at this hotel commencing in about 10 days and I would like to verify the days and hours for which I can expect the concierge lounge to be open. I am a HiltonHhonors diamond and I very much enjoy use of the lounge at this hotel; in fact, that is the primary reason why I choose to stay here.
At about this time last year, I checked in only to discover that the lounge had been shut down for the entire month of January.
So could, you please forward this email directly to the hotel and ask them to confirm that the lounge will be open on the EVENINGS on these dates:
Friday, 1/18
Sunday, 1/20
Tuesday, 1/22
Thanks for your assistance,
Larry Unger
A couple of days later, as Catman and I were retrieving our respective emails at an internet cafe in Paddington, I received this most unexpected response from the hotel:
Mr. Unger:
Our concierge hours are Sunday through Thursday Evenings. Since you are bringing a number of rooms to the hotel, we will open the evening of January 18.
Please reply with any questions.
John xxxxxxxx
Gee, that's awfully nice of them, I commented to Catman. They are opening the lounge just for me! I have been there quite a few times over the last year and they must evidently appreciate my business. At the FlyerTalk pub-crawl later that evening, I bragged to everyone what an important fellow I must be. I was so proud. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif
On Monday I flew back to PDX and on Wednesday, 1/16, I found myself in LAX on the way to JFK and figured the least I could do would be to acknowledge that very gracious offer from the Parsippany Hilton:
Hi John,
Thank you for your reply to my email and for opening the lounge on Friday evening; it is much appreciated.
I just got back from London to the West Coast late Monday night and I am heading to NYC on Wednesday. I am looking forward to being in Parsippany on Friday.
Regards,
Larry Unger
When I arrived in New York Wednesday night, I received this very unusual response from the general manager:
Dear Mr. Unger,
We are looking forward to your visit this weekend, and per John xxxxxxx's email, our concierge lounge will be made available to you Friday evening. We would like to keep as many of your guests together on the 6th floor as possible. If you can provide us with a list of names so we can pre-block guests on that floor prior to arrival, the check-in process will be much smoother.
Thank you.
Lee xxxx
Guest Services Manager
"We would like to keep as many of your guests together," I mulled over as I drove to New Jersey. Always so adept at figuring out the obvious, I reasoned that something was not right here. I wasn't due at the hotel until the next day but I was going to be in the general area and wanted to try to do the right thing. So I trundled into the lobby of the Hilton, laptop tucked under my arm, and asked to speak to the general manager. "There's nothing wrong", " I reassured the nervous looking desk attendant.
I introduced myself to the general manager and then showed him my original email, which he had never seen. He acknowledged that there was nothing in my email to even remotely suggest that my "group" was comprised of more than myself. All I had asked in my email was whether the lounge would be open on certain dates. He seemed very gratified that I had gone out of my way to alert him in time to undo the damage so I hit the road.
On Friday, the lounge was, for some reason, closed http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif but i was able to enjoy the facilities on Sunday. I told the very charming concierge, Denise what had happened and she replied "That was you?. I should have known." http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif
She said that the hotel had called her up on Wednesday to tell her to be sure to show up for work on Friday. I asked her precisely how many people they had expected to be in attendance that evening. "80, " she answered. That would be a cute trick indeed, given that the rather smallish clubroom could not even accommodate half as many comfortably.
I asked her what would have happened had I not been able to warn the hotel about its error in sufficient time. "You and I would have had some great party!." she smiled.
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif