Hilton HHonors - What do you think happened in this case?

I booked two rooms online for $69 each at the HGI - SFO North. Upon arrival I was presented with a folio at a rate of $129 each. The clerk immediately adjusted the bill to reflect the copy of the confirmation I showed him saying, "Well, this is the way it [the paperwork he had presented to me initially] was printed. Sorry."

Call me cynical, but I've never had that problem with any HHonors reservation before and I cannot see how that could have "gone wrong in the computer" between confirmation and arrival?
It left me with a bad impression, but if you veterans tell me "these things happen" I'll let it go.

Same thing happened to me at the Drake in Chicago. Fortunately, I had my confirmation with the lower rate. Like you, I didn't buy it at all.

It can happen quite frequently. When a reservation is booked externally, it must be transmitted from central reservations (HILSTAR) to the hotel's property management system (System 21, for most Hiltons). I won't get too technical with reasons why, just suffice it to say there are many. And Hilton faces this trouble less than many chains, due to the close integration between the two systems.

Wrong rates can happen VERY easily when you involve a third party-- such as global distribution systems (GDS) or wholesalers. Sometimes low-tech methods, like FAXing to the hotel (where an employee then types it in),are used to load these reservations into the PMS! That leaves a really big margin for error, as you may suspect. I even know of some very major properties affiliated with Freddie Award-winning chains that input all all external reservations manually.

The chances of the major chains intentionally changing a rate in an attempt to screw you are very minor. Unfortunately, wrong rates do occassionally happen. Some systems are better than others. And some hotels have better controls in place than others.

[This message has been edited by TransWorldOne (edited 03-07-2003).]