Hyatt Gold Passport - Walked from Grand Hyatt to Hyatt Place

I helped a friend, who is not a Diamond, book Grand Hyatt Buckhead through Priceline. We got a great rate of $69 vs. published rate well into the $200's. Supposed to be tonight and tomorrow, but when he got there, they said no rooms available (even though prepaid and confirmed through Priceline). They told him he could have Hyatt Place tonight and back to Grand Hyatt tomorrow. He went ahead and booked different hotel instead.
So far, Priceline agreed to refund first night; I assume they'll refund second night once he speaks to them. However, I don't think Grand Hyatt treated him right. What do you think Hyatt should do for him?

I suggest a MB S 550 plus a hand-written apology from the President, either the American or French President...

What time did your friend check in? If it was late in the night, that could be part of the reason. Reservations made thru third partys, such as Priceline, Expedia, are usually not given the highest priority in a walk situation. Guests who reserved at a rack rate (higher rate) should be given priority. IMO. Situation is still disappointing, nontheless. At least you'll get free breakast at the Hyatt Place ;)

FD1971: Thanks for the levity, but I did want to get some opinions here. I was pretty aggravated when I heard about it, and I'd probably try to call the Diamond Line if it were me, or my Personal Line Consultant when she got in tomorrow... but my friend is not a Diamond, so I wasn't sure what was fair. I don't want to overreact, but I kinda feel responsible because I suggested using Priceline, maintaining that a Priceline reservation was "ironclad" -- and I always said that Hyatt was a high-class outfit that wouldn't simply sell someone's confirmed room just because they could get more money from someone else.

TurboKaren512: Thanks. It may have been a bit late (but not past 10:30pm); but since it's prepaid, they're supposed to save the room until at least midnight (or possibly later?), since payment is already made. As it turns out, he did not stay at the Hyatt Place, so no breakfast.

Overbooking situations happen in every hotel. It stinks when it happens to you, but it does happen. I'd be frustrated too, but I don't think Hyatt "owes" your friend anything, but I'd give him free breakfast if it happened at my hotel. ;) Tell him not to give up on Hyatt, just a bit of bad luck.

He declined Hyatt's offer to move him to a Hyatt Place and he got reimbursed, so I really do not see what Hyatt should do for him...

Without any offense, but he paid $ 69 on Priceline...

He declined Hyatt's offer to move him to a Hyatt Place and he got reimbursed, so I really do not see what Hyatt should do for him...

Without any offense, but he paid $ 69 on Priceline...

How does it matter how much he paid?
He had a confirmed room and the hotel should have given him some reasonable compensation.
Plus a Hyatt Place is wayyy below in the chain compared to a FS Hyatt.

The right thing for the Hotel to do was to fully reimburse him for that night for whatever he paid and plus given him a free room at the Hyatt Place and a little more

Am I being naive when I think that a paid, accepted offer constitutes a contract? I don't think it matters that the price was low -- he flew to Atlanta, went to the hotel, and was told that his prepaid room was given away. They offered to walk him from the 4-star to a 3-star, but did not offer him any additional compensation for the downgrade. They refunded the first night AFTER he refused to stay at the Hyatt Place.

If the $69 original price was a factor, then should I be concerned that any time I get a good deal on Priceline, they may just choose to sell my room out from under me? I hope that's not the case...

Thanks, spsawant. I didn't see your response until just now -- you type faster than I can ;-). But I think that what you say makes perfect sense. Grand Hyatt Buckhead is way above Hyatt Place Buckhead as you say.

I'm irked by this, especially since I post all over FT in praise of Priceline's hotel deals.

I looked at the Priceline T&C and didn't see anything particularly addressing this.

I don't know what the normal procedure for walking a guest it, but I gather that it involves at a minimum a free room elsewhere, transportation to and from the other hotel, and perhaps sometimes some other accommodation (like extra points)? Isn't it the norm that the walked-to hotel is not comparable to the one you were stayed at (if the Hyatt is full, the Marriott probably is also)?

As a curiosity, it is that hotels overbook because they expect cancellations prior to the cancellation deadline? Or do they actually count on some no-shows after the cancellation deadline whom they will charge anyway, plus to sell the room for cash?

It seems to me that getting the free room at HP, and getting a refund from Priceline, plus transportation to HP, should be adequate. Maybe Hyatt should also do something (not sure what) to grease the skids for the refund from Priceline, rather than putting Our Hero in email/voice menu hell.

If he ends up having been offered free accommodations at HP, I don't think that's so unfair - I think the walking policy is normally "If we can't accommodate you here, your stay elsewhere is free." What did he get that was less than that?

I helped a friend, who is not a Diamond, book Grand Hyatt Buckhead through Priceline. We got a great rate of $69 vs. published rate well into the $200's. Supposed to be tonight and tomorrow, but when he got there, they said no rooms available (even though prepaid and confirmed through Priceline). They told him he could have Hyatt Place tonight and back to Grand Hyatt tomorrow. He went ahead and booked different hotel instead.
So far, Priceline agreed to refund first night; I assume they'll refund second night once he speaks to them. However, I don't think Grand Hyatt treated him right. What do you think Hyatt should do for him?

By your friend making his own alternate arrangements and asking to have the first night cancelled, he basically screwed himself over. For all we know, the Grand Hyatt would have offered him some sort of compensation on his 2nd night, etc. But your friend didnt obviously allow Hyatt to make the situation right.

By your friend making his own alternate arrangements and asking to have the first night cancelled, he basically screwed himself over. For all we know, the Grand Hyatt would have offered him some sort of compensation on his 2nd night, etc. But your friend didnt obviously allow Hyatt to make the situation right.

I disagree. When they offered him HP, the GH screwed up. A walk should always be to a property of equivalent quality. If there is one thing that HP is not, it is not a chain that is equivalent to ANY full service hotel. It was wrong to propose that. Better they should have moved him to the Ritz-Carlton. The rate he got probably did enter into their decision, but it shouldn't have.

I would suggest contacting customer service for Hyatt.

I suggest a MB S 550 plus a hand-written apology from the President, either the American or French President...
Sorry but the French President Hollande is too busy helping the sale of Parisian hotels to Qatar...would a letter from his Royal Highness of Monaco help ?

Hyatt has no walk policy. In most ways, Hyatt benefits are leading edge. However, it is behind the other chains when it comes to a walk policy. I was walked as a diamond at the Albuquerque Hyatt Place perhaps 18 months ago. I received no points, no stay credit, no cert for another stay. I was sent down the road to a lesser level hotel.

I don't understand your friend's refusal to take a room at another hotel, paid for by the hotel that walked him.

I don't understand your friend's refusal to take a room at another hotel, paid for by the hotel that walked him.

Maybe like me, they really don't like Hyatt Place?

-David

Since his contract is with Priceline that's where your complaints should go....

And for walking him to a HP, that's probably because it's close and they could see there was availability. And as others have said, some compensation would have been expected but your friend decided to make his own plans. Pretty useless complaining too much about that now.

Overbookings happen, and I can understand them walking someone who has no status and is on a Priceline rate over somebody who isn't. Somebody will be upset. Accepting the provided solution plus some additional compensation would have been the smart thing to do. If you arrive late what more do you need for that first night than a bed, go to the GH the next day and probably get a free night out of it.

IMO the property messed up. Normally, my understanding is that Priceline guests are not normally walked since its prepaid - and there is not a mechanism readily available for a hotel to give a "free night" at the comparable property (and no charge at the original property) which is what "normal" guests get when being walked. I'm not sure if it comes down to it, who gets walked first - a Priceline booking or a Diamond. At some point earlier in the evening, the front office should have been aware that they are likely to be oversold and started walking people accordingly.

In any event, the walk from a full service GH to a limited service HP is totally not acceptable - walks are supposed to be to comparable properties (and I find it hard to believe that all the comparable properties in Buckhead where there are quite a few hotels were all full).

However, since the OP's friend made his/her own arrangements and got a refund from Priceline, I don't think that Hyatt (or Priceline) owes him anything further.

IMO the property messed up. Normally, my understanding is that Priceline guests are not normally walked since its prepaid - and there is not a mechanism readily available for a hotel to give a "free night" at the comparable property (and no charge at the original property) which is what "normal" guests get when being walked. I'm not sure if it comes down to it, who gets walked first - a Priceline booking or a Diamond. At some point earlier in the evening, the front office should have been aware that they are likely to be oversold and started walking people accordingly.

In any event, the walk from a full service GH to a limited service HP is totally not acceptable - walks are supposed to be to comparable properties (and I find it hard to believe that all the comparable properties in Buckhead where there are quite a few hotels were all full).

However, since the OP's friend made his/her own arrangements and got a refund from Priceline, I don't think that Hyatt (or Priceline) owes him anything further.

Lower rated business including prepaids such as priceline are always going to be the first to be walked and most definitely an elite guest is going to be last to be walked. And yes, there is a mechanism for a hotel to get a priceline guest a refund. All they do, is contact priceline, authorize a cancellation and request the guest be refunded.

With the walk, whats to say the other hotels had any rooms available?? Its quite common in large cities for hotels to book up if there is any sort of event in town. I had a Westin one time walk me to a Best Western as that was the only thing available anywhere in the area.

IMO the property messed up. Normally, my understanding is that Priceline guests are not normally walked since its prepaid - and there is not a mechanism readily available for a hotel to give a "free night" at the comparable property (and no charge at the original property) which is what "normal" guests get when being walked. I'm not sure if it comes down to it, who gets walked first - a Priceline booking or a Diamond. At some point earlier in the evening, the front office should have been aware that they are likely to be oversold and started walking people accordingly.

In any event, the walk from a full service GH to a limited service HP is totally not acceptable - walks are supposed to be to comparable properties (and I find it hard to believe that all the comparable properties in Buckhead where there are quite a few hotels were all full).

However, since the OP's friend made his/her own arrangements and got a refund from Priceline, I don't think that Hyatt (or Priceline) owes him anything further.


Thanks, Peteropny, and everyone, for your opinions.

I too feel that the property messed up, but I agree that since my friend made his own arrangements, it's kind of moot.
Priceline has refunded the entire cost, which may be as much as we can reasonably expect at this point.

I really think that Hyatt failed to show its usual "class" by not offering something more. The big picture is the betrayal of trust. I'm always a big proponent of Priceline, as well as a big fan of Hyatt -- I became a Hyatt Diamond back in 2005 using the "loophole" of getting stay credits on Priceline stays (ah, the good old days), BUT I've continued to maintain Diamond status, even on my own dime (I no longer travel for business). My personal high regard for Hyatt is now based on memories of better treatment, and a bit tinged by this event. Just my two cents' worth.

You seem to be projecting your Diamond status on your friend.... If you had a booking there, would you prefer to be walked as a Diamond before a no status Priceline booking?

I booked a really awesome Priceline rate at HR Scottsdale last year and upon checking in started chatting with the FD clerk. I was telling him about the awesome rate I got on Priceline and assumed he would be able to see what I paid, but he told me it's confidential and that at least he could not see what my rate was. Just an FYI that I thought was interesting.

You seem to be projecting your Diamond status on your friend.... If you had a booking there, would you prefer to be walked as a Diamond before a no status Priceline booking?

I would more readily understand if they walked me (as opposed to someone who had prepaid). I would expect that they'd provide some kind of compensation as well, but I wouldn't expect anything exorbitant -- just enough to "make it right." Here's the thing -- if I personally had a reservation that wasn't prepaid, I'd expect that my rate would've been about $250. If they walked me to Hyatt Place, I know I wouldn't be charged $250 at the Hyatt Place (I'd expect to just get it for free, and would be happy even without additional compensation, since I saved $250. That might be compensation enough, although a few bonus points wouldn't hurt -- eg, 2500 for no lounge plus 1000 for no amenity). Contrast that with someone who already paid for the Grand Hyatt and expected to stay there. He's holding a paid reservation, and is then told he's SOL. I'd be really upset if I got there and was effectively told, "sorry, we took your money but we didn't actually save a room for you. Here's a poor substitute -- take it or leave it."

I don't understand why anyone uses Priceline. Just because one's experience has been 100% perfect doesn't mean there isn't risk... that the bad experience isn't just coming to one in random order after many good experiences... sooner or later something goes wrong (like a chain putting the Priceline customer at the bottom of some priority list for something).

I'm glad it's the Priceline customer that gets the shaft more frequently than me, no matter how much paid or a prepay or whatever.

One gets what one pays for more often than not, or in the long run.

Back to the topic of getting walked, in my opinion it's always the fault of the customer... as a customer I always call the property and speak to a FD manager, and get and make not of the manager's name, if I'm going to be late - to make sure it's "the other guest" that gets walked. Infrequent travelers don't know "tricks" like this, but then they don't know lots of the tricks (habits) we know. That's our advantage, I'm glad to have it.

I don't care how much he paid for the room -- if I book a room I expect it to be available when I get there. "Overbookings happen?" Well if they do, then that's the hotel gambling on having to break contracts [legal or implied] so if they break my reservation then I expect generous compensation to be paid to me out of the stack of money the hotel is earning by overbooking.

In this case, getting kicked to the Hyatt Place isn't acceptable, they should put him in something equivalent or better for the night and *then* give him a little something extra on top of that as compensation for his trouble.

He really should have negotiated this, though, instead of making alternative plans. In this case though I'd say that the Grand Hyatt owes him:

a) His money back for that night (already obtained)

b) The cost of the room in whatever other hotel he wound up spending the night, plus

c) A little something extra as compensation for all the trouble.

I don't understand why anyone uses Priceline. Just because one's experience has been 100% perfect doesn't mean there isn't risk...

Because $69 at a $200+ Grand Hyatt, that's why! Sheesh!

Because $69 at a $200+ Grand Hyatt, that's why! Sheesh!

That opinion seems to underestimate the risk or potential inconveniences.
I agree, that's a nice savings absent of any other consideration.

That opinion seems to underestimate the risk or potential inconveniences.
I agree, that's a nice savings absent of any other consideration.

And those risks and inconveniences would be what? That the hotel walks you if someone else comes along who is willing to pay more? Sounds like a really great class action lawsuit in that!

The hotel might put someone on a PL booking in their worst room, but I'd still expect that room to be up to that hotel's minimum standards.

That opinion seems to underestimate the risk or potential inconveniences.
I agree, that's a nice savings absent of any other consideration.

Well, what's the worst thing that can happen? And how probable is it? And what dollar value do you put on avoiding the worst thing that can happen? And is the average savings divided by the probability of the worst thing that can happen more or less than the money you expect to have saved by the time that worst thing happens?

It all depends how you value your time, and I freely admit that I, as a 32-year-old who has not yet earned a sufficiently large pile of money to be able to disregard its existence, I'm willing to accept a small extra risk of a small extra inconvenience in order to save significant sums of money. Maybe you're super-rich and would rather pay an extra hundred bucks a night than run the risk of having to go to the Sheraton; if so, bully for you!

Personally I've never tried priceline; I frequently book with hotwire when I'm travelling on my own dime, though, because I can almost always tell what I'm going to get in advance thanks to betterbidding.com. According to my email archives I've used hotwire at least 25 times and I've never had any negative experiences. It's not always worth it, of course, but sometimes it is.

And those risks and inconveniences would be what? That the hotel walks you if someone else comes along who is willing to pay more? Sounds like a really great class action lawsuit in that!

The hotel might put someone on a PL booking in their worst room, but I'd still expect that room to be up to that hotel's minimum standards.
Agree entirely. ^

I think the GH should have offered apologies and appropriate upfront compensation to the guest. The offer of moving to a HP, even for free, was clearly not adequate from a CRM perspective.

I can say I have probably used Priceline for myself and friends for over 300 nights over the years, and not once have any of us been walked.

Only once did I complain because a hotel did not match the star rating. Priceline refunded the cost of that room.

When I consider the money I save, it is worth much more than status at a hotel.

People who complain about Priceline/Hotwire are usually people who do not understand the business model.

Besides, in this case... it is not a Priceline problem... this was a Hyatt problem. Granted Priceline has to refund the room charge because Hyatt did not deliver.

That opinion seems to underestimate the risk or potential inconveniences.
I agree, that's a nice savings absent of any other consideration.

I don't see why so many people here think it's ok to walk somebody that's booked via Priceline's name your own price prepaid, opaque service.

Priceline didn't book a normal room, they have a contract with the property that gave them that room to fill for the night, and they are not supposed to walk anybody on a Priceline room since it is pre-paid, non-refundable and cannot be canceled. It's guaranteed revenue for the property. And it's the properties revenue management that decided to sell that room to or via Priceline's name your own price service. Or via Hotwire's pre-paid opaque service.

Frankly, they should be near the bottom of the list of people to walk, since they guaranteed availability of that room and have already been paid for it, regardless if the occupants show up or not.

wharvey's experience is exactly the way it's supposed to work, including his explanation of the business model.

Unfortunately so many people here seem to be posting misinformation as if it were fact.

-David

And you are privy to the Priceline contracts they have with Hyatt? Or is that also just another assumption?

I really don't see a difference between walking someone with a pre-paid rate or any other rate. Getting walked in both situations is not to be expected.

We all do know however that it still happens, the question then is how it's handled and what compensation is offered.

A signed copy of Steven Seagal's first album entitled "Songs From The Crystal Cave," should be MORE than enough compensation.

Let's face it. All hyatts are different and all of them handle issues differently based on their management.

But since your friend resolved the issue with price line, it is too late. If I were him, I would go to the Hyatt place and from there contact customer service. At least they can work out the issue with me. Or even the hotel GM!

[QUOTE=FD1971;19003370]He declined Hyatt's offer to move him to a Hyatt Place and he got reimbursed, so I really do not see what Hyatt should do for him...

Unless you have the system down well (clues and tricks to determine what hotel you are bidding on), you take a chance at what hotel you would even get in the first place. Presumably, you were not "married" to Grand Hyatt going into it. So even though PL said you were going to get GH, you got something different. (Is it such a big deal?) I would have stuck around for the sweeter offer (move + compensation) though

It may have been a bit late (but not past 10:30pm); but since it's prepaid, they're supposed to save the room until at least midnight (or possibly later?), since payment is already made. As it turns out, he did not stay at the Hyatt Place, so no breakfast.

I don't think that they distinguish between prepaid or refundable.

Better they should have moved him to the Ritz-Carlton. The rate he got probably did enter into their decision, but it shouldn't have.


This very same property walked me last year to the Ritz-Carlton.

Hyatt has no walk policy. In most ways, Hyatt benefits are leading edge. However, it is behind the other chains when it comes to a walk policy.

I have no idea why they haven't done anything regarding this.

Lower rated business including prepaids such as priceline are always going to be the first to be walked and most definitely an elite guest is going to be last to be walked.

This same property walked me last year when they were full of Priceline guests.

You seem to be projecting your Diamond status on your friend.... If you had a booking there, would you prefer to be walked as a Diamond before a no status Priceline booking?

Correct.

I don't understand why anyone uses Priceline. Just because one's experience has been 100% perfect doesn't mean there isn't risk...

Priceline has saved me a lot over the years, although I don't use them regularly anymore.

[QUOTE=FD1971;19003370]He declined Hyatt's offer to move him to a Hyatt Place and he got reimbursed, so I really do not see what Hyatt should do for him...

Unless you have the system down well (clues and tricks to determine what hotel you are bidding on), you take a chance at what hotel you would even get in the first place. Presumably, you were not "married" to Grand Hyatt going into it. So even though PL said you were going to get GH, you got something different. (Is it such a big deal?) I would have stuck around for the sweeter offer (move + compensation) though

No argument with your first paragraph, but regarding the second:
We didn't know for certain that we'd get the Grand Hyatt, but we did know we'd get a 4-star. Besides the Grand Hyatt, there's the Intercontinental, JW Marriott, Westin and W. So, he wasn't expecting the HP, which is only 3 stars. So, while not 'married' to GH, he was 'married' to the 4-star experience... if he'd wanted a 3-star, we would've specified 3 stars, and bid $45 or so...

I'm not sure I understand holtju2 's response to RTW1:

Originally Posted by RTW1
You seem to be projecting your Diamond status on your friend.... If you had a booking there, would you prefer to be walked as a Diamond before a no status Priceline booking?

holtju2 said, "Correct."

If you're saying RTW1 is correct in assuming that I would prefer not to be walked, that's not so. As I responded to RTW1, I would expect that the confirmed, prepaid reservation would have precedence. The fact that I'm a Diamond means Hyatt can make it up to me if they walk me -- and I wouldn't have to pay the same price for the Hyatt Place that I agreed to pay for the Grand Hyatt. In my friend's case, they offered to trade the 4-star for the 3-star without additional compensation, which is not acceptable.
The person who holds a prepaid reservation deserves to have that honored. I think that is pretty basic. If I sold you something, charged your credit card, and gave you a receipt, how would you feel if you came to my store to pick up your item and I told you that I sold it to someone else? "Sorry, the Cadillac Escalade is gone (I sold it to someone who offered me more than you did). Here's a Hyundai Santa Fe -- it's a good car, not as expensive as the Cadillac, but that's what I have left. Since I agreed to sell you the Cadillac for only 20 grand, and a good customer offered me 50 grand, I'm substituting a car that normally sells for 20 grand. Happy?"

....I would expect that the confirmed, prepaid reservation would have precedence....

Once local cancellation time, usually 6PM but can be earlier, passes; all confirmed reservations are effective the same. Either they are prepaid, or they cannot be cancelled.@:-) Hotels usually give precedence to status customers, Diamonds etc, not based on prepaid or not.

EDIT: just looked it up, GH Buckhead normal cancellation policy for non-prepaid rate is 3PM the day prior. Hence all confirmed reservations are effectively prepaid if not cancelled by 3PM the day prior.

....I was telling him about the awesome rate I got on Priceline and assumed he would be able to see what I paid, but he told me it's confidential and that at least he could not see what my rate was.....

Priceline is a re-seller, not a booking agent. It has its own markups or markdowns. What you pay Priceline can be very different from what hotel receives.

[QUOTE=DBCme;19010303]

No argument with your first paragraph, but regarding the second:
We didn't know for certain that we'd get the Grand Hyatt, but we did know we'd get a 4-star. Besides the Grand Hyatt, there's the Intercontinental, JW Marriott, Westin and W. So, he wasn't expecting the HP, which is only 3 stars. So, while not 'married' to GH, he was 'married' to the 4-star experience... if he'd wanted a 3-star, we would've specified 3 stars, and bid $45 or so...

Again, I do not understand why he declined the offer and decided to cancel...

Where did he stay and what did he pay on such short notice for the night in question?

In general and being a standard GPP member, a stay at a Hyatt Place is not too different from a stay at a Grand Hyatt in the US either, actually chances are pretty high that the room is larger and nicer at a Hyatt Place, breakfast is free, internet is free, parking is free etc.

I never really understood why non status members opt for full service Hyatt properties in the US anyway, quite some full service properties are tired, there is hardly anything for free and included and the quality of the room, clearly underlined by the fact that most full service Hyatt Regency and even some Grand Hyatt carry a AAA 3 Diamond rating, is inferior to a Hyatt Place, where one has space, a huge sofa, Grand Bed and a pretty nice HD 50 inch TV screen.

The AC and the bathroom are long on potential in almost all converted Amerisuites properties, but again most of the old full service Hyatt properties have a very old and small bathroom as well...

For a Diamond, especially Diamond + member, the equation changes when club access, free internet and suite upgrades come into play, but for a regular guest on a Priceline rate, I do not see any reason to decline a walk to a nearby Hyatt Place + compensation on top afterwards...

[QUOTE=kdoggold;19016168]

Again, I do not understand why he declined the offer and decided to cancel...

Where did he stay and what did he pay on such short notice for the night in question?

In general and being a standard GPP member, a stay at a Hyatt Place is not too different from a stay at a Grand Hyatt in the US either, actually chances are pretty high that the room is larger and nicer at a Hyatt Place, breakfast is free, internet is free, parking is free etc.

I never really understood why non status members opt for full service Hyatt properties in the US anyway, quite some full service properties are tired, there is hardly anything for free and included and the quality of the room, clearly underlined by the fact that most full service Hyatt Regency and even some Grand Hyatt carry a AAA 3 Diamond rating, is inferior to a Hyatt Place, where one has space, a huge sofa, Grand Bed and a pretty nice HD 50 inch TV screen.

The AC and the bathroom are long on potential in almost all converted Amerisuites properties, but again most of the old full service Hyatt properties have a very old and small bathroom as well...

For a Diamond, especially Diamond + member, the equation changes when club access, free internet and suite upgrades come into play, but for a regular guest on a Priceline rate, I do not see any reason to decline a walk to a nearby Hyatt Place + compensation on top afterwards...


Hey, I don't disagree. My friend is actually pickier than I am, and I have to admit that without access to the lounge, the Grand Hyatt is not HUGELY different in my mind from the Hyatt Place (although I haven't stayed in either since 2006, so the properties may be a little different than I remember). Anyway, when I asked for a little more info, he said the Hyatt Place was a "dump." The other info I only got later was that his wife was with him -- it was a business trip, so I'd assumed he was traveling alone, but he wanted to have a nice place for his wife to hang around while he was in meetings. I wish he'd called me while this was all happening, but by the time I heard about it, he'd canceled and it was a "done deal."

My understanding is that they didn't offer him any additional compensation. Again, if he had called me before making the decision to just cancel, I would've advised him to see what else they'd do for him. Yet, as far as I know, he was offered the Hyatt Place as a substitute with no added compensation.

The booking site should not make a difference. If the rate was prepaid and confirmed - Hyatt should have provided an alternative room at another property (which they did) PLUS compensation in the range of $100-$200.

I was once walked at a Marriott in Santa Clara, CA and booked in a room at the Doubletree at SFO 25 miles north. I was also immediately given cash - I believe $200 on the spot for the inconvenience. And they would have paid cab fare (but I had a rental car). I was only Silver at Marriott at the time.

You did the best thing from the Hotel's viewpoint - took the $69 refund. You should have received the compensation as well. I would have taken the Hyatt Place and asked for some type of compensation - like airlines do when denied boarding on oversold flights.

The booking site should not make a difference. If the rate was prepaid and confirmed - Hyatt should have provided an alternative room at another property (which they did) PLUS compensation in the range of $100-$200.


As it has been pointed out on this thread already by our community director, Hyatt doesn't have walk in policy. The properties are NOT required to pay any compensation. In other chains the compensation only comes to question when an elite member is walked. On this instance elite member was not walked.

As it has been pointed out on this thread already by our community director, Hyatt doesn't have walk in policy. The properties are NOT required to pay any compensation. In other chains the compensation only comes to question when an elite member is walked. On this instance elite member was not walked.

I think you misread. She said that Hyatt does not have a separate policy regarding walking elites.

All of the major chains have similar policies regarding walking in general, and all the policies I've ever read say that, whenever possible, the walk should be to a property or equal or higher quality.

I don't see why so many people here think it's ok to walk somebody that's booked via Priceline's name your own price prepaid, opaque service.

Priceline didn't book a normal room, they have a contract with the property that gave them that room to fill for the night, and they are not supposed to walk anybody on a Priceline room since it is pre-paid, non-refundable and cannot be canceled. It's guaranteed revenue for the property. And it's the properties revenue management that decided to sell that room to or via Priceline's name your own price service. Or via Hotwire's pre-paid opaque service.

Frankly, they should be near the bottom of the list of people to walk, since they guaranteed availability of that room and have already been paid for it, regardless if the occupants show up or not.


wharvey's experience is exactly the way it's supposed to work, including his explanation of the business model.

Unfortunately so many people here seem to be posting misinformation as if it were fact.

-David

David has it absolutly correct. Since a Priceline reservation is a prepaid contract it is very expensive for them to walk a guest. Since the contract has been violated by the hotel a chargeback against priceline can(and often is)be approved by the credit card used to pay for the reservation if the property used for the overflow is of a lower clasification than what the bidder on priceline agreed to.
I gets messy for everyone involved if you walk a PL'er to a lower catagory hotel or a hotel outside of the zone the PL'er has bid for.

Am I being naive when I think that a paid, accepted offer constitutes a contract?

Agree 100%. It is a contract.

If Hyatt doesn't want to sell rooms for $69 then it should not participate in Priceline. While I'm a loyal Hyatt customer, I'm getting really tired of this type of behavior by the travel industry. No other industry is allowed to get away with it on an ongoing basis and neither should travel.

I have some other thoughts on this subject here: http://meteorologicalmusings.blogspot.com/2012/06/airline-lie.html

and, here: http://meteorologicalmusings.blogspot.com/2012/07/airline-lie-redux.html

As it has been pointed out on this thread already by our community director, Hyatt doesn't have walk in policy. The properties are NOT required to pay any compensation. In other chains the compensation only comes to question when an elite member is walked. On this instance elite member was not walked.

Now why on Earth are hotels not required to pay any compensation? I mean, as a simple matter of common law, and whether I'm booking through priceline or if I make a reservation and don't cancel it by N hours in advance, I've already purchased a hotel room at a particular hotel, and I'm gonna get charged full price for it whether I show up or not.

IANAL but generally when somebody takes your money for something it's a reasonable expectation that they have it to give to you. Under exceptional circumstances I understand that sometimes this isn't possible, but in this case I expect a lot more in compensation than just "Oh, here's something vaguely similar". Even if they did give this dude the Ritz instead of the Hyatt Place I still think that ethically and legally he's owed more than that.

Now why on Earth are hotels not required to pay any compensation? I mean, as a simple matter of common law, and whether I'm booking through priceline or if I make a reservation and don't cancel it by N hours in advance, I've already purchased a hotel room at a particular hotel, and I'm gonna get charged full price for it whether I show up or not.

IANAL but generally when somebody takes your money for something it's a reasonable expectation that they have it to give to you. Under exceptional circumstances I understand that sometimes this isn't possible, but in this case I expect a lot more in compensation than just "Oh, here's something vaguely similar". Even if they did give this dude the Ritz instead of the Hyatt Place I still think that ethically and legally he's owed more than that.

In practice hotels when they need to walk customers when they are oversold - pay for the accomodations at the "replacement" property - and do not charge the customer at the original property (which is why Priceline customers are generally not walked since there is not a convenient mechanism to refund the charge to the customer directly).

That opinion seems to underestimate the risk or potential inconveniences.
I agree, that's a nice savings absent of any other consideration.

And those risks and inconveniences would be what? That the hotel walks you if someone else comes along who is willing to pay more? Sounds like a really great class action lawsuit in that!

The hotel might put someone on a PL booking in their worst room, but I'd still expect that room to be up to that hotel's minimum standards.

Once I booked a PL stay at a 4 Points and I was Platinum with *wood at that time and they gave me a room with one tiny window overlooking another wall outside and a room so small that I could touch the walls on all 4 sides without getting off my bed. This was my first 4 points stay and almost felt like that's why they call it 4 points (able to touch walls on all 4 sides without much moving around). The passage way to the room felt like going to a dungeon (dimly lit narrow pathways). If anybody ever wants to experience the same then u can visit the 4 Points BWI Airport. Over the years I have stayed at other 4 points and my experience has been much better. In all probability that BWI stay was a result of my Priceline booking, although I never expected something like that to happen. I have rarely stayed with PL after that but as somebody said, the hotel mgmt must be putting PL folks at the end of the ladder and was the reason for my experience.

Based on the thread title, I opened this up expecting a trip report.

[QUOTE=FD1971;19017916]
The other info I only got later was that his wife was with him -- it was a business trip, so I'd assumed he was traveling alone, but he wanted to have a nice place for his wife to hang around while he was in meetings. I wish he'd called me while this was all happening, but by the time I heard about it, he'd canceled and it was a "done deal."


I wonder if this is the big reason -- the need/desire to have the room available throughout the day, such that having to move (and his wife be without a room for 4-5 hours) was a deal-breaker.

I've wondered how this works if asked to split hotel nights in this situation. If I'm going to be out from 9am-6pm anyway, not necessarily a big deal (as long as the hotels together have a reasonable solution for storing and transferring luggage if I'm not able to take it with me, e.g. no car), but often with the family we have several small activities in the area, and plan to relax/shower/etc in the room between. I would be very insistent that the 2 hotels coordinate to make this work -- either a late checkout or early checkin, depending on our schedule. Otherwise, I could see having no choice but to book something else altogether that would work for multiple days. What are the experiences with this?

I've just moved a few posts that relate more to Priceline customers and their treatment over to the Online Travel Booking Bidding Agencies forum - http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/online-travel-booking-bidding-agencies/1372617-priceline-versus-traditional-bookings-direct-hotel-companies-hyatt.html

peteropny - co-mod - Hyatt