Hyatt Gold Passport - Hyatt availability

I am interested in staying at the Hyatt Regency in Albuquerque during the Balloon Fiesta, 10/11-10/14.
According to the Hyatt website, the Hyatt Regency Albuquerque "is not available for your requested travel dates". However, when I go to Hotels.com or Expedia, the hotel is available. In fact, they are willing to sell me discounted rooms ("3rd Night Free") while the booking is fully cancellable.

What's wrong here?

Nothing is wrong... Hyatt is clearly sold out (if their website isn't acting up again) but some 3rd parties have not sold all the rooms they have pre-booked with Hyatt. Happens quite often, just book with them if you want to stay there, or give the hotel a call if you want to be sure.

It is not a case of overbooking the hotel?

It is not a case of overbooking the hotel?

No, it is not.

It is not a case of overbooking the hotel?

No. Perfectly normal during events. Hyatt has sold out rooms to wholesalers, hotel.com etc, who are still re-selling to the public. Wholesalers are selling at discount due to lower than expected demand. They have pre-purchased those rooms from Hyatt, hence need to unload them at discount.

No. Perfectly normal during events. Hyatt has sold out rooms to wholesalers, hotel.com etc, who are still re-selling to the public. Wholesalers are selling at discount due to lower than expected demand. They have pre-purchased those rooms from Hyatt, hence need to unload them at discount.

And the resellers cannot just "return" the unsold rooms to Hyatt?

I have to admit that sofar I find the hotel availability for the Balloon Fiesta to fluctuate wildly: hotels that had availability at first, seem now to be sold out completely. Other properties that were sold out at first, now have availability but only via certain websites!
Suffice to say, I keep shifting around (Embassy Suites > Hyatt Place > Hyatt Regency). :rolleyes:

And the resellers cannot just "return" the unsold rooms to Hyatt?

I suppose that would depend on the details of the arrangement between Hyatt and the reseller. But why would they do that, when they still have nearly two months to resell the room for a profit?

I suppose that would depend on the details of the arrangement between Hyatt and the reseller. But why would they do that, when they still have nearly two months to resell the room for a profit?

How do they sell the room for a profit, if they undercut Hyatt?

How do they sell the room for a profit, if they undercut Hyatt?

Who says they are undercutting Hyatt?

If they sell the room for a higher price than the costs associated with purchasing that room, they will make a profit on it.

How do they sell the room for a profit, if they undercut Hyatt?

Hyatt sold rooms to wholesalers at discount.@:-) The price you pay wholesalers has nothing to do with how much they pay Hyatt.

I have in times past tried booking from third party websites that show availability when the corporate website showed sold out, only to have the third party availability suddenly not be there when I tried to complete the booking. Not saying I know this is what is happening here.

Why is it so hard to accept that the availability is there through a 3rd party website? If you want to stay at the Hyatt just book through them... that's simply how it works sometimes. For the hotel the room has already been sold.

You only will miss out on your GP points though....

It is not a case of overbooking the hotel?

Of course, smart hotels might use such practices to overbook their capacity as well, since they are always certain that the wholesalers will not sell all rooms during certain periods.

During such an event in ABQ however, I do not expect a property to go all in given the limited amount of available hotel rooms in the city...

Why is it so hard to accept that the availability is there through a 3rd party website? If you want to stay at the Hyatt just book through them... that's simply how it works sometimes. For the hotel the room has already been sold.

You only will miss out on your GP points though....

The difference is about $66/night. Too much for me to be concerned about GP points. Thus, I decided to book via the 3rd party. Got a confirmation email 12 hours later.

I am still surprised it works like this, but then again I am not a hotel room yield manager.

The difference is about $66/night. Too much for me to be concerned about GP points. Thus, I decided to book via the 3rd party. Got a confirmation email 12 hours later.

I am still surprised it works like this, but then again I am not a hotel room yield manager.

how is it $66/night difference if Hyatt.com was sold out? if there was a room available at Hyatt.com, you probably would have gotten the same price or cheaper through BRG.

How is it $66/night difference if Hyatt.com was sold out? If there was a room available at Hyatt.com, you probably would have gotten the same price or cheaper through BRG.

Never mind.

I am still surprised it works like this, but then again I am not a hotel room yield manager.

Why are you surprised? It's probably a mutual benificial deal if for example a hotel is able to sell a fixed number of rooms for a whole year or month to a 3rd party at a discount when they wouldn't be able to sell all their rooms themselves at the regular pricing.

Sure, there will be some dates (like during special events) that they are able to sell everything they have at the full pricing. But most dates they will not be completely full. The income from 3rd parties will be a nice extra, even more when these rooms also don't sell.

The trick will be to find the right balance so most people will still book through the Hyatt site and not with the 3rd parties and that those rates are not undercuting the pricing Hyatt has. That's also where the problems with the BRG come from....

Why are you surprised? It's probably a mutual benificial deal if for example a hotel is able to sell a fixed number of rooms for a whole year or month to a 3rd party at a discount when they wouldn't be able to sell all their rooms themselves at the regular pricing.

Sure, there will be some dates (like during special events) that they are able to sell everything they have at the full pricing. But most dates they will not be completely full. The income from 3rd parties will be a nice extra, even more when these rooms also don't sell.

The trick will be to find the right balance so most people will still book through the Hyatt site and not with the 3rd parties and that those rates are not undercuting the pricing Hyatt has. That's also where the problems with the BRG come from....

We're talking about the Balloon Fiesta week here. Hardly a period during which a hotel has difficulty selling rooms.

And do you really think that only those dates get sold to 3rd parties.... A third party will need some volume and availability during longer periods to make it worth while, just like Hyatt does....

So it has nothing to do with the Balloon Fiesta.... A third party probably wouldn't even be interested if Hyatt wouldn't also so sell them rooms on dates where demand is high. These deals only work when there is some volume to make up for low and high demand.

And do you really think that only those dates get sold to 3rd parties...

No I don't.

So it has nothing to do with the Balloon Fiesta.... A third party probably wouldn't even be interested if Hyatt wouldn't also so sell them rooms on dates where demand is high. These deals only work when there is some volume to make up for low and high demand.

It seems every hotel approaches this differently.