InterContinental Hotels: Priority Club & Inter-Continental Ambassador - So from here on out, I'm bringing my reservations

This is probably old hat to everyone else here (and mentioned in linked threads), but after my last two weekends, I'm bringing my reservations in hand whenever I check into an HI/IC-brand property.

July 4-6: Crowne Plaza - Portland, OR. Was given small room on second (of 10) floor by the fire escape. Desk staff insisted it was an upgrade and that all executive club rooms were taken, so that's why I couldn't upgrade to it. I came back to the desk and was given one breakfast coupon. Had I checked my reservation, I would have realized I paid for an executive room.

July 11: Intercontinental - San Francisco. Paid for a room listed on floors 25-30. Got an upgrade on floor 23. Numbers didn't seem right, but I didn't have reservation on hand, so I went along.

Ultimately, both of these turned out well. The ISF reservations manager was unaware that floors were listed in reservations and offered me an upgrade in the future (it was a small-potatoes issue, anyway). As for the CP-P, after getting ran-around, cut-off, and not called back by the same guy who checked me in, the MOD confirmed that I was downgraded and lied to and added a night's worth of PC points to my account. These were the first times I've ever talked to management in 3 years of travelling, and I really don't want to do that again.

Still, from here on out, I'm going to have my reservation in-hand, in case I have to read it slowly to the person who's checking me in.

Always, always, always bring a print out of your hotel reservation(s) and airline flight(s). Anyone who doesn't deserves to learn the hard way. Paperless is BS!

Always, always, always bring a print out of your hotel reservation(s) and airline flight(s). Anyone who doesn't deserves to learn the hard way. Paperless is BS!

I totally agree with Shareholder (mental note: I am doing that too much these days).

Anyway on my recent vacation trip around the good old US of A I had my handy holiday folder with all the information in it that I needed for each flight, car hire, hotel etc. I learned my lesson a long time ago.

I also make sure I hand over my PC card as well, just to make sure that they do see that I have some sort of status (I dont say am RA etc, I just ask for them to confirm my pc number on the sheet for points).

Another thing that is handy is to be able to access your bookings etc online. I am a very sad git and tend to send a backup copy of my holiday trip stuff to another email account which I can access on-line, just in case something happens to my folder.

Something else I tend to do is put a copy of all the bills into the folder and make sure that they are fine as well. Would not be the first time hotels etc have tried to charge me for services that I have not used or that should be free.

Anyway, glad they sorted things out for you and you managed to get some points out of it and somethings for the future.

This is the good thing about these forums, we can pass on all this information and hope that someone finds it useful.

regards
J

................. hard lessons but ALWAYS print off and save a copy immediately after you've made the booking and checked it. Sometimes changes are made, particularly I find when using on-line 241 offers. On the original booking the second night sometimes mysteriously changes from a free to chargeable night and very occaisionally a mistake is made and the second night charge is made when the original booking needs to be forwarded as evidence.

Also, if like many of us here who might e-mail hotels in advance to avoid dissapointments, take copies of the relevant e-mails. Don't assume that the people at the desk will be aware of any promises made in the e-mails.

It is also prudent to take a print-off of the current Ambassador / RA rules in the T's and C's.

Last week I stayed on the 25% rate at an HI in Spain. The rate included breakfast for 2 adults. Fortunately I had a printout of the booking to prove that the rate actually included breakfast as the reception staff wouldn't believe me. They also wouldn't believe that their brochure says a child is 19 and under in a parents rooms - however I had that in my posession to prove them otherwise.

print off and save a copy immediately after you've made the booking and checked it.

I print my bookings to a PDF (I use the open-source PDFCreator for that) and I always have them with me on my laptop.

Incidentally I do the same for flight bookings, etc.

I print my bookings to a PDF (I use the open-source PDFCreator for that) and I always have them with me on my laptop.

Incidentally I do the same for flight bookings, etc.

Same here, except that I use the free CutePDF Writer (http://www.cutepdf.com/Products/CutePDF/writer.asp).

I agree that one should have a copy of one's reservations -- but one does not need to kill trees to do it.

Just save the confirmation email from your reservation on your laptop!

And use the "save to calendar" function on the website -- so you have all your details handy in your calendar on your iPhone, Blackberry or other wireless device.

I agree that one should have a copy of one's reservations -- but one does not need to kill trees to do it.

Just save the confirmation email from your reservation on your laptop!I'll let you stand in the hotel lobby, booting up your laptop at 1am to show the night-shift guy a screen detailing your "not-in-the-computer" reservation. :)

I'll just hand the guy my one sheet like I did last year. He didn't know why it wasn't in the system (and another employee the next day also couldn't find it), but he gave me a room at the rate shown on the sheet.

Not a fan of killing trees, but sometimes old school is better.

I always come with my written confirmation, to make sure that the price paid is correct.
When it is an advance paid rate, I check the day before my stay that the amount is credited or not on my Amex account (some hotels do credited at the time of booking or before your arrival, some hotels ask to pay at check-out).

The same with airlines (once AZ has lost my reservation in their system!! They could not find any file despite my electronic ticket number. Another time, when chek-in in Naples, I was told that my rerservation was for the previous flight, as my written reservation clearly showed that it was wrong).

During my last stay at HI Moscow Lesnaya with a 241 rate, at the reception they asked me to pay for 2 nights : "but it is impossible to have such a rate!".
I show my written reservation, and the man at the reception asked for confirmation at her manager.

All of the above is wonderful advice. For some reason the rate the hotel wants me to sign for, and the rate my company negotiates are not always the same.

I always print out and bring not just the reservation confirmation, but also the subsequent email confirmation. (Call it a confirmation of one's confirmation.)

It could be worse. Some years ago during check-in (non IHG property), the guest in front of me was told he didn't have a reservation. Not walked, but refused and turned away. The guy appeared speechless, got upset, but eventually just left. They then tried to tell me the same thing, until I pulled out a copy of my reservation. I got my room.

I don't know if their reservations computer was down, glitchy, or if they were just full and didn't want to have to deal with finding a room for their guests. Needless to say, I never stayed at this property again.