Hilton HHonors - Conrad Upgrades

I wonder if anyone can give advice on this. I'm currently staying at a Conrad Hotel as a HHonors Diamond and have booked two 'best available rate rooms' for myself and a friend. I've been upgrade to the Executive Floor with lounge access. Although both rooms have been booked by me on the same reservation in my name my friend has not been upgraded. I think this follows the published rules.

Somewhat annoyingly the staff are refusing my friend access to the lounge unless it is paid for. I've checked my rate and could have someone sharing my room - and therefore having lounge access - at no extra cost. Under these circumstances should I tell the staff that two people are occupying my room or make them aware that two people could have lounge access via my room booking at no cost? Or are Conrad playing fair? The latter means I won't be seeing much of the lounge either!

Thanks for any advice.

bmifly

Sounds like they are playing by the letter of the law (rules) and not the spirit. If you are paying for both rooms, I would speak to the GM. Nothing ventured nothing gained. Since you already confronted the lounge staff, it's too late to sneak your bud in or give him an extra swipe card!

Technically they are right and even more so since your friend was not placed on the executive floor.......that said I have booked two rooms many times ( I bet over 12 times within the last year or so ) and all members of my party have been granted lounge access.

mike

You do not mention which Conrad.

If it is a Conrad in Asia, then you can be sure that they will stick to the rules.

just tell them he is staying in your room and things should be o.k. Never had a problem with this before at Hiltons, but not sure if Conrads are special in this regard.

I agree. Just say your friend is sharing your room. They don't need to know if you're in the same bed though.

I had a similar experience in HK, I asked whether if my wife was with me trying to get into the lounge whether they would kick up such a fuss. When they answered "of course not" they realized the logic and let him in.

One of many reasons why I get an additional key swipe card when checking in.

OK, now I am out of the place I can confirm that the refusal of an upgrade or executive lounge access for my friend was at the Conrad Hong Kong. I was told that her use of the lounge would be chargeable although they did give her a key card to allow access to that floor. From my brief use of the EL it was clear that a note had been added to my reservation to indicate that I might bring my friend to the lounge. As a result when we had afternoon tea there and I provided only my room number they produced a bill for her on leaving!

There were several other service issues and I won't be staying at this hotel again. As a result they have lost a couple of days stays twice a year.

Hindsight is a wonderful thing; the property only needs to allow access for the number of guests listed in the booking for your room (unless the guest is your spouse - but that's another thread/issue). You could easily have specified two guests for your room (although this may have increased the rate).

I stayed there twice over the Easter period, one a one night executive room booking for two on the January Sale, the other an award booking for two nights. 2 guests were listed for each booking.

With the award booking I was upgraded to the Exec level a Gold.

yes we do live and learn that is why we have Ftalk.
I always put 2 people in any room I stay at at any hotel then if I decide to bring a guest it is no probs.
but I do think it is by the letter of the law.,
I am sure from now on you will always be a 2 person room.
even just to get two bottles of water or 2 chockies on the pillow:cool:
many a time I have travelled with my mother or friend and have just put one person and have never been dis allowed access at Hiltons Hyatts or SPG.

This sort of thing is extremely shortsighted. I remember once I was at the Hyatt in Beijing, and there were 7 of us in different rooms, all on the Exec floor. We had a meeting for hours in the lounge. At one point after two colleagues went to their rooms for a bit an attendant asked what all our room numbers were, we gave ours but told them that we didn't know thenumbers of the two colleagues who had left, but said that they would be abck in 20 minutes (they were). About a half hour before our meeting(s) ended, a Chinese colleague joined us and had one cup of coffee.

When we left the lounge I looked for our Chinese colleague who had hung back, he was by the desk pulling out over a thousand Renmenbi. I asked what was going on and the attendant spewed some garbage like, "we have asked him to pay because not all your party was entitled to be here".

I told him to join the others at the elevator, I asked for the manager, who immeidately showed up and berated him for such a cheap cheap way of doing business (essentially trying to embarrass our Chinese guest into payng for something that he should not have, knowing that he would not protest in the slightest as he would be afraid of losing face). The manager was "sorry" but it was obvious that this is/was a normal ploy that they use.

They lost a hell of a lot of business after that episode.

Hindsight is a wonderful thing; the property only needs to allow access for the number of guests listed in the booking for your room (unless the guest is your spouse - but that's another thread/issue). You could easily have specified two guests for your room (although this may have increased the rate).



Actually the rate for two people - as a room only rate - was the same. I won't make the same mistake again, but then I won't stay at the Hong Kong Conrad again.

bmifly

OK, now I am out of the place I can confirm that the refusal of an upgrade or executive lounge access for my friend was at the Conrad Hong Kong. I was told that her use of the lounge would be chargeable although they did give her a key card to allow access to that floor. From my brief use of the EL it was clear that a note had been added to my reservation to indicate that I might bring my friend to the lounge. As a result when we had afternoon tea there and I provided only my room number they produced a bill for her on leaving!

There were several other service issues and I won't be staying at this hotel again. As a result they have lost a couple of days stays twice a year.

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All this drama for tea in a lounge? Of all the tea in China, you wanted tea at a hotel lounge?

I enjoyed the HK Conrad. Before you knock it, please realize the comedy of errors on your part. Keep in mind that I’m not insulting you, but have been in your shoes and want to share some of my experience. There are several things I would have done differently. Many of these are after being denied the previous steps:

1st I would make discrete pre-booking telephonic inquiries to the hotel about the policies of the Executive Lounge (EL). If I liked what I heard, I would then book and get a manager's name. 2. I would make the EL part of the negotiations for booking, got name, email of manager. 3. Booked a room for 2 and got 2 key cards upon arrival. 4. Upon arrival, if EL is not set up for friend, never mention this to EL staff. Upon arrival to EL, your friend is with you, has same room, same swipe key etc, period.

Usually the people that can grant EL access is not the EL staff, but the 1st, 2nd, or 3rd line supervisor behind the front desk. If all else fails, and if you have a beef, take it up front. The only conversation needed with EL staff is what kind of drink you want, (and for me it will not be tea)! Enjoy your travels!!

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All this drama for tea in a lounge? Of all the tea in China, you wanted tea at a hotel lounge?

I enjoyed the HK Conrad. Before you knock it, please realize the comedy of errors on your part. Keep in mind that I’m not insulting you, but have been in your shoes and want to share some of my experience. There are several things I would have done differently. Many of these are after being denied the previous steps:

1st I would make discrete pre-booking telephonic inquiries to the hotel about the policies of the Executive Lounge (EL). If I liked what I heard, I would then book and get a manager's name. 2. I would make the EL part of the negotiations for booking, got name, email of manager. 3. Booked a room for 2 and got 2 key cards upon arrival. 4. Upon arrival, if EL is not set up for friend, never mention this to EL staff. Upon arrival to EL, your friend is with you, has same room, same swipe key etc, period.

Usually the people that can grant EL access is not the EL staff, but the 1st, 2nd, or 3rd line supervisor behind the front desk. If all else fails, and if you have a beef, take it up front. The only conversation needed with EL staff is what kind of drink you want, (and for me it will not be tea)! Enjoy your travels!!

We stopped at the tea! :rolleyes: I agree with your strategy for avoiding this situation but hadn't appreciated the forces against me at the HK Conrad. They knew my friend wasn't staying in the same room and without her divulging her room number or name managed to have a bill waiting for her as we left the lounge for the tea. For all the tea in China the effort required to achieve this can't have been worth the payback - although the tea was expensive...
:D

You do not mention which Conrad.

If it is a Conrad in Asia, then you can be sure that they will stick to the rules.

I recently stayed at the Conrad in Singapore as a Diamond on the Executive Floor (upgrade). Checked in alone. Went up to the lounge with a female friend. I gave them my room number, fully expecting to pay for her. The receptionist smiled at my friend and said, "Welcome Mrs. Jaynyc." We said nothing and enjoyed the great food and magnificent view of Singapore.;)