kdoggold

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?

FD1971

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

TurboKaren512

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

kdoggold

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.

TurboKaren512

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.

FD1971

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...

DFWsakp

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

kdoggold

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.

redtop43

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?

whytravelsomuch

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.

RichardInSF

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.

Ducatibiker

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 ?

SanDiego1K

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.

LIH Prem

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

-David

RTW1

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.