TheHak

So since becoming a diamond 5 months ago I visited a couple of hyatts and since most of them were pretty full didn't get an upgrade which of course I understand.

A couple of months ago I didn't get an upgrade at the park zurich although there was clear availability.

Today I arrived at the HK hyatt with my booking of a standard plateau room for 4500 HKD.

I hesitated long as the four seasons, with a better location (for me) was similarly priced at 4600 HKD. The hyatt sounded like it had massive availabilities (and there is noise because of renovation which maybe explains that) so anyway I finally opted for the hyatt, roughly certain I would finally get my upgrade.

Well I didn't. At checkin I told the front office person I was checkin really early tomorrow and I really would love an upgrade if they had any available room. He said they were fully booked. I went to my room checked the web again and clearly there were plenty of rooms available. I go back to reception, ask to speak to a manager and I get a front office manager who comes back and says given i checked in early (9am) none of the rooms were available. I said ok I understand but perhaps it would have been great to give me the option. I leave and come back 5 mins later.

I ask another front office manager if I can tour the different room types for a next visit...Sure enough he agrees and we tour ALL different rooms...ALL of which are perfectly clean and ready...

What a joke...This upgrade thing is a total HOAX.

At the end of the day I am becoming incredibly frustrated, I feel that what is written on the hyatt website as conditions does have some form of contractual value no? After all I have had to cancel hotel stays within 24 hours and was always charged...I never said anything as it's part of a contract I accept...I of course accept that I will not always get an upgrade but come on when a hotel is half full?

Any idea of what I could do? I really feel I want to do something here...I feel cheated and lied upon

Jaimito Cartero

What kind of upgrade were you expecting? I've usually had to use one of my suite upgrades to get a suite.

TheHak

not a suite but this hotel has many many different options before the suite.

Pleateau terrace
Plateau deluxe
Club harbour
Club king
Grand harbour

All of which are fully available. I am in a basic room


I have actually used an upgrade voucher in the past (for the andaz fifth) and got that upgrade (which wasnt a real suite btw) but that works it is true.

rookie10

To upgrade to a suite you must use your suite upgrade certificates. Every year you will receive 4 and must contact a GP agent to confirm availability for each use. Upgrades are not automatic without using the suite upgrades. Time to time you may be upgraded to a nicer room without using a suite upgrade, but I wouldn't count on it. Using a suite upgrade may also get you a nicer suite, for example a executive suite. Not to seem rude, but perhaps you should research the benefits of Diamond membership before attaining it and calling it a "hoax".

TheHak

I did and here it is:

Enjoy the best room available upon arrival, excluding suites

Includes Regency Club®, Grand Club® or view rooms; not available at Hyatt Place® properties, Hyatt House™ properties, or Hyatt Residence Club® resorts.

There were 5 room categories before the suite and above my room. Not to be rude but you should read the terms and my post. I dont claim I want a suite. Just a little upgrade.

And by the way you exactly from your experiences confirm what I say: from time to time you may be upgraded to a better room but I would count on it. I wouldnt either. This upgrade thing is a hoax.

Yes the 4 a year certificates is perhaps a true benefit. The better room is a HOAX.

oc2005

I think this is a legitimate complaint that I've been noticing at many properties as well. There is a lot of inconsistency with room assignments for Diamonds - some hotels are fantastic about giving nicer rooms but many are very inconsistent about this.

That language on the GoldPassport site seems very clear to me that they should be upgrading Diamonds to the best non-suite available at check-in.

So of course this doesn't mean Diamonds are entitled to a suite without using one of our 4 annual suite upgrades and means that if the hotel is completely full, we're stuck with the room type we booked. But there are several properties I've stayed at that don't give much of a room upgrade to Diamonds at all or that do so very inconsistently, even when the web site shows plenty of availability of better room types over the entire stay or when the property is fairly empty. This especially seems true for some properties with Regency Clubs - I feel like some think that if you get the worst room on the Regency Club floor, they've done their job upgrading you and Diamonds aren't entitled a larger standard room or a room with a better view.

m0hamed

You checked in at 9AM and were given a room. You should be grateful that you weren't told to come back at official check in time.

Regardless of whether rooms are unoccupied, housekeeping generally inspect rooms prior to them being assigned to guest's.

TheHak

Rooms are preassigned (i had the welcome card in the room) so wouldn't have made a difference if I checked later or not.

I'm not grateful. If I need to check in at 2pm that's fine, it's the rules.

I typically checkin at 8pm in hotels and check out at 6am. Just last night I spent only 4 hours in the andaz west hollywood and paid the full price (flight from LA to HKG leaves at 00.05)..I'm fine with that its business

I had a treatment booked at the spa (hence the plateau room) so I was pretty indifferent to checkin or not.

The only point is that upgrade is a hoax...

iamthehpt

I agree with the OP that at some Hyatt hotels upgrade to the "best available room, excluding suites" is a hoax. I had this complaint recently at the Park Hyatt Sydney. When I checked in at 7 PM, I was given an upgrade to an opera view room, despite the fact that Hyatt.com was showing at least 2 non-suite deluxe opera view rooms available for sale and expedia was showing at least 8 of the deluxe opera view rooms available for sale. Another Hyatt Diamond FTer was staying there a few days later and he was offered NO upgrade because "the hotel was full." He pulled up hyatt.com and booked a refundable deluxe opera view room and asked the front desk if they showed the reservation. Caught in a lie, the hotel upgraded him to a suite. The Gold Passport program has lost credibility due to hotels NOT abiding by the terms and conditions of the program. IMO, Hyatt USED to have the most consistent treatment of elites. I no longer believe this to be the case.

chungkyu82

Best available non-suite room is a hoax. I rarely gets a better room despite many availability despite being a Diamond member for 3 years. Other hotels chains have similar hoax benefit and since I won't get better treatment at other hotel chains, it does not really bother me.

m0hamed

One data point does not a theory prove.

In fact, one contradiction to your theory disproves it entirely and I have always received the best available room during my stays when checking in on time.

gengar

I think you'll always be sorry picking over the FS HK - definitely one of the best hotels I've stayed at anywhere.

Oh yeah, and they upgraded me to a Deluxe Suite (usual rate 30,000 HKD) on just my second visit back.

The attempted check-in time is immaterial. Even ignoring the OP's point that rooms were clearly available anyway and he was not going to be upgraded even if he had checked-in at a normal time, if the choice is between early check-in to the booked room and a later check-in to an upgraded room, any customer service-oriented FD should present that option to the guest. This has happened to me on many occasions, even at properties known for less than stellar service.

The worst part about this is just how properties lie to the faces of Diamond members. The notion that an elite would have to actually book a room to prove to the FD that they are lying is absurd. I think what this really shows though is that HGP doesn't have enough power to enforce their program rules. It's scary just to think about how many Diamonds at these problem properties regularly get screwed out of this stated HGP benefit and most just walk away because they don't know any better.

So when TheHak asks what to do, all I can think of is to contact HGP or the Gold Passport Concierge on here and complain. At the same time, will that really do anything? As I note above, HGP clearly doesn't have much power to punish properties that cheat elites, which is why we have this issue - just like with the breakfast tip inclusion problem.

Radiant Flyer

Diamond 12 years now. I actually think upgrades have gotten more generous the past 2 - 4 years, 2012 was a fantastic upgrade year for me and so far 2013 has been excellent. Yes, I've been staying at Hyatt's for a long time now, many of the hotels I stay at know me by name and take very good care of me. But even now and then when I visit a new Hyatt I've been happy with my upgrade. (Hyatt Hotels have been good to me, The only Hyatt I dislike is the Andaz Wall Street .) The Gold Passport program has gone downhill but upgrades have kept me happy.

tyler45150

I have to say usually I get an upgrade when I stay at the Regency in Cleveland or Chicago but when I stay at a Park or Andaz I am never upgraded even to a club level, I usually have to go downstairs and ask.

Scottrick

I've almost always gotten a pretty good room as a Diamond without using a suite upgrade. Not a suite, but a good standard room. Checking in early limits your options, and it would be nice if they gave me the option of waiting for a better room, but I've learned to live with it.