IHG/Priority Club
Apr 26, 2015, 8:04 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2015
Posts: 1
IHG/Priority Club
Very angry at recent situation with Holiday Inn. Had prepaid for two nights for a hotel several weeks ahead of date of stay. We drove from Florida to Ohio and arrived at hotel at 3 am. We were met by the news that our room had been sold and that we should have called earlier. That night we were left to search for another room at another hotel. We have received call from manager the next morning with apologies. Later, have 2000 points (equivalent of $25) added to our account.
This does not even come close to compensating for the horrible experience we went through.
This does not even come close to compensating for the horrible experience we went through.
Apr 26, 2015, 8:12 pm
#2
In Memoriam, FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: Benicia CA
Programs: Alaska MVP Gold 75K, AA 3.8MM, UA 1.1MM, enjoying the retired life
Posts: 31,849
If I'm going to arrive after 11pm, I always call the hotel and let them know I'll be late. At some point they're going to think you're a no-show and want to sell the room, and it appears this happened to you. They have no way of knowing you're going to arrive at 3 in the morning unless you call and tell them that.
I recall one stay in Atlanta where I didn't arrive until around 9 in the morning due to flight delays from the night before. I had called the hotel and let them know of the late arrival and my room was ready on arrival.
Did they refund the cost of the room?
Welcome to FlyerTalk
I recall one stay in Atlanta where I didn't arrive until around 9 in the morning due to flight delays from the night before. I had called the hotel and let them know of the late arrival and my room was ready on arrival.
Did they refund the cost of the room?
Welcome to FlyerTalk
Apr 26, 2015, 8:26 pm
#3
Join Date: Nov 2013
Posts: 4,374
IHG Brand Standards In Case Of Overbooking / Being Walked
If the guest is still not satisfied, the hotel is responsible for taking additional necessary measures to satisfy the guest, including but not limited to a free return stay at their hotel, etc.
Apr 26, 2015, 8:37 pm
#4
Moderator: American AAdvantage
Join Date: May 2000
Location: NorCal - SMF area
Programs: AA LT Plat; HH LT Diamond, Maître-plongeur des Muccis
Posts: 62,948
Sorry you had such an experience; you must have been exhausted, and it must have been very frustrating. I also believe if you'd called ahead, you might not have been walked.
(My flight into SFO was delayed on April 23, so I called the property I'd booked near SFO to alert them. My room had been preserved, though conventions in San Francisco meant that property, as well as many others, were fully booked.)
In any case, knowing the chain's rules would have you explain proper procedure to the clerk - they were obligated to find and pay for the first night's stay at another comparable property, including pay transportation costs to the property they booked you in. You were badly short-changed by the Holiday Inn desk staff you dealt with.
See this post in the IHG Forum:
(My flight into SFO was delayed on April 23, so I called the property I'd booked near SFO to alert them. My room had been preserved, though conventions in San Francisco meant that property, as well as many others, were fully booked.)
In any case, knowing the chain's rules would have you explain proper procedure to the clerk - they were obligated to find and pay for the first night's stay at another comparable property, including pay transportation costs to the property they booked you in. You were badly short-changed by the Holiday Inn desk staff you dealt with.
See this post in the IHG Forum:
I happened to do a Google search for ihg intercontinental overbooked, and in the middle of results was a PDF file from "ihgrevenueroom.com" It appears to be some kind of internal IHG training site, and the document is called "Driving a Winning Sell Out Efficiency" I won't post a link to it, but it should be easy enough to find for yourself if you wish.
The majority of the document is about maximizing occupancy, but towards the end it starts talking about what should be done in the event of overbooking, something they would never actually come out and say in a public forum.
So, from their document here's how the hotel is supposed to operate in such a situation:
I am overbooked!
What shall I do now?
? Remain calm
? Regularly check local hotel availability (just because the hotel
down the road was full at 7pm, does not mean they will be at
9pm)
? Make sure you have copies of direction to alternative hotels
to give to guests being re-accommodated
? Only re-accommodate to hotels of a similar standard or
higher
? If you have seriously exceeded your capacity consider reaccommodating guests BEFORE they arrive at your property.
Guests much prefer to have advance warning in these
situations
I am overbooked!
Remember our brand standards
DISHONOURED RESERVATIONS
In the event an overbooking occurs due to an unforeseen stay over or any other circumstance, and a room is not available to a guest
holding a reservation (prior to 16.00h), or a guaranteed reservation, the hotel must do the following:
The Guest Service Manager or MOD must meet with the guest and:
? Explain the circumstance and reason for the situation (i.e. guest staying over).
? Apologise to the guest and explain what will be done.
? The hotel must arrange and pay for the first night’s accommodations at another InterContinental Hotels Group hotel if available, or at
another comparable and convenient lodging facility.
? The hotel also must reimburse the guest for any reasonable expenses incurred by reason of the change, including transportationand
the cost of telephone calls to notify family.
? For 16.00h reservations, the hotel must reimburse the guest for the difference, if any, in the first night's lodging rate, plus tax ifthe
guest arrives by 16.00h.
? For Guaranteed All Night Reservations, the hotel must pay the full cost of the first night's lodging rate, plus tax, at another
InterContinental Hotels Group hotel or at another convenient and comparable hotel.
? If the guest has paid an advance deposit, this must be refunded to the guest in addition to the payments described above.
? If the guest is still not satisfied, the hotel is responsible for taking additional necessary measures to satisfy the guest, including but not
limited to a free return stay at their hotel, etc.
? If a hotel does not deliver the guaranteed reserved and confirmed smoking/non smoking preference, the hotel must provide the guest
with their first night’s stay free (room only).
The General Manager/MOD is required to personally contact the guest that night or the following morning by phone. They must:
? Apologise for the situation, and inquire into the guest’s satisfaction with the alternative accommodations.
For groups, a "walked room" (when a guest must be re-accommodated in another hotel) must count toward their contracted
complimentary room policy (e.g., "one complimentary room for every 50 rooms occupied", etc.).
Guest complaints are investigated and if the hotel is found to have not complied with these standards it will result in loss of CQI Guest
Relations points.
I will need to re-accommodate guests
Who can’t I re-accommodate?
? Priority Club Members (who should all be pre-checked in)
? Key corporate accounts
? Lone female guests
? Disabled Guests
? Previous book-outs
? Group members where other guests may leave
? Guests staying more than one night
Exceeding capacity is never our intention
Make sure to follow up
? Make a note of the guest name, telephone number, where
they stayed
? Call the onward hotel and speak to the guest. Check
everything is suitable in the new hotel
? Pass this information through to your General Manager who
must call the guest to apologise again and to check guest
satisfaction with the way the situation was handled
? Confirm apology in writing
? Make a note for the guest’s return visit to upgrade or similar
gesture from the manager
The majority of the document is about maximizing occupancy, but towards the end it starts talking about what should be done in the event of overbooking, something they would never actually come out and say in a public forum.
So, from their document here's how the hotel is supposed to operate in such a situation:
I am overbooked!
What shall I do now?
? Remain calm
? Regularly check local hotel availability (just because the hotel
down the road was full at 7pm, does not mean they will be at
9pm)
? Make sure you have copies of direction to alternative hotels
to give to guests being re-accommodated
? Only re-accommodate to hotels of a similar standard or
higher
? If you have seriously exceeded your capacity consider reaccommodating guests BEFORE they arrive at your property.
Guests much prefer to have advance warning in these
situations
I am overbooked!
Remember our brand standards
DISHONOURED RESERVATIONS
In the event an overbooking occurs due to an unforeseen stay over or any other circumstance, and a room is not available to a guest
holding a reservation (prior to 16.00h), or a guaranteed reservation, the hotel must do the following:
The Guest Service Manager or MOD must meet with the guest and:
? Explain the circumstance and reason for the situation (i.e. guest staying over).
? Apologise to the guest and explain what will be done.
? The hotel must arrange and pay for the first night’s accommodations at another InterContinental Hotels Group hotel if available, or at
another comparable and convenient lodging facility.
? The hotel also must reimburse the guest for any reasonable expenses incurred by reason of the change, including transportationand
the cost of telephone calls to notify family.
? For 16.00h reservations, the hotel must reimburse the guest for the difference, if any, in the first night's lodging rate, plus tax ifthe
guest arrives by 16.00h.
? For Guaranteed All Night Reservations, the hotel must pay the full cost of the first night's lodging rate, plus tax, at another
InterContinental Hotels Group hotel or at another convenient and comparable hotel.
? If the guest has paid an advance deposit, this must be refunded to the guest in addition to the payments described above.
? If the guest is still not satisfied, the hotel is responsible for taking additional necessary measures to satisfy the guest, including but not
limited to a free return stay at their hotel, etc.
? If a hotel does not deliver the guaranteed reserved and confirmed smoking/non smoking preference, the hotel must provide the guest
with their first night’s stay free (room only).
The General Manager/MOD is required to personally contact the guest that night or the following morning by phone. They must:
? Apologise for the situation, and inquire into the guest’s satisfaction with the alternative accommodations.
For groups, a "walked room" (when a guest must be re-accommodated in another hotel) must count toward their contracted
complimentary room policy (e.g., "one complimentary room for every 50 rooms occupied", etc.).
Guest complaints are investigated and if the hotel is found to have not complied with these standards it will result in loss of CQI Guest
Relations points.
I will need to re-accommodate guests
Who can’t I re-accommodate?
? Priority Club Members (who should all be pre-checked in)
? Key corporate accounts
? Lone female guests
? Disabled Guests
? Previous book-outs
? Group members where other guests may leave
? Guests staying more than one night
Exceeding capacity is never our intention
Make sure to follow up
? Make a note of the guest name, telephone number, where
they stayed
? Call the onward hotel and speak to the guest. Check
everything is suitable in the new hotel
? Pass this information through to your General Manager who
must call the guest to apologise again and to check guest
satisfaction with the way the situation was handled
? Confirm apology in writing
? Make a note for the guest’s return visit to upgrade or similar
gesture from the manager
Apr 26, 2015, 8:46 pm
#5
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: London / Los Angeles
Programs: Hilton Diamond, IHG Diamond Ambassador, Marriott Platinum, Hyatt Globalist, BA Silver
Posts: 1,631
Very angry at recent situation with Holiday Inn. Had prepaid for two nights for a hotel several weeks ahead of date of stay. We drove from Florida to Ohio and arrived at hotel at 3 am. We were met by the news that our room had been sold and that we should have called earlier. That night we were left to search for another room at another hotel. We have received call from manager the next morning with apologies. Later, have 2000 points (equivalent of $25) added to our account.
This does not even come close to compensating for the horrible experience we went through.
This does not even come close to compensating for the horrible experience we went through.
Second of all, 2000 points is beyond a joke as compensation. I recently got 5000 points compensation because the internet at the property was down.
Third of all, I do not know IHGs policy on late arrival but 3am does not sound unreasonable to me - I often checkin that late when on roadtrips. It is generally good practice to call ahead but I do not believe it is required.
Someone else will confirm, once this thread is moved to the correct forum, but I suspect you are probably eligible for much higher compensation (along the lines of full refund for the hotel night you originally booked AND refund of the hotel you had to book instead). I would personally push for additional compensation in your situation as the hotel did not follow the correct procedures for overbooking. Again this is all assuming that your late arrival is not a problem - I dont know if IHG hotels have a right to avoid the overbooking policy if you arrive that late.
p.s. In my personal opinion, you have absolutely every right to be angry about this situation.
Apr 30, 2015, 7:30 am
#6
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Indianapolis
Programs: Hilton-Diamond Lifetime Platinum AA UA, WN-CP, SPG Gold.
Posts: 7,377
Arriving at 3 AM needs to be ore paid, in the business world, otherwise forget it.,
No hotel should hold a room past a reasonable time, unless it is prepaid, and only a fool would expect a business not to be compensated for a suspect,that might or might not sho up in the early morning hours with no skin in the game..,
No hotel should hold a room past a reasonable time, unless it is prepaid, and only a fool would expect a business not to be compensated for a suspect,that might or might not sho up in the early morning hours with no skin in the game..,
Apr 30, 2015, 7:41 am
#7
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Not here; there!
Programs: AA Lifetime Gold
Posts: 29,580
Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry: BlackBerry8530/5.0.0.1030 Profile/MIDP-2.1 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/417)
The OP's room was prepaid:
"Had prepaid for two nights for a hotel several weeks ahead of date of stay."
Originally Posted by satman40
Arriving at 3 AM needs to be ore paid, in the business world, otherwise forget it.,
No hotel should hold a room past a reasonable time, unless it is prepaid, and only a fool would expect a business not to be compensated for a suspect,that might or might not sho up in the early morning hours with no skin in the game..,
No hotel should hold a room past a reasonable time, unless it is prepaid, and only a fool would expect a business not to be compensated for a suspect,that might or might not sho up in the early morning hours with no skin in the game..,
"Had prepaid for two nights for a hotel several weeks ahead of date of stay."
Apr 30, 2015, 5:21 pm
#8
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Sacramento, CA, US
Posts: 2,229
From the Other Point of View
I am sympathetic to OP's bad experience.
But I saw it from the other side last year, in Bergen, Norway. We had no reserved room, but found ourselves back in town due to a train incident that blocked the tracks (we were stuck in a tunnel for 4 hours). We had not planned on staying in Bergen for a second night, but had a sleeper booked on a later train that could not operate. The hotel we had stayed at the night before was fully booked when we arrived at midnight (exhausted), but found us another hotel that, while fully booked, also had several no-shows. After 15 minutes of deliberating, the second hotel called back and let us have one of the no-show rooms.
We were very grateful!
But I saw it from the other side last year, in Bergen, Norway. We had no reserved room, but found ourselves back in town due to a train incident that blocked the tracks (we were stuck in a tunnel for 4 hours). We had not planned on staying in Bergen for a second night, but had a sleeper booked on a later train that could not operate. The hotel we had stayed at the night before was fully booked when we arrived at midnight (exhausted), but found us another hotel that, while fully booked, also had several no-shows. After 15 minutes of deliberating, the second hotel called back and let us have one of the no-show rooms.
We were very grateful!
Apr 30, 2015, 6:07 pm
#9
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: South Park, Metropolis
Programs: AA LT PLT 3MM, Hilton/Marriott/SPG/Club Carlson GLD, IHG PLT
Posts: 4,608
Hello nvlo, welcome to flyertalk. There is much to learn here and you get lots of advise. I hope this will not be your one and only post, seeing that you joined recently, do stick around. Its bad that this happened to you, seeing that it was a prepaid rate as you mentioned, however, when making the reservation, did you advise the hotel your arrival time? When making a reservation, there is an option to advise of your arrival time, or make special request.
You mentioned that you drove from Florida to Ohio, I can only imagine how tiring and time consuming that is. Let alone arriving so late in the night, 3AM, only to find out you have no room, and have no idea where to go and pay the local rate. Me, I would have stayed and slept in the lobby, they probably have a public bathroom, water fountain, snack, and it will be bad publicity for the hotel seeing that they gave your prepaid room. This would have forced them to find you a place to stay. 2000 points is nothing for the inconvenience. I agree with the comments others made regarding calling the hotel while you where on the road. You certainly had a chance to indicate your late arrival and hold your room. A simple 5-10 minute call would have save you a lot of headaches.
You mentioned that you drove from Florida to Ohio, I can only imagine how tiring and time consuming that is. Let alone arriving so late in the night, 3AM, only to find out you have no room, and have no idea where to go and pay the local rate. Me, I would have stayed and slept in the lobby, they probably have a public bathroom, water fountain, snack, and it will be bad publicity for the hotel seeing that they gave your prepaid room. This would have forced them to find you a place to stay. 2000 points is nothing for the inconvenience. I agree with the comments others made regarding calling the hotel while you where on the road. You certainly had a chance to indicate your late arrival and hold your room. A simple 5-10 minute call would have save you a lot of headaches.