how would you feel if hotel upgs non-SPG member, but not you?
Place: SFO hotel. Date: today. Infront of SPG Plat is checking in businesslike gentleman.
Clerk: are you, by any chance, SPG member?
Gentleman: no, I am not.
Clerk: you have booked a king. as we dont have any king size beds available, I have to give you a suite.
Gentleman goes to his suite, obviously quite happy about such development.
SPG Plat: what kind of room will I get?
Clerk: queen size, same room you did book. This has been preblocked for you. Unfortunately no more suites available.
SPG Plat: so you did upgrade non-SPG member, but not me?
Clerk: had to do it, as I did not had any kings available. Did not want to downgrade gentleman.
Either they were talking loudly or you were to close to hear their conversation. I've never paid attention in my seven years as Platinum others checkin process :]
I love how these threads always get derailed by talking about whether the eavesdropping was appropriate or not.
That said, I would definitely be unhappy about this turn of events. I understand that he was all out of suites by the time you got to the check-in, but it's their fault in the first place that they sold the business-like gentleman a room they were unable to deliver.
__________________
"A journey of a thousand steps starts with a single mile." Laozi?
Actually I am surprised myself how well I was able to hear taking into account fact that I had just arrived from Southeast Asia few hrs ago and normally I am deaf for few days after such a long flight (sinus problems) hehe.. Anyhow, clerk called to my room later and offered free breakfast as a compensation (nice touch although I am not sure if I am able to make use of it). I am not going to complain to SPG, just felt bit sad that days when (suite) UPGs for PLTs were almost a norm seem to be over..
If non SPG member's reservation was paid reservation(not award) with King Bed, the bedding type had to be guaranteed, so he got the suite with King Bed.
I guess FD just followed the bedding policy.
Then, when you checked in next , all the suites were gone.
It was sad to hear the conversation.
Programs: SPG-Plat, Hilton-Diamond, Club Carlson-Silver, Cathay-Diamond, Virgin-Gold
Posts: 661
While as a Plat would always like a upgrade I have no issue with the process describes.
At the end of the day the hotel honoured what had been booked by both people. The first gentleman booked a King bed room and got a King bed room, albeit a suite, if the SPG Plat had wanted a suite that much they should have booked a suite.
What is a little concerning is that if the SPG Plat had come first they may have got the suite leaving the other guy with a Queen room which he had not booked, that would be unacceptable in my book!
That said, I would definitely be unhappy about this turn of events. I understand that he was all out of suites by the time you got to the check-in, but it's their fault in the first place that they sold the business-like gentleman a room they were unable to deliver.
Yes, a wise rooms management would have avoided this happening (i.e. the lack of a king room as booked).
But that would need a virtuous process starting with people booking the room type they want to have and, being in the hotel business, I see countless times people booking a room type and putting in the notes that they want another (smoking/non smoking, king/queen/twin).
Then at checkin they plead or scream and the agent takes the easy way out and bungles room allocation.
Programs: SPG Plat (LTG), AC Elite, Airmiles Gold, Avis First, National Exec, Aeroflot
Posts: 397
Quote:
Originally Posted by tyn
Yes, a wise rooms management would have avoided this happening (i.e. the lack of a king room as booked).
But that would need a virtuous process starting with people booking the room type they want to have and, being in the hotel business, I see countless times people booking a room type and putting in the notes that they want another (smoking/non smoking, king/queen/twin).
Then at checkin they plead or scream and the agent takes the easy way out and bungles room allocation.
It depends on the hotel. As we all know, front desk can do whatever they want to do. Some good props pre-arrange Plat upgrades a day (or even a couple of days) before, although it's no problem for FD agent to take it back and give it to someone at their sole discretion. If they did the pre-upgrade for the OP, then the "business like gentleman" would get his downgrade with regrets (and maybe his free breakfast -- see threads here about even PLT members downgraded). IMO, I'm only OK with the scenario when you don't get a suite because someone paid for it cold cash. I have had my suite pre-upgrades "stolen". At least once, I witnessed how a very imposing expensively dressed gentleman beat me by 2 minutes at check-in and asked for suite upgrade. He didn't have one and a female FD agent was eager to help. They didn't discuss his status but room key envelope was a regular one. Then I come with my SPG print-out from the same morning showing my queen size traditional upgraded to 1 bedroom suite (5 categories up). Agent charmingly says "You have been upgraded to a Club room". I showed her my printout -- she goes "Sorry, we unable to honour previous pre-upgrade". I noted that my upgrade went to that guy and asked about his status. She became mildly confused and found me another suite after good 10 minutes of keyboard clicking.
I may foresee what some people may post in response here: T&C, based on availability, first come, first serve, pre-upgrades not guaranteed, blah-blah-blah. To me there is a great difference between actual physical availability and a FD agent personal discretion.
This doesn't sound inappropriate to me (as a non-platinum member, at least). The hotel had 2 room types available, at least one with a queen bed and a suite with a king, and 2 customers, one who had reserved a king and one who had reserved a queen.
Assuming that (1) the bed difference at this hotel is part of a room category and thus guaranteed, and (2) that suite upgrades for platinum members are not guaranteed, it seems the fairest thing was done. It doesn't seem right to upgrade the platinum to the only room that will satisfy a paid reservation's guarantee, forcing the other customer to be downgraded.
If both had reserved kings (and thus somebody had to be downgraded regardless), it would then be appropriate to upgrade the platinum member and downgrade the non-member.
Programs: SPG E Level; AA Pa Kettle; CO/UA Pa Kettle; PWP Plenipotentiary Ombudsman of :rolleyes:
Posts: 27,639
The issue here seems to be that there were no king-bedded rooms available for a guest that had reserved a king bed, so the front desk upgraded to a suite that had a king bed in order to avoid a bedding discrepancy. If the guest had been accommodated outside his confirmed bedding choice, it could have resulted in customer service issue. In this light, the hotel did nothing wrong, but it is unfortunate that no standard suites were available at check-in for the OP after the fact.
Best regards,
William R. Sanders
Social Media Specialist
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide
I booked a King for my stay last night at a hotel in Portland. Was given two queens in a handicapped accessible room. Today, due to other circumstances and things going wrong I was moved to a room with a King bed. BTW - much smaller room than the previous one but it does have the bedding requested. Not sure why it seems that Starwood can seemingly get around what they say is a benefit when, in fact, more anecdotal stories and experiences from users show that the benefit isn't there.
Not sure why Starwood doesn't just own up to it and say "we are no longer offering this as a benefit since we never really did?" Would probably resolve a number of complaints/posts/threads
Programs: A3*Gold, SPG Plat, HyattDiamond, MarriottPP, LHW exAccess, ICI, Raffles Amb, NW PE MM, TWA Gold MM
Posts: 19,428
Quote:
Originally Posted by jmastron
This doesn't sound inappropriate to me (as a non-platinum member, at least). The hotel had 2 room types available, at least one with a queen bed and a suite with a king, and 2 customers, one who had reserved a king and one who had reserved a queen.
Assuming that (1) the bed difference at this hotel is part of a room category and thus guaranteed, and (2) that suite upgrades for platinum members are not guaranteed, it seems the fairest thing was done. It doesn't seem right to upgrade the platinum to the only room that will satisfy a paid reservation's guarantee, forcing the other customer to be downgraded.
If both had reserved kings (and thus somebody had to be downgraded regardless), it would then be appropriate to upgrade the platinum member and downgrade the non-member.
I had the impression that Starwood guarantees bedding type only for elites on paid stays and not necessarily for the general public. Nevertheless, I would imagine that any non elite with bedding type confirmed in writing in the reservation would expect the bedding type in the confirmation.
One wonders whether the outcome would have been different if the property had preassigned rooms.
Programs: SPG E Level; AA Pa Kettle; CO/UA Pa Kettle; PWP Plenipotentiary Ombudsman of :rolleyes:
Posts: 27,639
Quote:
Originally Posted by MSPeconomist
I had the impression that Starwood guarantees bedding type only for elites on paid stays and not necessarily for the general public...
No, it applies to anyone staying on a confirmed, paid-rate reservation. If you don't get the smoking or bedding preference you confirm on a paid-rate reservation, it can be a customer service issue for the property if it gets reported.
Best regards,
William R. Sanders
Social Media Specialist
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide
I actually ended up very much liking this property (Four Points San Francisco Airport). Breakfast was good and reasonably priced, staff very nice and flexible (they even called airport shuttle back to the hotel after I narrowly missed it). Great property and great people. This thread helped me to understand why clerk had to make a choice he made. Thanks.
(and maybe his free breakfast -- see threads here about even PLT members downgraded). IMO, I'm only OK with the scenario when you don't get a suite because someone paid for it cold cash. I have had my suite pre-upgrades "stolen". At least once, I witnessed how a very imposing expensively dressed gentleman beat me by 2 minutes at check-in and asked for suite upgrade. He didn't have one and a female FD agent was eager to help. They didn't discuss his status but room key envelope was a regular one. Then I come with my SPG print-out from the same morning showing my queen size traditional upgraded to 1 bedroom suite (5 categories up). Agent charmingly says "You have been upgraded to a Club room". I showed her my printout -- she goes "Sorry, we unable to honour previous pre-upgrade". I noted that my upgrade went to that guy and asked about his status. She became mildly confused and found me another suite after good 10 minutes of keyboard clicking.
