Ahh, you discovered the true gem in the Hyatt crown ... its service personnel are almost uniformly top notch, and those who fail in their duties are quickly notified of their failings, and the patron is compensated for the offense in one way or another.
Hyatt personnel from Julia to the CSRs in Gold Passport, the reservations line, the hotel staff and manh of the heads of various departments, take their service commitments to heart, and it shows.
Hilton is simply dreck, and another chain is punishing one of its best service personnel for their effrontery of attempting to help us here on FT, because upper management has not followed through on their commitments. I don't stay at Starwood so I can't comment, but William is an asset, as is Marriott's unofficial Socrates.
As for the FFN debate above, I understand both sides, and I have noted before that if they were to ban it, so be it, but for now, I book them when I can.
However, as many have noted in other threads before, on very cheap PLN stays or reward stays, I make it a habit of charging for various hotel services that I might not otherwise partake in were I paying a more expensive rate -- e.g. -- spa and other treatments, dinners, room service, etc.
I think that this is only fair as the program has been more than generous with us and the hotels deserve our continued patronage by ensuring them our loyalty and cash flow. Moreover, I earn GP points on the transactions and that helps my account, as well.
As many of you know, not only the rooms and amenities are top notch, the services described above are as well, and are well worth the price, especially when one is receivng their room free of charge. That is why I get really steamed at those who nickel and dime Hyatt with complaints about parking charges (in cities no less!!) or what appears to be high charges for dinner, when that is not really so, or at the very least, are in keeping with the quality of the restaurant and of those surrounding it -- such as the Coconut Point property.
Their shortsightedness is penny wise and pound foolish, IMHO.
Rather than doing away with the PLN stays for award credit and/or stay credit on free nights, Hyatt will instead institue a requirement that you spend a certain $$ amount to earn such credit. That would be fine with me, the hotels that they manage, and it certainly would get rid of the nickel and dime freeloaders.
By the way, I do not include the initiator of this thread as one of them, as he/she was just making an observation that we all know about, and their major statement revolved around the amazing customer service that Hyatt dispenses to its clientele.
I am sure that they will shift much more business to Hyatt so that they will requalify for Diamond next year, for there is no other program that treats its elites --and non-elites -- better than the way Gold Passport does!
P.S. Julia and Hope -- I have not forgotten my e-mail to you. I just have been snowed under with other things, but you should receive it some time next week if all goes well.