Originally Posted by
aaupgrade
I agree with others, I have always gotten upgrades at resorts. Book the lowest price room and end up with ocean view/front at beach resorts and mountain view at ski resorts.
Other than that I see this as a trick question, or at a minimum unrealistic criteria, and requiring EL at resorts as the sole quantifier of Plat status acknowledgment. Hilton resorts can't even meet that requirement given your criteria.
You live in Roseville, CA, always travel outside the country, on a flight under 8 hours, and wish to exclude Hawaii and the Caribbean. Why didn't you say you only wish to travel to Canada, Mexico or Central America. Your choices are very limited not even taking your desire for an EL into consideration:
Canada - 1 resort
Mexico - 1 non-Caribbean resort
Central America - 2 resorts both in Costa Rica (ex-SFO under 8 hours on TACA, over 8 hours on other airlines)
BTW, most really nice properties are outside of North America. You will find the best lounges with the nicest offerings in most Asian FS properties, and isolated resort properties. Suggestion: expand your horizon.
Then return to Hilton if that's what you prefer. That is why there are different hotel chains and frequent stay programs. What works for one person may not for another.
Your choices at Hilton under your specified criteria are actually more limited:
Canada – 1 resort
Mexico – 1 non-Caribbean resort
Central America – 1 resort (also Costa Rica)
And none of the above 3 Hilton properties have EL. You did say breakfast was wasted on you, so I don't see what Hilton brings to the table that Marriott does not:
No, it wasn't a trick question. Perhaps I was a little bit confining when I said an 8 hours....and I have not been to every Caribbean island either. (Ouch...when I read replies like this, it reminds me to be a little nicer to folks that may not be thinking 100% clearly or perfect when they post--thanks for the reminder in that area.) I feel like I have just been admonished by a teacher!
Let's see...let me try again.
If the "resort" does not have an EL, then that is not an issue. In my original post, I was also looking for NON Resort properties that are very nice--they just don't have "resort" in their name, which seems to matter in the MR program (could be wrong, but that is the impression I was under).
Also, the other question was trying to find any experiences with resort properties that did acknowledge MR members...and I did not know they did that, which is why I posted the question in the beginning. So thanks to those that provided me me with "resort" properties that acknowledged Plats. with the upgrades. And absolutely, a ocean front room is truly an acknowledgment in my book...way better than a cr*ppy breaded mushroom from an EL (hubby doesn't even drink so booze is wasted on him).
I think I have to relook at Caribbean properties. We just got off a 14 night cruise of the Caribbean and we had been to most ports already so it was simply a very relaxing cruise. But we walked to a couple Marriott properties (Aruba for one) and when we asked the front desk if they acknowledged Plats for upgrades, they said, "Oh no....(nearly laughing)....we are "franchised," or something like that....we don't acknowledge it at all." My husband was even turned off with their attitude and he's not even the one with the Plat status. It was almost like we should have been embarassed to ask. Mind you, this was the Renassiance...so it could be different at their other property.
We vacationed in Barbados (loved it), Ireland, London, Rome, Sorrento, Amsterdam, Budapest, Australia, 10 cruises, 4 trips to Cabo (Hilton) and once to Cancun, Maui 3 times, Oahu twice, Big Island, and Kauai.
We are just looking for something different but I realize the eight hour criteria was what made my question an impossible one to reply.
The only Caribbean Island that we haven't been to is Granadines (sp?), Bahamas, St. John....I think that may be it.....but most of those islands were not land vacations (besides Barbados and San Juan) so I think we will need to consider the Caribbean if we are not up for a really, really long flight.
We have definitely tabled Hawaii and Mexico for awhile anyway, but we do remember seeing a BEAUTIFUL Marriott (at least from the outside) when we were leaving St. Thomas....and Curacao seemed to be a very nice place to visit...this was actually are first time to that island (in April).
Sorry for the confusion, but actually, I got some great information. It appears that the Resorts "do" upgrade their Platnium folks....just not breakfast. But upgrading us to a nicer room or a fabulous view, in my view, IS acknowledging Plats and that is what I was after--I may not have been as clear and concise as I should have...you know how sometimes you know what you want to ask but it doesn't come out quite the same when you type it.
And we haven't left Hilton...we have both. We've just had more experience with Hilton outside of the United States, that's all. I will try to maintain both as long as humanly possible.
Thanks for the great information on the "resort" properties that do acknowledge Plat status.
Dawn