I always offer my card when I checkin. And the receptionist invariably hands it back saying something like "its nice to see a member back again - we have upgraded you to XXX room".

I have found them to be perhaps the most consistent of the Rezidor hotels.

Perhaps the tripadvisor comments are based on some travellers expectations (US travellers see to find European hotel rooms small) and perhaps booking via booking.com or expedia? I have heard some anecdotal that some of them screw the hotels down on rates and their customers do not get the best rooms.