Originally Posted by
toooldtostayoutlate
I plan to be there within the next few weeks and I hope to discuss this with a higher up. I imagine that the best case scenario is that they will tell me I can always book it and they will switch me out to a king. It's just that that will be favor #1 and when I add that I would like an upgrade as well they may counter with the fact that they were already kind enough to change my room type. I agree that this new shenanigan is a big devaluation.
Don't assume that this will work. I did this exact same thing - booked a two-queen room and was assured by the property that I'd be switched to a king - during a stay last year. Then I showed up, no dice. I posted about it a couple pages back (and got ripped on for it...silly me for taking the property at its word). The manager comped a couple of things because I complained, but if you want that room type, this strategy may not work. It is considered an "upgrade" and upgrades are of course not guaranteed.
The manager also gave the impression that this property could take elites or leave them and money is what talks. I got the feeling that they do enough revenue business that he wished elites on award stays would just get lost. Personally I liked the hard product at this property but the service was very dispassionate and robotic; I'd be inclined to go to the Palmer House, Hilton Chicago, or TheWit where they actually treat you like a human rather than a line item.