Arrived at 8:30 pm after a long day of work. One irate guest at the Diamond line ... but the general line is empty. Check in at the general line. Go upstairs to the club. My card won't open the club.

Go back downstairs. There's a HUGE general line and the same irate guest at the Diamond line. I get into the general line. Finally reach the front of the line at 8:59 pm. Get a new card. Go back upstairs and the club is closed. (It closes at 9 pm)

Go back downstairs. The same irate guest is at the Diamond line. The front desk manager is almost in tears because the guy ischewing her out so t. I thoroughly. I gently inquire as to the nature of the problem. It seems that the irate guest traveled "26 hours" and paid for a vacation in a "luxury hotel" and they stuck him on the 3rd floor in a handicapped room that "reeks" with "dampness". He wants a room with a view.

Front desk manager calmly insists that the hotel is sold out. They can move him to a better room tomorrow night, but as for tonight, they have no other room to offer.

I explain that I actually have a room with a view ... and it's completely unused. I haven't even opened the door to the room yet. I'd be glad for irate guest to have my completely untouched great-view room, and I'll take the room he's unhappy with. After all, he's on vacation and I'm only here for one night and I need to leave at 7 am.

Front desk manager almost can't believe that I'd really make such a noble gesture. I explain that I know exactly what it's like to travel 26 hours and then have a disappointing experience at a hotel. I explain that I'll gladly do anything to help people out of a difficult situation. Still, the irate guest remains irate, stating that he does not take charity. He continues to berate the front desk manager. He ends up yelling and fussing all the way to his 3rd-floor room.

Yet I have just one tiny remaining issue for the front desk manager. I almost hate to bring it up, but I would hate it even more, to get up 20 minutes early to handle it in the morning. Here's the issue: I checked in at 8:30, was given a key which did not work for the club, tried to get a new key (but the front desk was too busy). By the time I get a new key, the club is closed. I was, in effect, denied access to the club.

I ask if she knows what the proper remedy is, for a Diamond member who is denied entrance to the club. No one at the front desk knows the answer. (The most senior FD agent had been with Hyatt for less than a year.) I explain that when a Diamond member is denied access to the club, they get the "DN" bonus code. The front desk manager looks it up and verifies that I speak the truth.

But she did not give me the DN bonus code.

She gave me 10,000 points instead.

Sometimes it pays to be a nice guy.