Originally Posted by transportprof

I just stayed at this hotel last Friday, and was not upgraded to an executive room. This would not have bothered me, except that I was told that only Executive Rooms have access to the lounge and that the lounge was too small to allow Gold members access except for those who got upgraded to the Executive floor.

I was told that a "surprise" awaited in my room to make up for the lack of upgrade. The surprise was how little was offered - two bottles of water (which are supposed to be provided to Golds anyway), a dozen grapes, an orange, and a kiwi fruit.

After this unpleasant surprise, I talked with the duty manager who agreed to offering a drink and a snack in the bar (but only at my suggestion). The whole experience was disappointing - it felt like pulling teeth to get Gold benefits at this hotel. This is the first time I've had such a disappointment as a Gold, but I've only returned to this status recently and wonder if this is the new normal?