I find it's most effective to complain "up" and compliment "down".

When you have a problem at a hotel, immediately report the problem. Start as you did with the initial point of contact responsible for the area. That's usually the Front Desk, but it could also be a restaurant server or concierge depending upon the issue. If that doesn't resolve the issue, go up one level to a supervisor or manager. Next, appeal to the person responsible for hotel operations. In larger hotels, that's not the same person at the General Manager. In smaller hotels, that will be the General Manager. Finally, speak to the General Manager (if you're not there already).

If that fails, go to the Guest Service team at the chain. Don't conflate the frequent guest program with guest services at the chain. They aren't the same and guest services typically has greater authority to act. If all of that fails, you can try to reach out to the CEO's office for the chain or go public via social media.

Most hotels are franchises, which gives you the option of contacting the owner of the hotel, too. In my experience, that can be hit or miss. Some owners care; other owners are just use hotels as investment vehicles. Also, finding the contact information for the owner can be difficult.

In contrast, if you want to compliment a hotel or offer praise for a specific employee, go directly to the chain (via the website or by calling). It may take a few days, but the compliment will get transferred down the system and reach the hotel or person. Just like complaints, compliments get tracked by Corporate. By starting at the top, you're helping the hotel with their annual performance review.