Originally Posted by
Eric_sean
Has anyone ever had a Marriott property cancel your reservation and move you to a Hilton property? I had booked a room at the Renaissance Des Moines, but 5 days before I was set to check in, I received an email from the hotel saying they were moving me to a Hampton Inn. The email said the hotel was under construction and wouldn’t be ready in 5 days.
The Renaissance Des Moines Savery Hotel closed more than two years ago for a one-year renovation. Its reopening has been postponed several times.
I had a 2-night reservation at the Renaissance Savery a few months ago (June). The Renaissance moved my reservation to the new Hilton Des Moines Downtown, two or three blocks north of the Renaissance. The Des Moines Marriott Downtown was sold out, so that was not an option.
The Ultimate Reservation Guarantee did not apply. According to the current Loyalty Program Terms & Conditions, "A Participating Property must be open and operational for the Ultimate Reservation Guarantee benefit/compensation to apply." (The rules were similar or the same back in June.) The Renaissance Des Moines Savery Hotel was neither open nor operational — and still isn't.
I paid the same amount to the Hilton as I would have paid for the Renaissance — except that the Hilton has an additional mandatory charge because it's attached to the Iowa Events Center, so I think I paid an additional $10 or $20 compared to the Renaissance. The Renaissance picked up an additional $100 or so per night because the rate at the Hilton was higher.
Before my stay, I asked the Renaissance to (1) provide Rewards points as though I had stayed at the Renaissance, (2) arrange lounge access at Hilton because I would have had it at the Renaissance, and (3) provide Elite qualifying nights as though I had stayed at the Renaissance. The Renaissance was able to provide 1 and 2, but not 3.
I joined Hilton Honors so that would have free Internet.
I liked the Hilton very much. On the minus side, with no Hilton Honors status, I had the most basic room type at the Hilton, compared to the nice Platinum upgrades that I've always received at the Renaissance Savery in the past. On the plus side, the Hilton lounge breakfast was better than the Renaissance Savery lounge breakfast that I've had in the past.
Overall, I was happy. The Renaissance Savery handled it well.
I doubt I would have been as happy if I had been booked at the Hampton Inn & Suites Des Moines Downtown, even though it seems like a very nice Hampton Inn. It's a longer walk to Downtown, although it's close to Court Avenue and El Bait Shop.
The new opening date fro the Renaissance Savery is October 22, 2018. We'll see!