Originally Posted by
platbrownguy
Sounds like they are trying to do right by you if they are sending you a fruit plate at a Residence Inn! That's pretty unusual for a RI.
It sounds like you wanted the points, in which case just ask for the points (and if they don't post, file a claim for them).
If instead you wanted a F&B amenity, and there was no market, it's hard to see how a fruit plate wouldn't count.
If what you really wanted was simply the choice -- so that you could then claim the compensation when it wasn't offered -- it doesn't sound like this is a particularly compelling case for it. There are plenty of properties that are malicious with noncompliance, and I encourage getting the compensation from them. But here it sounds like they are still learning... they were willing to give you the points, and the fact that they sent up a fruit plate (quite unusual -- I'm guessing this was outside the US) makes it sound like they're not just trying to screw you. If it is indeed a new property then it would not surprise me if they actually did not know/realize/understand that you were supposed to have a choice between points and F&B as a welcome gift.
In any event, for my "welcome gift" at a RI, I usually ask if there's bottled water in the room, and if not, I ask if I can just take a few bottles for the welcome gift. Usually 2+ bottles isn't a problem, some places limit to one.
Yes, this is outside the US of course. I don't see the water in the room as a welcome gift because it should be there by default so I don't even think about it. Let me try again briefly to describe the essence of the problem. At check in, none of the front desk staff greeted me as a Platinum, so none of Them ever mentioned the welcome gift as if it didn't exist in their Bonvoy program, much less the choice. Being fully entitled to the compensation specified in 4.3.c (iii), the hotel refused, arguing that their hotel does not have a choice of a welcome gift and they automatically give everyone without a choice 500 points. I was outraged by this initiative and I'm trying to figure it out. What happens in other RI hotels? Is there a choice?
P.S. after the first check-in, there was a so-called fruit plate in the room, in my opinion the hotel saved so much, because what was in the room cost less than 500 points. It was only after my complaint that they backdated 500 points. On the next check-in, they again did not remember anything about the welcome, especially about his choice. The so-called plate of fruit was gone. After the complaint, they immediately said that they automatically accrue 500 points and do not tell customers about it.
It seems that some RI hotels live by their own rules. I do not like it.