Originally Posted by
DealDetective
This was similar to our experience during a relatively slow period, not a 3 day holiday weekend. We thought we got lucky securing a 3 night award reservation for a Wed to Sat stay. Ten days before arrival, the hotel advised us that we should use a "Suite Night Award as suites are often fully committed on the day of arrival." As there was availability in all room and suite categories, we thought our upgrade chances were good without a TSU. The day we checked in, the app showed we were upgraded to a Coastal View room, even though they also showed Pool and Courtyard suites available for all 3 nights of our stay. Upon check-in, we asked if any suite upgrades were available and after considerable checking, were told there was just one Pool Suite on the first floor, but it would probably be very noisy for a couple celebrating an anniversary. When I mentioned the app still showed Courtyard Suite availability, they could not give me an explanation. We didn't press it because we thought a coastal view would be very nice.
I'm not surprised they did this. I've seen this at other properties also, where a standard suite was available on the app for booking but front desk staff tried to give me the runaround about it not being eligible for upgrade for various BS reasons.
Properties will continue to do this if globalists don't force their hand and protest / utilize every resource available (concierge, phone line, twitter) to enforce the program rules. I get how some people are conflict-adverse, but this benefit is clearly spelled out. And at the Aviara in particular, the suites (I agree, Courtyard > Pool) are worth the upcharge in terms of extra space over the standard rooms (the Coastal View thing is baloney that they're using to take standard rooms off award inventory).
I had a recent similar experience to yours at a different property. If anything, I felt bad for the front desk receptionist -- they were clearly just following directives from the manager, who was in an office visible from the front desk. It felt like being at a car dealership; the receptionist had to go back and forth to the manager, until the manager finally gave up after seeing the long line of pissed off guests behind me who were waiting. In the end, I got what I asked for, but it made me feel dirty inside to go through all that hassle, and resentful of the property. I get how this is a business, and hotels have been going through a pandemic, and Hyatt Corporate probably made things 100x worse by minting a boatload of globalists last year; but this is also hospitality, and BS like this is the opposite of hospitable attitude when properties try to nickel and dime everything and play stupid games to avoid fulfilling their WOH program obligations.