<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by hhonorman:
Originally posted by Guava:
It's not just the program itself, it's also the operations such as the antiquate system of paper certificates - costy, error-prone and inefficient, hotel standards clearly below competitors, poor hotel compliance overall in the chain, customer service inconsistent and many other things. The real losers here are not just Hilton but also Hilton's true loyal customers who really don't deserve to have their loyalties punished by these huge hikes for which Hilton can only blame its marketing and management departments and nobody else.
________________________________________
Amen to that.
[This message has been edited by hhonorman (edited 12-13-2002).]</font>
One stay at the Troy, Northfield, MI Hilton will confirm everything above. I chose to stay here rather than a Marriott, Holiday Inn Select, Embassy Suites (next time I'm so there!), or other places because I'm "loyal" to Hilton. I figured with a "full service" Hilton, I'll get certain returns on my investment. Plus, every time I stay at a Hilton property, I'm building the bank for a future stay. Hilton is giving this to me...I'm earning this not screwing Hhonors simply because I want to.
Checking in at the Hilton on Sunday nite, 9:00ish.....no Suite upgrade (I'm Diamond), 1 free drink coupon and 2 breakfast coupons (I'm there 2 nites). While the Front Desk agent is checking me in and giving me these "perks" I'm overhearing a conversation at the next agent position, "our restaurant isn't really that good, you might want to go out". GREAT...
It gets better....
Go up to my outdated, stained carpeted, moldy, hairy (not mine) bathroomed room with a flat mattress and tiny TV. Put my stuff down, go back down to use my free drink coupon. Sorry, bar closes at 2:00 p.m. on Sundays...room service closes at 2:00 p.m. on Sundays...restaurant closes at 2:00 p.m. on Sundays...the other restaurant that leases space from us has closed early on a Sunday...and not much in this Suburb is open at this hour on a Sunday.
"Your in the suburbs, not downtown, and we just don't stay open late out here" is the comment from one of the front desk agents.
HELLO, even more reason to provide something for your paying customers other than a bag of pretzels and a diet coke from the vending machine.
UNBELIEVEABLE.
I chose Hilton because I thought the name carried a certain quality to the product. Not so. This facility is no better than a Hampton Inn, and actually worse, because at least at a Hampton Inn, you know what you are getting...unless they do it better than other Hamptons in which the are better than other Hiltons.
Don't flame me, I know...after 50+ stays a year at Hilton product facilities for the past upteen years, I should know better....what can I say, I still buy Powerball tickets honestly thinking this time is MY TIME!
I'm slowly switching to Hyatt...they comped me to Diamond Level, I've already collected a few bottles of wine from the Check-in amenity, and had one of the most attractive junior suites I've ever had at the Elliot Grand Hyatt in Seattle the last 2 nites...
Now if there was just a Hyatt Suites in Frederick, MD...
"Please kind sir, may I live here for a week or two?"
We'll see how it goes in 2003.