unusualtravelblog

Data point.

Got Diamond Select from status match.
Stayed at 3 BW hotels his year:

• BW Kranjka Gora Slovenia: upgrade to family room
• BW Rotterdam Airport Hotel: no upgrade
• BW Golden Lakes Hotel Belgium: upgrade to very nice loft with lake view

MarcElMile

Stayed at couple BW hotels this year and got upgrade each time as BW Diamond select.
- BW Gouda (NL), Suite upgrade
- BW Groningen (NL), Upgrade to one category higher
- BW Plus Roissy (FR), Upgrade to exec room

GUWonder

In various parts of the Schengen area, BW used to be reasonably good about giving me status-based upgrades to higher floors, better views and at least somewhat bigger rooms. I would assume that: properties which were good about this before still are somewhat better than average; and properties which were bad about this are still doing what they used to do in being miserly or extremely inconsistent with complimentary upgrades.

sobore

Any recent experiences in the US as a Diamond? Anyone receive an upgrade?

sdsearch

It totally depends on the hotel, and it may depend on how well the hotel knows you, I don't know.

Some hotels that I routinely stay at routinely upgrade me to a better room, others don't.

And btw, some hotels don't have "better" rooms really. They just have two or three types of rooms (not counting handicapped rooms), none with any view anyway, so what's there to upgrade to?

notahappycamper

Manager at Best Western Hawthorne Terrace in Chicago said that a decision was made by hotel management 4 months ago to not do any more upgrades- from Diamond Elite all the way down. Best Western isn't compensating them anything for giving out upgrades so they decided they aren't doing it anymore. Used to get upgraded here all the time to suites, Loft Suite or Roscoe Suite... Haven't been here since Feb 2020 so this is new to me and will definitely sway me to stay at Acme as that location is much more central.

GUWonder

Some hotel owners/managers have been extra-hostile to complimentary upgrades as they try to assign guests into rooms in tighter clusters so as to try to keep down variable costs and/or make things easier/faster for housekeeping. Complimentary late checkout practices have also been a casualty of sorts in places trying to go cheap(er) in various ways on status customers too.

untrueparadox

Another data point for Europe for Diamond Select:

* Best Western Plus Hotel City Copenhagen, Denmark - no upgrade is the property policy, no free water, was upsold on a discounted upgrade which turned out to just be the actual rate difference on the website for a 5 night stay
* Best Western Premier Milano Palace Modena, Italy - no upgrade is again the policy, no free water, no early checkin or late checkout

Also matched into the program, I guess its good if you're a trucker or infrastructure working staying in remote towns all the time. Other than the extra points, I don't think people would go out of their way to go stay at a BW because of their rewards program.

Adora77

I've stayed 55 nights this year on road trips and have not been upgraded anymore. I'm starting to think that maybe I should plain ask for upgrade? I just hate being beggy.

kcaluwae

Diamond Select and I was upgraded at the BW Fridhemsplan in Stockholm.
Even received a welcome drink, some snacks, and bonus points.
Was a really lovely surprise.

Everybody working at the hotel was also very friendly.

The location of the hotel is also good. The airport bus stops at the square and there's a metro station that takes you in 5 minutes to the city center.

sdsearch

Or maybe you shouldn't?

I got an upgrade at a BW hotel I occasionally stay at and it was horrible. Yes, the "suite" room was bigger but it was very poorly maintained. The air conditioner didn't work (it just blew room temperature air), there was no hair dryer, there was no soap, etc, etc.

Then the next week at the same hotel I wasn't upgraded, and everything in the room was exactly as it should be. I liked that a lot more than the upgraded room the previous week.

So it sounds like with decreased housekeeping staffs many hotels these days, some hotels don't service less-used rooms like upgraded rooms as well as they service frequently-used rooms like normal rooms.

Also, in general, I found that when I check into a room can matter as to whether I want a true upgrade. Even when everything works, many "suite" rooms do not have air conditioning which can keep up with bigger size of the room, and so if you check into a room late and want to cool down the room quickly, the smaller the room the better actually. On the other hand, if you check into a room early and can have many hours to get the room to the temperature you want (and more time to make sure everything works!), there may be way fewer downsides to being upgraded.

R

The big Hang-Up to an upgrade is housekeeping. I have stayed long enough to realize it depends how fast they can flip the rooms and clear them for checking in. They are usually waiting on towels and bed sheets from laundry.. I have seldom stayed at a Best Western where all the rooms were done by 3:00 p.m. check-in. Sometimes they work till 7:00 or 8:00 at night. Flipping rooms. They will give you the next room that's been cleared. Because they've got pressure on them from the management. Make friendly on the phone greet them with a smile when you go to the front desk because I have seen people give them crap and the wall will go up.
You are not being beggy.haha I always call the hotel in advance to book and not to the website let them know of your status as a rewards member, and if you have stayed there before, ask for an upgrade if possible over the phone, or if they can make a note in your file, and when you get there. if they know you're on their side you have a better chance of getting an upgrade. I always ask I usually get one unless it's busy summer time and they're fully booked. The off-season is easier. As a single businessman I have stayed over 2,000 nights at Best Westerns usually at the same hotels. Normally the upgrades are from standard room to King and King maybe with a veranda type sundeck. I have even been upgraded to an apartment with a jacuzzi type bathtub and a full kitchen. If I stay at one place a lot I may ask for a particular room number. And occasionally bring them a box of chocolates or something like that. I always try to make nice at the front desk in case they're stressed so they know I'm on their side. Like everywhere else in life if I get someone on the phone who's stressed out and not really cooperative I may just hang up and call back later. If you are staying 55+ nights a year you deserve recognition. Also early check in and late check out.
No, some do not do upgrades, esp since covid and housekeeping is by request only.

GUWonder

It does seem that some more basic/cheaper hotels which rarely sell the suites — but sometimes provide them as upgrades — seem to get less housekeeping than they need. And this problem indeed seems to have gotten worse over the years, especially as cutting housekeeping hours/costs has become ever more in focus for hotel owners/management. This “not cleaned as often/extensively” problem is also becoming more of an issue in mid-upper and even some upper-market properties. Unfortunately, this problem is not limited to just one brand or even one market.

Dracarys

I travel with my husband and two kiddos and stopped hoping for an "upgrade". I've just been booking the exact room I want so my kids each have their own space rather than hoping for an upgrade as I have done in the past. I have not been successful that often.