jeffandnicole

So then when people write here saying that they checked in online but were given another room anyway, is that complaint any less worthy than your complaint?

There are 2 constant complaints: People want late checkouts (4pm), and people check in online to a specific room (at 3pm), only to be given another room. They will always be competing complaints when the same room is involved.

jamesteroh

Hilton could just block out the rooms diamonds are checking out from online check in inventory (or at least from people that state their estimated check in time is before 5). I'm sure that what's Hyatt, SPG and Marriott do.

All they have to do is ask the guest at check in if they require a late check out and if the guest says 4 p.m. not make the room available for online checkin. I'm usually asked at Hyatt's if I want a 4 p.m. check out.

flyou10

Yes this. Especially in today's technology world. You would like a 4pm checkout, ok. Then on the online check-in, start with what time you would be arriving and if you check 3pm, then the late checkout rooms wouldn't show (unless you selected you 5pm later). They could even take it a step further and have a checkout button on the app. That way when people leave at 6am or 8am, house keeping knows which rooms to begin with. Also, they could incentivize using it by giving 500 bonus points if you check out early by like 9am or something.

Idk, the point is with Marriott/SPG and Hyatt offering it, then Hilton needs to get on board. They will lose business over it. Especially, when right now domestically if you ask for a late checkout past 1 hour later they kind of treat you like you're crazy.

hfly

Yeah, quiet honestly ONLINE checkin is an absolute joke which has little real benefit for the customer, much more for the property. If you ever ever hope for an upgrade, simply do not ever checkin online, otherwise you will have a fight on your hands.

feniks138

Well, sometimes it turns into something profitable.

We arrived with Blue HHonors status, having checked-in previously. I've been given card to my room and started heading towards elevator. Suddenly I hear my name and "Excuse me, we're sorry but your chosen room has not been cleaned yet." I've got kind of shocked since it was already 1 hour after allowable check-in hours. He might have noticed that, because after one minute I've received a card to the Executive King room on the top floor with EL access (having reserved a basic king room). Well, kind of surprising for a BLUE member.

jeffandnicole

Then why would two highly profitable companies need to merge, rather than continue to compete? Seems like Marriott and SPG were losing the business, not Hilton.

What does Hilton offer that the others don't? Most people don't have a need for a 4pm checkout...almost no one on here says the 1pm checkout they were given caused them any issues.

I think if you work in a hotel long enough, you'll have people claiming they'll never stay at a property again for every single possible reason, and then some that you never thought of. If a hotel loses a customer because they want to hog a room 4 hours past checkout on a constant basis, sometimes the hotel will gladly hold the door open for them as they walk out.

jamesteroh

A lot of times two high profit companies will merge. SPG/Marriott was a merger not an acquisition. And Marriott recently added the late checkout so they were probably losing money over it.

And Hilton has lost some stays from me over this stingy policy and others have reported the same thing. When I fly out of Atlanta I usually have a 6 to 7 p.m. flight home and I like to be able to use the fitness center and shower before heading to the airport or if I want to stay out in the city I like to shower and change before heading to the airport. With Hilton it's a real pain since I don't have the room to shower in. My Atlanta stays now go to the W in Midtown or the Hyatt downtown when I have a later flight where Hilton would get the stay.

If SPG can offer me a 4 p.m. checkout GUARANTEED with no status (I only stay in SPG's about 6 times a year) just by being a diamond with Delta then Hilton should be able to offer it to a diamond that has 60 nights a year

thbe

I don't agree with you. Everyone with a flight after 3 pm appreciate a late check-out. And to give a late check-out means no real additional cost for the hotel.

Most of the Hiltons doesn't care about the following guest, when they give a room to a DIA. So late check-out is about being lucky, that the following guest will arrive later.

IHG and some others give their rooms also considering the following guest. Top tiers get rooms, where the chance of a late check-in of following is sure or likely. That's means offering better service by being just smart.

thbe

Of course the online check-in makes sense. Maybe not for yourself, but for the following guest, which can get a late check-out easily. And if another guest uses the online check-in, the lucky following guest could be you.

If every guest uses the online check-in, even the less smart Hilton group would be able to grant much more late check-outs.

hfly

You like upgrades? They generally do NOT ever happen if you do online check-in.

jamesteroh

How does using the App give you a late check out easier?

I will use if I have been preupgraded, or it's a property like HGI that doesn't normally do upgrades and there is a room I really want. Seeing upgrades ahead of time rarely happen I just wait until I get to the hotel. If I use OLCI a lot of times the hotels are less willing to give you an upgrade since you are already checked in.

flyou10

Sadly I agree with this. Although I still have a a few upgrades some given to me at the front desk and some I've requested. There have been a handful shownup on the online checkin. The rooms have been selectable, but they didn't say they were an upgrade. I just knew it was better than what I had reserved. I don't know why Hilton doesn't mark them as upgrades when it obviously is to someone paying attention. Mark it as an upgrade so it's obvious. It's marketing 101.

As as far as online checkin is concerned they need to make didgital upgrades a reality. Jump 100% into your app if that's what they want to do. Don't just wade in the shallow in.

Another thing I would like to see on the app is allowing Diamond members to check in 12-24hrs before everyone else.

But let's call it as it is. Hilton is terrible at giving upgrades anyway, no matter how you check-in. Almost worse that giving late checkouts.

thbe

There are two ways to get an upgrade with online check-in:
- some hotels give you an upgrade before arrival and you can do the online check-in based on that upgrade
- You do your online check-in and ask for an upgrade when checking in at the counter.

I do the online check-in quite often and my upgrade ratio at Hilton, Conrad and WA is >90%.

thbe

The app doesn't give you a late check out easier, if you are the only one, who use it.

It gives you a late check out easier, if the guest, who will get your room after you will arrive later and gives that information to the hotel by using the online check in.

If the hotel doesn't know, when the next guest will arrive, they have to block the - your - room from the official check-in time (i. e. 3pm), minus the time for the house keeping to clean up the room (i. e. 1 h => late check-out at 2pm).

If the hotel knows, that the next guest will arrive at 6pm, there won't be a problem to grant a late check-out for the previous guest at 5pm.

hfly

thbe, yeah, ok, you keep going and doing it that way then.....What do I know? 60-100 nights a year for over 20 years, Charter Lifetime Diamond member.......you keep doing those "upgrade offers", they are really in YOUR benefit. As for asking at the counter, yes that is what everyone does.........it also gives them to say, "but we are giving you the specific room you required".