Medeski

I'm not a complainer normally but I was a little pissed after what happened last night to me.

FTR I'm a Diamond with 145 nights in hotels already this year (mostly longer term stays at a hotel 15 miles away from where this incident occurred.)

1. Booked Government Special rate for a Jr Suite at an HGI for 17-19 with the plans to pay the difference between the per diem and the suite rate out of my pocket. (Total cost $20 per night or $40 total)

2. Flying through ATL yesterday afternoon and my flight gets delayed so I call the hotel to confirm that my Jr Suite is still being held but that I wouldnt make it to the hotel until ~2300 instead of my planned ~2000 arrival. Desk agent assures me that they have already assigned me a room and they will hold it (which I confirmed through the online check-in process)

3. Arrive at hotel at ~2300 and was told that they didnt have the room anymore but they would put me in a standard King room. I didnt have the energy to fight the room issue but asked that my room rate be downgraded to the $99 rate since when I made the reservation that rate was available for booking this weekend.

4. Come down to breakfast this morning and check at the desk to ensure that my rate had been downgraded and was informed that it hadnt. The agent also told me that the weekend rates are never loaded at per diem since the hotel is always busy. I pushed it a bit and the finally downgraded the rate to the per diem rate.

5. I went back up to the hotel room and hopped on Hilton.com where I was able to find the $99 rate for both next weekend (24 - 26 June) and for the weekend after 4th of July weekend (8 - 10 July) with no issues at this hotel.

Would you / Should I complain to Hilton Corporate or the GM over

a. The room downgrade even after I was assured over the phone that my room selection was already set aside for me

b. What appears to be a complete and utter lie by the desk agent this morning over weekend rates

more4less

Hello Medeski,

I am sorry for your experience but taking in consideration how much you travel, probably you will face more important reasons to complain in the future.
I would not waste my energy for this issue and move on.

InkUnderNails

I disagree. Simple poor service happens. Deceit is never acceptable. The staff should be reported.

more4less

Probably I misexplained myself.

It is fine to report it but I would not ask for compensation.

CAlex

OP did not mention compensation.
I also agree this should be reported, especially since you paid for that Jr Suite and it was not just an upgrade they can justify was not available at time of checking due to a late paying client.

Medeski

I should have been more clear and will be in the email I send to corporate. I dont want any compensation but instead want this behavior to be noted so other people who dont know as much dont get financially screwed.

MarkMColo

I think it would be appropriate to first address your issues with the GM, and then escalate to Hilton Corporate if you are not satisfied with the response from the GM (with a cc: to the GM).

sjuhawk_jd

I agree. What if this was a resort type hotel and the OP was coming over for some special celebration and now the suite is gone?

formeraa

+1 I would focus on your room situation -- especially after you called and told them that you were coming in late.

Do NOT get into the agent situation...I would strongly recommend not going there. The agent made a mistake; the OP called them on it; the rate was corrected; case closed.

You would be better off focuing on the agent that you spoke to the day before. They caused the entire problem by not reserving your room!

GoingAway

You reserved a room type, confirmed the room then they gave away your room ... That was just room, esp when you ended up with a lesser room. I would ask for the manager, talk to them and request the gm's name and card, following up with an email of the incident and how well the front desk Msgr handled the situation for you.

I know many of you jump to the GM, but I prefer not jumping heads and giving those whose responsibility it was to actually correct and address the situation.

cordelli

Somebody probably walked in after you called and before you arrived and offered to pay cash for an upgrade, he gave them the room and pocketed the cash.

I would let the manager know that you were told you had a certain room and did not get it, and ask what can be done in the future to prevent that from happening again.

Had you not called it is almost understandable, but since you said you were still coming there's not much of an excuse.

GoingAway

How is this understandable? If you reserve and purchase a suite or other specific room type, that room type or better be available when you show up. There is no excuse for this, the fact that the OP made the call, just highlights the gross error that occurred on someone's part during the room allocation process that evening.

JDiver

I also think that's the way to go. I'd also mention your status and 145 days this year, so the GM gets it you are a valued customer and could return - or not!

This guy might be the second coming of Mike the Night Clerk at the defunct DoubleTree Club Hotel in Houston?

anothersuitcase

+1

try to sort out locally first, then up the ladder if this fails.

micke100

Now THIS is how a complaint should look like