TravelLawyer

It sounds like you are getting both, not one or the other. Confirm that you are.

diver858

The other option is to file a claim with the credit card company, contest the charge.

RedElmo

Wow I've considered this hotel in the past I'm going to have to think twice. Or make sure to book only the lowest rate so they can't possible downgrade me any further haha

Eujeanie

I think they are going through an identity crisis...their name (Airport hotel) makes many want to gack but in reality they have a super primo location and are quite a nice hotel (gorgeous views whether you have a Marina or Harbor view), food better (we have had both breakfast and dinner there) than it needs to be for an "airport hotel".

We've stayed there twice now and like it better than others where we have stayed. We love retreating to harbor island with their one little road (compared to how hectic it is around the Bayfront Hilton and Marriott Marquis, for example).

The "airport" designation is a non-issue since SAN has a curfew and it is blissfully quiet both times we have stayed.

But this shady business of having you book one category and downgrading you has got to stop. Or at least own up to it and give appropriate compensation if someone is downgraded. And for really, really important times (like ours for the 4th of July) - do NOT overbook the Harbor view rooms! If you have a no-show upgrade a Diamond but do NOT downgrade someone who was counting on the fireworks view! I think I got the room I wanted because they could tell (based on my fury when I was told the day before that I did *not* have the room view I booked) that it was more worth their while to downgrade someone less vociferous. (Good for me) (but really sad for the person they did bump from that view).

But a talking-to I agree is definitely in order.

jeffandnicole

I'm sorry, but this has nothing to do with being a diamond. That in itself is an outrageous statement. Are you hinting that someone without status is permitted to be ripped off, and charged for a room or a product that they didn't receive? If I go to a restaurant that has a rewards programs without a rewards card, can they serve me hamburger even though I ordered a filet mignon?

Unfortunately, unless the customer service rep had sent an email or other written confirmation regarding the revised rates, the OP has nothing to state what the revised rates were, or even has any proof the discussion took place. (It's very doubtful Hilton will provide any sort of confirmation of the discussion on their own)

The best the OP could do in this case is to look up and print out a few days' worth of the rate options for the hotel. If the standard room consistently goes for $200 and the room that was booked consistently goes for $300, it's possible to say they should've paid $100 less per night and deserve a $200 refund total for the two nights. That in itself is still a stretch, but at least there's a specifically stated resolution the OP would be OK to live with if the hotel agrees to it, and/or the credit card company rules in favor of the OP.

MBS MillionMiler

Not at all...Anyone should expect to be properly refunded/compensated when things like this happen. It's just shocking that they let it happen to a diamond to begin with (being downgraded). It's shocking that they're not bending over backwards to make it right. I'd say it's disappointing if it happened to someone without status--and as I say here, SHOCKING that they downgraded a diamond.

My statement was that I expect a higher level of service. I implied that I do not expect a lower level of service. That statement was a thought that was independent of other things going on in my post. Of course, ANYONE who is disserviced should be appropriately compensated!

Beckles

This behavior by the hotel is not acceptable and needs to be rectified, but the $90+ claimed price difference seems dubious to me, there's more going on there than just downgrade in room (I just looked at this hotel for a date in the future and the price difference from this room to a standard room is more like $25/night, not $90/night).

RedElmo

Did u try July 4th or New Years day?

timfountain

I've never been super happy at a number of Hilton properties in DT SD. The one we are talking about can be noisy if you are on the wrong side. Also IMHO it is tired.

Had a terrible experience at the ES downtown (building site) not so long ago and there's a Hampton (opposite waterfront park) that backs literally right onto the railroad. You know you are in trouble when the hotel provides earplugs on the bedside cabinet.

I now tend to stay well north of SD downtown (where most of my customers are anyway) and drive to the airport as opposed to the theoretical convenience of being close to the airport. Case in point, the National Car Rental lot is close to the hotel on so a wash when it comes to shuttles....

Eujeanie

Have you been there recently? I believe they now have designated the downtown area a quiet zone for train horns. Also, all the car rentals are in a Consolidated Facility so not sure what National lot you are talking about.

The airport also has a curfew so the "wrong side" of the Hilton Harbor Island...the marina side?...should be as quiet as the Harbor side (where we have stayed twice and not heard a sound all night).

Rooms at the Harbor Island location have also been recently refreshed, and IMHO do not look tired at all.

That is not to say I don't think they have a serious problem with these downgrades and room categories being sold but not available, I just find it to be a much nicer hotel than you do.

timfountain

It wasn't the horns, but the clanking of 10,000 tons of metal passing over the crossing (which did make a noise when lowering/raising the barrier).

The airport curfew is relative, meaning if you have an 06:00 departure and want to get your head down at 8:30PM, the curfew will do you no good as it runs from 11:30 to 6:30 and airlines can and do break the rules.

The consolidated car rental facility is relatively new (opened 1/20/2016) and long overdue IMHO.

My opinion is that there are much better Hilton properties further out (Torrey Pines or Del Mar for instance), which I am OK with.

Still, I am not trying to change anyones' mind, I stay at a lot of Hiltons - last week was the Conrad Beijing and Shanghai Hilton, the week before a Hampton in Ft.Wayne, IN, a Hilton in downtown Columbus and a DT at Columbus airport. I see both the ends of the Hilton spectrum, the fantastic, the mundane and the bad!

Eujeanie

Fair enough, but since this thread is about Harbor Island I don't think you should imply you can hear any train or traffic noise from there - all the other hotels in town maybe, I don't know, I don't stay at them.

Airport noise? Never heard a peep from the Harbor View rooms.

Richmond_Surrey

Since we're discussing this hotel, anyone complained about lack of Shower Gel or did they start giving it to guests there? I complained about it in reception and they said they don't have Shower Gel in this hotel, only soap. It was in December 2015. Otherwise, I liked the hotel, location and views. Had higher floor as well.

semtex1871

Duh....thats kinda my point. We reserved back in March and were given a price of $247.05. I would have had no issue with paying that price if we had been given the room we had booked. The same room was selling for $174 on the night we checked in, the lower floor room we were put into was selling for $153.

The hotel still wanted to charge me $247.05 for the lower floor room!!!


* although I think there was shower gel supplied!!!!!!

Eujeanie

Did you have a prepaid rate?