Mook

File this one under "once is a fluke, twice is a coincidence, three times is a pattern."

I, along with every other warm-blooded biped on the planet, is a "lowly" HH Gold. Most of my stays are short (1-2 night) visits to high-traffic city locations -- as such, I tend not to even bother asking for upgrades unless I'm going to be at the property for three nights or more. Even with such cherry-picking tactics, my success rate YTD is only around 40% ...

So imagine my surprise when I was upgraded without asking to a king suite this week at the HGI in Roseville, CA. Now imagine the additional surprise that came when the bill was slid under my door showing a rate $43 higher than the (corporate) rate I signed for Sunday night!

All I had to do was (a) ask for the rate card I signed and (b) dig out my Gold card again to get the charge removed. Not normally a big deal, but IMO this problem has reached epidemic proportions. In my case alone, this is the third time this year I've been charged for an upgrade that I am supposed to be given as a Gold elite member! On a percentage basis, that's about half the time that I actually manage to get upgraded at all.

How many other people don't have the time in the morning to review their bills and are lining Hilton's coffers with additional revenues from supposedly "free" upgrades? I'm starting to think that suite upgrades aren't worth predictably having to argue with a front-desk clerk at 6:30 in the morning to get spurious charges removed from my bill.

If Hilton wants to make Diamond the only true elite level by handing out Gold status like breath mints, well, that's their prerogative. Even 40% is a heck of a lot higher than the 0% upgrade percentage I enjoy YTD on my air travel.

But when I happen to luck into an upgrade and then have to spend my time and energy getting the staff to understand that I didn't offer to pay for it ... it's almost enough to drive me back to Marriott as a second-choice hotel chain behind Starwood.

Is this happening to anyone else with any regularity? What can be done about it?

Mook

Eugene

I don't recall it ever happening to me (at a Hilton or any other hotel, for that matter), but I always insist on confirming my rate at check-in.

bamboola

Did all three instances happen at the HGI? This has happened to me also and always at the HGI. I either avoid the HGI or carry a printout of my reservation, which clearly shows the rate.

Mook

Twice at HGI's (Columbus, OH and the latest one in Roseville). I truly don't remember where the third time was (I've stayed at >20 different Hiltons in the last 12 months).

I'm on the road so often that I rarely have a chance to print out my reservations. On a couple of occasions, I've had to fire up my laptop on the hotel front desk to grab the e-mail confirmation ...

It'd be a shame if this was an HGI-wide epidemic. For the money, HGI's are the best value in the Hilton chain IMO.

Mook

homey

this happened to me at the new hampton inn in san jose. luckily i looked at my bill, normally its on the floor and i stick it in my briefcase, sneer at the usa today hanging on the doorknob, and walk out to my car and fly away. this time i looked and was shocked to see i was charged for the big fancy room. i went to the desk and pointed it out, showed the guy my confirmation sheet and gold card, and he took care of it with zero fuss. if there were a line or something (it was 5am) i would have been more stressed out, but as it was it was fine. i'll be checking from now on though!

and get this - if you stay there, (old tully road) ask for room 501. its f-ing huge, like 600-700 square feet. just massive. here's the neat part - it has no closet. i am not making that up! the ironing board is bolted to the wall back in the corner. i found that strange as heck. i got winded walking around the room carrying my shirts/pants trying to find the closet.

the hotel was nice and clean and the room was awesome otherwise. but check your bill...

DL Platinum

A king "Suite" at an HGI?? While I have not experienced the extra charges as stated, the "upgrade" at an HGI to the "suite" is no better than a standard room. The only difference I can see is that instead of one spacious room, it is converted into two small rooms. No benefit in my view.

HOWEVER, as a diamond, HGI's provide me great value. Always presented with 2 bottles of water at check in or in the room, and breakfast certificates. Sometimes a $5 "Pantry" credit is also provided.

FWIW

MisterNice

Actually they are 2-3 ft longer/deeper but no wider. You can often spot the suites from the outside as they stick out similar to a bay window.

MisterNice

hfly

Happened to me at the Langham Hilton in London.

jabez

This often happens because of under trained clerks. The hotel has upgradable rooms at an additional $$$$ per night. You ask for upgrade they upgrade you and add the extra charge to it. The clerk has no idea (or forgot) that elites want free upgrades.

hfly

No, in my case the Austrian very rude Front Desk manager knew exactly what he was doing and was not a junior employee.

jabez

This could end up as a "blessing",if you're on top of it. You might get upgraded at a hotel that normally says "none available".When you get to your room call down and make sure you didn't get upgarded prices.
Maybe we need a "upgrade ripoff" thread lising these hotels.

EDATraveler

Adding my experience (and my thanks to the thread originator!)

I stayed at the HGI in Roseville CA one night this week. I am a Hilton Gold, and when I checked in I was advised "we've upgraded you for the night."

I then initialed my rate on the res card, which was accurate to my reservation ($104.)

When I received my bill in the morning, I was charged a rate of $114. It was no problem to change back. I went to the front desk upon checkout and said "my room rate on the bill is higher than the amount I initialed upon checkin." Took seconds to fix, but I'm a bit suspicious of why this would happen repeatedly (based on your experience).

Let me add that the hotel was nice (in the same way all HGI's are). This HGI charges $9.95 for high-speed internet access. They appear to be owned by the same franchisee who owns the Larkspur Landing next door.

This HGI gave me a coupon for 2 bottles of water from their pantry upon checkin. They also gave me a $5 voucher for pantry purchases. I also received a coupon for a FULL breakfast (compared with pay-to-upgrade to hot meal at other HGIs.)

IAHRoadWarrior

A slightly different pattern I've been noticing lately is with the Hilton propertied in Las Vegas. I've stayed at Ballys once and Paris twice this year, and on all three occasions I had mysterious or erroneous charges on my bill. Paris charged me for room service not ordered nor received and for an in-room movie never ordered and not watched. Bally's dinged me twice in one night for their in-room broadband that I (obviously) could have only connected to once. Total overcharges were in the vicinity of $100 for the 3 stays.

Always review your bill carefully line by line is the strategy to continue I guess...

cordelli

I've had issues where when checking in and they turn the card around and circle the rate it was higher then what I reserved at (and quickly corrected when the reservation was presented), but never had it change on the final bill.

Like you, it's happening with much more frequency recently, but it's always been fixed just by asking. I haven't gotten to the point where I believe it's anything other then a error on their part yet, but you have me thinking...

PaulGQ

Of course the Langham, that dump overcharges for everything. You have to keep your eye on them or else they will rake you over the coals.