bitterproffit

Hilton can't really have it both ways. They push Diamond status as something to attain to because of the upgrades. They market with Amex a credit card with an expensive annual fee by saying you will get Diamond status and therefore upgrades.

So, it must be frustrating when those upgrades don't seem to appear. Especially when the front desk tries to convince you that you did get the upgrade, when you know you didn't.

I had bad luck with Diamond upgrades, so I remain a Gold (via a credit card with a much lower annual fee) and if I get an upgrade, I am surprised and delighted.

But I would be equally as frustrated as the OP if it had happened to me.

mctaste

Loyalty programs are largely just a scheme to keep people from shopping around, and usually provide very little actual value. All the “loyalty” flows in one direction.

bitterproffit

I guess I should have said 'Hilton really can have it both ways'.

UVU Wolverine

I think you're right, but it's the way Hilton markets their loyalty program along with affiliated credit card benefits. Hilton is the middle man, and they are trying to solicit to both the hotel owners as well as the customer.

The hotel owners are going to try and put up a stand as well, which can be seen in some of the ridiculous point redemption options relative to redemption values in the past.

"Is the only point redemption option available an ADA double queen room?"
"Yes, per Hilton contracts that's all we have to provide."

corporate-wage-slave

What does it say in your confirmation email below Your Room Information? And what does it say under Room & Rate in My Stays in the Hilton App? If you booked a 2 bed queen room at that hotel then I can see the scope could be limited. They may well be selling rooms with a mountain view but actually offering any late cash buyers a suite instead. Few would complain. I did get an upgrade at this hotel a few months ago, from King Balcony to King Patio, and I must admit I think I would have preferred the balcony, but they do charge extra for the fire pit.

tfizzle

THis is a total party property and guests slam in for the weekend party and leave. That wears on the staff, even the good ones. Sadly, this is a "resort" property which counts for the $250 resort credit. YOu are going for palm springs life not to hang at the hotel.

Points Scrounger

Did you at least get a cookie?

smmrfld

OP...book the room you really want and avoid the angst. Not worth it.

Global Adventurer

Just quoting myself, and to my surprise, I was upgraded! This property (Al Seef Heritage Hotel, Hilton Curio) in Dubai has regular rooms, Souk views and Creek Views, and they have 1 bedroom suites. They found a room that has both creek and souk views with balconies in the front and back. And is upstairs from the Starbucks and the music pavilion, which is fine with me. So, I have a birds eye view of the bands playing at night from my bedroom, see the people walking by and the shops below, and can go to the front of my room and see the dhow and dinner cruise boats go by. I'm a happy camper. I'll start a separate thread about this particular property (under the hotel thread for UAE) once I check out. And I also get full breakfast buffet daily, for my 20 night stay. I got a stellar deal with the Middle-east honors sale. So, cheap the receptionist thought it was a misprint.

Also, thanks to the person on another thread here that said DO NOT check-in on the app. Which I didn't because a regular room was listed when I checked, and I didn't click on it. Good advice.

CPMaverick

Some updates:

- After writing this thread, I sent an email, a message through the app, and a DM to Hilton on twitter. I basically said I wanted to talk to someone at the hotel before I left. Then I 'got on with my life'
- It seems the app was the most successful. I received a nice reply from Hilton saying that they called the hotel, spoke to someone, and they promised to talk to me before I checked out.
- Nothing happened at the hotel, empty promises, nobody contacted me at all.

Some answers to your posts:

- I DID book the room that I wanted. I booked a King Balcony w/pool view, and I got a King Balcony w/pool view. I didn't book the lowest room and expect an upgrade to a suite.
- Yes, the room type on my confirmation is exactly the same room type on the app during my stay.
- I did NOT get a cookie, and I didn't get the two bottles of water that Diamonds are supposed to get either (even though I asked for them). Kind of shows how awful this property is, but I didn't mention this before because I didn't want it to distract from the main issues.
- The Hilton T&C may give the property some wiggle room, but I maintain that Hilton projects that Diamonds should expect an upgrade if space is available. Not just if the property feels like it. I read the T&C to say that you are guaranteed a 'minor upgrade' if available, and that the hotel discretion is only for suites, etc. But I think it could be read either way.
- In my case the King Patio w/fire pit was the next upgrade, the property sent me two emails asking me to bid $10 for this upgrade, and this room was available for booking (4x available) after I checked in at 7 pm for a 1-night stay.

That's exactly right. It's not really about the upgrade. I've been a diamond for years and obviously had plenty of stays without an upgrade. If the check-in person greeted me kindly, and said 'unfortunately we cannot upgrade you tonight, but let us know what else we can do' or something similar, it would have been just fine. What really irked me was that I was treated rather rudely, then lied to, twice. I just wanted to speak to someone that hopefully would reassure me that my experience was not acceptable. But this property obviously couldn't care less.

corporate-wage-slave

OK, so that room was a King Patio, and it had a pool view then that's as far as the upgrade promise goes, the next step up is the King Studio Suite, which is excluded from the process. Technically 2 Queen beds with patio and no view of the pool is an upgrade too, but hopefully that was never in contention.

If, on the other hand, you had a view of the "mountain" (Mount San Jacinto, though it could also be described as "airport view" but whatever), rather than the pool, the one and only upgrade open to you is to the pool view version, and it's complicated because on the corners you can argue you get neither (well) and or both (badly).

It may be, of course that they were selling pool view, had actually sold out, and were "upgrading" those who had paid for that room type to the King Studio.

CPMaverick

No, I was not upgraded, I actually purchased a King Balcony w/Pool View and that's what I got. I paid more for this at booking than a king room without a pool view.

I made a mistake in my previous post, I said Patio when I booked and stayed in balcony. The next room type is not a suite. The next upgrade is the King Patio with outside fireplace. The property tried to sell me a $10 upgrade to this twice via email, and again when I looked to check in on the app (but I didn't check in on the app).

​​​​​​There was another non-suite upgrade for $25 but I don't recall what it was.

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smmrfld

Staying at this property right now as a Lifetime Diamond. Booked cheapest room, was upgraded ahead of arrival to one of the x82 suites with golf course view. Offered cookie, water, and free drink coupon at check-in. This mirrors my typical experience here. No complaints.

lcohen999

I think this also comes down to the attitude of the OP to the front desk agent.

We are of course hearing one side of the story but something something honey and vinegar

CPMaverick

I understand why you might think I was rude based on how I was treated. But honestly I don't know how I could have been nicer. I was all smiles but the agent had no interest, just handed me my room key without a word. When I asked about the upgrade, I even said I knew it was only space available.

It's only after the agent insisted I was upgraded already that things went a bit off, but I never lost my temper or said anything I regret. I was overwhelmingly polite, as yes, I've learned there's rarely anything to be gained by being rude.

Even if I never asked about the upgrade, I would not have received a cookie/water/drink coupon from this check-in agent.

Based on others experiences, I guess I got a bad apple. The apparent lack of management oversight on this day might have contributed too. It's still bizarre to me that nobody wanted to contact me to resolve this even when I practically begged.

This is my 6th year as a Diamond and 14th year as a Hilton elite, and other than being walked from a Hilton 13 years ago, I've never submitted a complaint of any kind.

Anyway I won't respond any more to people that want to assume the worst of me, but that's additional detail from my side.