bombo

Thanks for that, certainly does seem a strange way to treat your customers!

If I'm honest....Yes! No need for raised voices or anything...I'll simply walk up to the desk, ask if they've got any executive rooms, if they say yes, I'll then advise them I've got an existing booking and take it from there!

The optimism of inexperience probably!

ORDnHKG

Even exec. floor are avaiable, some hotels are specifically not give it to gold as upgrade like Hilton SF. However, they will sell it to you though.

broadwayblue

Are the Hilton "executive floor" rooms actually any different than those on other floors? With SPG I've often found that the only difference is the placard on the wall by the elevator that says "SPG Floor"...that and perhaps a robe in the closet. But usually the rooms are generally the same as all the rest. Just curious as to how it works with Hilton.

servus

Mostly the same at Hiltons. However, if you do not get a room located at this very special "Floor", no lounge access will be granted.

JDiver

Bondiboy provides some dinky di information . I also add a note to every booking when I make it - it might be as simple as "HHonors xxx VIP # 123456" and add what I need to - "please hold possible late arrival" or whatever, and when they review (hopefully) for room assignments, it makes a difference.

If the stay includes an important event for us / me (anniversary, etc.) I send an e-mail as well. (The UK website lists e-mail addresses, and one can easily piece together the proper bits to use, whether it is gm@, general.manager@ or whatever, the latter being the name of the HHonors manager, General Manager or whomever.)

As well, it is often useful to review the threads specific to a property, as some are notoriously stingy or / and charge (San Francisco has been mentioned.)

mnredfox

Be very nicely persistent with the front desk staff. They have ALL of the power.

KathyWdrf

But besides all that, there is the very real possibility that the Executive Floor is fully booked and/or allocated to other customers (e.g., customers who paid for that room type and/or Diamond members and/or others receiving special treatment for one reason or another).

In other words, there is absolutely no way that a free upgrade can be "guaranteed," in spite of all those on this forum who seem to suffer from a "magical thinking" syndrome.

ORDnHKG

Some are the same, some are different, like I specifically ask at the check in at Hilton SF Financial District, she told me the only difference is exec.floor has flat screen TV vs regular rooms has normal TV.

When it is at Hilton SF, exec.floor is actually a smaller room, but on high floor comes with a balcony with bay view.

Some of them if it is in exec.floor means free wifi / high speed internet access, which save you $9.95 a day

Many hotels actually reflect a big rate difference regarding how much more you can get on exec.floor. If there is a lounge, free high speed internet, then you can see it will charge $100+ over regular floor room. When it is basically exec.floor means high floor and cont.breakfast in the restaurant, then you can see they only charge $30 over the regular room.

If you go to a hotel like Conrad Hong Kong, and Conrad Singapore, then you will notice a significant difference on the exec.floor rooms. Then is when you have gold or diamond status come in handy for the upgrade.

kahuna1993

Favourite is to check exec. room availability by calling HH desk just before walking up to front desk !My wife (HH diamond)had a refusal for roomupgrade in Sorrento Hilton last week.When she mentioned HH desk in UK confirming that exec rooms were available at that precise moment , Frontdesk then told her they refused her first request because she was staying "too long" ( 12 day stay ) !!!
Finally she told them she was forewarned by FT and would not take "no" so they gave in but being a HH diamond still sadly enough requires nagging and pushing to get what is promised by HH rules to HHDiamond but not always followed by local GM and staff .

janehoya

This is also true for the Conrad Istanbul. Stayed there in June, and I think they meant to upgrade my mother but accidentally upgraded me. The hallways/rooms/bathrooms were night-and-day. My room was fabulous and I was very pleased with the hotel. My mother's was old, drab and worn. Had I been assigned that room I would have contemplated switching hotels.

For those of you wondering why I didn't switch with my mother, she checked in a few days earlier, and we didn't see each other's rooms till the night before I was scheduled to leave.

beergut

I've been upgraded as Gold every time in both Dubai Hiltons in a dozen visits, apart from once when Jumeriah was full. Next time they gave me a suite as an apology

MarkMColo

When she called, did your wife happen to ask about availability for 12 nights?

kahuna1993

yes ! also on other stays in other hotels , we always ask for availability for same amount of nights as booked so there is no way to get any lame excuses as "fully booked" for next weekend .

mnredfox

Shorter stays are typically easier to get UG's on. While sneaky, you could always book a 3-4 day stay, get your room, and ask to stay longer so long as you don't risk a no...

anabolism

Hilton SF has balconies on one side, larger rooms on the other.[/QUOTE]

Hotels often do not like to upgrade long stays. One or two nights is easy, 12 is hard.
The way the benefits are worded, not much is guaranteed except lounge access for diamonds. And some hotels play silly games where minor room differences are counted as an "upgrade".