Suspect you're vastly over-estimating OP's value to the property.

Likely experience is that HVC's don't bat an eye at a small charge for an early check-in and those are the people who have a nice meal sent up to them and spend at the bar as well.

Maybe the early check-in should be an added benefit and the qualifications raised or some significant spend requirement imposed? Be careful what you wish for.

Would be interesting to know if one arrives at 4:00 pm and their reserved room is not ready, if the DoubleTree Amsterdam Central deducts €40 from the room rate for that night! ;)

This stinks. I have a stay here in July. My flight lands at 1 and was hoping they would allow me to check in when I got to the hotel so I could shower and change since this is a redeye flight and no Delta arrivals lounge at AMS.

Do they have a shower you can use at the fitness center at least? (by the time I clear customs it may be after 3 anyway when I get there).

If a room is available it is absurd to charge a diamond an early check in or late check out fee.

It's bad enough Hilton lacks in guaranteed late check outs (I get a 4 p.m. guaranteed late checkout by just having a Hyatt credit card at their properties and at SPG with the Delta crossover program but not at Hilton with earned diamond status).

Seeing they don't offer a revolving 24 hour checkin/checkout for diamonds like SPG, I don't see the harm in giving diamonds an early check in for free. It is no loss financially if the room is available and by charging diamonds an early check in fee screwing us even more, gives us more incentive to look at other chains.

If your reservation is cancel 6 pm day of arrival I would consider a back up plan and threaten to cancel the stay.

^ That would probably get their attention. But you have to be prepared to follow through.

I think Starwood has a similar deal for their top-level Platinum (but it sets checkout to the same time).

NOR-1 system sometimes offer the early check in after 8 AM for a few monetary units, but so far have not had a need to pay. A short comment along with the reservation about arriving early between 10 and 11 AM (and also leaving early) usually does the magic also in 3 PM Hiltons. Should I travel to Amsterdam, the Waldorf-Astoria (after July 1st) and Hilton Amsterdam would be my choices anyway.

SPG has a 24 hour check in for their top elites. You can check in at any time on your check in date and if you have a two day reservation you check out 48 hours after. Which would be nice for when I go to vegas on a late flight and want to do a redeye home. If I arrive at 9 pm on Friday I have until 9 pm sunday to checkout on a 2 day reservation. If I fly to Europe I usually get in around noon so if I checked in at noon and had a five day reservation I would check out five days later at noon.

With Hilton most hotels are a 3 p.m. check in and noon check out so you have a lot better deal with SPG.

The SPG model makes a lot of sense for the traveler if you can get the staff to distribute for room cleaning.

The whole idea of hospitality is to make your stay more pleasurable and to encourage loyalty while still making money. Early Check in as a free offering (or a benefit if in top tier) encourages loyalty with minimal if any impact on bottom line.

24 hour check in like SPG costs more, perhaps why SPG properties tend to be a bit pricier (but then they were even before this benefit).

This is only a benefit to their top elite with a lot of nights. SPG gives extra benefits if you stay 75 nights a year or more, so it isn't available to all Platinums. So if Hilton followed that model that would mean someone who has diamond through a credit card spend or just barely makes diamond wouldn't have the benefit. They offer more benefits for those that stay 100 nights a year at SPG's.

Pretty interesting article in USToday about it when it launched a couple years ago. 2% of their top customers make up 30% of SPG's profit, so it would make sense they would offer benefits like the 24 hour checkin.

http://travel.usatoday.com/hotels/po...elers/617635/1

I wonder if they will now consider adding a fee for storing luggage, in addition to an early check-in fee.

They charge fees in NYC for luggage so sont be surprised if that happens too.

Which property? NYC is in a whole different league than Amsterdam.

I don't think this problem is unique to Hilton. Rather, it seems to be an Amsterdam issue.

SPG had an issue with Amsterdam properties attempting to define standard award rooms as rooms with single occupancy. The rogue properties realized their mistake after SPG addressed the issue. Perhaps Hilton needs to address this issue with the Doubletree.

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/starw...ooms-only.html

best way to get an early check in>?
 

we will be arriving in Brussels at 8:15am and expect to be at the hotel Grand Place by 10ish. Any advice as how to get into a room on the early side? Only Silver status.