Hello Ladies & Gentlemen

I'm curious about checking-in procedure, what do you do?

Do you hand then your shiny gold card and let them know you're gold and presumably they swipe and get your details.

Or Just say "I have a reservation this evening"...

Or simply hand them a print out of the booking confirmation.

Sorry if this is a really dumb question, but my shiny piece of plastic is new and going to be used for the first time tomorrow and I don't want to look like a dork by handing them my card - "Yes sir, very nice, can I now take your name..."!

Thanks.

Adrian

Just check in as usuall. No need to show the card if your HH # is in your reservation. Matter of fact I do not even carry any of my Frequent Travel Cards with me. I have a little list that I keep in my wallet with all my programs, and their info.

Now if it is an upgrade you are after, if they have not already given you one, just ask if one is available.

Ideally, just... check in.

But, there is a significant number (IMO) of untrained desk employees out there, so I hand over my credit card (HH AMEX, of course - points don't grow on trees!) and my status card as I check in, and say something like "I think the numbers are all there..." This has helped a couple of times when the tired / burned out / new / untutored / harried agent looked up and got a tiny glow of recognition in the yes, shuffled records and did something nice for me. And a "smile and ask" routine does well too.

As opposed to hotgluing the card to my forehead, sweeping my coat over one shoulder and and announcing in stentorian tones "Ta-DAH! Lookee here, folks, an HHonors DIAMOND has arrived!"

This is how I do it:

I walk up to the Hhonors checkin line. I get out my credit card i'll be using for payment and my diamond card. Also, within easy reach, is my printed confirmation, incase of any discrepancies.

When its my turn I hand the two cards to the person checking me in, they then verify my numbers, I verify the amount per night then I initial and I'm off to my suite!

Shucks, I knew there was a forth option I'd missed from my list!! Personally I'd go for jazz hands too!

Thanks guys. I think I'll just hand over both cards and keep the confirmation in my pocket in case there's an awkward silence at checkin!

Oh, well I'm just a lowly Gold. If I was a Diamond I would hope they'd be heralding such an arrival before I even neared the hotel. I'm also short one glue-gun, as I understand this is a special Diamond Amenity and I'm too cheap to buy my own.

But anyways, I've found the most efficient way to check in anywhere is to just say "I'd like to check in, last name [xxx], starts with [first 4 letters]." Seems to be quicker than handing over cards and such as most hotels seem to quickly look up reservations by the first 3 or 4 letters in your last name (especially if it's unusual.) If it's an SPG/HH property and they don't mention an upgrade, I'll then ask nicely if they were able to upgrade me. While they're finding my reservation I pull out my credit card and place it on the counter to expedite things.

I walk up to the desk, diamond desk if they have one.

I hand over my credit card and ID (in case they need it), and have my AAA card out just in case in my pocket, and say

Good <<generic time of day>> how are you today. Michael Cordelli checking in.

I never have my status card out, I've never needed it. I'll always check the paper I'm signing to make sure it's all there, but usually it doesn't come up in conversation at all.

And I always start asking them how they are.

I say my full name and put down my credit card. No hilton has ever asked me for ID. They pick it up, type a few things, and have me sign the rate. They hand over the keys. I ask if internet is wired or wireless, get a bridge, and go check the room out. I never mention my status nor do I beg for upgrades. I put comments in at booking and figure if they are not honored, oh well. After a long day on the road I normally don't care as long as it's a bed and internet, but upgrades do determine how often I'll visit in the future.

If I'm on an award stay I'll always ask, "is an upgrade available as a diamond?" Normally that gets them searching or at least pseudo-searching!

Not really very impressed....

...Realised I was already booked into the best room that this property has to offer - and the rate includes a couple of bottles of wine and the chocolates. Wasn't offered anything else for being gold, breakfast?

The hot water system failed in the hotel on saturday afternoon, so wern't able to shower before we went out or when we got back from the party or this morning when we checked out.

The sounds that the water pipes made were horrific too, just very very noisy.

Not a great stay at the hotel, at least our weekend was somewhat better than our hotel stay.

snOOp / Adrian, Which property was that? Seems worth noting, (to avoid.)

karthik, I'd do as you do, but they always manage to trip over my last name and I prefer not spelling it out to them in international phoenetics, so the card (which they will inevitably request anyway) makes it easier for them to keyboard my last name. (I guess I could walk up and say "I'm Mr. juliet delta india victor echo romeo, you can call me Juliet," but... )

Funny - the status card has managed to wake up a clerk or two in Latin America and the UK (there are some real "guts" for new desk clerks, particularly in the UK,) but I have never been asked for my AARP or AAA card (I am not above snagging any discount I can when price matters.)

Well, it was the Hilton Bracknell, so no offence intended to anybody, but it was never going to be the best property in the world.

Another thing was the stupidly loud bloke playing the keyboard in the bar when we got back, it must have been well past midnight and to be honest, it was terrible, made much worse by the volume! Playing piano (real or synth) at a low level is so much classier and allows you sit in the bar and converse, not re-live years gone by of standing 1 inch from somebodies ear and shouting into it like you're in a night club.

The hot water situation might have been unavoidable, and to be fair they stuck leaflets under the door to say that it was broken. Apparently the showers in the health club were working, but it seems a fairly large property and I bet they don't have more than a handful of showers!

Upon checking out there was no "I hope you enjoyed your stay" or "We're very sorry about the showers not working" etc, something which might have placated me a little.

I always leave Hilton hotels with a sence of being underwhelmed, although I have quite a lot of stays booked up in different hilton hotels around the globe, so we'll see if they can turn it around!

Adrian

I would upgrade you.

I usually hand over the HH card and credit card. The former especially if on a Priceline stay in case there are some benefits I can use as an HH Gold.

Although I was staying on a Hilton.com rate at the it seems as the BOS Logan Airport lounge is open to Golds/Diamonds regardless of booking. Obviously Priceline reservations have no frequent stay numbers in the bookings so handing over a HH Gold/Diamond card at check-in would be of use in this case.

Hilton in the UK is a different animal to Hilton in the rest of the world, especially the properties outside London.

I am of the JDiver's school of announcing my status and arrival, although I prefer to go a bit lower key...

Normally after my footman has helped me to exit from my gold gilded coach and my butler has opened both double doors of the hotel and laid down my red carpet... the 3 full-time heralders stand to my left and blow their trumpets cerimoniously announcing my arrival. I also find it useful to have a crier make the annoncement in a resounding voice so all around will be sure to hear, "Hear ye, hear ye! The honorable and incredibly good looking and charming infinitylusone has arrived and will bless this establishment with his presence for the next X number of evenings. Please ensure that he is given service above and beyond that which is expected of Diamond Hilton Honor members! He also likes to have the little chocolate mints placed on his nightstand, not his pillow."

I then have my personal bodyguard, Olaf, vault over the front desk and place my HH Diamond card on the forehead of the person who will be checking me in. The card is placed in a manner so that my HH # and name are facing their forehead, so that when he punches the card it leaves an impression... that way they will have no trouble remembering who I am for the next several days.

I will then say to the front desk clerk, "President's Suite, correct."

Once they hand me the silver encoated key for the top suite, I am off with a flourish!


Seriously though...
I have shared previously how I check-in and my philosophy on using body language, voice inflection, etc in helping to obtain an upgrade but the short of it is this...
I smile pleasantly and say, "Hello, infinityplusone checking in" as I hand them my HH Amex and HH Diamond (which is under the Amex).
They will keep the Amex and then either confirm the HH # or just say, "We alreay have your information entered". I say, "Great thanks."
I'll make pleasant small talk, ask their opinion on places to eat, etc while they are confirm my res and room and then I am done.
If they do not say, "you have been upgraded" I will ask very nicely as if they are doing me a great favor (which they are), "Were you able to get me/us an upgraded room?"

This has actually gotten me an upgraded room or an up-upgraded room on several occasions (5 times) as they had already started to hand me my keys and they ask me to wait a moment as they open my res back up and change my room and re-issue keys.

I then thank them very much. I make it a point to remember their name and each time going through the lobby will make eye contact with them and say Hello and or will mention the upgrade and thank them again.

Yeah. I kind of get this impression - but to be honest, I wasn't really impressed with the one I've used in NYC either (or Heathrow!).

But, it's better than a travelodge!