m0hamed

As I said, the front desk agent checked while we were at reception and while I checked on my phone only top floor specialty suites were available.

Regardless of VIP level a paid guest is not going to be downgraded for an upgrade to occur. A VIP1 may get a top floor suite, but any actor or singer celebrity most likely has Universal or their publishing house paying for those rooftop suites.

SMK77

I think I saw you guys :-)

Stayed at the PHS for one night from Saturday to Sunday as well. My free Cat 7 night was upgraded to a Cove Suite with an early check-in at 9am.

Lifetime member here.

jmanirish

Looks like I overlapped with a few FT members then. We checked out on the 12th.

Were booker 4 nights - 2 free from the Hyatt CC, and 2 with points. Weds was completely sold out on the app so had to live with the park king. Definitely not that great.

Also experienced the “mysterious” Opera rooms on the app you described. Check in agent was great - very kind and genuinely tried to get us an upgraded room. Told us for nights 3/4 she could move us to a city Harbour room. Accepted. After I got into our park room and got the Wi-Fi on my phone, I saw an opera deluxe was available for nights 2-4. Went back past the front desk and found the same agent - she looked at my phone and said weird. Typed a bit and said her computer said none were available. She refreshed my app - still there. She took it up with her manager who reiterated it was an error on the app and it wasn’t available. Didn’t want to push the issue further. It disappears a few hours later. Another opera popped up for nights 3/4 then went. Then came back. Gave up after we moved into the City harbour room (324) which had decent views of the opera house. Night and day difference from the Park as the bathroom had the door to let in light from the room - the park did not. Also had a small balcony - park did not.

All things considered - great stay and great hotel. But man those Park rooms are not good. I knew the risk when I booked as others have mentioned this.

m0hamed

Interesting on the room availability.

If we assume good intent it could be guests cancelling reservations outside of the cancellation window or rooms division manager moving guests around.

If we don't then they are playing games.

SMK77

jmanirish didn't share whether he is a Globalist. PHS will not upgrade to Opera or Opera Deluxe if he was not.

Property ran a full house on Wednesday and Friday - my room was occupied in the morning and they just finalized cleaning when I arrived.

jmanirish

Lowly Explorist. Interesting point - thought the WoH rules were highest non-suite for Explorist. So does PHS just do as they please? Never once did the check in staff or assistant mgr mention not upgrading to Opera rooms for Explorist.

m0hamed

WoH of rules don't really apply here. Whether we like it our not you can't apply a TSU nor will they upgrade Diamonds to Opera Deluxe, arguably the best non suite room in the same way the PH MEL will always give Diamonds a Club Deluxe.

danger

It's clear that it's not possible to use TSUs at this hotel (although I can't actually find it in the World of Hyatt T&Cs) but in what other ways the do program rules not apply?

m0hamed

They don't upgrade to the highest category room. Most Diamonds report a one or two category upgrade. Has been this way for years.

There is no pattern of offering Opera Deluxe rooms to Diamonds, even when they are available.

danger

So just to be clear, the hotel is choosing to ignore the T&Cs, or is it explicitly stated somewhere?

SMK77

Your statements should be factually correct otherwise not very helpful for people following this:

WoH terms apply for PHS as well. "The “best room” may, but will not necessarily be, of a room type/category higher than that booked by the Member."

PHS has on any given day plenty of Globalists staying at their hotel and they will have determined that Explorists will get upgrades within reason (e.g. you get a one or two notch rooms above Park King).

Park Hyatt Sydney has always looked after Diamond members (I have received numerous upgrades to Opera Deluxe Rooms) and they continue trying their best to accommodate Globalist members.

Sometimes they have to juggle too many people to make everyone happy and then they have to go by priority.

Park Hyatt Sydney is very well known to look after repeat guests and if two Globalists are competing for one available upgrade, they will give it to the returning guest.

m0hamed

Yes they look after repeat guests. I have stayed many times pre and post renovation. But the facts remain.

Look at hot many posts here say they received an Opera Deluxe automatically.

Explorists should expect nothing here.

The previous Hyatt terms determined the best non suite room should be given to Diamonds, defined in the T/Cs and this never happened as a standard procedure.

Indeed previous posters and myself have been told by management it's a "one category upgrade." Straight from the horses mouth.

WoH significantly removed this benefit from the T/Cs and allowed hotels to determine upgrades in any manner they wish now. But stellar properties like the PH MEL still go above and beyond.

jmanirish

Normally I don’t care too much about not being upgraded, but at the PHS the difference between the base park rooms and the others is great. I can see why they don’t open the Park rooms to sell to the public (did see them available with my corporate rate though). Feels crappy that they book point rooms into the park rooms.

But now that I’m at qualia - I’m over caring too much. Good to know that PH Mel is better - that’s our last stop, but paid rate.

m0hamed

I believe they do sell Park Kings. The hotel was at 100% over the weekend and we had rooms across the corridor from us occupied.

SMK77

Points book into both Park King and Harbour King Rooms. The choice is yours to book a Park King when no Harbour King Rooms are offered anymore. Discounted Corporate Rates book into the Park King as well.

The room you book is clearly shown and the features represented fairly. I share your view that the difference is huge but so is the difference in price for Corporate Rates comparing those two room types.