soonerfanatic

Rant. Targetted offers stink.

With the news of the latest targetted promo, Hyatt continues down the "Surprised & Delighted" program path.

First the 50K UA gift.

Then the 50 unique properties free night.

And no definition of qualification criteria ("secret sauce") for these offers.

Now this targetted promo.

When Hyatt Concierge said there will be "more to come", they weren't lying. More disappointment and confusing logic.

YTD - 42 SPG/HHonors stays. 5 Hyatt.

Will Hyatt learn? Is this affecting your business with Hyatt?

cottonpatch

Yes.

Often1

Nope. I don't fall for silly marketing hype in the first place. If the property and the rate make sense, that's where I stay. I'm not quite that desperate for a free stale muffin for breakfast -- anywhere.

JackE

Not really. For one thing, I don't know of any hotel chain that does not have targeted pricing.

austin_modern

exactly - every business related to travel (airlines, hotels, credit cards, rental, etc) does targeted advertising. If one got pissed and up and quit a brand every time you missed out on an offer... you'd be camping in a van down by the river.

cottonpatch

I'm not quitting the brand, I'm just going elsewhere where the incentives are better. Nothing subjective here, just rational economic behavior. That is business. Hyatt's chosen to offer incentives selectively and I have chosen to go where I perceive the incentives are better. Good thing the options are better than camping in a van down by the river or I'd be back at Hyatt in a flash. I'm glad they're around.

ramolnar

No, not in the least.

Hyatt has published and stated criteria. I judge companies by their level of commitment to those criteria. I haven't been with Hyatt for long, just since 2009, having only about 80 stays. In those 80 stays, I can think of ONE where Hyatt did not meet its published guidelines - on a Hotwire stay when the hotel's main computer went out. That's a great proportion.

When I was a Diamond, I also received some bonuses. On a small level, about half the time I got a free cookie at Hyatt Place plus my 500 points. On a larger level, I got 5 or 6 extra suite upgrades, once to a Presidential suite at HR Chicago. I don't know the criteria that night. The bonus made me happier, but not getting the bonus didn't make me sad.

As someone else said, if you leave because you don't get the best of the unpublished treatment, there will be very few businesses you can frequent. Likely, not even the burrito place down the street, since the burrito maker might give her friends extra chicken. To think otherwise is rather fanciful.

CodeAdam10

Hyatt only has to deliver on the elite benefits they've outlined for you. Anything more is just gravy. Some have made a bigger deal out of these extra bennies than it really is. You didn't commit to Hyatt for these spur of the moment unlisted promotions, you chose Hyatt for the elite benefits they publically offer to all elite members.

gengar

Not sure I agree with that. For example, if I got upgraded to suites all the time back when I was a Diamond, I probably would have kept it. Unofficial benefits are a really powerful form of goodwill, and we see that demonstrated all the time on the various forums here on FT.

jayer

No to the extent that there are a handful of hotels we have bonded with and by choice return to. That and a few over the road HP stops will get close enough to 25 stays to make re-qualification an obvious conclusion. (Might not be if Marriott hadn't thrown their program down a bigger cliff, but that is another board).

Now once I see clearly how I'm getting to Stay 26, it's back to being a wide-open rational cost/benefit decision. (In the FFN days it would have been a "what Hyatt should we try next" question).

LIH Prem

learn what?

That they are doing well, average room rates are the best in years and occupancy rates are the best in years and yet they continue to provide excellent value to Diamonds compared to other programs?

Oh right. You feel slighted because you weren't targeted by targeted promotions and you think they owe you something? And you think that posting this thread here on FT is going to teach them a lesson?

I don't know about you, but I think you should choose a program based on the value you get from it. If you are getting good value from Hyatt Gold Passport compared to other programs, that's the reason to continue to stay at Hyatts and continue your participation in GP. If not, then you go where the value is better. All programs use targeted promotions, and they only add value, they do not detract from the value you get as a member of the program, unless you can't help but to feel slighted because you weren't chosen this time around.

-David

CodeAdam10

Crazy. That is some expectation you had from Hyatt. I'm curious which hotel program you chose now which upgrades you to suites ALL the time? Wow!

gengar

Reading comprehension is a useful tool.

gum

I am not really sure what your post is about!

You describe that you are a loyal customer and at first were surprised and delighted with the services of Hyatt. You got one of their best suites in one case as a complimentary upgrade and on the other stays the hotel is also fine.


And then you are annoyed - by what. By missing *one* targetted offer of millions of offers out there daily.

I am also not a fan of targetted offers but I am happy for everyone who can get a better rate or some bonus with them.

Additionally I would like to point out the two great features of Hyatt's Gold passport:

1. Think of the situation when you loose Diamond and fall back. Then you also have access to larger rooms like the entry level suite: Just pay the daily rate and then "cash-in" the upselling to the suite free of charge.

The needed level of 6,000 points for up to four nights is a very friendly offer.

And maybe worth more as tons of targetted offers!

2. Nearly no expiration dates for the points. So you can pile them up and use later.

IMHO Hyatt's Gold Passport is in terms of the redemption values of the hotel chain programmes one of the fairest.

Just look on Jumeirah's Sirius Card and have look on their redemption values. Beginning with a simple upselling of the room in London's Lowndes Hotel up to free nights.

Only missing a late checkout option for the lower tiers of GP.

4aks

I don't count on these small opportunity perks.

I like the program, and I like that the limited surprise perks exist.

Sure, they cater to a particular personality, and are a turnoff to others that want very predictable goals and outcomes.

Chase didn't give me the spend-based bonus opportunity this summer. I did get the low-level offer this spring.