Someone recently reported in the HR Kyoto thread contacting the hotel directly and they allowed a change from a pts award res to a P&C res. The hotel was otherwise fully sold out.

I imagine some properties might be accommodating in allowing a P&C booking when there are rooms available for standard pt awards but not for P&C.

This is of course completely dependent on the hotel. But it shows that it doesn't hurt to ask.

I was looking at an upcoming cash + points booking I have for Hong Kong and one for Shanghai. Both of the reservations list a "service charge". This doesn't really seem right that I would be charge it given the rate is supposed to be fixed.

Anyone have information on what will happen at the property itself. Do they end up manually removing it? Do they actually charge it? Can I get it removed by telling them the price isn't what I was quoted?

Thanks.

I look at the "service charge" like a tax - it would be applicable to the cash portion of the rate but should not be charged on the "whole" amount (including points).

You're still charged tax and service charge on the cash portion of your stay. If the cash portion is $75 a day, you'd end up paying $85-95 a day, I think.

But it is what you were quoted. The service charge is indicated on you confirmation email, it is indicated on your reservation listed on Hyatt.com, and the agent is supposed to inform you of it if you make the reservation by phone.

"Service" charges are common throughout Asia, and most hotels add the service charge and tax separately to the room rate, in which case it is also added to the cash portion of the P&C rate. There are a few hotels (such as HR Osaka), at which the rates are inclusive of T&S, and therefore nothing is added to the cash portion of a P&C rate. If I remember correctly, GH Fukuoka's rates include "service" but not tax, so only the tax gets added to the cash portion of T&C.

They charge tax on the service charge. They do not charge tax on tax.

Still, it's an option fee that the hotel is adding. Taxes are mandatory - if the hotel was charged tax, I'm okay with that, but seems like a BS fee, especially because the same amount of "service" would be provided no matter the rate.

Also, the agent definitely didn't inform me of it when I made the booking by phone.

If it is only indicated after the booking is made, it is not what he was quoted.

Taxes and service charges for revenue bookings are indicated on the reservation page prior to booking by clicking on the displayed rate.

If calling in for a P&C booking then the agent is supposed to inform you of tax and service charges prior to completing the booking. That is the rate that is quoted. If the agent did not inform him of the service charge the agent also likely failed to inform him of the tax, but a failure on the part of the agent does not mean that he does not have to pay tax and service.

If you do not like service charges, don't travel to Asia, since that is pretty much the way it is done here.

It is unfortunate that the agent did not inform you, but you can always cancel if you're not happy with it.

Look on the bright side. You don't have to tip. Nothing for the doorman, or the bellman, or the maid, or for room service, or in the restaurant (although you probably won't be happy to hear that "service charges" are often levied on room service and restaurant bills).

I have been using lots of P+C rates lately thanks to the 20% rebate. However about half of the hotels I have visited have messed up the billing. Inevitably I get charged for the correct cash amount, but then I very frequently get charged for the HGP portion of the bill as well. Its happening so often its getting frustrating.

Exact same thing just happened to me. I got the "HGP Points + Cash Award" line item on my bill. Confirmed to be a real charge on my credit card statement.

I just PMed our Gold Passport Concierge here and got it resolved in an hour or so. Was super easy to get it fixed.

^ Yea, its easy enough to fix, but annoying that it happens so consistently.

My latest P+C trauma is when cancelling P+C reservations HGP has consistently failed to refund the points to my account. (HGP is currently working on my most recent cancellation)

I really like the P+C rates, its a shame they are so labor intensive (they generally require at least two phone calls to get right)

I have had occasions when the points were deducted twice for the same reservation. (Two HGP members staying in the same room ... both are listed on the reservation because we never know in advance which one will arrive first at the hotel.) Points were deducted from both accounts. However, once the stay posts, the points are always made correct, apparently automatically. Still, I keep a spreadsheet of all transactions, just to double-check.

Why list both numbers on the reservation, rather than just the name of the person whose account isn't being used?