dtremit

You jest, but I stayed at a Hyatt recently that charged for in-room coffee past the first cup!

TheTourVan

Weird happenings.

I just received a call from the GM of a hotel I frequent 5 or so times a year in the Hyatt Portfolio. We exchanged pleasantries and he asked why I was not staying there on my normal December trip and why I was not there in my late November trip.

I told him I had stayed with a different chain, and explained my reasoning and he told me that I will be missed and wished me well. We talked for a while about my stays, my treatment and how I have enjoyed being part of the program, but that the loyalty aspect is just not there for me personally (it still is for many). He understood completely and offered a couple of suggestions and ideas, which are fruitless, but I know why they are suggested (things like emailing Hyatt, and calling and explaining).

We talked about how its less about achieving top status, but how little is offered in return for 40-50 nights a year in a smaller footprint chain.

Not 10 minutes after I got off the phone with this gentlemen (who is fantastic), I got a call from the sales manager at the Hyatt we do a golf tournament with each year (or have for the last two) asking if I would be booking for this coming year. I explained I wouldn't be, and the reasons, and apparently for him, this was not the first time he has heard it.

I know FlyerTalk is a small drop in the bucket, and most fear change, but this plan, really kills the small business traveler that does 50 nights or so in ever giving 100% effort to Hyatt with so little offered in return.

JackE

I don't think there's a problem in listing it on the benefit matrix, but agree it's embarrassing how they are defending this "improved" program by proudly touting one 10-cent bottle of water. Not to mention the five-brand promotion that is a ONE-TIME benefit rather than an annual one.

JackE

These calls are likely prompted by GM concern over the widespread pushback to WoH. The brands people have used as Diamond builders will be hurt the most.

iflyjetz

Interesting that both Radiant Flyer and you got phone calls.

May I suggest that the best response to these hotel employees is to suggest that they contact Hyatt and tell them to reinstate HGP or reflag with a different hotel chain? I think it might have more impact than them proposing you (the royal you) go out of your way to contact Hyatt and protest the program change. This puts the ball back in their court - as in, if you (the hotel) want my business, you need to fix the problem because my solution is to leave WoH behind.

notquiteaff

Well, I think it waters down the benefits of status (pun intended).

I stayed at two full service Hyatt properties in Florida last week, and both provided two bottles of water per day (I am plat, but I suspect every room got those).

iflyjetz

there are usually predesignated rooms/floors that get water. Depending on the property, it's not in every room. Having stayed in different rooms in many of the same properties (across multiple chains), I've noticed this. I'm even at the point that I know if I get a specific floor, it's set up for elites with water in the room.

Radiant Flyer

You don't know much about event planning. Our Holiday party is costing us $120,000+ for 425 people. Another Event for the Holiday's for 250 is costing us $80,000+. Most evening events I plan cost around $250 - $300 a person. I am also putting together a 3.5 day meeting which includes a black tie event, welcome reception at a museum, breakfast, lunch dinners etc. We are expecting to spend over $500,000 for this 3.5 day event. This does not include guest room, just the event.

In the SF Bay Area this is is not above and beyond, there are high tech companies that pay 3 to 4x more that what I quoted above.

The events I'm taking about are above and beyond the food and beverage components, we bring in stages, bands, lighting, decor, etc. etc...

Yes I'm the type of client Hyatt would love, unfortunately all of the Hyatt's in the SF Bay Area don't meet the criteria of a venue I like to use.

iflyjetz

Well, from reading your original post, you made it sound like event planning plus hotel rooms for company travel - your company's entire hotel budget, not multiple event planning. In previous places I've worked, the same person who handled company travel also took care of coordinating events.

Didn't my questions tip you off that there was a communication issue?

notquiteaff

That might very well be the case. We were moved from our original room to another one on the same floor due to an A/C problem, and it was already stocked with bottles.

And at Hyatt Houses or Places they can always toss you a couple of bottles at checkin and make it your job to stock the room. "Come back tomorrow morning for two more."

MSPeconomist

In many Starwood properties there are two free bottles of water labeled as a gift from SPG. The sign gives the impression that every room gets such water, not just those assigned to SPG members or elites.

bldr1k

I'm amazed at how upset people are at the new program. I was never impressed with HGP. In a couple years as a Diamond I've not used a single suite upgrade. I guess people that book way in advance have more luck but that isn't me.

I am top level at all four chains and my treatment is consistently average across all of them. Because of this I only stay enough to get to top tier which gets me free breakfast.

There are some benefits like late checkout that I occasionally use but generally speaking, if I check in on Wed I get a lousy room everywhere. I never get suite upgrades at any chain. Service varies by hotel - but the impression I get is that lots of people are diamond.

I bet they paid some marketing people a lot of money to do a data analysis and come up with this new program. Some of the "benefits" are really silly. I wonder how many customers they talked to in this process.

If some hotel chain would make top status worth something I would be more inclined to stay 250 nights at one chain. I'm not sure they care though - they are all striving to be good enough while minimizing spend.

When I go on vacation I prefer to stay in a Four Seasons or some other smaller chain that provides great service to everyone.

milesmutt

Or, in the inimitable words of a certain suspected Hyatt corporate shill:

MSPeconomist

I'm annoyed by the emphasis on free parking for Globalists when it's only for Globalists and presumably Guest of Honor folks on free award (points or certs, assuming that any Hyatt certs are transferable) stays.

The hotels where I'm likely to make an award stay aren't places where I would have a car: NYC, Buenos Aires, Paris, Asia in general including Tokyo, Seoul, Singapore, Hong Kong, etc. So the benefit is worthless for me, assuming that I'm even likely to spend my points on free award stays, rather than C + P stays that count for stays credits.

I suspect many others would agree, although the obvious exception would be those who go to Hawaii regularly.

PortlySpartacus

Glad you posted this and your perspective of top tier status across the big hotel chains. All these status programs are based on expectations of what you might get. You called it out above.....you get consistently average treatment across the chains with top tier status. Why is that? Because everyone believes the marketing hype that they will get treated better by the competition and we are all suckers.

What I can say is, Hyatt has been hands down better than Hilton at the Diamond level in my 5 years of experience with both. I've had many average Hyatt stays along the way but overall, I thought Hyatt's were a notch above.

So while everyone can complain that WoH is a trainwreck, I'm not going back to Hilton, no way. Maybe SPG/Marriott but they will change their program in 2018. Everyone wants to feel and be treated as special but what you are saying is average is the norm. Sounds like economies of scale to me. You want special? Stay in a non-chain boutique hotel....but where will you all possibly post about this on FT?