sensei

MarkOK

I don't know why, but from the beginning I always saw this rule as 'if available' anyways. PHNY had no problem providing me late checkout last month (and overall I thought the service was great there, though, I don't doubt other people's bad experiences either). Other non resort/casino Hyatts at times have (usually quite apologetically) said 'no' and I never pushed it (because it was never a big deal). I've been on the other side of the equation, even as a globalist, (waiting for my room to get cleaned and become available well after check in time), and the little bit of human-ness left in me feels that if my late check-out is going to put some fellow tired-traveller waiting in the lobby late, I would rather just check out on time (and leave the bags with the porters if convenient). That is assuming the front desk is being considerate of that situation, maybe that is too naive. For the hotels that offer late check out when I check-in proactively, however, I mentally give them brownie points and it goes a long way towards making me a return customer. Not all Hyatts are managed equally.

Well, I suppose Hyatt needs to change their Ts and Cs by deleting the phrase "at hotels with a casino, Hyatt resorts, and Oasis Homes". Then problem solved, we no longer can complain about this. I love how airlines have contracts of carriage that practically bullet proof them from having to follow through on any real customer service and we just deal with it. But with hotels, we carry around these Ts and Cs ready to throw it in anyone's face at any infraction. Hyatt needs to learn from the airlines I suppose.

antonius66

Jeez. I have a better idea. How about companies start honoring their own terms and stop treating consumers like moist sponges to be drained dry and how about consumers stop just accepting it?

MarkOK

They write the terms though, and they can rewrite the terms. I feel that the likely outcome of everyone throwing a fit about a few properties occasionally violating the late checkout terms is Hyatt rewriting the terms so that the benefit becomes completely limp. If you want to pick this fight with hyatt, go for it. I'd rather save my tantrum energy on the absolutely abysmal service that airlines give us, much of which they very carefully codify in theirs terms and contracts of carriage.

sensei

antonius66

Why would they bother rewriting them anyway when people just accept if they choose to ignore them?

MarkOK

Yeah, and I don't want them to rewrite them because about 90 percent of the time, I am still getting late check out. If they rewrite them, I fear that no availability becomes an excuse at many, many more places.

joe_miami

This doesn't need to be a major undertaking. The terms, as written, are easy to misread, since the "subject to availability ..." part is so prominent — i.e., it's kind of easy to see that and believe it's subject to availability always and everywhere instead of reading and properly understanding the entirety of that sentence. Surely someone could clear that part up and then send a memo to all properties reminding them that it's a guaranteed benefit for Globalists everywhere but casino hotels, resorts, and Oasis.

gengar

Bad properties and lousy staff will always find ways to misread and misinterpret stated terms to the detriment of the customer - that's just the reality of it. (I still vividly recall an incident last year in which a UA supervisor at DEN claimed the term 'OR' in the T&Cs can be contradictory, so she could ignore whatever clauses delineated by 'OR's she wanted.) Honestly, I'm not even sure rewriting the terms will help in some of these cases because it already takes an employee with an anti-guest approach to reach those conclusions.

Moreover, it's silly to say that customers shouldn't fight for clearly stated benefits in fear that those benefits will be removed. That's absurdly fatalistic.

joe_miami

You're right, but sometimes it's good properties and great staff who just make a mistake. With benefits changing as often as they do and with hotel turnover what it is, it's to be expected.

But I agree, a guaranteed benefit is a guaranteed benefit, and people shouldn't be afraid to push and/or complain to WoH when the service doesn't match up to the guarantees.

Biggie Fries

I've probably posted this elsewhere, but the guaranteed aspect of late check-out is what makes me choose Hyatt over Hilton no matter what. Even a modest amount of experience with Hilton let's you know that when this is not guaranteed, you don't get it. Certainly not until 4pm. In fact, this year as an Explorist, as I fight my way back to the top, the guaranteed 2pm checkout at Hyatt has kept me from throwing in with Hilton, even though I am nominally a Diamond with them. Also, the fact that Hyatt lets you square away late checkout on arrival is huge... the Hilton thing, of, "Oh, sure... just call down to the desk on the day you are leaving" is a great analogue to "Check's in the mail!" The late checkout is often not as useful/enjoyable when you have to get up that morning and see if it is even possible.

joe_miami

This is often YMMV. Even when Hyatt promises me late checkout when I'm checking in, my keycard often dies somewhere between noon and 4:00 pm on checkout day, thus necessitating a trip back to the front desk.

bworrell

I've learned to specifically ask if the key card has been coded for 4pm. Like you, it seems they generally don't do that unless I specifically ask.

jdawg

Kacee

Yeah, there's a list. Hyatt Resorts

The only Hyatt Place listed is Phuket.