OhDoctor

I know people have repeatedly asked when, in general, is the best time to show up at a hotel if you're angling for an upgrade; answers have ranged anywhere from "be the first one to check in!" to "show up exactly at 4" to "arrive as late as possible so the hotel doesn't feel it'll miss out on revenue from the upgrade", etc.

My question is this -- if you are Globalist, and specifically entitled to a suite upgrade if one is available at check-in, does that change the answer at all? All else being equal, doesn't it behoove you to physically arrive as early as possible? Or do people still think your chances are maximized if you show up as late as possible and the hotel is no longer worried about renting the room?

rkoechel

My take is that there are too many variables here to put together a strategy that would work across the portfolio, your best bet is to get to know the property GM and have a conversation about it.

craigthemif

My experience with quality Hyatts is that the upgrade has been allocated long before you are talking to the front desk. Therefore a welcome note is waiting for you with an amenity.

The only issue with arrival time is your allocated room not being available yet, and having a discussion about whether you'd rather take whatever room is available at the time of your arrival.

Trying to DYKWIA to a suite upgrade before another DYKWIA guest similarly abuses the front desk clerk - when the hotel didn't intend to upgrade any Globalists - is too full of variables to worry about.

OhDoctor

I get that. Although I'll say that a Globalist politely asking about upgrade availability at check-in is hardly DYKWIA behavior.

mrgoodkat

Not just Hyatt specific: Asking has so far always worked and I don't think asking/demanding the upgrade as top tier member is unacceptable. It's part of the program, you fulfill the conditions, ergo it's your "right". Hotels are running a business, we are paying for the privileges. If you really want the upgrade, because you are on vacation with your spouse or whatever you can always write an email to the Club Lounge a few days in advance asking to be upgraded. Case in point: I've already confirmed my upgrade for my stay next week. Since switching to Hyatt I've found upgrades to be generally common, but with Hilton you always get at least a one category upgrade, whereas Hyatt usually tops you out at a standard suite. If you book a suite with Hilton they'll upgrade you to a bigger suite, Hyatt does not.

BTW: Do people here accept a club floor upgrade to the same room type? Imho that's not an upgrade because as top tier member the club floor benefits are automatic and I always (usually successfully) fight the hotel on that.

MSPeconomist

Often club floor rooms have better views or additional amenities. As an indication of this, note that the WOH upgrade certs to club access don't specify club floor rooms. It's also very convenient to be able to walk down the hall to the lounge versus needing to take one or two elevators.

mrgoodkat

That is true, but most programs call the benefit a "room upgrade" so I'm expecting a better room and not the same room on a higher floor or the same room + club access. Since I'm already getting club access anyway a standard King Bed is no different than an Executive King to me. I always fight the hotel on this and it's usually successful. I'm mostly booking the next cheapest room from a suite, so that an upgrade is always a suite. Sure, I might not be "entitled" to a better upgrade, but the hotel isn't entitled to my business either.

born sleepy

Doesn't seem to matter what time I check in, even on the mobile app, as I never get an upgrade as a Glob unless I specifically ask at the counter. I checked in on the app this morning at the airport and was assigned a standard room, and asked if there was any upgrade available at this HR. Yes, a "corner suite" which is not at all a suite but it's still a nice room.

I did OLCI at a Marriott property two weeks ago and was already upgraded once I got there without having to ask. It's always been an ask at a Hyatt.

platbrownguy

If I care enough (but not enough to have burned a TSU), I aim for 1 to 4 hours before check in and offer to wait for an upgrade etc.

This may be the only area in which Bonvoy beats Hyatt -- the chat function on the Bonvoy app works really well and a simple ask after mobile check-in (and after checking what shows available) has always gotten me something as a Titanium.

Would have been nice to have that in Puerto Rico where I got snubbed at the Grand Reserve and had to haggle even to get what I booked at the HH SJU.

MarkOK

I agree -- I really appreciate being on or near the 'club floor', especially for longer stays where the long-trudge to the club can get annoying, and unfortunately getting on the club floor doesn't happen all that often for me. I've had week+ long stays at HR Etoile Paris ('view' upgrade only), GH Atlanta Buckhead (cash paid suite), HR Minneapolis ( several times, usually with a cash paid suite), HR Baltimore inner harbor (check in suite upgrade) (to name a few I can remember right off hand), and in all of these places, it can be really, really annoying getting to the club and back. HR Etoile's was perhaps the worse for me -- elevators are slow and to get from where I was at to the club it even required an elevator change -- it took 10-15 minutes each direction (hardly worth the effort IMO, considering the lounge was so busy that it was a crap-shoot whether there would be food out when I got up there without waiting for 10-20 more minutes for them to bring more out), GH Atlanta has several top few floor suites near the club but when I paid cash for a suite they put me down on floor 10 and since I was working out of the lounge most of the day during the stay, it got real old trudging back to the room every hour or so for bathroom breaks. HR Baltimore inner harbor literally put me as far away from the lounge as possible -- floor 2 room at the far corner of the building (but I guess I got a suite upgrade?!?), and HR Minneapolis has most of their suites down the infamous winding long hallway from the elevator banks (heard there are suites in the tower, but I've never seen one), and even when I've gotten a regular room there I have never been less than 10 floors away from the lounge. And I've stayed at HR Tulsa dozens of times (mostly 1 or 2 night stays) and have been all over the building, but 95% of the time I am not on the club floor. The only longer stays I got near the club were GH Seattle, HR Vancouver, and HR Grand Cypress.

Anyways, long answer to say that personally, I -do- consider being on or near (within a floor or two) the club to be an upgrade of sorts -- about as important as a 'view upgrade' anyways.

I don't think it really works that way. There is no such thing as guarantee upgrades or X number of tier upgrades (it isn't Enterprise). You get upgrades based on the availability of rooms for the stay and status. Short term stays usually win over long term stays, and I think after that the tossup between upgrading you to a suite from in a mid-point room and upgrading me from a base level room is more about factors like who is the return customer (or maybe # of lifetime base points or something other factor they have access to), and pure chance.

From my experience, I have never really gotten an upgrade from mid-point room reserved and my upgrade rate when I have base level rooms reserved is pretty decent. I think the best strategy to is to reserved the room you are okay with having, so at least you have that if no upgrades are available.

Agreed -- and the best of those will even send an email or text to make you award of the upgrade when that happens (1-5 days in advance of arrival) so that you can let them know if you need that changed differently still or need anything else (I really appreciate that, because upgrading from a two queen base room to a king bed suite often means I need a rollaway bed set up for the kid, and it's nice to have that set up in advance).

jameswes

I'll agree with the sentiments here:
- I don't think that there is a best time to check-in
- I agree to more often than not if you want the upgrade to a suite you need to ask for it. I find that room type upgrades to "view" or whatever happen regularly, but not to the standard suite
- Generally speaking, I like to online check-in early and then call the Front Desk to ask about upgrades. General philosophy being that if there are a number of globalists eligible, it's helpful to me to ask about it before the others.

skj

I've rarely used online check-in, and that was mainly to avoid the possibility of being walked because I was arriving very late. That said, this strategy of using online check-in and then calling for an upgrade sounds like a good idea. The upgrade benefit is "... the best room available at the time of check-in ..." without distinguishing between online and in-person and one can often check in online 12-15 hours before the standard in-person check-in time.

mrgoodkat

Of course there is no guarantee, but we have choices. There are plenty of loyalty programs for us and I'd venture that the hotels need our money more than we need to stay with a particular brand. If I constantly get excuses instead of upgrades I'll move to a different brand. I've found that irrespective of brand, asking/insisting on the upgrade works best in cases where I haven't been upgraded before arrival. Most front desk staff don't care enough to fight you, they just want you to shut up and get out of their hair. I see no reason to grovel for an upgrade. The deal is simple: A particular brand gets a big chunk of our business in exchange for perks. I don't really care about the fine print, the perks are only worth anything if you get them.

Afaik the profile screen on the reservation in Opera only shows membership level and previous nights stayed at the property and VIP level which can be different than Globalist at hotels you've stayed regularly. Not basepoints/points/nights stayed overall. Your Hyatt profile is obviously accessible, but I seriously doubt that staff has enough time to click through every reservation and build a ranking of upgrade seniority.

Matt4200

The only Hyatt I’ve stayed at with a Club Lounge (that was open pre Covid and very enjoyable) was Manchester Grand Hyatt and the floor that the Lounge was on had 0 guest rooms. So not sure what to say about that. I know it may be true with other Hotel Brands though.

I mainly stay at Centrics, Hyatt Houses, JDV and the Hyatt Regencies I do stay at have no Club Lounges (mainly Houston Downtown, Dallas/Richardson, Orange County, Albuquerque Downtown, Mission Bay those would be my main HR’s none of which have a Club Lounge).

Matt4200

That’s the hard issue is that at HH and HP properties even if a Standard Suite is available and bookable they aren’t required to give it to Globs due to program terms. Of course more often than not you will get the upgrade, especially if you frequent a specific HH or HP. Oddly enough though you can apply a TSU at a HH for a guaranteed upgrade.

With that being said I feel like the most acceptable and efficient practice is this -

Do the Mobile Check In, if you notice you’ve been upgraded great nothing more is needed, if you notice you haven’t then check your dates to see what inventory is available. If an eligible upgrade is available I would recommend calling the Front Desk and asking if X room would be available as a Globalist Upgrade.

Since you are doing the Mobile Check in which is a form of checking you should be fine.

And as others have mentioned if you absolutely need the upgrade use a TSU.