GUWonder

Here is my understanding of how some Hyatt hotels can get way overbooked: separate reservation systems with a messed up sync between the two (or more) reservation systems used by the hotel or between the system at the hotel and central reservations; and this messed up sync can at times be due to error by the hotel employees or sometimes by corporate/Hyatt. That and corporate/negotiated group sales getting priority from a hotel sales director type or GM wanting to court the business even at the expense of walking a bunch of one-night/one-time visitors.

Most of my incidents of being walked have taken place when I show up at the hotels between 5:30pm and 8pm local hotel time. Once in a while, a hotel will try to contact me via email or phone to try to feel me out or let me know of an irregularity coming with being walked. Sometimes I prefer being walked, but other times it comes at very much the wrong time and under the wrong circumstances. And it’s definitely off-putting when showing up to a Hyatt property with a confirmed reservation made directly with Hyatt only to be told you’re to get walked even as the hotel is just about to get started with later arriving people being checked in.

Most of my walks have been at places where I’ve stayed multiple times. Not exactly a vote in confidence of repeat business being necessarily highly valued, but I am probably staying on one of the lowest valued rates anyway if I’m using a property a lot. But I still don’t get how walking me on the lowest valued rates makes much sense since the walk rates that Hyatt ends up paying for me to stay elsewhere are usually significantly higher than the rates that filled up the hotels doing the walking.

zirtek

I guess the issue here is that, if it's a standard room, then the "nearby hotel" thing could work. But now it's a premium suite. So, it's hard to decide which room at the nearby hotel is an equivalence, if there is an equivalent suite at all. I think the compensation is acceptable, but I wouldn't call it a great offer especially considering that the suite was book much in advance and was for a special occasion.

TravelinSperry

Wow, they don't provide any compensation for the inconvience whatsoever? You also lose tons of benefits... nights towards status, breakfast (and possibly club lounge access), points, cross points via AA, premium internet, bottled water, and late check out. Losing all this and they give the Glob nada?

PTahCha

Bingo! It could be a locally booked room block went haywire and needed to consume more rooms than they booked.

This is where Marriott has a better policy for its elites - the hotel needs to fork over $$ plus points (which cost them more $$), plus paying for the 1 night stay elsewhere. I had a situation where my colleagues (no status) got walked while I got my room, and they were very aware of the Ultimate Guarantee requirements.

Matt4200

Any way to tell if you’ll be walked? In my 7 years with Hyatt never been walked. I’m staying at a Hyatt Place this weekend for 2 nights and they said they have 12 business conferences going on in the area and have been sold out all week, I booked months ago though. Hoping I’ll be walked since it’s the only Cat 1 within 50 miles so I’d at least move up in terms of quality.

Boraxo

It is impossible. Many have posted strategies such as: Calling the property on morning of checking to reconfirm, checking in via app, putting note in the record, checking in as early as possible.

Unfortunately none are foolproof. The best is to arrive early as they tend to walk the last to show (to maximize revenue) but alas that is not always possible. I find calling ahead to say "don't walk me" usually works.

Honestly if there was one elite benefit I would want above all others it would be to never ever be walked but property owners are just too greedy to provide it.