steveholt

If all rooms are occupied, there's no choice. The previous poster's comment seems to be suggesting that the chances of every room being both booked and already occupied for the evening are quite low, but if that was the case, then the hotel had no choice.

GrayAnderson

If the Hilton is losing money and the Hyatt is profitable, the transfer probably has tax benefits. The Hilton is a more "boutique"-style property (it shows up in the Curio Collection), so I wouldn't be surprised if it's been getting "shorted" in terms of revenue.

I presume that some people aren't going to complain/just roll with it (complaining might not be in their nature, they're too tired, etc.). And I wouldn't be surprised if my compensation would be less if I'd simply been a member (or not even had a WoH account), let alone booked via an OTA. If there was any "logic" to this (versus the property just screwing up their inventory info in the Hyatt system), it was probably that they could keep both inventory "pots" open and reallocate late-arriving stays to the "other hotel across the street" without too much complaint (especially given that compared to most "walk" scenarios, this was closer to an annoyance than a massive hassle...I didn't have to travel 20 minutes across town, for example).

One wonky note: This is the only Hyatt property really "along" I-95 between Savannah, GA and Richmond, VA (there's a property over in Sumter, some in Charleston, SC, one or two in Columbia, SC, and one or two in Raleigh, NC...but nothing really "on" I-95/not requiring a 20-30 minute diversion in each direction) and it's been sold out on one or two previous trips. This is an obnoxious "hole" in Hyatt's footprint, so I can see why Hyatt wouldn't want to dump the property. This isn't Atlanta, where dumping a property would get a shrug.

MSPeconomist

This sounds like it only applies to prepaid nonrefundable rates or maybe when the hotel takes a deposit in advance.

Single_Flyer

I keep reading your comments and it reads, to me, that you are excusing what the hotel/Hyatt did to the customer. I don't care if it was a glitch; if I had booked a room I would expect to have it. If there is a glitch or mistake -- Hyatt and the hotel better figure that out and fast.

Hyatt did a good job of compensating the customer. But to excuse the situation as a glitch is not helpful.

RedSun

@LondonElite said perfectly.

$500 is not enough, you want $1,000 or $5,000 for one night glitch??

MarkOK

1. You can "request" check in remotely. That is not the same as actually checking in. Quite a few times I request check-in via the app en route to a hotel, especially if arriving late, but it just says request pending until I get to the hotel and physically show up. This is especially true at limited service properties.

2. The last time I was walked, there was at least three 'packets' of info for the other walked guests. When I arrived at Holiday Inn, the front desk quite flippantly said to each other as I walked up with my paper voucher "ahh, look, we have another one!" meaning there were people that proceeded me as well. Just another anecdote, but I think some properties feel quite at ease with the process of just selling rooms and dealing with walks as they come in. I don't think 'system glitch' has any real evidence, and the motive is there to allow any sort of 'glitch' if they just charge people walking across the street.

3. I would wager 90% of the taveling public at HPs would NOT think anything at all with regards to what they are owed and call anyone about it. The traveling public at large is quite use to abuse, and being told to go across the street and pay them is nothing compared to the stuff the LCCs have done to them. Without FT, I'd have no idea that any such policies exists for these cases.

Ryno1234

A few thoughts:
1) i appreciate the civil tone of this discussion. Makes it much easier to participate
2) I admit to being COMPLETELY ignorant on back office, behind the scene reservation systems for hotels. As a Marriott LT Titanium/Current Ambassador and Hyatt Globalist, i am on the other side of the reservation equation and have never been walked (>2,000 lifetime nights. I just jinxed myself )
3) in this case, lets say at 8:30 PM, the hotel had 4 guests that had not checked in yet. They know at least one of them is a globalist. Why not hold a room for the globalist and walk the lower/non member as a safety valve. Clearly once you have checked in they cant kick you out. I would think you could be a little pro active and hold a room. Are you technically rolling the dice he wont show? I guess. But i would err on the side of the globalist. Is the system built for this? As a non IT guy, i have no clue.

TravelerMSY

That’s sort of the issue. I’d expect them to walk someone of lower status instead. This seems to come up a lot with franchise hotels. There’s a big difference between who corporate thinks is a good customer and who the individual hotels do. They all want the bookings but don’t care to honor the benefits.

cbn42

The majority of guests are not going to bother calling anyone. Calling the corporate office while talking to an employee is something that seasoned travelers who know how to work the system would do. To the average hotel guest, it makes no sense to call a Hyatt call center when you're already in a Hyatt talking to an employee. They aren't foolish or ignorant, they just don't have the "what compensation can I extract out of this" mindset that Flyertalkers do

RedSun

So you recommend the hotel to yank out the poor Jill and Joe at 11:30PM and give their room to a Hyatt "Globalist"?

Not really. If this hotel is so popular as OP indicated, a very decent HP close to highway and commands only 5,000 points, then it is a Hyatt loyalist point magnet. There would be a lot of savvy travelers who redeem points at this hotel, just like OP did.

I remember years ago, I had no status with any hotel chains. For situation like this, guests will feel they are wronged. I would certainly look up Hyatt reservation master phone number and phone them. You do not need to be a hotel loyalist to do that. "Google is your best friend".

I understand Hyatt Globalist is the highest loyalty level. But it does not give us the right to kick other guests at 11:30PM. Several things are linked together here:

1. OP booked room at 8:30PM over phone. The link between hotel and Hyatt was broken. This is the glitch we have been talking about.
2. The booking was never confirmed with the hotel. OP did not do any check-in between 8:30PM to 11:30PM. Room was not confirmed with hotel.
3. OP was accommodated at about the same level as the HP he originally booked.
4. OP was compensated with one free night credit, along with 25,000 Hyatt points which have a value about $500.

Most people would be happy with the outcome. At least I would be. I'm very forgiving and easy to please. System can break down and human can make mistakes. With most hotels have had very difficulty times, I'll give them chances to correct the glitch or mistakes....

Ryno1234

[QUOTE=RedSun;33313509]So you recommend the hotel to yank out the poor Jill and Joe at 11:30PM and give their room to a Hyatt "Globalist"?

No I agree: once they are checked in they are in for good. Can't kick them out. My Point: if Joe Globalist is booked but hasn't shown yet(assuming no glitches etc unlike this case) then the hotel, with 4 rooms not with butts in beds yet, walk Jill and Joe when they walk in to the lobby and save a room for Joe Globalist.

FlyerBeek

So back to my earlier question... is it normal to have C&P availability but NOT points availability?

-FlyerBeek

RedSun

[QUOTE=Ryno1234;33313520]I would agree with that, if that IS the case. Sure if OP checked in at 8:30PM and there is still other guest not checked in, then hotel should walk other guest. But I suspect the communication is broken between hotel and Hyatt. I do not know why and how. Hotel was probably surprised to see several guests walked in at 8PM, 9PM, 10PM and 11:30PM. This is something I do not understand and OP could not deliberate further.

From what I know, it is not common. Again, I do not know how Hyatt system was behaving that night. And the pricing gave OP a point value of 2.12 cpps. Not common.

paperwastage

did the 1st hotel know that OP booked late when OP checked in and got walked?

if hotel is overbooked, how does frontdesk/audit verify and shutdown inventory?


my 2 concerns are:
1) hotel knew they were overbooked before OP arrived (other guests walked). did hotel check/verify inventory was shutdown (but i guess glitch could explain that)
2) walking policy - hotel didn't follow hyatt procedure (night is waived), though does cash&points count? from the wording (book on hyatt.com and prepay with card), sounds like it?

(2) happens quite often, that's why we have stuff like FT to advise on walking procedures. (1)+(2) sounds iffy

RedSun

We do not get answers to any of your questions. But apparently hotel blamed Hyatt for the mess of its booking system. Maybe this hotel is such a hot property and all the guest had unconfirmed bookings.