Walked as a Globalist
Jun 8, 2021, 6:59 pm
#46
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[QUOTE=RedSun;33313553]
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.
I'm not quite sure what a Category 1 hotel "should" cost (I know the HR Atlanta [Downtown] is a Category 2, but that rooms are routinely over $120 and parking is $50/night, so I'm used to getting better value out of that end of things; and I know that at the "low end of the scale" you get some surprisingly good values because hotels do tend to put a floor under their rates and have at least some pricing variability). So $117 for a generic HP doesn't seem terribly out-of-sorts.
A breakdown in the inventory available is the best explanation (either the hotel mis-listed their inventory, never adjusted the nominally available inventory for reduced staffing during the pandemic, or they botched closing it off).
Fundamentally, what I'll say is this: I am pleased as punch with Corporate's handling of this. No sarcasm there; if anything, the Corporate end of this gets a gold star and Hyatt's service recovery shined.
I am not pleased with the fact that, for example, I was walked and lost my late checkout (and included water and breakfast [had that proved to be relevant in the morning...trust me, it wasn't]) despite the two hotels being under shared ownership (the front desk clerk at the Hilton wasn't authorized to extend checkout past noon), nor am I happy that I didn't get the sense that the front desk clerk at the Hyatt was even worried about any of this. Given that they were apparently well aware of the issue, I'm also not pleased that I didn't get a call in advance explaining the situation to me so that I could have made a decision (e.g. cancelling the reservation and diverting to Sumter, SC)...until after I had already checked in next door (which as far as I can tell means they didn't even "make note of" me showing up at the door).
I'm mulling this over...honestly, I might still have grumbled, but "Mr. X, we're sorry that we're sold out; we see that you're a Globalist and greatly regret the inconvenience at this late hour. While the hotel across the street is a Hilton property, we are under shared ownership and want to assure you that your status benefits will be honored there and [you will not be charged for tonight's stay/you will receive X as a goodwill gesture]" would have gone a long way vs the almost routine/dismissive sense I got from them (which I'd best sum up as "Sorry, we oversold, please go away"). TBH, until I went inside I didn't know if it was a Hilton, a Marriott, or an off-brand of utterly unknowable quality ("Random downtown hotel" can break hard in either direction...and yes, it landed on the nicer side).
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.
A breakdown in the inventory available is the best explanation (either the hotel mis-listed their inventory, never adjusted the nominally available inventory for reduced staffing during the pandemic, or they botched closing it off).
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....
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....
I am not pleased with the fact that, for example, I was walked and lost my late checkout (and included water and breakfast [had that proved to be relevant in the morning...trust me, it wasn't]) despite the two hotels being under shared ownership (the front desk clerk at the Hilton wasn't authorized to extend checkout past noon), nor am I happy that I didn't get the sense that the front desk clerk at the Hyatt was even worried about any of this. Given that they were apparently well aware of the issue, I'm also not pleased that I didn't get a call in advance explaining the situation to me so that I could have made a decision (e.g. cancelling the reservation and diverting to Sumter, SC)...until after I had already checked in next door (which as far as I can tell means they didn't even "make note of" me showing up at the door).
I'm mulling this over...honestly, I might still have grumbled, but "Mr. X, we're sorry that we're sold out; we see that you're a Globalist and greatly regret the inconvenience at this late hour. While the hotel across the street is a Hilton property, we are under shared ownership and want to assure you that your status benefits will be honored there and [you will not be charged for tonight's stay/you will receive X as a goodwill gesture]" would have gone a long way vs the almost routine/dismissive sense I got from them (which I'd best sum up as "Sorry, we oversold, please go away"). TBH, until I went inside I didn't know if it was a Hilton, a Marriott, or an off-brand of utterly unknowable quality ("Random downtown hotel" can break hard in either direction...and yes, it landed on the nicer side).
Jun 8, 2021, 7:26 pm
#47
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Location: EWR/PHL/BWI
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[QUOTE=GrayAnderson;33313881]
@GrayAnderson
If I were you, I would quietly pocket the 25,000 Hyatt points and feet it was your lucky day. I would not spent the time to mourn the loss of a bottle of water and the late check-out at a category 1 hotel. Then I would not come here to complain about Hyatt "walked a Globalist"..... You came off much better off, with so little inconvenience.
This is just me. I've made it very clear. I won't post any more in this thread.
Enjoy your future stays with the 25,000 points. You can stay at the same property for 5 nights in the future....
I'm not quite sure what a Category 1 hotel "should" cost (I know the HR Atlanta [Downtown] is a Category 2, but that rooms are routinely over $120 and parking is $50/night, so I'm used to getting better value out of that end of things; and I know that at the "low end of the scale" you get some surprisingly good values because hotels do tend to put a floor under their rates and have at least some pricing variability). So $117 for a generic HP doesn't seem terribly out-of-sorts.
A breakdown in the inventory available is the best explanation (either the hotel mis-listed their inventory, never adjusted the nominally available inventory for reduced staffing during the pandemic, or they botched closing it off).
Fundamentally, what I'll say is this: I am pleased as punch with Corporate's handling of this. No sarcasm there; if anything, the Corporate end of this gets a gold star and Hyatt's service recovery shined.
I am not pleased with the fact that, for example, I was walked and lost my late checkout (and included water and breakfast [had that proved to be relevant in the morning...trust me, it wasn't]) despite the two hotels being under shared ownership (the front desk clerk at the Hilton wasn't authorized to extend checkout past noon), nor am I happy that I didn't get the sense that the front desk clerk at the Hyatt was even worried about any of this. Given that they were apparently well aware of the issue, I'm also not pleased that I didn't get a call in advance explaining the situation to me so that I could have made a decision (e.g. cancelling the reservation and diverting to Sumter, SC)...until after I had already checked in next door (which as far as I can tell means they didn't even "make note of" me showing up at the door).
I'm mulling this over...honestly, I might still have grumbled, but "Mr. X, we're sorry that we're sold out; we see that you're a Globalist and greatly regret the inconvenience at this late hour. While the hotel across the street is a Hilton property, we are under shared ownership and want to assure you that your status benefits will be honored there and [you will not be charged for tonight's stay/you will receive X as a goodwill gesture]" would have gone a long way vs the almost routine/dismissive sense I got from them (which I'd best sum up as "Sorry, we oversold, please go away"). TBH, until I went inside I didn't know if it was a Hilton, a Marriott, or an off-brand of utterly unknowable quality ("Random downtown hotel" can break hard in either direction...and yes, it landed on the nicer side).
A breakdown in the inventory available is the best explanation (either the hotel mis-listed their inventory, never adjusted the nominally available inventory for reduced staffing during the pandemic, or they botched closing it off).
Fundamentally, what I'll say is this: I am pleased as punch with Corporate's handling of this. No sarcasm there; if anything, the Corporate end of this gets a gold star and Hyatt's service recovery shined.
I am not pleased with the fact that, for example, I was walked and lost my late checkout (and included water and breakfast [had that proved to be relevant in the morning...trust me, it wasn't]) despite the two hotels being under shared ownership (the front desk clerk at the Hilton wasn't authorized to extend checkout past noon), nor am I happy that I didn't get the sense that the front desk clerk at the Hyatt was even worried about any of this. Given that they were apparently well aware of the issue, I'm also not pleased that I didn't get a call in advance explaining the situation to me so that I could have made a decision (e.g. cancelling the reservation and diverting to Sumter, SC)...until after I had already checked in next door (which as far as I can tell means they didn't even "make note of" me showing up at the door).
I'm mulling this over...honestly, I might still have grumbled, but "Mr. X, we're sorry that we're sold out; we see that you're a Globalist and greatly regret the inconvenience at this late hour. While the hotel across the street is a Hilton property, we are under shared ownership and want to assure you that your status benefits will be honored there and [you will not be charged for tonight's stay/you will receive X as a goodwill gesture]" would have gone a long way vs the almost routine/dismissive sense I got from them (which I'd best sum up as "Sorry, we oversold, please go away"). TBH, until I went inside I didn't know if it was a Hilton, a Marriott, or an off-brand of utterly unknowable quality ("Random downtown hotel" can break hard in either direction...and yes, it landed on the nicer side).
If I were you, I would quietly pocket the 25,000 Hyatt points and feet it was your lucky day. I would not spent the time to mourn the loss of a bottle of water and the late check-out at a category 1 hotel. Then I would not come here to complain about Hyatt "walked a Globalist"..... You came off much better off, with so little inconvenience.
This is just me. I've made it very clear. I won't post any more in this thread.
Enjoy your future stays with the 25,000 points. You can stay at the same property for 5 nights in the future....
Jun 8, 2021, 7:44 pm
#48
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Fort Lauderdale, FL
Posts: 3,360
I don't have time to comment on all the various situations described in this thread. But, as LondonElite notes, I certainly did relocate (aka walk) many guests over my years working at the Front Desk, as weekend Manager-on-Duty, and as a Night Manager. Here's a non-exhaustive list of some of the reasons why relocations happened (as well as why an elite-level guest might get walked):
-
- A large number of in-house guests refused to check out on time. (Common when large conventions are in town. Where I worked, evictions required court orders, so we were stuck letting people stay.)
- The owner (which might be a person or a company) called and needed a last-minute room.
- Corporate called and needed a last-minute room for a VIP. (This only happened at the corporate-owned hotel where I worked.)
- The hotel's largest corporate client (providing tens of thousands of room night annually) needed a last-minute room.
- 100% of arriving guests are elite-level members. (Rare, but not impossible.)
- A guest severely damaged a guest room, making it unsellable.
- An unexpected maintenance issue made multiple guest rooms unsellable. (Example: A broken pipe can flood multiple rooms simultaneously.)
- A multi-night guest was checked out because the room was vacant but the guest returned.
- The Front Desk was told to relocate guest X, but checked them in. So, elite-level guest Y needs to be relocated instead.
Every single one of those things happened during my career, resulting in the relocation of guests.
Finally, as someone who relocated many people, the thought that a hotel would try to send a guest away AND allow the other hotel to charge the guest is embarrassing. If you're relocated, you don't pay. Full stop.
Last edited by writerguyfl; Jun 8, 2021 at 7:45 pm Reason: Spacing
Jun 8, 2021, 10:55 pm
#49
Moderator: Manufactured Spending
Join Date: Jul 2011
Posts: 6,580
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.
Globalists may be important, but they aren't that important. They aren't like celebrities or VIP corporate clients who can expect the hotel to turn away other guests to hold a room for them which they may or may not show up for.
Jun 8, 2021, 10:58 pm
#50
Original Poster
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Then what if Joe Globalist doesn't show up? My guess is that happens fairly frequently, perhaps it is more likely for a Globalist to no-show than an average guest. So doing this would result in empty rooms and lost revenue, not to mention having to unnecessarily inconvenience other guests.
Globalists may be important, but they aren't that important. They aren't like celebrities or VIP corporate clients who can expect the hotel to turn away other guests to hold a room for them which they may or may not show up for.
Globalists may be important, but they aren't that important. They aren't like celebrities or VIP corporate clients who can expect the hotel to turn away other guests to hold a room for them which they may or may not show up for.
(Globalist drops the canx deadline to 24 hours, IIRC...when I was booking, the agent explicitly informed me that I was within the cancellation deadline and would be billed regardless.)
Jun 8, 2021, 11:03 pm
#51
Moderator: Manufactured Spending
Join Date: Jul 2011
Posts: 6,580
Then under virtually all rate plans, Joe Globalist has to pay for the first night via the card on file?
(Globalist drops the canx deadline to 24 hours, IIRC...when I was booking, the agent explicitly informed me that I was within the cancellation deadline and would be billed regardless.)
(Globalist drops the canx deadline to 24 hours, IIRC...when I was booking, the agent explicitly informed me that I was within the cancellation deadline and would be billed regardless.)
Jun 9, 2021, 12:19 am
#52
Join Date: Mar 2019
Programs: AA EXP; Hyatt Globalist; Hilton Diamond; Marriott Gold
Posts: 723
Jun 9, 2021, 12:34 am
#53
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: MSP
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Posts: 12,159
That Hyatt walk policy is below mediocre, it’s lousy.
This hotel property owner/manager may well have had an incentive to overbook the Hyatt even at 8:30pm the same night. The OP indicated that this Hyatt hotel has an owner-affiliated property — under a non-Hyatt brand affiliation — with spare capacity, and that means this hotel’s owner/management can have their cake from overbooking the Hyatt property and eat it too by keeping the overbooking flow “all in the family” with the property owner’s non-Hyatt property in the picture too.
This hotel property owner/manager may well have had an incentive to overbook the Hyatt even at 8:30pm the same night. The OP indicated that this Hyatt hotel has an owner-affiliated property — under a non-Hyatt brand affiliation — with spare capacity, and that means this hotel’s owner/management can have their cake from overbooking the Hyatt property and eat it too by keeping the overbooking flow “all in the family” with the property owner’s non-Hyatt property in the picture too.
Jun 9, 2021, 12:36 am
#54
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haha. I'm not sure exactly how to take this comment?!?!
I don't have time to comment on all the various situations described in this thread. But, as LondonElite notes, I certainly did relocate (aka walk) many guests over my years working at the Front Desk, as weekend Manager-on-Duty, and as a Night Manager. Here's a non-exhaustive list of some of the reasons why relocations happened (as well as why an elite-level guest might get walked):
-
I don't have time to comment on all the various situations described in this thread. But, as LondonElite notes, I certainly did relocate (aka walk) many guests over my years working at the Front Desk, as weekend Manager-on-Duty, and as a Night Manager. Here's a non-exhaustive list of some of the reasons why relocations happened (as well as why an elite-level guest might get walked):
-
- A large number of in-house guests refused to check out on time. (Common when large conventions are in town. Where I worked, evictions required court orders, so we were stuck letting people stay.)
Jun 9, 2021, 1:04 am
#55
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Location: Canada, USA, Europe
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 31,452
haha. I'm not sure exactly how to take this comment?!?!
I don't have time to comment on all the various situations described in this thread. But, as LondonElite notes, I certainly did relocate (aka walk) many guests over my years working at the Front Desk, as weekend Manager-on-Duty, and as a Night Manager. Here's a non-exhaustive list of some of the reasons why relocations happened (as well as why an elite-level guest might get walked):
-
Every single one of those things happened during my career, resulting in the relocation of guests.
Finally, as someone who relocated many people, the thought that a hotel would try to send a guest away AND allow the other hotel to charge the guest is embarrassing. If you're relocated, you don't pay. Full stop.
I don't have time to comment on all the various situations described in this thread. But, as LondonElite notes, I certainly did relocate (aka walk) many guests over my years working at the Front Desk, as weekend Manager-on-Duty, and as a Night Manager. Here's a non-exhaustive list of some of the reasons why relocations happened (as well as why an elite-level guest might get walked):
-
- A large number of in-house guests refused to check out on time. (Common when large conventions are in town. Where I worked, evictions required court orders, so we were stuck letting people stay.)
- The owner (which might be a person or a company) called and needed a last-minute room.
- Corporate called and needed a last-minute room for a VIP. (This only happened at the corporate-owned hotel where I worked.)
- The hotel's largest corporate client (providing tens of thousands of room night annually) needed a last-minute room.
- 100% of arriving guests are elite-level members. (Rare, but not impossible.)
- A guest severely damaged a guest room, making it unsellable.
- An unexpected maintenance issue made multiple guest rooms unsellable. (Example: A broken pipe can flood multiple rooms simultaneously.)
- A multi-night guest was checked out because the room was vacant but the guest returned.
- The Front Desk was told to relocate guest X, but checked them in. So, elite-level guest Y needs to be relocated instead.
Every single one of those things happened during my career, resulting in the relocation of guests.
Finally, as someone who relocated many people, the thought that a hotel would try to send a guest away AND allow the other hotel to charge the guest is embarrassing. If you're relocated, you don't pay. Full stop.
Jun 9, 2021, 1:53 am
#56
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Posts: 3,134
That happened to me once (as a customer): a previous group was holding their annual election, and several days (and 100+ tied ballots) later, my group was supposed to check in. While they couldn't be kicked out, the hotel raised their rates to full (winter) rack rate (in July in Phoenix), and they left.
Jun 9, 2021, 3:06 am
#57
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To me the summary of this is that you arrived late and the hotel was sold out. You got a room that was just as good around the corner. You slept and then you left. Life went on. You were given a service recovery of more points than the room cost in the first place. How is all this not a 'win' for you? I'm not sure what extended loyalty benefits one can expect at these budget hotels anyway. A bottle of water and a bagel in the morning? It's not like you were moved from a suite in a Rosewood hotel to Joe's Bareback Motel where you couldn't have a full body massage.
Jun 9, 2021, 3:22 am
#58
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Even then the owner of the Hyatt property can have directed revenue from the Hyatt property go over to the affiliated Hilton property — whether or not the initial Hyatt booking was a $117 stay, a $10 stay or a $0 stay. The hotel’s shifting the guest could come with an expense for the Hyatt but a net, post-tax financial gain for the owner of the two properties. Also, it is possible that the debt covenants for the financing of one property being a concern for the Hilton property but not for the Hyatt property (in the same way) may motivate a owner of two properties to play such games.
Jun 9, 2021, 6:29 am
#59
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To me the summary of this is that you arrived late and the hotel was sold out. You got a room that was just as good around the corner. You slept and then you left. Life went on. You were given a service recovery of more points than the room cost in the first place. How is all this not a 'win' for you? I'm not sure what extended loyalty benefits one can expect at these budget hotels anyway. A bottle of water and a bagel in the morning? It's not like you were moved from a suite in a Rosewood hotel to Joe's Bareback Motel where you couldn't have a full body massage.
I recently chatted with a GM from a 110-room Holiday Inn Express in NYC area. Here is what she said:
"During the evening after 7 pm there’s max 2 employees as we don’t have 24 hour housekeeping. I assure you that the cars in the lot are from guests."
I was surprised to hear that there were only two employees for the night shift. I guess this HP has about the same staffing situation. It had probably just one employee at front desk all night. And it was such a mess.
With the current labor shortage and the fact that travel is picking up, I would expect my fellow Hyatt Globalists would be more understandable. I did not really expect to see anything like this for a Globalist to nickel and dime a lowly HP.... I think it is time to move on.
Jun 9, 2021, 7:24 am
#60
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Norman, Oklahoma
Programs: Southwest A List Preferred, Bonvoy Platinum, Hyatt Globalist, American Airlines Gold
Posts: 694
I think that everyone is overthinking this. One hotel is full. One isn't. Same owner for both. Keep selling the one that is full and walk the extra across the street. 95% of the people walked don't complain. The few that do and push it get a free night. No money really lost, but with these few cases nothing gained. Yes, Hyatt may occasionally pay out some points, but who pays for that? Hyatt eats that, not the hotel owner. It is a no brainer.