joe847

[QUOTE=sdsearch;15133109]Well, then, next time stay at the Holiday Inn Anaheim on Manchester Ave. It gives free breakfast buffet to Platinum Members. An ok-but-not-great buffet (given the free-ness), includes coffee and/or water but no juice. (It's primarily designed as an adjunct to paid meals, rather than as a type of paid meal, which is why the weird inclusions and exclusions when you get it as your "entire" free breakfast.)

Or stay at the Holiday Inn Santa Ana (Orange County Airport North). It gives a free breakfast buffet to all Priority Club memebers, I think, and it does include juice.

Or stay at the Holiday Inn Kansas City Airport. It gives free breakfast to Platinum Members (although I didn't have time to try it the one time I stayed there, so I can't comment further on it).
QUOTE]

Anaheim, Santa Ana and Kansas City would make for one hell of a walk to Ghirardelli Square.

Zurich Flyer

+1

That's why I avoid these two chains and stay with Marriott, Hilton, SPG, Hyatt instead @:-)

Keyser

i have no problems with pc plat & i'm sure you must have had some good upgrades....but i have got no benefits so far....there are a lot of people in my firm who are pc plat & all of them tell me they hardly get benefits....

its not just the upgrades with hilton that have been good for me (have got a couple of fantastic suite upgrades this year) but the other benefits like the diamond force, free breakfast, lounge access, free internet, etc that have made hilton diamond the better choice for me....

Hannibal Lecter

I could do without the hit or miss upgrades if there was some usefull guaranteed benefits;, such as free internet, welcome drink etc.

Keyser

i agree completely....

mnredfox

Bummer you've had such bad luck, seems like we have different experiences. Now, the additional benefits you list re Hilton are huge, esp the diamond force and lounge access.

As a PC Plat, I only get Club access at CP's about 75% of the time and at HI's about 40% of the time.

Keyser

have a few more pc stays coming up over the next few months....maybe i'll have a better experience....

lunardream

Just got back from Holiday Inn Resort, Kandooma Island, Maldives

I've called in earlier for a platinum upgrade and they turned it down as saying that I've made my reservation through a travel agent. No problem, I get there and was treated perfectly, express check-in and complimentary in-room wi-fi. I ask about the room upgrade thing, it turns out that they're booked fully and couldn't afford to to give away any room. Didn't mind it, except they could have been more honest with me regarding that matter.

sdsearch

Update:
Within the last week I stayed at the Holiday Inn Express in Garden Grove, CA, and they upgraded me to a sort-of suite (separate "living" area with a passageway, even though no door, separating it from the "sleeping" area), and I got two welcome bags/basket (water plus snacks), one at check-in, and then found another one (slightly different snacks) already in the room when I got there!

Still, I'd say I notice Platinum perks of any sort at only about half the properties I stay in, at most. And it goes in "clumps" (ie, I might stay at a bunch of properties in a row with nothing I notice, and then several properties in a short span of time where I do notice some elite perk or other).

And I'm talking here about the US only. I have had too few paid stays at PC properties outside the US (and perhaps some give perks only on paid stays?) to form any pattern.

mnredfox

And if PC delivers, you might be the biggest PC Plat proponent on this board yet!

Keyser

camsean

Huh? Aren't they the same thing?

morphius909

I've been platinum this year and quite honestly, I see little to no benefit, other then bonus points.

Free Upgrades? Hardly ever.
Perks? None really
Status? HAHAH whatever.

abhilife2001

+1.. IMO, the amount spent to get a free night is much less in PC compared to HH or MR and I am happy with that.. Anyway, I dont stay in a hotel long enough to enjoy many of the benefits even if they give it to me other than maybe free breakfast since internet is usually included in our corp rates..mostly there just late evenings as most are official stays..
But redeeming free nights for personal stays is ^ and PC is good in this aspect IMO..

Correct..HH and MR its that much tougher to get elite status and we actually need to spend some good money to make it to the top tier and maintain it..So its no surprise they give better benefits.. For me its how much I spend to get a free night and I find the same much better in PC till now..and mostly even room rates comparable or cheaper to similar HI/MR properties..
Btw.. I have got upgrades about 60-70% times I have stayed in HI and CP and hence its ^ till now..

Jaskel

Dear Morphius,
I just joined PCR Ambassador this year and became Plat only this year. So far, I have stayed in IC, HI and HIE and had upgrades in all the hotels I had stayed except for HIE since they only have 1 room category. Even though there was no room upgrade at HIE, but the reception does not require me to leave any deposit for my room. Thus, assuming I am staying for 2 nights, I just have to pay for the 2 nights when I check in as I was told that this "No Deposit is Required" policy is extended to Plat members. Guests who stayed in hotels in China typically are required to leave a deposit.

Even for my Reward night in IC, I had been upgraded and received all the benefits such as late checkout, free gifts, fruits etc.

I had also booked F&F rate for my stays in HI and had been upgraded to suite too. They also extended my checkout to 4 pm and had received a very warm and extremely good services from the club lounge.

All my stays are in Asia though.

So far I have been lucky.
^