mickgoodie

Does anyone have issues getting free upgrades at CP hotels if the rate you paid was very good?

I have recently obtained platinum and used the CP at london heathrow.
for both visits I used a corp rate that included Breakfast/parking at a very good rate. My first visit i had to fight for an upgrade which eventually they gave me a room that was out of service for a heating issue (which was perfectly ok) and my 2nd visit (last night) again no upgrade even though the car park seemed very quiet compared to normal.

What are the best ways to get this room upgrade to club at CP's, and does the rate paid make a difference?

sagorion

I was upgraded by CP on a pointbreak redemption before.

Exiled in Express

If you read this board you will see that we have trouble getting upgrades even when the rate paid is advantageous to the hotel. My favorite was being denied an upgrade becasue I was "staying too long".

pmaddock

My experience is that CP upgrades are just slightly less rare than at HIs - the properties are stingy as heck and/or they are older properties that didn't have many 'upgrade' rooms to start with (unless you count a higher floor or extra soap as an upgrade).

My best experience with upgrades is at HIEx - usually I score one at least 50% of the time.

LHWolf

It is hit or miss.
I had everything from upgrade to an Executive room including lounge access to something like "we do not upgrade at all".

The PC conditions say:

<<Platinum level members will be offered a complimentary upgrade, as determined by the hotel, which might include rooms on higher floors, corner rooms, newly renovated rooms, or rooms with preferred views>>

I still remember the times when it was "upgrade to the best room available", but this was really in the good old times.

As it is all due to the determination by the hotel, they can give any kind of room and call it upgrade. I really do not understand why a lousy room on the 3rd floor should be better than a lousy room on the 2nd floor.

I have seen in some hotels now "Priority Club floors" (not to be confused with "Club Floors"). The rooms are basically standard rooms for PC members. For me that is just an upgrade on paper, but not in reality. Anyhow, Platinum Members should get an upgrade on top of that IMHO.
I found good rooms on "Priority Club Floors", like HI Munich City Center, and lousy rooms in e.g. CP Paris Republique.

For me the upgrade promise of PC is very unclear, therefore it is better not to expect too much from it nowadays .

KathyWdrf

yourself!

That reason actually makes sense, and it applies to other hotel chains as well. The longer you are staying, the longer you would be occupying the upgraded room, therefore possibly causing an opportunity cost to the hotel. (I.e., they could rent that upgraded room out for an even higher rate to someone else, possibly, and the more days you are occupying it, the higher the probability that such is the case.)

With most hotel chains, the shorter your stay, the better your chances of an upgrade. This is probabilistic, of course, NOT deterministic. (Though a lot of people here don't seem to get these concepts.)

IC6A

Asian (East Asia and Southeast Asia) hotels tend to give much better upgrade. I get Club floors most of the time. When i book Club rooms sometimes, 75% chance I get upgraded into one suite. To me, hotels there is real hotels. And hotels in Europe/UK is guest house.

LHWolf

I can only agree with that.

For me the chance for getting a (real) upgrade in Europe is around 25%, in US 50% and in Asia 75%.

dnastudios

I miss those days.


/dnastudios

wonderbret

The "staying too long" response is a very real issue. If you are staying for 3 weeks, 15 days into your stay, and only on that night, that hotel may have sold all of their suites. Sometimes we have to remember that people actually DO pay for suites.
Also, since CP is "The Place to Meet", naturally there are a lot of group events held at these properties. One of the most consistent benefits of those group contracts are free gtd upgrades to suites for the group VIPs.
There are a million other reasons but I personally still think a much bigger issue to address, when it comes to upgrades to truly premium rooms, is that the franchisees only care what you have done for them, and not the brand.

Koby

We are talking about PC Plats here... when it comes to upgrades, suites don’t even exist for us.

And for you, mister RA, they should only exist at IC hotels. Not at CPs.

italian flyer

My experience .......
Week-end stays have always been upgraded ( during week-ends hotels are not so fully booked ) : 32 stays out of 32 , last year !^

Mid-week stays have been upgraded ONLY if I stayed one or two nights : 27 stays out of 34 , last year !

customlowz

I get an upgrade, 9 out of 10 times that I stay at the hotel. I am just PC Platinum, but it works for me.

applezz13

I have noticed that upgrades seem to more common in less busy areas. In LA Plat doesn't seem to get me much, however last weekend and this weekend I am in the Hampton, VA CP. I was welcomed as if not many Plats stay here and was given a corner water front room last week. This week I am in a corner waterfront 1 bedroom suite. Best upgrade I have ever had from a hotel at the government rate!

Comet21

I was given a handicap access room when I stayed at CP Darling Harbour in Sydney last week. What a way to say welcome to loyal customers. Perhaps this was their upgrade.