ACK! Discovered reserved hotel is no longer a HI
May 11, 2010, 2:44 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2008
Location: MDW
Programs: Southwest CP, Hyatt Gold Passport Plat, Priority Club Plat, Best Western Diamond, Hertz #1 Gold
Posts: 59
ACK! Discovered reserved hotel is no longer a HI
On February 21, I made a reservation for the night of May 28 at the Holiday Inn International Falls, located at 1500 Hwy 71, International Falls, MN. It's a prepaid, non-refundable Advanced Purchase rate. We've stayed there every year for the past several for our annual fishing trip, it's the halfway point during the drive where we stop for the night.
Today I was working on travel plans and logged onto Priority Club to print out my reservation, where I can see the Confirmation number along with the notation CONFIRMED, but the "View Reservation" link would only take me to a blank white page. Searching for a hotel located in International Falls gave me the error message, "Sorry, there are no hotels that matched your travel preferences. Try expanding your search for more results."
I phoned Customer Service and twice was disconnected after a live person answered but before I could finish explaining my dilemma. The third call, I was told that the Int'l Falls location was no longer a Holiday Inn as of April 30 and then was transferred to a different representative, to whom I had to explain everything all over again. Although sympathetic to my situation, the only thing he did was call the property to "see if they'll honor your reservation at the current rate". It's now called the Rainy River Inn http://www.hiifalls.com Thankfully they will, at this point I have no choice but to stay there since the few other hotels in this remote location are already sold out. When I asked for the confirmation number, he stammered that there wasn't one, that "I talked to the hotel directly and they'll honor your rate". I told him I wanted documentation and he offered to call the hotel back again but I told him I would do that myself.
I'm very upset that I found this out due to my own diligence and was not notified by the hotel in any way. I explained that from my point of view, I have a prepaid confirmation and would have shown up at "The Inn Formerly Known as Holiday" with no valid reservation and nowhere else available to stay. To place a customer in this predicament is totally unacceptable. The response was to tell me that my "suggestions" would be noted. What?!?
I also mentioned that now I won't be earning any Priority Club credit or points for this stay and was told that isn't possible since it's not HI anymore but not offered any compensation.
Sorry for the babbling post, but I would very much appreciate some valued Flyertalk opinions about this before I compose an email.
Last edited by SisterEarth; May 11, 2010 at 3:41 pm
May 11, 2010, 3:41 pm
#2
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Surf City, USA
Programs: DL-Dirt AA-Plat 0.1MM AMTK-Select IHG-Gold
Posts: 333
Rick
May 11, 2010, 4:08 pm
#3
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 1999
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Programs: OWEmerald; STARGold; BonvoyPlat; IHGPlat/Amb; HiltonGold; A|ClubPat; AirMilesPlat
Posts: 38,186
Had this happen with a stay a couple of years ago at what was an HI at ORD. It had just changed to a Wyndham and my booking and rate were honored. A letter to the PC Customer Service centre explaining the situation got me the points I would have earned had it still been an HI plus bonuses applicable at the time.
May 11, 2010, 4:55 pm
#4
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: UK
Posts: 247
I agree if you give the PC Service Centre a little nudge they will give you the points (+ bonuses).
The same thing has happened to me a couple of times in the UK & they credited the points (including bonuses) & qualifying nights without any problem.
I think I also aired concerns about the way the change had been communicated - which like the OP I had to find out for myself.
They gave me a couple of thousand points to "compensate for my disappointment".
The same thing has happened to me a couple of times in the UK & they credited the points (including bonuses) & qualifying nights without any problem.
I think I also aired concerns about the way the change had been communicated - which like the OP I had to find out for myself.
They gave me a couple of thousand points to "compensate for my disappointment".
May 12, 2010, 1:04 am
#6
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Sun & beach destinations
Programs: UA-lifetime Platinum (2MM), IHG-Amb, HH-Diamond, Hertz-PC, Marriott-Gold, CX-AM
Posts: 1,427
not a problem
Happened me too. Booked HI but changed to Hilton Garden Inn when arrived. Points and bonus points were given to my PC account after I faxed PC the check-out bill.
The only difference is you don't get any PC elite treatments from the hotel, but I hardly doubt the hotel will give any even if it was still HI.
The only difference is you don't get any PC elite treatments from the hotel, but I hardly doubt the hotel will give any even if it was still HI.
May 12, 2010, 4:45 pm
#7
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Vienna AUSTRIA
Posts: 549
I had the same problem 1 year ago with a 2-4-1 rate at a holiday inn express in milan italy, when i logged in to my account to see my reservation a blank site appears without any information about my reservation.So I called priority member services to explain my situation(in mind I want to get my points and qualyfing nights) and they told me that the hotel had leave the chain but my reservation are still honored.At check inn I talked to a lady and she told me that only she guess the hotel had to leave the chain for another contract negoctations.At fin I got my points and nights credited correctly. But in your case you have to given at least an compensation in points for your custom in this company.