LHW leaders club updates and comments
 

" Upgrade Policy Update
Effective January 1, 2015, Leaders Club Unlimited members will have priority status for one-category upgrades at all of our hotels around the world. Upgrades may be requested at check-in and will be granted on the basis of availability and at the hotel’s discretion; upgrades can no longer be guaranteed in advance. "

As we all know upgrades at the hotel's discretion based upon availability at check-in means basically no upgrades anymore.

This really sucks. Way to kill a loyalty program. It's also annoying - I paid the full amount for LHW Unlimited about two months ago based on their marketing promises. 2 months into my membership year, they kill the most important benefit.

I suggest you complain so they will at least try and find an alternative benefit to replace this.

Email Ted Teng the CEO:

[email protected]

Now there is very little reason to book via LHW.

And if I´m right suites were always excluded:mad: So as I book a Suite everytime it really makes sense to me;) Can´t see any reason to buy this membership....

Correct I don't see why they've devalued the membership like this as suites were always excluded. And the room category was only 1 category (junior suites excluded too) and only if available at time of booking.

I can see that guaranteed upgrades at time of booking can be very difficult or even impossible for hotels in some situations (unless they downgrade or walk other guests). My recommendation would be to change that to what Centurion does: "Room upgrade will be confirmed at time of reservation subject to availability."

An upgrade at time of booking is relative common with virtuoso. Also why should it be a problem? Of course they can`t sell the better room/ suite to other guests but same when I pay for it. In the end I look at the rate if an upgrade is guaranteed and judge if the upgraded room is worth the rate. So I normally woudn`t book the original one. It`s a kind of promotion rate ....

I believe this was already the case. LHW Unlimited members got a guaranteed one category room upgrade if available at time of booking if it was a publicly available rate.

Any unlimited booking would automatically generate an email to the hotel to adjust inventory accordingly so there would be no issues as you mention above.

http://www.leadingportal.com/Extrane...ing_Manual.pdf

Centurion and Virtuoso seem to manage it I don't understand why LHW stopped

http://www.classictravel.com/instant-upgrade-hotels

Certain properties probably did not think it was worthwhile to participate.

Because "Unlimited" status is available to anyone for purchase, people probably just bought the status if the rate differential exceeded $1200. Therefore it may not promote true "loyalty" and could have even canibalised revenue from guests who would have booked higher categoies anyway.

Amex centurion can be bought and virtuoso is completely free.

If you consider suites and junior suites are excluded the price difference between room catergories is on average about 50 usd.

That´s the point 50 or 100 $ are not that much that I don`t buy the room itself. Also with Virtuoso guaranteed upgrades are limited. For example at MO New York you don`t get an upgrade from room to suite, but you get an upgrade from suite to suite. Signature suites are often excluded.

@ Centurion: As far as I know you can`t really buy it.

LHW leaders club eliminates "guaranteed upgrade @ booking" benefit as of Jan 2015
 

This was originally part of another LHW thread on best hotels but is important enough that it deserves wider notice and a thread of its own, so I have moved the relevant posts here.

RichardInSF, moderator, luxury hotels

Centurion requires significant spend to elicit invitation. Unless I am missing something it cannot be bought cheaply by anyone like Leaders Club status can.

Virtuoso confirmed upgrades are either negotiated by agent, or part of an individual hotel or resort's negotiated contract with Virtuoso. LHW unlimited is different, as it applies more or less uniformly to all properties.

Not all; some properties are excluded such as Sandy Lane in Barbados etc where no upgrades for anyone

Assume you book the highest room category that is available at the time of your booking, but the hotel has higher room categories. What is the hotel supposed to do when your upgrade is guaranteed?
They can downgrade another guest to give you their room or walk another guest. Guaranteeing an upgrade that is not available doesn't work.

That's why they should offer an upgrade if available at time of booking. If unavailable, they could upgrade as soon as it becomes available, or only charge you for the room category one below what you booked if no upgrade is available.

The new "benefit" (stay credits don't expire if you renew) they give us in return for the lost upgrade is quite ridiculous. First of all, that has always been the case and secondly who cares. What would be a real benefit is if the complimentary nights don't expire if membership gets renewed.