RC club level without club access?
Nov 20, 2018, 1:47 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Berkeley, CA
Programs: Delta Diamond, SPG Platinum
Posts: 10
RC club level without club access?
I'm staying at the Ritz Carlton Tokyo on points with my family. Prior to getting here, I received an email that I was upgraded to the club level. Great.
On our first day, we went to the lounge for breakfast, which was excellent. On the second day, when sitting down for breakfast, the hostess asked for our room number (this never occurred on the first day). She then returned, after we had gotten our food, and very apologetically said we did not qualify for lounge access. I then opened up the app, which showed that we were in a "*club* deluxe room" on the "*club level*", and showed it to her. She then gave a quizzical expression and without saying anything walked off, never to be seen again. We finished our breakfast.
I'm now curious and second guessing whether we should go back for breakfast on our subsequent days here: do we actually have lounge access? From the RC website, a "club level" room appears to be synonymous with club access. From other posts here, I understand that being platinum doesn't automatically grant access to the club level, as it does at SPG and other Marriott brands, but the fact of the matter remains that I was nonetheless upgraded to the club level ahead of time. ItIt seems weird (and frankly tacky) if we were "upgraded", but not allowed to use the main perk of that upgrade.
Has anyone else experienced this?
On our first day, we went to the lounge for breakfast, which was excellent. On the second day, when sitting down for breakfast, the hostess asked for our room number (this never occurred on the first day). She then returned, after we had gotten our food, and very apologetically said we did not qualify for lounge access. I then opened up the app, which showed that we were in a "*club* deluxe room" on the "*club level*", and showed it to her. She then gave a quizzical expression and without saying anything walked off, never to be seen again. We finished our breakfast.
I'm now curious and second guessing whether we should go back for breakfast on our subsequent days here: do we actually have lounge access? From the RC website, a "club level" room appears to be synonymous with club access. From other posts here, I understand that being platinum doesn't automatically grant access to the club level, as it does at SPG and other Marriott brands, but the fact of the matter remains that I was nonetheless upgraded to the club level ahead of time. ItIt seems weird (and frankly tacky) if we were "upgraded", but not allowed to use the main perk of that upgrade.
Has anyone else experienced this?
Nov 20, 2018, 2:05 pm
#2
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Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: South Florida
Programs: AA LTG (EXP), Hilton Silver (Dia), Marriott LTP (PP), SPG LTG (P) > MPG LTPP
Posts: 11,329
I'm staying at the Ritz Carlton Tokyo on points with my family. Prior to getting here, I received an email that I was upgraded to the club level. Great.
On our first day, we went to the lounge for breakfast, which was excellent. On the second day, when sitting down for breakfast, the hostess asked for our room number (this never occurred on the first day). She then returned, after we had gotten our food, and very apologetically said we did not qualify for lounge access. I then opened up the app, which showed that we were in a "*club* deluxe room" on the "*club level*", and showed it to her. She then gave a quizzical expression and without saying anything walked off, never to be seen again. We finished our breakfast.
I'm now curious and second guessing whether we should go back for breakfast on our subsequent days here: do we actually have lounge access? From the RC website, a "club level" room appears to be synonymous with club access. From other posts here, I understand that being platinum doesn't automatically grant access to the club level, as it does at SPG and other Marriott brands, but the fact of the matter remains that I was nonetheless upgraded to the club level ahead of time. ItIt seems weird (and frankly tacky) if we were "upgraded", but not allowed to use the main perk of that upgrade.
Has anyone else experienced this?
On our first day, we went to the lounge for breakfast, which was excellent. On the second day, when sitting down for breakfast, the hostess asked for our room number (this never occurred on the first day). She then returned, after we had gotten our food, and very apologetically said we did not qualify for lounge access. I then opened up the app, which showed that we were in a "*club* deluxe room" on the "*club level*", and showed it to her. She then gave a quizzical expression and without saying anything walked off, never to be seen again. We finished our breakfast.
I'm now curious and second guessing whether we should go back for breakfast on our subsequent days here: do we actually have lounge access? From the RC website, a "club level" room appears to be synonymous with club access. From other posts here, I understand that being platinum doesn't automatically grant access to the club level, as it does at SPG and other Marriott brands, but the fact of the matter remains that I was nonetheless upgraded to the club level ahead of time. ItIt seems weird (and frankly tacky) if we were "upgraded", but not allowed to use the main perk of that upgrade.
Has anyone else experienced this?
Nov 20, 2018, 3:35 pm
#3
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Join Date: Apr 2013
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It is very rare btw to get a free Club upgrade at a RC, and also quite unusual to be notified of an upgrade by email.
Personally, I would not seek clarification from the front desk, and would only raise the issue if someone tried to deny access.
Nov 20, 2018, 3:46 pm
#4
Join Date: Aug 2018
Posts: 902
The way with SPG was that a room upgrade (plat or otherwise) came with full access to the regular amenities that were afforded a paying guest staying at that upgraded room category. Other hotel chains had different rules. RC has always been extremely stingy regarding club lounge access, which is specifically excluded in the T&Cs. Perhaps that SPG unwritten rule doesn’t apply anymore in the new merged program.
Last edited by MePlatPremier; Nov 20, 2018 at 5:54 pm
Nov 20, 2018, 10:17 pm
#6
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: TUL
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Posts: 6,177
Did you not have to use your keycard to access the lounge? If so, it appears you were granted access by the front desk.
Nov 20, 2018, 11:53 pm
#7
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If you're upgraded to a Club room, I don't see how that would not include Club access. I wonder if there was not some sort of error which resulted in your room number not appearing on the list.
It is very rare btw to get a free Club upgrade at a RC, and also quite unusual to be notified of an upgrade by email.
Personally, I would not seek clarification from the front desk, and would only raise the issue if someone tried to deny access.
It is very rare btw to get a free Club upgrade at a RC, and also quite unusual to be notified of an upgrade by email.
Personally, I would not seek clarification from the front desk, and would only raise the issue if someone tried to deny access.
I think I'd just go to the lounge and not raise the issue with the front desk unless someone raises the issue again or unless it appears on your bill. So far, they haven't told you that you don't have lounge access, but that can change if you ask.
Do you have status with Starriott above SPG Plat or are you a frequent guest at the property? Was there a service failure during a previous stay? Are you paying rack rate? It seems highly unusual that you were preupgraded to club level at a RC, and I'm a bit curious.
Do you have status with Starriott above SPG Plat or are you a frequent guest at the property? Was there a service failure during a previous stay? Are you paying rack rate? It seems highly unusual that you were preupgraded to club level at a RC, and I'm a bit curious.
Nov 21, 2018, 1:05 am
#8
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: In the air
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Posts: 8,717
I've been on the "Club Floor" a couple of times since the merger at Ritz Carlton properties and was reasonably sure that I wasn't allowed in the Club itself (I didn't see whether the key worked).
Nov 21, 2018, 2:30 am
#10
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IIRC there are a few RCs where the difference is that the club floors are keycard restricted access in elevators, so it's supposedly a bit more secure.
Nov 21, 2018, 4:57 am
#11
Join Date: Apr 2017
Location: WAS
Programs: Free Agent
Posts: 1,757
I'd echo the advice to stop at the front desk. A few years back I was upgraded to the Club level at the RC Atlanta, but my keycard didn't let me into the club. A stop by the front desk was able to get the issue resolved. The first agent I spoke to initially refused club access despite me showing my room type on the app, but her colleague pointed something out on the screen (to this day, I wonder what that was) and it was sorted out quickly after that.
Nov 21, 2018, 5:46 am
#12
Join Date: Nov 2016
Location: Hartford, CT
Programs: Marriott LTS
Posts: 195
I'm staying at the Ritz Carlton Tokyo on points with my family. Prior to getting here, I received an email that I was upgraded to the club level. Great.
On our first day, we went to the lounge for breakfast, which was excellent. On the second day, when sitting down for breakfast, the hostess asked for our room number (this never occurred on the first day). She then returned, after we had gotten our food, and very apologetically said we did not qualify for lounge access. I then opened up the app, which showed that we were in a "*club* deluxe room" on the "*club level*", and showed it to her. She then gave a quizzical expression and without saying anything walked off, never to be seen again. We finished our breakfast.
I'm now curious and second guessing whether we should go back for breakfast on our subsequent days here: do we actually have lounge access? From the RC website, a "club level" room appears to be synonymous with club access. From other posts here, I understand that being platinum doesn't automatically grant access to the club level, as it does at SPG and other Marriott brands, but the fact of the matter remains that I was nonetheless upgraded to the club level ahead of time. ItIt seems weird (and frankly tacky) if we were "upgraded", but not allowed to use the main perk of that upgrade.
Has anyone else experienced this?
On our first day, we went to the lounge for breakfast, which was excellent. On the second day, when sitting down for breakfast, the hostess asked for our room number (this never occurred on the first day). She then returned, after we had gotten our food, and very apologetically said we did not qualify for lounge access. I then opened up the app, which showed that we were in a "*club* deluxe room" on the "*club level*", and showed it to her. She then gave a quizzical expression and without saying anything walked off, never to be seen again. We finished our breakfast.
I'm now curious and second guessing whether we should go back for breakfast on our subsequent days here: do we actually have lounge access? From the RC website, a "club level" room appears to be synonymous with club access. From other posts here, I understand that being platinum doesn't automatically grant access to the club level, as it does at SPG and other Marriott brands, but the fact of the matter remains that I was nonetheless upgraded to the club level ahead of time. ItIt seems weird (and frankly tacky) if we were "upgraded", but not allowed to use the main perk of that upgrade.
Has anyone else experienced this?
Nov 21, 2018, 9:14 am
#14
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Southern California, USA
Programs: Marriott Ambassador and LTT, UA Plat/LT Gold, AA Gold
Posts: 8,764
Only last week I was upgraded to a Club room at the RC San Francisco after an air con fail in my non-Club room. I had assumed the new Club room upgrade came with full Club access, and I asked to be sure—it did. The new room key clearly granted access in the elevator to the Club level, too (your key was required to access the different floors in the hotel).
In the OP’s case, I’d absolutely assume Club access was granted as part of the upgrade to the Club level room. The Club attendant was in error; the OP has Club access based on the upgrade to the Club level room. The OP should feel free to access and take advantage of the Club! If in doubt, the OP should speak to a manager and insist, but to my mind that isn’t at all necessary.
Marriott policy is that Platinums are not entitled to complimentary or SNA/suite upgrades to the RC Club level at RC properties. That isn’t the same as not allowing Club access when a RC hotel DOES at its own discretion upgrade one to the RC Club level anyway. If a RC upgrades one to a Club room, then one should get all the privileges of that Club room—including access to the Club.
In the OP’s case, I’d absolutely assume Club access was granted as part of the upgrade to the Club level room. The Club attendant was in error; the OP has Club access based on the upgrade to the Club level room. The OP should feel free to access and take advantage of the Club! If in doubt, the OP should speak to a manager and insist, but to my mind that isn’t at all necessary.
Marriott policy is that Platinums are not entitled to complimentary or SNA/suite upgrades to the RC Club level at RC properties. That isn’t the same as not allowing Club access when a RC hotel DOES at its own discretion upgrade one to the RC Club level anyway. If a RC upgrades one to a Club room, then one should get all the privileges of that Club room—including access to the Club.
Last edited by bhrubin; Nov 21, 2018 at 1:24 pm
Nov 21, 2018, 1:09 pm
#15
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: SF Bay Area
Programs: UA 1K, Starwood/Marriott Plat, Others of little note
Posts: 1,148
ime at rcs the lounge area is open, often right by the elevator lobby, and there is sometimes an attendant station. This is also where you can Check-in and check out.