Downgraded From Club Level Room At Ritz Carlton
Jan 10, 2019, 6:00 am
#46
Join Date: Mar 2003
Posts: 1,232
As for the club access vs club lounge - definitely noticed this subtle change . Also have noticed a big push at RC properties to upsell club access and upgrades at check in
Had a recent upsell experience in DC -the check in agent pulled out a chart that had a grid showing upsell amounts to Club and suites based on category booked .
Had a recent upsell experience in DC -the check in agent pulled out a chart that had a grid showing upsell amounts to Club and suites based on category booked .
Jan 10, 2019, 6:10 am
#47
Join Date: Feb 2008
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This was certainly true before SPG started offering breakfast to Plats. There's also the special amenity attached to FHR bookings, but OTOH FHR rates are closer to rack and the upgrade benefit officially is one category. (The propety can voluntarily do more, and I've even gotten some nice suites, but officially if one category up is sold out but there are lots of rooms available in the next category, the property isn't obligated to give you the two category upgrade.)
Jan 10, 2019, 6:11 am
#48
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As for the club access vs club lounge - definitely noticed this subtle change . Also have noticed a big push at RC properties to upsell club access and upgrades at check in
Had a recent upsell experience in DC -the check in agent pulled out a chart that had a grid showing upsell amounts to Club and suites based on category booked .
Had a recent upsell experience in DC -the check in agent pulled out a chart that had a grid showing upsell amounts to Club and suites based on category booked .
We can only hope that there are capacity controls on this. Most RC clubs lounges aren't large enough to function if every room in the hotel were to be a club access room.
Jan 10, 2019, 6:18 am
#49
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I’m not sure what the reference to SPG means here? Marriott does not offer free breakfast to its elites at Ritz Carlton hotels, as a result the benefits provided to people booking via channels including FHR and Virutoso remain significantly more generous than for people booking on Marriott.com. When you add the guarantee of customer service with a third party, the more reliable upgrade and often $100 spending money then it makes sense to book indirect even when the rate is quite a bit higher.
I was responding to a post, which I quoted, about hotels giving better treatment to FHR guests than to those who booked directly, including elites. Before SPG started offering Plat breakfast, they gave free breakfast on FHR bookings but not to guests who made reservations through Plat Concierge, for instance (unless of course a rate including breakfast had been selected and paid). FHR also gave a substantial property amenity, while both had the guaranteed 4 pm checkout, although this was excluded for SPG Plats at resorts and conference centers who didn't book through FHR. Yes, there were differences in upgrade entitlements, but otherwise FHR would seem to win over SPG Plat benefits in every column.
BTW, for Virtuoso bookings, late checkout is "if available" and not guaranteed as it is through FHR, although some individual properties might be willing to guarantee it in advance at certain times for bookings made by certain Virtuoso agents.
BTW, for Virtuoso bookings, late checkout is "if available" and not guaranteed as it is through FHR, although some individual properties might be willing to guarantee it in advance at certain times for bookings made by certain Virtuoso agents.
Jan 10, 2019, 7:17 am
#50
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To be honest I still don't understand the point - but could well just be me! You were responding to a poster who said he'd be pretty mad if Marriott treated FHR guests better than their own elites, and surely the answer is "This is exactly what they do". If you are a Marriott elite you will not get free breakfast with a Ritz Carlton unless you book via a channel like FHR, whereas if you use FHR you will get the free breakfast (and more) no matter whether you've ever stayed in a Marriott hotel or not.
Historical SPG benefits are sort of beside the point.
Historical SPG benefits are sort of beside the point.
Jan 10, 2019, 9:14 am
#51
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Jan 10, 2019, 9:28 am
#52
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Yeah, not only do you get a guaranteed breakfast, but the properties are actually concerned about negative feedback to AMEX vs. complaints to Marriott which just disappear into the void. I've also noticed that since many RCs don't discount their rates much, the FHR rates are often competitive with direct channel bookings.
Jan 10, 2019, 10:21 am
#53
Join Date: Jun 2015
Posts: 343
Yeah, not only do you get a guaranteed breakfast, but the properties are actually concerned about negative feedback to AMEX vs. complaints to Marriott which just disappear into the void. I've also noticed that since many RCs don't discount their rates much, the FHR rates are often competitive with direct channel bookings.
Jan 10, 2019, 10:28 am
#54
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I don’t think upgrades are an exception. You get a near guaranteed one category upgrade with FHR and you’ll get a further upgrade as a Marriott elite if you were going to get one anyways.
Jan 10, 2019, 10:29 am
#55
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I'm willing to guess that many Ritz-Carlton properties in markets where the competition is a St. Regis or Luxury Collection property have noticed a decline in bookings because guests who value elite status are probably taking their business to Marriott's luxury brands that recognize and reward their loyalty. As a result, Ritz-Carlton is resorting to up-selling, hoping guests who don't know better will pay the $100 or $150 for daily club lounge access.
Jan 10, 2019, 10:34 am
#56
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Jan 10, 2019, 10:50 am
#57
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You shouldn't be the least bit mad. AMEX has built a relationship with the chains/properties and negotiated a good deal for its customers and enforces the same (AAA has done the same). Marriott has not done that for some time and is not doing that with MPG, I believe their thought is you're getting the privilege of staying at a Marriott property, enjoy that.. It's getting better to go outside the program and have someone backing you up than to fight with today's CSRs that mostly claim it's up to the property and they won't help out.
Jan 10, 2019, 11:53 am
#58
Join Date: Mar 2003
Posts: 1,232
I'm willing to guess that many Ritz-Carlton properties in markets where the competition is a St. Regis or Luxury Collection property have noticed a decline in bookings because guests who value elite status are probably taking their business to Marriott's luxury brands that recognize and reward their loyalty. As a result, Ritz-Carlton is resorting to up-selling, hoping guests who don't know better will pay the $100 or $150 for daily club lounge access.
Jan 10, 2019, 1:02 pm
#59
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Jan 10, 2019, 2:00 pm
#60
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