So I just got bonvoyed.... AGAIN!
Apr 23, 2019, 3:08 pm
#31
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2017
Programs: Bonvoy ambassador - lifetime plat / Hilton diamond / hyatt globalist / AA CK baby!
Posts: 863
A. Agreed .... the issue with SNA cant be applied to prepaid rate is annoying.
And yet some hotel manage to get SNA available for prepaid rate.
It have been 2 months since Bonvoy and yet the issue still there.
B. I got a capable ambassador handle me, so I was lucky enough never have to contact cs.
C. The convoluted matrix are indeed annoying, added with some properties failed to train their fd properly.
But so far I never experience any issues with my stays.
To be honest, I dont see much difference in hotel treatment between spg plt and bonvoy amb.
I was spg plt last year and manage to reach amb for 2019.
The upgrade rate still the same and the suite upgrade rate is not improved so far.
As far as plat vs ambassador upgrades go - afik there is no official distinction there. As plat you should get upgraded just as easily as ambassador...
Apr 23, 2019, 3:17 pm
#32
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2013
Posts: 17,386
Apr 23, 2019, 4:13 pm
#33
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: ORD
Programs: UA Silver, Marriott Platinum/LT Platinum, Hilton Gold
Posts: 5,594
I think we all applaud your luck in having good experiences, but you seem to believe that it implies that others are wrong to complain about the myriad of service errors they are receiving? I’m not sure why the apparent aggression towards those being messed around, but we’re all happy for you anyways.
No truer words have been written here. It's not a Marriott vs. SPG thing. I've had good experiences at both brands, including (to be fair) an aforementioned Sheraton in Dallas that made up in spectacular fashion when my room wasn't ready for my 7 pm check in.
Apr 23, 2019, 4:22 pm
#34
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2017
Programs: Bonvoy ambassador - lifetime plat / Hilton diamond / hyatt globalist / AA CK baby!
Posts: 863
I was plat for longer than I have been amb - and I dont notice any difference. The only perk that amb status gives me is the rare instance when SNAs cant be applied to a booking my ambassador has requested a complementary upgrade prior to checkin and the property upgraded my room type well before the 5 day SNA window - as what happened in the stay that inspired this thread. But that has happened only 2, maybe 3 times iirc.
Apr 23, 2019, 5:35 pm
#35
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Washington, DC
Programs: United Premier 1K 1MM; AA Plat Pro; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott Platinum; Avis President's Club
Posts: 2,528
I just got done with a quick weekend trip to San Antonio Texas. I booked 2 nights stay at the Westin riverwalk. I asked my ambassador to put in for SNAs for the stay, but he said none were available for the dates I had picked, so he would email the property and ask them to upgrade me as a courtesy. Before checkin I had already been pre-booked into a corner suite (having paid for just the cheapest room, $150/night with $50 resort credit). When I got there I found out that they wanted to put me in a luxury suite. Top floor, probably 1500 sq ft. (I looked it up, 1560 sq ft - and $2700/night 'members only pre-paid' rate) 2 bathrooms, kitchen, dining area, living room, bedroom and bathroom with soaking tub and separate shower. But get this. The room didnt come with *any* bikini models! I even looked in all of the closets and cabinets in case they were put away. And the tub wasnt pre-filled with champagne! Not even prosecco!
Apr 23, 2019, 5:49 pm
#36
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: Homeless
Programs: Hyatt Glob; Hilton Dia; Marriott AMB; Accor Dia; IHG Dia Amb; GHA Tit
Posts: 4,835
My personal experience is that my suite upgrade success has improved in the last few months, and I suspect it is specifically because there was no distinction between 50-75-100 before and now there is. So AMBs get the lion's share of upgrades. I am 10/13 this year so far regarding suite upgrades so I am happy with results, and so are you. There is even one hotel where I was 0/6 in suite upgrades in 2017-2018 and now on my only 2019 stay... suite upgrade, and in fact not even the basic suite but one category higher. ^
Apr 23, 2019, 6:09 pm
#37
Join Date: Feb 2019
Posts: 35
Here is a list of the last 7 stays I have done:
Marriott - Cash - No upgrade
Residence Inn - Cash - Downgrade from the booked room because I asked for an early check-in
Four Points - Cash - No upgrade
Residence Inn - Cash - No upgrade
Marriott - Points - No upgrade
Springhill Suites - Points - No upgrade
Tribute Hotel - Cash - No upgrade
I noticed on the last 4 stays, I don't even get a "Thanks for being a Titanium" anymore.
Edit: I forgot to list the Marriott I am currently sitting in.
Marriott - Cash - No upgrade
Residence Inn - Cash - Downgrade from the booked room because I asked for an early check-in
Four Points - Cash - No upgrade
Residence Inn - Cash - No upgrade
Marriott - Points - No upgrade
Springhill Suites - Points - No upgrade
Tribute Hotel - Cash - No upgrade
I noticed on the last 4 stays, I don't even get a "Thanks for being a Titanium" anymore.
Edit: I forgot to list the Marriott I am currently sitting in.
Last edited by friscotrvlr; Apr 23, 2019 at 6:23 pm
Apr 23, 2019, 6:18 pm
#38
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: Homeless
Programs: Hyatt Glob; Hilton Dia; Marriott AMB; Accor Dia; IHG Dia Amb; GHA Tit
Posts: 4,835
Here is a list of the last 6 stays I have done:
Residence Inn - Cash - Downgrade from the booked room because I asked for an early check-in
Four Points - Cash - No upgrade
Residence Inn - Cash - No upgrade
Marriott - Points - No upgrade
Springhill Suites - Points - No upgrade
Tribute Hotel - Cash - No upgrade
I noticed on the last 4 stays, I don't even get a "Thanks for being a Titanium" anymore.
Residence Inn - Cash - Downgrade from the booked room because I asked for an early check-in
Four Points - Cash - No upgrade
Residence Inn - Cash - No upgrade
Marriott - Points - No upgrade
Springhill Suites - Points - No upgrade
Tribute Hotel - Cash - No upgrade
I noticed on the last 4 stays, I don't even get a "Thanks for being a Titanium" anymore.
suite upgrade = Fairfield x2, TPS, 4P, Design, Luxury Collection, Westin, Marriott, W, Delta
no upgrade = TPS, Sheraton, Design
Apr 23, 2019, 6:35 pm
#39
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2017
Programs: Bonvoy ambassador - lifetime plat / Hilton diamond / hyatt globalist / AA CK baby!
Posts: 863
To both of our benefit (as Ambassadors), I believe this is not correct. With SPG there was indeed no distinction between P50, P75, and P100Amb. However now there is a distinction, at the very least front desk knows I am AMB whereas in the past they only recognized Plat. I am quite sure they now use this info to prioritize upgrades and I see more and more evidence of this on FT. Scanning different threads (including this one), you can get a developing picture that Plats are not getting much in terms of upgrades, Titaniums are hit and miss, and Ambassadors have the best success of all.
My personal experience is that my suite upgrade success has improved in the last few months, and I suspect it is specifically because there was no distinction between 50-75-100 before and now there is. So AMBs get the lion's share of upgrades. I am 10/13 this year so far regarding suite upgrades so I am happy with results, and so are you. There is even one hotel where I was 0/6 in suite upgrades in 2017-2018 and now on my only 2019 stay... suite upgrade, and in fact not even the basic suite but one category higher. ^
My personal experience is that my suite upgrade success has improved in the last few months, and I suspect it is specifically because there was no distinction between 50-75-100 before and now there is. So AMBs get the lion's share of upgrades. I am 10/13 this year so far regarding suite upgrades so I am happy with results, and so are you. There is even one hotel where I was 0/6 in suite upgrades in 2017-2018 and now on my only 2019 stay... suite upgrade, and in fact not even the basic suite but one category higher. ^
IE, if a plat walks up to the front desk and there is a suite available, they arent going to not get it because and ambassador is supposed to check in later that day.
If, on the other hand, the blocking agent is pre provisioning upgraded rooms, it makes sense that they may start with the highest ranked customers first.
With the exception of a very limited number of times where I was given an upgraded room well before check-in, I have not noticed that my room type has been upgraded near the time of checking in (other than SNA)
Apr 23, 2019, 10:56 pm
#40
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: Homeless
Programs: Hyatt Glob; Hilton Dia; Marriott AMB; Accor Dia; IHG Dia Amb; GHA Tit
Posts: 4,835
It sounds like I have been upgraded 2+ days before check-in more often than it has happened with you, but it might just be I got lucky or it might be about which properties we stayed at. I have also noticed that some hotels did not show a pre-upgrade online, but once I got to the hotel it was clear that I was upgraded ahead of time because they had a note for me waiting in the room, and then even after check-in I still did not see the upgraded room type online. So my conclusion was that it's not that I got upgraded at the last minute, it's that when they change the room type (at those hotels) it does not reflect in my account online for some reason.
Apr 24, 2019, 6:22 am
#41
Suspended
Join Date: Apr 2019
Programs: Marriott Ambassador
Posts: 117
I wish I was bonvoyed that way too. I had 27 stays in 2019, 20 in full-service properties. 1-2 nights each. I was upgraded to suites exactly one time at Le Royal Meridien Abu Dhabi. Stays were in the Middle East and Europe. I have decided titanium is not worth for me to pursue in 2019.
Apr 24, 2019, 6:26 am
#42
Suspended
Join Date: Apr 2019
Programs: Marriott Ambassador
Posts: 117
I just got done with a quick weekend trip to San Antonio Texas. I booked 2 nights stay at the Westin riverwalk. I asked my ambassador to put in for SNAs for the stay, but he said none were available for the dates I had picked, so he would email the property and ask them to upgrade me as a courtesy. Before checkin I had already been pre-booked into a corner suite (having paid for just the cheapest room, $150/night with $50 resort credit). When I got there I found out that they wanted to put me in a luxury suite. Top floor, probably 1500 sq ft. (I looked it up, 1560 sq ft - and $2700/night 'members only pre-paid' rate) 2 bathrooms, kitchen, dining area, living room, bedroom and bathroom with soaking tub and separate shower. But get this. The room didnt come with *any* bikini models! I even looked in all of the closets and cabinets in case they were put away. And the tub wasnt pre-filled with champagne! Not even prosecco!
On my last stay at the Le Meridian in London I got upgraded to a executive suite (about 600 GPB per night to start) despite paying 220 GPB /night for the week. In my last 30 nights or so with this property I have gotten an executive suite upgrade all but 1 stay, and that stay was a junior suite.
A few months ago in Miami, I was staying at a legacy SPG property by the airport when I had to go down to renew my passport. It turned out that there was a slight problem with my new passport photo and the agent told me to stick around the area in case they needed to call me back to the office to get a new one done. So I went to the Marriott across the street from the passport office and said 'I'm dead tired and have to stick around the passport office, can I pretty please have access to the club lounge so I can relax a bit despite not being a guest at the property' - they said 'here is your pass key'.
Around Christmas time I was at the Marriott park lane in London. I needed to have some packages sent off to various destinations, a gift sourced that was sold out in shops for the better half, and I asked if the restaurant could get a piece of beef from selfriges that I have been wanting to try. All done and dusted by the time I ckecked in.
In short, I have had GREAT service from Marriott lately.
I can only assume I'm not the only one, yet I didnt notice any threads near the top about above and beyond Marriott experiences.... So I made this one
On my last stay at the Le Meridian in London I got upgraded to a executive suite (about 600 GPB per night to start) despite paying 220 GPB /night for the week. In my last 30 nights or so with this property I have gotten an executive suite upgrade all but 1 stay, and that stay was a junior suite.
A few months ago in Miami, I was staying at a legacy SPG property by the airport when I had to go down to renew my passport. It turned out that there was a slight problem with my new passport photo and the agent told me to stick around the area in case they needed to call me back to the office to get a new one done. So I went to the Marriott across the street from the passport office and said 'I'm dead tired and have to stick around the passport office, can I pretty please have access to the club lounge so I can relax a bit despite not being a guest at the property' - they said 'here is your pass key'.
Around Christmas time I was at the Marriott park lane in London. I needed to have some packages sent off to various destinations, a gift sourced that was sold out in shops for the better half, and I asked if the restaurant could get a piece of beef from selfriges that I have been wanting to try. All done and dusted by the time I ckecked in.
In short, I have had GREAT service from Marriott lately.
I can only assume I'm not the only one, yet I didnt notice any threads near the top about above and beyond Marriott experiences.... So I made this one
Apr 24, 2019, 9:04 am
#43
Join Date: Jan 2017
Programs: IHG - spire amb, Marriot - tit, Radisson - plat, Hilton - gold, Accor -gold, GHA - plat
Posts: 282
Yes, hotels were half empty. I have asked the staff members about the occupancy rate. Correct, that's what I do from now on - book Hilton or through the hotels.com. I do not use lounges or have an american CC to rack up the points or get free credit nights, so there is no incentive for me to go out of my way to spend money for titanium or ambassador.
Apr 24, 2019, 9:20 am
#44
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: Homeless
Programs: Hyatt Glob; Hilton Dia; Marriott AMB; Accor Dia; IHG Dia Amb; GHA Tit
Posts: 4,835
Yes, hotels were half empty. I have asked the staff members about the occupancy rate. Correct, that's what I do from now on - book Hilton or through the hotels.com. I do not use lounges or have an american CC to rack up the points or get free credit nights, so there is no incentive for me to go out of my way to spend money for titanium or ambassador.
