How to Check if ROOM is Available for Upgrade When Checking In
Aug 6, 2019, 11:09 am
#61
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: La Jolla, CA
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One more point that hasn't been mentioned here- right now global hotel occupancy is at a 30 year high. In the US it is the 10th year of consecutive growth for the hotel industry.
It's a simple fact that occupancy rates impact hotel attitudes.
I remember the years when hotels were hurting and several properties routinely upgraded us to their Presidential Suite.
Rewind to 2009 when Hotel Occupancy was at its lowest since 1971. One of our favorite Luxury Collection properties emailed me:
"The Presidential Suite which you have enjoyed during your previous stay was extended in advance, compliments of the hotel to honor your 10th visit to our hotel. This privilege is extended to our select guests for every 5 stays, starting from their 10th visit"
In 2015 the same upgrade would be "$500.00 per night (subject to taxes) in addition to your current rate. If you prefer to use Starpoints for the upgrade, it shall be 42,000 per night"
Now I am certain it would be over $1000 per night, if such an advance upgrade was even available.
It's a simple fact that occupancy rates impact hotel attitudes.
I remember the years when hotels were hurting and several properties routinely upgraded us to their Presidential Suite.
Rewind to 2009 when Hotel Occupancy was at its lowest since 1971. One of our favorite Luxury Collection properties emailed me:
"The Presidential Suite which you have enjoyed during your previous stay was extended in advance, compliments of the hotel to honor your 10th visit to our hotel. This privilege is extended to our select guests for every 5 stays, starting from their 10th visit"
In 2015 the same upgrade would be "$500.00 per night (subject to taxes) in addition to your current rate. If you prefer to use Starpoints for the upgrade, it shall be 42,000 per night"
Now I am certain it would be over $1000 per night, if such an advance upgrade was even available.
Aug 13, 2019, 11:41 am
#62
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Location: Southern California, USA
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Most people are oblivious to the consistent interest for all hotels to hold back their top 5% or so of rooms or suites. All hotels do this! Of course. the hotels with more suites still have lower level suites available for their standard suite pool for SNAs and upgrades at check in. And of course, concomitantly and consistently the hotels with fewer suites end up therefore holding back all of their suites.
As as I just commented in the Marriott Copenhagen thread for those surprised or disappointed that the hotel made none of its suites available for upgrade:
The moral of this story, which too many elites want to ignore or pretend otherwise, is that hotels with higher proportions of suites are most likely to offer any or more suites for upgrades. Those hotels with higher proportions of suites above 10% tend to be with the luxury brands. Those hotels in the premium and lower brands tend to have much lower proportions of suites, such that they tend to offer few or none of those for upgrades.
If you want to maximize your suite upgrade chances, staying at luxury brand hotels or other hotels with a concomitantly higher proportion of suites is where you should start. There’s nothing wrong with a hotel holding back its top 5% of rooms, so hotels with that many suites aren’t going to help you with upgrade chances.
Simple. Straightforward. Obvious.
As as I just commented in the Marriott Copenhagen thread for those surprised or disappointed that the hotel made none of its suites available for upgrade:
My rule of thumb is that any hotel is likely to hold out its top 5% or more of room inventory—those won’t be included in the standard suite pool either for SNAs or for complimentary enhanced room upgrades at check in.
No one is surprised that the StR New York or any other luxury hotel excludes its top 5-10% suites from the SNA or complimentary standard suite pool for upgrades; the difference is that the StR New York is a luxury hotel with 61 suites (36%) out of 171 total rooms, so holding back its top 5-10% of rooms still leaves plenty of suites available for the SNA and check in standard suite pool.
This Marriott [Copenhagen] hotel has a whopping 389 total rooms and only 17 total suites for a paltry 4.4% suite proportion. It therefore should surprise no one that this hotel doesn’t include any of its suites in the SNA or complimentary standard suite pool.
No one is surprised that the StR New York or any other luxury hotel excludes its top 5-10% suites from the SNA or complimentary standard suite pool for upgrades; the difference is that the StR New York is a luxury hotel with 61 suites (36%) out of 171 total rooms, so holding back its top 5-10% of rooms still leaves plenty of suites available for the SNA and check in standard suite pool.
This Marriott [Copenhagen] hotel has a whopping 389 total rooms and only 17 total suites for a paltry 4.4% suite proportion. It therefore should surprise no one that this hotel doesn’t include any of its suites in the SNA or complimentary standard suite pool.
If you want to maximize your suite upgrade chances, staying at luxury brand hotels or other hotels with a concomitantly higher proportion of suites is where you should start. There’s nothing wrong with a hotel holding back its top 5% of rooms, so hotels with that many suites aren’t going to help you with upgrade chances.
Simple. Straightforward. Obvious.
Aug 15, 2019, 12:44 am
#63
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Join Date: Aug 2002
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I was chatting w/ a friend of mine who works at a limited service property (RI) that is basically 100% booked the entire summer season in a tourist area. Literally booked from early May to late September 100%.
He told me that often the 2-bedroom suites get booked way in advance & get this, by people who don't even belong to Bonvoy!
They want the 2-bedrooms in the summer, so they pay for them. He said they have 10 2-bedroom suites, but often they have 15-20 Plats/Tits arriving (some days even more) so obviously not all elites are going to get an upgrade even if one is available.
Also, MAR (not the property) determines the SNA status & notifies the property if it's been approved or declined.
He also said that the Marriott reservation system doesn't necessarily match the property's system, which means they've had to walk some guests (non-elites - or as he said, you don't want to be a Priceline guest in that situation). Property inventory is accurate; MAR not so much.
Also, just because a suite is showing available day of arrival doesn't mean it's available the entire stay, & it needs to be available the entire stay to be upgraded to it.
And while a suite can be 'dirty' (aka, not cleaned), doesn't mean it's available. If it's booked, it's booked & clean/dirty has nothing to do w/ it. Also, if a hotel is swamped, they may decide to 'roll' the rooms (aka, clean them the next day), but not take them out of inventory, so MAR might think there's availability but the property knows there's not.
There's a lot that goes into room availability that most of us don't even know about!
He's speaking only for his own property, but he told me it boggles his mind that elites on paid stays aren't willing to ante up for the 2-bedroom in high season. There's literally only a $40 difference between a studio & a 2-bedroom (again, at his property). In his mind, if you're paying for the room & really, really need the upgrade, pay the minimal extra $$ & secure it vs. hoping for an upgrade.
He also said he realizes the delta at full service properties between basic rooms & suites is much higher, so in those cases 'hoping' works better (but hope only works again if there are less elites than suites).
Cheers.
He told me that often the 2-bedroom suites get booked way in advance & get this, by people who don't even belong to Bonvoy!
They want the 2-bedrooms in the summer, so they pay for them. He said they have 10 2-bedroom suites, but often they have 15-20 Plats/Tits arriving (some days even more) so obviously not all elites are going to get an upgrade even if one is available.Also, MAR (not the property) determines the SNA status & notifies the property if it's been approved or declined.
He also said that the Marriott reservation system doesn't necessarily match the property's system, which means they've had to walk some guests (non-elites - or as he said, you don't want to be a Priceline guest in that situation). Property inventory is accurate; MAR not so much.
Also, just because a suite is showing available day of arrival doesn't mean it's available the entire stay, & it needs to be available the entire stay to be upgraded to it.
And while a suite can be 'dirty' (aka, not cleaned), doesn't mean it's available. If it's booked, it's booked & clean/dirty has nothing to do w/ it. Also, if a hotel is swamped, they may decide to 'roll' the rooms (aka, clean them the next day), but not take them out of inventory, so MAR might think there's availability but the property knows there's not.
There's a lot that goes into room availability that most of us don't even know about!
He's speaking only for his own property, but he told me it boggles his mind that elites on paid stays aren't willing to ante up for the 2-bedroom in high season. There's literally only a $40 difference between a studio & a 2-bedroom (again, at his property). In his mind, if you're paying for the room & really, really need the upgrade, pay the minimal extra $$ & secure it vs. hoping for an upgrade.
He also said he realizes the delta at full service properties between basic rooms & suites is much higher, so in those cases 'hoping' works better (but hope only works again if there are less elites than suites).
Cheers.
Last edited by SkiAdcock; Aug 15, 2019 at 12:53 am Reason: add :eek:
Aug 15, 2019, 10:28 am
#64
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Thanks so much, @SkiAdcock, for that desperately needed perspective.
Sometimes, the truth hurts. And too many elites too often think they’re too special. I also am entertained by those who continue to complain about SNAs being declined due to human interference (there is no human at play at all in the fully automated SNA central reservations computer process) and those who always believe they’re entitled to top rooms and suites at hotels with 5 suites. Entitlement is tough to recognize when it’s your own issue!
Sometimes, the truth hurts. And too many elites too often think they’re too special. I also am entertained by those who continue to complain about SNAs being declined due to human interference (there is no human at play at all in the fully automated SNA central reservations computer process) and those who always believe they’re entitled to top rooms and suites at hotels with 5 suites. Entitlement is tough to recognize when it’s your own issue!