Typhoonpilot

I stay at this hotel regularly, in fact I just checked in for 3 nights. I am Titanium Elite and have been for many years. On previous stays we have arrived before 3pm check-in time. Sometimes we can get rooms right away and sometimes we have to wait for an hour or so. That's okay to an extent. On this stay I opted to use SNA which were approved prior to check-in. I arrived right at the normal 3pm check-in time only to be told that no Suites were available and that I would have to wait two hours!! I was pretty taken aback by that so asked to speak with a manager. They offered a regular room to wait in, which I declined. I waited for about 50 minutes total, getting the room just prior to 4pm local time. If this is normal for SNAs there is little to no chance that I'll want to use them unless I know I will be arriving to the hotel after 6pm, and that would go for any hotel.

The other major problem with this hotel is the lounge is often crowded to the point of no seating, especially in the evening.

In general the staff have developed a very thick skin and do not seem to care about complaints or their poor level of service. If it was in our budget I would be staying at other Marriott properties in Singapore. The Courtyard Novena treats us much better, but is a little isolated and has smaller rooms.

Nazdoom

This is common because of elite member 4pm late checkout. The hotel can't deny the previous elite member their late checkout and can't control what time they leave; they tell you 5pm to be on the safe side (assuming 1 hour cleaning). I think it's fair if they offered a standard room in the meantime.

It's like take a penny leave a penny. Sometimes we have to wait til after 4PM for a suite and in exchange we (as elite members) can always keep our suites (whether that's room booked, comp upgrade, or SNA) until 4PM ourselves.

Typhoonpilot

Fortunately the General Manager thinks differently than you do. Today they made it right by apologizing for something that should not have been allowed to happen. There were some noise issues with my original room so today the hotel moved me to another suite without the noise issues and specifically said that when my original room was not available at normal check-in time I should have been bumped up to a higher category of suite if it was available. I would call that a good service recovery effort on their part.

Zorak

And if it was not available, then what? Have them build a new tower for you? Given what you've said I'm surprised you were satisfied by an abstract promise of something that *might* be available.

I'm with Nazdoom -- if you want guaranteed 4pm checkout and guaranteed 3pm checkin then obviously a situation can arise where those two conflict -- I'm guessing you would be equally unsatisfied if they denied you a late checkout on the grounds that another elite was coming in and needed their suite at 3pm.

If I needed a place other than the lounge to relax/freshen up/do some work while waiting, I think the offer of a regular room for an hour or two is entirely reasonable (and have accepted such under similar circumstances, albeit not at this property).

It's a slight letdown, sure, but not enough to make me swear off SNAs

lost_in_translation

For complimentary upgrades I think the reverse should happen personally, if an elite in a complimentarily upgraded suite wants to use 4pm check out and all the suites are booked for the next day they should be offered a move to a standard room for the last couple of hours rather than instead denying that suite to someone who has actually paid for it for several hours after supposed check in time. Obviously kicking an elite who has paid for a suite out before 4pm is very different and against the terms of Marriott Bonvoy.

yosithezet

The elite is entitled to the suite upgrade AND entitled to 4PM checkout. Once the elite is in the suite, the 4PM checkout doesn't become optional or subject to availability.

The property may request that the elite move to another room for a few hours. But the elite is completely within the program T&C to decline to do so. There is no difference between an elite that paid for the suite or the elite who was upgraded to the suite.

lost_in_translation

I’m not arguing with you about what the terms of Marriott Bonvoy are, I’m arguing about what I feel they should be - please note the ‘think’ and ‘should’. There are at least two Bonvoy hotels I’ve stayed at in the last year where I’m fairly sure elite upgrades + late check in caused me to have to wait until 6pm or so to check in to a paid suite, which isn’t great. I don’t use either of those hotels any longer.

DaveMidknight

And in the "think and should" lies your problem. That is your opinion and not what the rules state. You might not like the rules, but than it is for you to decide if you can except them or choose something else.

Kacee

This has nothing to do with SNAs. It would be the same if you had booked a paid room rate and the guest from the prior night had a guaranteed late check-out. It's the laws of physics . . . two bodies cannot occupy the same space at the same time
Yup. In this circumstance, insisting the hotel give you the exact room reserved at 3 pm is total DYKWIA.

Typhoonpilot

I personally find it very difficult to believe that every suite guest is doing a 4pm late check out. It's sort of like assuming every regular guest checks out right at 12 noon, that just doesn't make sense. Many guest will check out to depart for an early flight. For instance, I left my suite today at 1130 am to go to the airport. So that suite would definitely be available for a 3pm check-in, or earlier.

Zorak

The situation doesn't require that every departing suite guest have a 4pm checkout. It could also be that all the other ones have already been checked *in* to by arriving guests, and the only one left is occupied by a 4pm checkout request.

SkiAdcock

Agree.

broadwayboy

Do suites in this hotel have a separate shower in the bathroom? I stayed here years ago and vaguely remembered that the bathroom was only tub/shower combination.

EGW1

Almost all rooms have the shower over bath, the Amsterdam suite has a jacuzzi bath tub so the shower is separate. One of the Cabanas has a shower only. That’s the only two I know of.

carrotjuice

At this hotel, which is nicer - suite or cabana?