Gold member walked from 1 night of 3 night stay, who pays for new reservation?!
 

I was just walked for a 2 room stay for 3 nights from the Marriott Silicon Valley in Fremont, CA. Supposedly they walked 5 elite members tonight, as "everyone with a stay tonight was elite". I had 2 concierge king rooms reserved for 3 nights, as I am here for work, which is right down the street from this hotel. The hotel could not find me a king room ANYWHERE, even as far north as SFO. They offered a double room in the Marriott San Jose for 3 nights, which I refused, since I wanted to at least get king rooms. I called around and found the Fairmont had rooms that were kings, but the Hyatt, W, Westin and Crowne Plaza were sold out. The 'supervisor' on site would not pay for 3 nights a the Fairmont, claiming that it was not a 'comparable hotel'. The Marriott rates 3.5 stars, the Fairmont 4. She did claim the Westin, which also rates 4 stars, WAS comparable, and if they had rooms they would pay for 3 nights there. She expected me to stay one night at the Fairmont, then in the middle of the work day, check out and move to the Marriott. This is not an option, and I am here for work, not to deal with hotel matters midday. She refused to get the GM or director of rooms on the phone, and of course MR elite desk is closed. I booked the rooms at the Fairmont myself, and am now paying more than double what the Marriott was going to charge me for rooms that are MUCH further away from where I wanted to be, but at least I don't have to change hotels and loose a day from work. I was told I would get the 4 free night certificates, and $400 "as soon as they can deal with this tomorrow", but I feel that if the same bed type was not available at a Marriott property, the property that walked me should be responsible, not me. What is the policy here?

policy is the hotel will pay for the nights you are relocated at a compable hotel - in this case if they were able to bring you back after 1 night then they'd pay 1 night, if they weren't able to bring you back until after the 2nd night they'd pay 2 nights etc...also you are to receive the points you would have earned staying there AND the associated night credit

sounds like you got a great deal, i wouldn't complain. all they owed you was one night somewhere else and they gave you much more (certs, etc). I think most of us here would just suck it up and sleep in a smaller bed... is a king that big a deal for a few nights? a lot of chains don't even guarantee bed type, just a room...

Also, your profile states you are a Gold elite. Only Plats are supposed to get the free night certs. I suspect the check-in agent thought you were a Plat. Personally, I may not fuss too much as who ever you are fussing with may notice that and drop the free night certs. (And my understanding is that those certs are usable at any Marriott worldwide and treated almost the same as cash.)

But who knows, it is possible the GM may fee sympathetic and pay for your first night at the Fairmont. But as mentioned, I suspect the best you can hope for is that they would pay for only 1 night there, not 3.

I wouldn't assume the offer was for 4 "ultimate certificates" - it could simply be 4 free nights at the specific hotel or something in between

Not true. At FS, JW, Ren, EDITION and Autograph properties all Elites are entitlted to the certs.

http://www.marriott.com/rewards/memb...s/guarantee.mi

Getting walked stinks no matter when or where it happens, and I absolutely hate it when hotels walk people and don't offer truly comparable hotels. (e.g., FS hotel walking people to a Holiday Inn, etc.)

But in this case it does seem that the hotel acted appropriately under the circumstances. They offered up a Marriott in San Jose, which seems comparable. Sounds like you confirmed that the closer options (like the Westin) were sold out.

Seems like the "reasonable" solution would be to go to Marriott San Jose and receive the normal walk compensation plus $100 for the bed type guarantee. Sounds like you're going to get something better than that, so what's the complaint exactly?

Arguing about a nit like bed type on a trip when you're traveling solo is just going to make the front desk think you're trying to milk the situation for maximum advantage.

I don't understand why you would have to check out of one hotel midday and lose time from work. Why couldn't you check out in the morning and then check in again in the evening?

I am pretty sure the Elite guarantee "maxes" out once the Ultimate Reservation Guarantee is used. That is, if you get the walk benefits, you aren't entitled to welcome amenity/bed type/concierge access, etc.

"If an Elite Member has a confirmed reservation, but is walked from the hotel upon arrival, the property will pay the Ultimate Reservation Guarantee compensation in place on that date under the Program Rules. If an Elite Member receives Ultimate Reservation Guarantee compensation, then he/she is not eligible to receive additional Elite Benefits Guarantee compensation."

https://www.marriott.com/rewards/terms/elite.mi

joelfreak, this situation is pretty terrible and your frustration is understandable. Even more unfortunately, they seem to have done exactly what they are required to do by Marriott. Actually, they had no obligation to put you at the Fairmont at all, so you did better than average.

If it will make you feel any better, in any other chain, you wouldn't have the certificates and cash in your pocket. Any other chain would have simply paid for the one night in the Marriott (or maybe Fairmont) and had you return. No certs, no cash, no argument.

What if I didn't have a car? Who pays for the fact that I would have to settle one bill, get transportation to the other hotel, and HOPE they have my room available THAT night when I check in really late? When I make a 3 night reservation, I expect 3 nights to be available. If you walk me to a room thats NOT even the right BED type, MUCH less close by (it was a 15 minute drive), now I have to spend EASILY another HOUR of my day checking in/out of hotels, plus driving between them. Why is that MY responsibly? This is about the most OBVIOUS BUSINESS hotel there is...when you have 100 rooms, and they are all booked elite with a prepay, DON'T OVERSELL. If you do, be prepared to pay for it. $200 cash per room will NOT make me whole, since I needed to get another room elsewhere. I am NOT looking for a payday or anything similar. I just booked two rooms for about $650 each, and now I will have to pay $1000 each, plus I am traveling at least another hour total. What really bothered me is that the hotel didn't take into account the length of stay or bed type into account, and just thought that everyone would accept being walked to a MUCH lesser room. Also, I was told that the reason the Fairmont would not be paid for 3 nights is because it was not COMPARABLE, NOT because of its cost.

There may be whats REQUIRED, and whats RIGHT. I spend 50 nights or so in Marriotts, I would expect them to do whats RIGHT by me, and not cause me to spent more than three hours of my work week dealing with their mistake.

Yeah, definitely understand that viewpoint. I guess I was attempting to "level set" your expectations. It's just not what's done. In Marriott's view - and that of many members here - the $200 plus 2 vouchers per room is what's right, or at least "fair".

If you think any other brand would have treated you better, there are plenty of threads all over FT that would argue against that opinion.

Wow. 50 nights. You must be one of their most important customers......

(1) 15 minutes' drive isn't bad in a walk situation: usually when a hotel is badly oversold, others immediately around it are too.

(2) Enough with the bed type bit...it just makes you appear like you're intentionally being difficult and looking to get paid.

(3) The "extra" compensation in the URG is intended to cover the fact that you've been inconvenienced. You collected some sweet certificates out of the deal...hell, next time I'm staying in Fremont on a business stay where it actually doesn't matter a whole lot what hotel I sleep in, walk me to SJC and hook me up with that comp, I'll be thrilled.

They DIDN'T walk you to a lesser hotel. They tried to walk you from a Cat 3 Marriott to a Cat 4 Marriott. Sure, you prepaid Concierge Level, but you're Gold so it's not like you would have lost lounge access in the process.

Fairmont's a significantly better hotel. They aren't required to walk you to a place like that. In fact, it kind of goes beyond the realm of reasonableness to expect it. If they were saying their direct competitor in Starwood or HHonors wasn't "comparable", I'd say that's unreasonable. But they didn't do that...it's just that those hotels weren't available.