The mind of a front desk agent
Apr 4, 2012 | 4:46 am
#136
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Some place in this wonderful world (usually at 39,000 ft in seat 1C)
Programs: CO Gold Elite / NW Gold Elite
Posts: 13,747
All hotel chains not just MI consider unblocked rooms to be available - any room already blocked would not be considered available....there is a big difference between blocked and occupied/rented/sold
Apr 4, 2012 | 4:47 am
#137
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Some place in this wonderful world (usually at 39,000 ft in seat 1C)
Programs: CO Gold Elite / NW Gold Elite
Posts: 13,747
Your angling for an upgrade is skewing your logic. A room that is presently unoccupied but earmarked for another purpose is unavailable. A table at a restaurant waiting for the people who called a month ahead of time to reserve the specific table is unavailable if it is empty fifteen minutes before that, but has been promised in the reservation. The haircut appointment at 3:00 is unavailable, even if it's 2:55 and the person with the appointment at 3:00 is not yet there. If I'm making a cake tonight, there are two eggs in the fridge and I've put a note on the carton that states, "Don't eat - need for cake tonight" those eggs are unavailable to anyone else.
The rule isn't you can have the room if it's unoccupied. The rule allows you the room if it's available. If MI meant the former, the rule would have been written that way.
Under your logic, a person in a wheelchair could make a reservation for a handicapable room, but if someone shows up before the person checks in, lose the room.
Under this logic, a family could have connecting rooms blocked, but get to the hotel and find out their rooms are on different floors. (Granted, that's always a risk, but c'mon.)
Under this logic, requests for a feather-free room, a room with a crib, a non-first floor room, a room away from the ice machine, etc., would be unblockable. Taking this to the next step, business travelers who often check in late, but check in often, would leave the hotel in droves if these types of requests aren't honored.
I'm sorry, but making a lowly Gold who gets to the hotel at five happy at the expense of the Ps and PPs who are checking in later is foolish. Businesses take care of their best customers first. I rarely get, ask for or even care about upgrades, so this isn't really my issue, but it's very clear that rewarding the most frequent and profitable guests makes sense.
The rule isn't you can have the room if it's unoccupied. The rule allows you the room if it's available. If MI meant the former, the rule would have been written that way.
Under your logic, a person in a wheelchair could make a reservation for a handicapable room, but if someone shows up before the person checks in, lose the room.
Under this logic, a family could have connecting rooms blocked, but get to the hotel and find out their rooms are on different floors. (Granted, that's always a risk, but c'mon.)
Under this logic, requests for a feather-free room, a room with a crib, a non-first floor room, a room away from the ice machine, etc., would be unblockable. Taking this to the next step, business travelers who often check in late, but check in often, would leave the hotel in droves if these types of requests aren't honored.
I'm sorry, but making a lowly Gold who gets to the hotel at five happy at the expense of the Ps and PPs who are checking in later is foolish. Businesses take care of their best customers first. I rarely get, ask for or even care about upgrades, so this isn't really my issue, but it's very clear that rewarding the most frequent and profitable guests makes sense.
Apr 4, 2012 | 6:25 am
#138
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2003
Location: AA Plat / UA NOTHING / Alaska 75K / Hyatt Diamond / SPG LT Plat / Marriott Gold / Priority Club Plat / Hertz Pres
Posts: 25,605
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (BlackBerry; U; BlackBerry 9330; en-US) AppleWebKit/534.8+ (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/6.0.0.706 Mobile Safari/534.8+)
It would be helpful if Marriott stated such on their website - I'm wondering why they wouldn't - especially is so many folks here feel it's a perfectly legit scheme?
Someone up thread made an upgrade analogy. Something like what Continental (now United Airlines) does with its elites sounds similar. 1Ks essentially are upgraded 6 days out, Plats 5 days out, Golds 3 days out and Silvers 1 day out. Pretty simple, no? It's pretty easily explained on one web page on their website.
My personal guess why Marriott doesn't make this clear is that folks Gold and under would realize how empty the benefit really is when considering how many people have higher status than them. So it really wouldn't be any incentive to make those extra stays for such a benefit.
But the way it is worded now, it would appear to give a Gold member a chance if they check in early.
Just getting tired of Marriott making up rules on the fly and having other secret stipulations attached to the various elite stages.
Considering EEOs are dead, what's incentive is left when upgrades are watered down for Golds?
Originally Posted by socrates
All hotel chains not just MI consider unblocked rooms to be available - any room already blocked would not be considered available....there is a big difference between blocked and occupied/rented/sold
Someone up thread made an upgrade analogy. Something like what Continental (now United Airlines) does with its elites sounds similar. 1Ks essentially are upgraded 6 days out, Plats 5 days out, Golds 3 days out and Silvers 1 day out. Pretty simple, no? It's pretty easily explained on one web page on their website.
My personal guess why Marriott doesn't make this clear is that folks Gold and under would realize how empty the benefit really is when considering how many people have higher status than them. So it really wouldn't be any incentive to make those extra stays for such a benefit.
But the way it is worded now, it would appear to give a Gold member a chance if they check in early.
Just getting tired of Marriott making up rules on the fly and having other secret stipulations attached to the various elite stages.
Considering EEOs are dead, what's incentive is left when upgrades are watered down for Golds?
Apr 4, 2012 | 6:39 am
#139
Moderator, Marriott Bonvoy & FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: McKinney, TX, USA
Programs: United Silver; AA Plat/2MM; Marriott LT Titanium; Hilton Gold
Posts: 11,775
The threads authored by insiders are often the most useful on flyertalk. However I still haven't seen answers to my top 4 questions:
(1) How do I get a decent room blocked for late arrival?
(2) How do I maximize chances of getting a great upgrade/suite?
(3) How do I minimize the chance of getting walked when I show up at midnight?
(4) Is there much of a difference between gold and plat status in terms of treatment?
(1) How do I get a decent room blocked for late arrival?
(2) How do I maximize chances of getting a great upgrade/suite?
(3) How do I minimize the chance of getting walked when I show up at midnight?
(4) Is there much of a difference between gold and plat status in terms of treatment?
The times I really want to really get that upgrade I will do one of the following two steps:
1. I will ask the Plat agent to call the hotel to see if the hotel will go ahead and upgrade me at the time of my making a reservation. I've had some decent luck with this at getting upgrades to 2-bedroom suites at RIs. Not all hotels will do this and they are well within the rules to say no.
2. I will ask the Plat agent if they will get me the contact info for the hotel's GM. I will send an email directly to the GM, tell them all the great things I have heard about their hotel (and the management there), let them know about my "special" occasion and ask about anything extra they can do. And I let them know that I understand upgrades are not guaranteed,but anything they can do to help that out would be appreciated. I've had some very nice upgrades at some very nice resorts doing this. And even when I don't get a great upgrade, the hotel usually finds some other way to say "thanks" for coming to celebrate your special occassion.
Apr 4, 2012 | 6:46 am
#140
Join Date: Dec 2004
Programs: United 1K, MR Plat, SPG Plat
Posts: 804
While unblocked rooms may be available for sale, that does not mean they are available for upgrade. I have had numerous FS Marriotts and Rens that will not upgrade me into a concierge level room because, "We know we are going to sell-out later this evening and we can get more for those rooms from walk-ins." I have heard this from more than one FD manager. Calls to the Platinum line usually do not help, as they seem side with the hotel.
A question I have about pre-blocking rooms is, does the room controller or front desk even look at Plat & Gold guest preferences when assigning rooms? I have high floor noted in my preferences and also will note the same when I respond to the virtual concierge . More often than not, I will be pre-blocked into a room on a low floor. I will double check with the FDC and make sure its not a suite or other special room, and then ask for a room on a higher floor, which is usually provided.
Finally, I have been Platinum since 2002 so I consider myself very loyal to Marriott. What burns me sometimes is FS Marriotts who are trying to earn loyalty by bestowing all type of gifts on Silvers and those with no-status. This has happened at a couple of different FS Marriotts where co-workers who are Silver or have no-status are given special perks like, free parking, free movies, a $20 food & beverage credit, while I am given nothing more than the Plat Amenity. When asked about this, one FD manager explained it as, "We already have your loyalty, we are trying to make the others see the value in the keeping their loyalty with Marriott."
Regards,
RIP...
A question I have about pre-blocking rooms is, does the room controller or front desk even look at Plat & Gold guest preferences when assigning rooms? I have high floor noted in my preferences and also will note the same when I respond to the virtual concierge . More often than not, I will be pre-blocked into a room on a low floor. I will double check with the FDC and make sure its not a suite or other special room, and then ask for a room on a higher floor, which is usually provided.
Finally, I have been Platinum since 2002 so I consider myself very loyal to Marriott. What burns me sometimes is FS Marriotts who are trying to earn loyalty by bestowing all type of gifts on Silvers and those with no-status. This has happened at a couple of different FS Marriotts where co-workers who are Silver or have no-status are given special perks like, free parking, free movies, a $20 food & beverage credit, while I am given nothing more than the Plat Amenity. When asked about this, one FD manager explained it as, "We already have your loyalty, we are trying to make the others see the value in the keeping their loyalty with Marriott."
Regards,
RIP...
Apr 4, 2012 | 6:51 am
#141
Join Date: Dec 2004
Programs: United 1K, MR Plat, SPG Plat
Posts: 804
...
2. I will ask the Plat agent if they will get me the contact info for the hotel's GM. I will send an email directly to the GM, tell them all the great things I have heard about their hotel (and the management there), let them know about my "special" occasion and ask about anything extra they can do. And I let them know that I understand upgrades are not guaranteed,but anything they can do to help that out would be appreciated. I've had some very nice upgrades at some very nice resorts doing this. And even when I don't get a great upgrade, the hotel usually finds some other way to say "thanks" for coming to celebrate your special occassion...
2. I will ask the Plat agent if they will get me the contact info for the hotel's GM. I will send an email directly to the GM, tell them all the great things I have heard about their hotel (and the management there), let them know about my "special" occasion and ask about anything extra they can do. And I let them know that I understand upgrades are not guaranteed,but anything they can do to help that out would be appreciated. I've had some very nice upgrades at some very nice resorts doing this. And even when I don't get a great upgrade, the hotel usually finds some other way to say "thanks" for coming to celebrate your special occassion...
Regards,
RIP...
Apr 4, 2012 | 8:10 am
#142
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: ATL
Programs: Southwest A-List, Delta Kryptonium Medallion, Marriott Titanium and LT Platinum, National Executive
Posts: 1,891
Since our gracious OP disappeared three days, four pages and 54 posts ago, perhaps we should re-title this thread "The Mind of an Entitled Platinum Premier/Platinum/Gold Guest". 
I was really enjoying his behind-the-scenes insight but have grown disappointed over this debate over who is more worthy of upgrades among us. Given the OP's absence, perhaps he feels the same distaste over what this thread has become. Either that or he's started his new job and has a new outlet for his knowledge base. If the latter, I wish him the best.
Regardless, it's a shame that Marriott's devaluation of its programs has caused us to fight over the remaining crumbs.
I was really enjoying his behind-the-scenes insight but have grown disappointed over this debate over who is more worthy of upgrades among us. Given the OP's absence, perhaps he feels the same distaste over what this thread has become. Either that or he's started his new job and has a new outlet for his knowledge base. If the latter, I wish him the best.
Regardless, it's a shame that Marriott's devaluation of its programs has caused us to fight over the remaining crumbs.
Apr 4, 2012 | 8:11 am
#143
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Some place in this wonderful world (usually at 39,000 ft in seat 1C)
Programs: CO Gold Elite / NW Gold Elite
Posts: 13,747
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (BlackBerry; U; BlackBerry 9330; en-US) AppleWebKit/534.8+ (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/6.0.0.706 Mobile Safari/534.8+)
It would be helpful if Marriott stated such on their website - I'm wondering why they wouldn't - especially is so many folks here feel it's a perfectly legit scheme?
Someone up thread made an upgrade analogy. Something like what Continental (now United Airlines) does with its elites sounds similar. 1Ks essentially are upgraded 6 days out, Plats 5 days out, Golds 3 days out and Silvers 1 day out. Pretty simple, no? It's pretty easily explained on one web page on their website.
My personal guess why Marriott doesn't make this clear is that folks Gold and under would realize how empty the benefit really is when considering how many people have higher status than them. So it really wouldn't be any incentive to make those extra stays for such a benefit.
But the way it is worded now, it would appear to give a Gold member a chance if they check in early.
Just getting tired of Marriott making up rules on the fly and having other secret stipulations attached to the various elite stages.
Considering EEOs are dead, what's incentive is left when upgrades are watered down for Golds?
It would be helpful if Marriott stated such on their website - I'm wondering why they wouldn't - especially is so many folks here feel it's a perfectly legit scheme?
Someone up thread made an upgrade analogy. Something like what Continental (now United Airlines) does with its elites sounds similar. 1Ks essentially are upgraded 6 days out, Plats 5 days out, Golds 3 days out and Silvers 1 day out. Pretty simple, no? It's pretty easily explained on one web page on their website.
My personal guess why Marriott doesn't make this clear is that folks Gold and under would realize how empty the benefit really is when considering how many people have higher status than them. So it really wouldn't be any incentive to make those extra stays for such a benefit.
But the way it is worded now, it would appear to give a Gold member a chance if they check in early.
Just getting tired of Marriott making up rules on the fly and having other secret stipulations attached to the various elite stages.
Considering EEOs are dead, what's incentive is left when upgrades are watered down for Golds?
I do see your point but the current policy does not state anything about checkin time so the assumption that checking in early would give you a leg up would be an assumption that is incorrect
Apr 4, 2012 | 8:11 am
#144
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: BDU
Programs: DL:MM, Marriott:LTT
Posts: 8,777
As for the airlines, they hold back enough F seats that might reasonably be expected to sell, and then use some of the available F inventory for UGs. They are holding enough inventory to sell. I've been on the receiving end of a downgrade after my UG cleared, but a full paying F arrived.
Here's the problem with a hotel chain doing that. By the time the airline does the UGs, the seat is paid for and it's, pretty much, non-refundable. The hotel doesn't get paid until the guest arrives. Preclearing UGs would easily lead to people like us making reservations at multiple properties to see if an UG clears. This would mean hotels would have an even worse time guestimating who may actual show.
In other words, the airline is dealing with seating people who are very likely to show up. The hotel is dealing with people who can decide not to show at the drop of a hat with no recourse for the hotel. It's a very different situation.
Also, the airline is dealing with 10-15% of seats being F. A 500 room hotel doesn't have 50-75 suites. It's a much more limited comodity.
Apr 4, 2012 | 8:13 am
#145
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Some place in this wonderful world (usually at 39,000 ft in seat 1C)
Programs: CO Gold Elite / NW Gold Elite
Posts: 13,747
Socrates has already answered this, but I thought I might add just a little.
The times I really want to really get that upgrade I will do one of the following two steps:
1. I will ask the Plat agent to call the hotel to see if the hotel will go ahead and upgrade me at the time of my making a reservation. I've had some decent luck with this at getting upgrades to 2-bedroom suites at RIs. Not all hotels will do this and they are well within the rules to say no.
2. I will ask the Plat agent if they will get me the contact info for the hotel's GM. I will send an email directly to the GM, tell them all the great things I have heard about their hotel (and the management there), let them know about my "special" occasion and ask about anything extra they can do. And I let them know that I understand upgrades are not guaranteed,but anything they can do to help that out would be appreciated. I've had some very nice upgrades at some very nice resorts doing this. And even when I don't get a great upgrade, the hotel usually finds some other way to say "thanks" for coming to celebrate your special occassion.
The times I really want to really get that upgrade I will do one of the following two steps:
1. I will ask the Plat agent to call the hotel to see if the hotel will go ahead and upgrade me at the time of my making a reservation. I've had some decent luck with this at getting upgrades to 2-bedroom suites at RIs. Not all hotels will do this and they are well within the rules to say no.
2. I will ask the Plat agent if they will get me the contact info for the hotel's GM. I will send an email directly to the GM, tell them all the great things I have heard about their hotel (and the management there), let them know about my "special" occasion and ask about anything extra they can do. And I let them know that I understand upgrades are not guaranteed,but anything they can do to help that out would be appreciated. I've had some very nice upgrades at some very nice resorts doing this. And even when I don't get a great upgrade, the hotel usually finds some other way to say "thanks" for coming to celebrate your special occassion.
Apr 4, 2012 | 8:13 am
#146
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan USA
Programs: Marriott lifetime Titanium, Delta Platinum
Posts: 5,485
In fact if they are available for sale, they are available for upgrade. The hotel is simply refusing, for whatever reason--legitimate or not--to provide an upgrade to the available room.
Apr 4, 2012 | 8:14 am
#147
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: SNA
Posts: 18,599
And, as you pointed out, it's a whole lot easier to downgrade someone out of an airplane seat thatn a hotel room, once they've moved in.
Apr 4, 2012 | 8:15 am
#148
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Some place in this wonderful world (usually at 39,000 ft in seat 1C)
Programs: CO Gold Elite / NW Gold Elite
Posts: 13,747
A question I have about pre-blocking rooms is, does the room controller or front desk even look at Plat & Gold guest preferences when assigning rooms? I have high floor noted in my preferences and also will note the same when I respond to the virtual concierge . More often than not, I will be pre-blocked into a room on a low floor. I will double check with the FDC and make sure its not a suite or other special room, and then ask for a room on a higher floor, which is usually provided.
Finally, I have been Platinum since 2002 so I consider myself very loyal to Marriott. What burns me sometimes is FS Marriotts who are trying to earn loyalty by bestowing all type of gifts on Silvers and those with no-status. This has happened at a couple of different FS Marriotts where co-workers who are Silver or have no-status are given special perks like, free parking, free movies, a $20 food & beverage credit, while I am given nothing more than the Plat Amenity. When asked about this, one FD manager explained it as, "We already have your loyalty, we are trying to make the others see the value in the keeping their loyalty with Marriott."
Regards,
RIP...
Finally, I have been Platinum since 2002 so I consider myself very loyal to Marriott. What burns me sometimes is FS Marriotts who are trying to earn loyalty by bestowing all type of gifts on Silvers and those with no-status. This has happened at a couple of different FS Marriotts where co-workers who are Silver or have no-status are given special perks like, free parking, free movies, a $20 food & beverage credit, while I am given nothing more than the Plat Amenity. When asked about this, one FD manager explained it as, "We already have your loyalty, we are trying to make the others see the value in the keeping their loyalty with Marriott."
Regards,
RIP...
As far as the "we already have your loyalty" that was an unfortunate statement and honestly isn't correct - I dont want to quote exact numbers as they are confidential but the higher elite level you have the more value you have to MI and their partners both today and throughout your lifetime and MI knows/understands this very well (as does their competitors)......
Apr 4, 2012 | 8:33 am
#149
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: BDU
Programs: DL:MM, Marriott:LTT
Posts: 8,777
With the equipment change, there were now over 100 empty Y seats. I got the four-seat-across second Y row to myself, but the FAs were plying me with drinks, snacks and meals just like I was in F. I had a lot of work to do, and was able to set up two computers and a stack of papers on the trays. For the "inconvenience" DL gave me 12,500 points.
All in all - awesome!
Apr 4, 2012 | 8:57 am
#150
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2003
Location: AA Plat / UA NOTHING / Alaska 75K / Hyatt Diamond / SPG LT Plat / Marriott Gold / Priority Club Plat / Hertz Pres
Posts: 25,605
As for the airlines, they hold back enough F seats that might reasonably be expected to sell, and then use some of the available F inventory for UGs. They are holding enough inventory to sell. I've been on the receiving end of a downgrade after my UG cleared, but a full paying F arrived.
Here's the problem with a hotel chain doing that. By the time the airline does the UGs, the seat is paid for and it's, pretty much, non-refundable. The hotel doesn't get paid until the guest arrives. Preclearing UGs would easily lead to people like us making reservations at multiple properties to see if an UG clears. This would mean hotels would have an even worse time guestimating who may actual show.
In other words, the airline is dealing with seating people who are very likely to show up. The hotel is dealing with people who can decide not to show at the drop of a hat with no recourse for the hotel. It's a very different situation.
Also, the airline is dealing with 10-15% of seats being F. A 500 room hotel doesn't have 50-75 suites. It's a much more limited comodity.