I usually stay at different properties most of the time. Until later last year when I stayed weeks and weeks at the same property in ATL. My "home away from home". I can tell you that getting the same room every week was AWESOME! It made me feel welcome and more importantly like home.

Ooh, I stayed there. Marriott Potemkin, right?

Mike

what you describe above is not first come first served and is exactly what MI does - folks with a relationship such as a regular at a specific hotel or their company is a regular at a specific hotel etc are given a higher priority than a guest without a relationship at a specific hotel....or another way to put it is MI believes the burden shouldn't be on the guest as much as it should be on the hotel

most guests agree with you

I was a room service waiter at the Marco Island Hilton one summer during college. We never had announced inspections like this, rather something everyone called the "Richey Report" in which some mystery guest would come and rate every aspect of the hotel. We had specifications we had to follow just in case we got that mystery guest -- like 2 knocks on the door, not 3, not 1 -- that would be an automatic deduction. They were always alerting us, "hey, we think this guy is from Richey" but they were usually wrong. The tip-off I guess is when they'd ask about all the services the hotel offered when checking in -- they'd immediately upgrade a guest like this.

One day, as was my custom, when exiting the guest's room I asked, "is there anything I can do to make more stay with us more pleasant?" Guy says, "yeah, the maid closest next door is very loud in the morning." They stuck the Richey guy next to the damn maid closet!!! I apologized and reported it to housekeeping (the maids were all very loud every morning which used to drive me nuts). I didn't find out the guy was from Richey until about a week later when I came in to work. My manager's manager pulls me aside and says, "hell of a job". I was the only one in the hotel who got 100%.

As long a the PP's are pre-blocked who cares what they do with the rest.

The first come first served method breaks down when the hotel UG's early arriving Golds and then Plats and PP's are left with what's left.

And if this is the case, what is the point of the virtual concierge where you can 'ask' for the UG as well?

Based on the UG benefit as defined, I don't think it says 'UG to best available room if you ask for it'.

Not sure why anyone would feel this way as complimentary upgrades are a benefit for Golds as well as Plats. As a matter of fact, on Marriott's website, the complimentary upgrade is defined in a single section listed as "Additional Gold and Platinum Benefits". It says nothing about Platinum members having a higher priority for those upgrades.

Don't get me wrong - it probably should. But it doesn't as far as I can tell. So, if a Plat and Gold are checking in at the same time with only one upgrade room available, the Plat should get it. But - by Marriott rules - if there's only one room available and the Gold member walks up a minute before the Plat, the Gold should get it.

Also, I don't think anyone should need to beg for an upgrade. It should be automatic.

MI uses the same company to perform their Quality Assurance inspects as Hilton (process if very similar)

Plats do have a higher upgrade status but again there are other factors that enter the equation too (and most hotels do preblock the house to be sure of a smooth operation)

Well this cuts to the crux of the issue. Should a PP that checks in at 8pm be locked out of an UG because a bunch of Golds checked in at 4pm? And what does best available room mean? If PP's and Plats are pre-blocked into rooms are there 'available' rooms for Golds to UG to?

It would seem bizarre to say we'll give our lower tier elites equal footing for UG's with the upper level elites.

It would be similar if the airlines said, on the day of flight if a Gold member gets to the gate first they get the UG instead of the Plat member. Both are entitled to an UG based on the defined benefits, but the airlines just clearly document who has first priority.

If Marriott wanted to only UG people who wanted it, then they should put the option to request and UG on the res, similar to what the airlines do. Then people that don't care won't be UG and those that do would have a better opportunity.

I think that makes sense.^ However, I do believe Marriott should be up front about it. Otherwise it's nothing less than bait and switch.

I mystery shop a few mid to high end restaurants. I am always amused at how the servers *think* they know who the shoppers are. One time I overheard them discussing the diners right next to my husband and I. Somehow they had been alerted to the date that month (not supposed to happen, but sometimes it does) and were convinced this couple were the ones based on few very erroneous assumptions! The entire night they hovered over the other couple practically ignoring us. I'm sure management was not thrilled with my report!

(PS please don't bombard me with questions about how to get this job, I know you would all love a couple of free $150-200 dinners every month, suffice it to say I paid my dues over the years at some not so high end places and am now reaping the rewards!)

"Locked out"? Yes, a Gold member checking in at 4pm should receive an upgraded room if it available at check in even if a PP has a room reserved but has yet to show up. Why? What if he/she(PP) never shows or cancels? Screw the 4 pm Gold member and give it to the next guest?

Is it realistic to say that a Gold checking in at 4pm EVER has a chance at an upgrade if they are being held for higher tier guests? There are ALWAYS going to be higher tier guests coming in. Take ANY hotel in any major city - a Gold checks in at 4pm - what are the odds of NO Plats or PP still arriving later? Zero.

While I would have no issues with your premise that Plats and PPs should have a higher ranking in regards to upgrades, IMHO Marriott needs to put that in writing. They haven't and I think we all know why.

I agree, it's bizarre. But it's also true.
https://www.marriott.com/rewards/terms/elite.mi

At the Denver Marriott West a few months ago, I was pre-blocked into a Concierge Level room, only to be downgraded when I arrived at the hotel at around 6pm Tuesday night. The FDC stated that they couldn't upgrade me as the available rooms had been allocated to Elites who checked in before I did and there were no longer any rooms available on the concierge level. Did give me free breakfast in the restaurant on Saturday morning to make up for it.

Regards,

RIP...