Houston was a mess yesterday due to extreme weather in the area - huge flight delays and cancellations. When it became obvious I would be stranded in IAH (while waiting for the delayed outbound in Nashville), I booked a room at the IAH Fairfield (the only property with shuttle service that had a remaining available room). Finally got to the hotel at 0100. 3 of us arrived together in the shuttle. The third to get to the desk, I was told that the property was now full and that the manager was working to find me another accommodation.

She did, eventually, at a Town Place next door (after waiting another 40 minutes to get the room ready - it still had no drapes and was apparently emerging from a deep cleaning). No other properties for miles. TP charged me the full rack rate, not the govt rate I was bumped from. Manager told me central reservations was overselling even after it became clear locally that this was going to be a problem.

I am a Plat. How is this typically handled? I've never been streeted in all my years with Marriott.

I'm actually not really complaining - everyone on the ground there tried very hard to help, just wondering what typically happens when this occurs.

If you had your plat number on the reservation you can invoke the ultimate reservation guarantee. You should not be charged for your stay at the TP. the FFI should have paid for your night at the TP.

Absolutely was - they clearly knew.

Note that whether you had your Plat number in the reservation or not, you shouldn't have paid for the night. That is Marriott's general "bump" rule.

But if your Plat number was in the reservation, then you should also receive all the Plat guarantee.

I would show them this page:

https://www.marriott.com/rewards/mem...s/guarantee.mi

OP buddy, please let us know how this one turns out, and I say that assuming you had to leave for the airport before you would have time to hit up the manager at the walking hotel (and will have to take it up long distance). Your good attitude about just having a place to sleep on a stormy night in Houston not withstanding, this one seems to fall in the subset of complaint threads that have something genuinely significant to be frustrated about. Not pushing the bed-type guarantee under the circumstances is one thing, but you had to wait around to get walked to a lesser hotel to a drape-free room at a higher rate?

I just love when I hear "reservations is overselling us..." it's the hotel's responsibility to manage their inventory - it's a shame the manager didn't understand that

As a platinum you are entitled to the "ultimate walk guarantee" benefits....the hotel owes you $100 (typically a check mailed to you) plus 2 free night vouchers anywhere in the world.....they are to send you 2 "1 night worldwide ultimate" certficates...these are good at any hotel in the world regardless of brand ** except Ritz-Carlton and Buglarvi

oh I forgot that...yes the original hotel should have paid for your room

Generic response, monkey on local property.
************************************************** ***



Dear cmculp

Thank you for contacting Marriott Customer Care regarding the (property in question) We appreciate the opportunity to
address your concerns.

Please accept our apology for the frustration and disappointment this experience
has caused. We have forwarded your comments to associates in the Executive
Office of the hotel for review and have requested that someone from that office
respond to address your concerns. You should be contacted within three to five
business days.

If we can be of further assistance, we invite you to reply to this email.

Thank you for choosing Marriott.

Regards,
XXXXXXXX
Marriott Customer Care

Write them back & tell them a generic response is not appropriate. Invoke the guarantee & ask when the check & the free night certs will arrive, and when they will be crediting your credit card.

Cheers.

Don't those come from the property? MR would still need to involve the property. I do wish MR Customer Care could/would step in an act on behalf of the property and then work out the bookkeeping between themselves, but we know that doesn't happen. Seems the only way to "light a fire" under someone is to involve Mr. Marriott's office in Salt Lake City.

I find many FDCs are poorly trained on the benefits of their own program and this is not limited to MR properties. Sadly some even seem to have the thought the guest is even less informed. Granted, when checking in at 0'my early in the morning, I'm not firing on all cylinders, but usually catch up by the next morning. Getting walked (which hasn't happened to me yet) my first priority is getting a room, everything else can wait.

My suggestion is give them a reasonable chance to get it worked out (maybe a week) and then load for bear!

I would further suggest CALL the Platium Line. They are usually very polite and responsive, and a call instead of email shows that you want it resolved sooner rather than later. Email tends to be viewed as "solve it when you get to it", even if that is not the case.

If you get a bad rep on the Plat Line, end the conversation, hang up, and call again. I always have ended up with a very helpful rep, even if the initial one was not so great at helping, listening, etc.

Yes, many times calling back works well. But this brings up a question: Do you get a new rep as that is the way the system works, or is it because the rep recognizes the name and passes on answering the call?

Not that it really matters, but just curious.

Yes and yes

Perfectly stated. 1st priority: stay awake and coherent enough to find a place to stay. OK, a couple of weeks has passed, nothing. Load for a bear, huh??