Virtual Concierge Issues
 

I am a Platinum member and just wondering if anyone has any ideas about the following issue.

I rarely get the Virtual Concierge e mails from Hotels. Sometimes I get them when I book a Renaissance, but never for Marriott/JW or RC.

A friend who stays at the same hotels as me and also Platinum always gets them and to be honest always responds with special requirements and seems to be much luckier than I with upgrades and special treatment, whereas I rarely get any special recognition.

I brought up the issue with Marriott Customer Services who could not see anything wrong with my profile, but said it might be a systems issue. I never heard a word from them about it, but I am staying at exactly the same hotel as my friend, he got the e mail and I didn't. He gets a suite upgrade and whilst I get the "thank you for being a Platinum member blah blah" but the standard room.

Just wonder if anyone has similar experience and perhaps a way of solving the problem?

Alternatively it would be really helpful if Marriott put Hotel Concierge e mail addresses on the Hotel Pages. I know you can get them if you call for them, but why are they so secretive?

I get them virtually every time I stay in a FS property, regardless of brand. Perhaps it's going to a spam folder?

I regularly get the VC emails. I've used them only twice for special requests (connecting rooms) and been satisfied both times.

I don't think I ever have received a virtual concierge mail.
What I do get are the 'reminder mails'. Are we talking about the same mails here?

About 5 to 7 days before your stay at any Marriott-branded property you should receive a mail with subject 'Reminder, your stay at....'. When this stay is in a FS hotel this mail will contain a link to the virtual concierge. (link reads : 'Make your requests now'

I always get them and also regularly get a personal email front a front desk manager or hotel concierge when staying at RC or JW properties.

Have been pretty lucky getting all my requests answered but yet I don't request much.

I would suggest checking the email address you have on file and your spam folder. It may be a MR issue or it could be an email issue on your end.

Checked the spam folder, and I get all the other e mails from Marriott including the weekly on line special offers, so do not rurally understand why this would be happening.

I think they are the reminder mails, but its been so long since I got one that I cannot really recall.

Think I will call every time and get the e mail address as it does seem to make a big difference in the level of service if you have contacted the hotel prior to your arrival, even if you have no requests, just to give them a heads up and if they need to upgrade anyone on the day to bear me in mind.

I actually hate asking for upgrades and benefits, and would far prefer them too be offered (as they should for plats anyway). But now I have seen the difference in the treatment between my own, and my friends (who is not demanding in any way), but who always knows exactly what he is entitled to and usually gets much more than that by being up front and honest about his requests.

The best way to getting what you want is asking for it. :)

The link to virtuage concierge is in the email reminder of your stay(s).

I've been pretty lucky w/ upgrades when I respond by saying I'd appreciate an upgrade, know it's not guaranteed & based on availability, but anything they can do would be greatly appreciated. That usually works.

Cheers.

So is that what we are talking about? Just a link from the reminder email. I just checked about 10 recent reminder emails from RENs and FS hotels and have no such link.

As another data point I'm PP and have never received a personalized email of any sort from a hotel. Two times, however, I've emailed a hotel asking for anything (once a connecting room and once a request to allow me to valet a few hours before checking in due to an anticipated tight time frame between flight arrival and a concert) I was pretty much told to pound sand.

Can't help you or the OP.

There's usually a link to VC in the reminder emails I get for full-service properties.

I'm also rarely told to go pound sound. Sometimes it might be we'll see what we can; it's based on availability.

Cheers.

This is an example of personal email I get sometimes from the concierge of some properties. This one if from the Beaux Arts Hotel at the JW Marriott Marquis in Miami ... amazing hotel by the way. I was very impressed they had someone waiting for us in the lobby of the JW who greeted us by last name and took us to the 39th floor to check in.

From: Beaux Arts [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Thursday, May 10, 2012 12:10 PM
To: sammyindc
Subject: Hotel Beaux Arts Miami - Arrival Confirmation Request

Good afternoon Mr. sammyindc,

We are so pleased you will be staying with us arriving Sunday, May 20, 2012! In preparation for your arrival, would you mind providing us with your arrival time? Please let us know if we can set up any private transportation, dinner or spa reservations for you.

If there is anything else that you need prior to your arrival to make your stay more comfortable, please let us know.

Warm regards,

Mr... / Front Desk Agent

Hotel Beaux Arts Miami
255 Biscayne Boulevard Way (39th Floor)
Miami, Fl 33131
305.421.8700 Phone
[email protected]

www.hotelbeauxartsmiami.com


Check out Hotel Beaux Arts Miami video. Recognized on the Conde Nast Traveler 2011 Hot List. Created to surround you with all that stirs your senses.

Bigger Issue for me is the request being completely Ignored. Took the time to ask for help making reservations in ARUBA at the Marriott for several tours and restaurants as I tried to email places directly, but got limited responses on my own and simply my requests were ignored. I even got a confirmation of my request sent to me. I would say this happens 50% of the time.

Well "pound sand" was a euphemism. The two hotels I was referring to don't even have any (visible) sand, though I'd bet there's some under the foundation. :)

As an example, I sent this:

And the (snipped for personally identifying information) response was:

This was the JW in DC, not a REN, though.

Ok, that was pretty close to a go pound sand response. I'd be po'd too.

Now that I think about it, the most individual/you know they read the email/respond to your points responses from VCs have come from the European/UK properties I've stayed at.

On a dif note - I've never understood why the JW in DC is actually a JW. It's like a regular Marriott & nothing JW about it that I can tell.

Cheers.

Totally agree... it's one of the worst JWs I've been too. One thing that really put them on my s*** list is their catering/sales dept. Was planning to do a charity event there and it took them 2 months to get back to me with a proposal after we had already met. They wouldn't even respond to a number of emails and calls to follow-up on it. Obviously I went with a different property.