Room not available on time.....
 

Is there any compensation for the room not being available on time? I just finished stay at the Renaissance in Palm Springs CA. I'm platinum and did mobile check-in in advance saying I would arrive at 4pm. I showed up exactly at 4pm.

There was a couple people in line. I looked for the platinum check-in line and there wasn't one. I found the sign that said "mobile check in" and went around the line to that position. The person behind the desk looked and acted like I just cut in front of the line, but I said I just wanted my key so she reluctantly looked for my key (which wasn't there) and then checked in the computer and said my room wasn't available and no others were available and that I would need to wait in lobby with everyone else (and then I realized that there were a lot of pissed off looking people in lobby). She "apologized" as she knew I told them 4pm, but said there was nothing she could do. I asked about compensation and she seemed insulted and said that she needed to help others (by now line was very long). Said I would be called immediately when room was available, but had no idea how long that would be. I had just finished driving for almost 9 hours and just wanted to lay down.

So I waited an hour and then got impatient and "cut" in front of the line (which was still long). The same clerk just rudely said "if I haven't been called then my room wasn't ready". I asked her to check and she refused.

I then called the main number of the hotel and asked if my room was ready and was told it was.

I went back, pushed my way to front of line and told the rude lady that my room was ready. She seemed upset, but gave me the room key. She also said that "they" were about to call me and that I would still be called and that I should ignore it. Of course, my phone never rang.

Should I have received compensation for this? As a platinum who was not asking for anything special (it wasn't early check-in or anything) -- just that my room be available at the arrival time I stated in the mobile check-in, I really expected something better than this.

Wow. I'm going to go get some fresh popcorn for this one...

Did you ever receive a "room ready" notification from the Marriott app?

Sounds like some rude people.

Frankly, if the room isn't ready, I usually just go do something else for an hour or two, telling them when I'll be back. I'll push harder if I have an appointment early that evening.

My read is that this was handled poorly by both parties.

As far as "compensation," maybe a free drink in the bar while you waited could have been offered or requested. Retroactively? No.

No I did not....

I had just driven almost 9 hours and was very tired. I left early to minimize traffic. I planned to take nap before evening activities. I know I was impatient, but I would have been much more accepting if they offered me a drink and would have actually called me when room was ready.

Or at least one.

It sounds like both sides weren't at their best. That sometimes happens. It's not the end of the world on either side. OP, I'd chalk it up to a bad day all around and let it go.

I have had this happen a couple of times and my experience has always been the the hotel will offer something in the form of compensation if you are polite and understanding.

This happened once at the Renaissance Mayflower in DC and the hotel comped me a very nice dinner in their restaurant.

Also had this happen recently at the Hilton Charlotte City Centre and the hotel comped me a drink in the bar, and also had a nice selection of sodas and snacks with a letter of apology waiting for me in the Suite when I arrived.

If the lounge is open, I would ask to get a key with access so I can wait there. If it isn't, I agree with the others concerning getting a some free drinks.

Quite a few years ago, I arrived early (around noon) at the Santa Clara Marriott. The manager came out to apologize that they had upgraded me, but my room wasn't ready. He then offered me a free ticket to the close by amusement park (I can't remember if it was affiliated with Six Flags or not.) He then had someone drive me over there and pick me up later in the day. Given how early I arrived, I wasn't complaining or anything (though I was a Plat at the time and had stayed there a few times before.)

If there's a separate line that says "Mobile check-in", with no one in the line, and I just need to mobile check-in, then I wouldn't think that not standing in a long normal check-in line and going right to the mobile check-in would be cutting in line.

I think that was the point of the "quotes" around "cut" in OP's story.

On the two occasions I did use the App I got that notification both times, hours ahead of my stated arrival time.

That said this is one of my pet peeves. Unless the hotel has me in an upgraded room and I desperately want to keep this, not having a room available past published checkout time is a no-no in my eyes. I think that some form of compensation is definitely in order for this shortcoming of the hotel.

Greetings - Dirk

I'd also do this usually.

However, I just thought about it from a neutral perspective. The guest MUST check out by whatever the checkout time is (or face a penalty). The contract/guarantee never says when the room needs to be made available to the guest. Is it fair to charge a guest the same price for a room made available at 4:00 pm as one made available at 6:00 pm? How about 8:00 pm? What if it is 10:00 pm? When does the time become unreasonable? Without any definition, the customer has no rights and no ability to bargain. This contract is lopsided and unconscionable.