Platinum check-in procedure
 

Hi travelers!

Hope this day finds you and your families well.

I'm finally platinum, yahoo!

I understand there is a whole new world opening to me, regarding upgrades. Its about time! 75 nights this year!

I've read through several threads regarding check-in, but they're all old threads, some back to 08.

In today's world, what is the proper procedure to respectfully request an upgrade?

Also, can anyone share their success stories regarding upgrades to Luxury, suites, & Presidential rooms?

Thanks all
Mark

I fear you are far too optimistic about your new world.

You ask for an upgrade as a Plat the same way you do as a gold. And mostly you get the same answer. :-)

When I first made Black (that was Platinum, before it was renamed) I had some incredible rooms. One of the best was the NY Marquis, where I got a room that was about 1/6 of the entire floor (and that is a BIG floor).

However, if you are talking about the last 10 years, even though I have lifetime Plat with Marriott, I changed primarily to SPG because I got tired of not even getting a "regular" upgrade.

That said, I still like Marriott, I still stay at Marriott, I just don't expect very much on upgrades (and certainly not much more than "one category").

Agreed - I would also note that expecting a Presidential Suite is going to leave you very disappointed - neither Marriott nor Starwood include those in their upgrade possibilities.

"A couple times a year" you will get an upgrade without asking. If you ask at the desk at check in, this will rise to "once in a while." If you have a special reason, e.g. wife is along on a business trip, and call ahead, this will rise to a "fair shot." If you are on vacation with the rest of us, get in line for a "crap shoot." If you desire a President's Suite, google "snowball's chance."

To be fair, I've won some pretty great rooms under the "crap shoot" rule.

I'm not as frequent a traveller as many of you, but almost every time when staying I get an upgrade at Marriotts. This has included many suites (at least 6 different hotels). In fact, I get upgraded far more often than not.

In response to the original question, when I am checking in, I simply ask (with a polite smile), 'are there any upgrades available?'

I checked into a FS Marriott in Florida the other night. I noticed some bugs roaming around, and went back to the front desk to change rooms. She said "I will upgrade you to a suite because of the bugs". Non-antagonistically, I asked her why I didn't get an upgrade anyways at check-in, for being a Life Plat and for a single night stay, checking in at 11:00 PM (little chance they're going to sell a suite at midnight for one night only). She looked at me and said "oh, you were upgraded to the concierge floor before. We consider that an upgrade".

I gave a wry smile, shook my head and headed back to the elevators. Maybe I'm wrong, but for Golds and Plats, getting a concierge floor room isn't an upgrade since concierge access is a basic status privilege. Right?

Though for Marriott you can take out the word "Presidential" and "suite" and just leave in "disappointed"

I got it in Mumbai the other week. Was huuuuggggeee :D

To the OP - basically it is hotel dependent. For example you need to think about how many rooms the hotel has to upgrade you, how many other golds and platinums there are etc. e.g. I used to live in the Marriott Huntingdon in the UK, as did many of my colleagues and many other regulars. There were 4 suites and probably 30 or 40 platinums staying and only about 100 rooms in total. Therefore you don't often get the suite, as they rotate it.

T

My new favorite is getting upgraded to the "concierge floor", except the concierge lounge is now off the lobby. Marriott MIA and Marriott IAD are the two that come to mind. :confused:

OP wouldn't get your hopes up. The process is the same as if you were Gold. You can ask but don't expect anything. FWIW, PP is higher than plat and I have only once received a true suite in the past two years....already at 140+ actual nights this year

I usually put a note in my reservation - request upgrade if available. I check my ressie the day before & day of arrival to see if I've been upgraded. If not I'll politely ask at check-in.

The other thing being Plat gets the OP is the Platinum Arrival Gift, so s/he should familiarize him/herself w/ that/the process.

Cheers.

Husband has been Plat for a couple of years straight. I would say we get a decent upgrade every 1 in 20 trips.

As mentioned above, it is location/hotel dependent as well as timing.

When we are travelling for pleasure and will be spending multiple nights, I tend to pick a property that has the greatest number of suites. So far that has worked out fairly well for us. Hitting those locations off-peak (weekends in a business-traveler heavy location) ups the chances of an upgrade as well.

I think of an upgrade the same way the Supreme Court thinks about pr0n: "I know it when I see it".

At some hotels, that could indeed be the concierge lounge floor or section of the hotel. Kind of depends on whether that in and of itself is an upgraded floor or section. (Imperial Riding School in Vienna is one such example.) But at most hotels, I don't think of having been "upgraded" unless I'm in something resembling a junior suite. In a standard hotel tower, I think of high floor, decent view, away from elevator and ice machine, bed type matching my desires, etc. as basic parts of the status.

Some hotel FDC's will say "you've be upgraded" when in fact they mean "because you are Gold/Plat, we met your basic room requirements." I wish these people could be retrained: I'd rather hear "we're sold out tonight so no upgrades are available, but we still have one of the best possible regular rooms for you" than have somebody sugar-coat it and try to convince me that my non-upgrade is an upgrade.

An upgrade is a suite, or an ocean-view room, something along those lines.

Just like getting upgraded on an airplane, you're getting something because of status that you would otherwise pay quite a bit for. Concierge access isn't an upgrade since that's a basic perk that every Gold/Plat gets. That's akin to getting checked bag fees waived on an airline. Getting a first-class seat? That's an upgrade. Same idea with a hotel. Getting a much better room, not getting the same room but on a floor with a lounge.