Walked in DC last night at 1am as a Platinum member
#46
Suspended
Join Date: Nov 1999
Posts: 24,153
It was the hotel's idea to comp both nights, not the guest's idea.
The hotel made the Platinum guest travel 8 miles, to Maryland, on city streets to an alternate hotel that was not comparable, after taking way too long to find that alternate hotel. The guest had to get up much earlier to make that trip in reverse the next morning, allowing for inbound slow morning travel and a safety margin to prevent being late for a meeting. The hotel deprived the guest of getting anything resembling a normal night of sleep in the process.
It seems to me, under the circumstances, the hotel did the right thing comping both nights. The other thing the hotel could have done would have been to comp only the first night, as required, but then to give the guest an additional 30,000 points or so as an apology for an unusually bad walk situation. It would have worked out about the same.
Yes, the Platinum guest is also still entitled to $100 USD + 90,000 Marriott Rewards points, the published compensation under the Ultimate Reservation Guarantee.
I guess I wouldn't mind being walked by a Residence Inn if I were immediately sent to a comparable (or better) hotel on the same block (or very close) and I received the Ultimate Reservation Guarantee compensation.
However, I would be upset if I had to show up at an important meeting the next morning with 3 hours of sleep instead of 6 hours of sleep, because a hotel is inept.
The hotel made the Platinum guest travel 8 miles, to Maryland, on city streets to an alternate hotel that was not comparable, after taking way too long to find that alternate hotel. The guest had to get up much earlier to make that trip in reverse the next morning, allowing for inbound slow morning travel and a safety margin to prevent being late for a meeting. The hotel deprived the guest of getting anything resembling a normal night of sleep in the process.
It seems to me, under the circumstances, the hotel did the right thing comping both nights. The other thing the hotel could have done would have been to comp only the first night, as required, but then to give the guest an additional 30,000 points or so as an apology for an unusually bad walk situation. It would have worked out about the same.
Yes, the Platinum guest is also still entitled to $100 USD + 90,000 Marriott Rewards points, the published compensation under the Ultimate Reservation Guarantee.
I guess I wouldn't mind being walked by a Residence Inn if I were immediately sent to a comparable (or better) hotel on the same block (or very close) and I received the Ultimate Reservation Guarantee compensation.
However, I would be upset if I had to show up at an important meeting the next morning with 3 hours of sleep instead of 6 hours of sleep, because a hotel is inept.
#47
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: Finally back in Boston after escaping from New York
Posts: 13,643
#48
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 75
Lengthy update (and conclusion) for the group:
As I originally mentioned, the hotel comped my two final nights and returned those points to me (along with obviously the refund for the night I spent at the Courtyard). I called the Platinum line on Thursday after being walked and that agent documented the entire ordeal (she was very upset when the front desk staff said "we're not aware of any penalties for walking a Platinum guest").
Fast forward to Monday, I was emailed by a "Guest Experience Supervisor" (GES) from corporate who had reached out to the hotel to invoke the URG and told me to expect to hear from the hotel soon. A few hours later, I received an apologetic and very nice email from the the hotel offering me $100 USD. I did NOT email the hotel, instead I emailed back the GES and explained that I was not content with this as the URG was very clear about what I was entitled to. More importantly, that the hotel made a conscious, negligent, and greedy decision to re-sell my room and cause me to be walked.
The GES replied in the evening and said "We are going to get this addressed. I do apologize for the delay on this, but I have re-sent the file to the hotel and I left the GM a voicemail to let [him/her] know that we need to get a resolutions as soon as possible."
Fast forward to this morning and I received my 90,000 points along with another email from the hotel asking for my address to send the $100 check (and again a very kind/apologetic message).
Thanks everyone for the help and support!
TL;DR: I was competed for my nights at the hotel and received my 90,000 points + $100 under the URG.
As I originally mentioned, the hotel comped my two final nights and returned those points to me (along with obviously the refund for the night I spent at the Courtyard). I called the Platinum line on Thursday after being walked and that agent documented the entire ordeal (she was very upset when the front desk staff said "we're not aware of any penalties for walking a Platinum guest").
Fast forward to Monday, I was emailed by a "Guest Experience Supervisor" (GES) from corporate who had reached out to the hotel to invoke the URG and told me to expect to hear from the hotel soon. A few hours later, I received an apologetic and very nice email from the the hotel offering me $100 USD. I did NOT email the hotel, instead I emailed back the GES and explained that I was not content with this as the URG was very clear about what I was entitled to. More importantly, that the hotel made a conscious, negligent, and greedy decision to re-sell my room and cause me to be walked.
The GES replied in the evening and said "We are going to get this addressed. I do apologize for the delay on this, but I have re-sent the file to the hotel and I left the GM a voicemail to let [him/her] know that we need to get a resolutions as soon as possible."
Fast forward to this morning and I received my 90,000 points along with another email from the hotel asking for my address to send the $100 check (and again a very kind/apologetic message).
Thanks everyone for the help and support!
TL;DR: I was competed for my nights at the hotel and received my 90,000 points + $100 under the URG.
#49
Join Date: Oct 2007
Programs: AA, WN, UA, Bonvoy, Hertz
Posts: 2,491
Great news. By the way, when I have had elite guarantee situations, I had to invoke MR central customer service each time at some point.
I did give the property a chance to resolve, but they never do without a lecture from MR directly.
Elite members should actively know what is involved to claim the guarantees and sorry to those others who didn't push for the right resolution.
Rasheed
I did give the property a chance to resolve, but they never do without a lecture from MR directly.
Elite members should actively know what is involved to claim the guarantees and sorry to those others who didn't push for the right resolution.
Rasheed
#50
Suspended
Join Date: Jun 2005
Programs: Delta Diamond, Marriott Ambassador & Lifetime Titanium, Hertz President's Circle, United Silver
Posts: 6,334
This is why I always use the Marriott mobile application to estimate my arrival time. Also, I note that many international hotels, even Renaissance and Marriott hotels, let alone a J.W. Marriott or Ritz-Carlton, will email a guest before their arrival to ask for their estimate time of arrival and/or flight information. I'm sure that factors into walking guests.