Compensation - do not disturb sign ignored
 

Booked a room at a Courtyard for a good flight attendant friend; who had to fly from 1 p.m. yesterday to 6 a.m. today; and who had to work again at 5 p.m. today. Rather than have her trek all the way back to her apartment 30 min from the airport; I booked a Category 2 CY with points.

Prior to booking the room, I made sure that she could have a 4 p.m. check-out; and they said that as a Platinum it would be guaranteed. After I booked the reservation around 2 p.m. yesterday, I called again and they noted her name on the room, and made it clear that we needed 4 p.m. check out as she would be checking in at 7 a.m. - they said "no problem, and noted the account."

Before going to bed at 11 p.m. last night, I again confirmed they would hold the room for 7 a.m. check-in and confirmed 4 p.m. check-out. I got confirmation.

She gets to the hotel around 7 a.m. and puts the do not disturb sign. At 12:00 p.m. or so, a cleaning lady knocks loudly and repeatedly until she awoke from her deep sleep and answered the door. She tells the cleaner she has 4 p.m. check-out; cleaner not at all apologetic and said no one told her and it was the front desk's fault. Friend could not go fall asleep after.

Obviously I am irate at the whole situation. She lives 30 minutes from airport and the whole point of her staying at hotel was so she could get an extra hour of sleep.

I am going to demand my 10,000 points back for the booking, but really feel that as a Platinum Premier that I should be getting 50,000 points. In some 1000 nights at Marriott, I have only asked for compensation on maybe 2 stays - 1) where they forgot wake-up call, and front desk admitted mistake; and 2) in dead of winter when heat did not work.

Also, should I complain to the hotel GM directly; or to Marriott?

The aggravating factors are 1) that I confirmed 4 p.m. check-out three times; 2) that she lives 30 minutes from the hotel and the purpose of the stay was defeated; 3) that the cleaner was not at all apologetic.

Thanks

You can "demand" ask for anything you want. By my accounting, an apology is about all that is warranted and 10,000 points is far beyond reasonable. And 50,000 points is just a bizarre fantasy. YMMV.

Please be sure to let the GM and/or Marriott know that you were not a guest in the room, that the Platinum benefits were obtained by misrepresentation, and that you are "not at all apologetic" about your deception.

As a PP, are you surprised that no one told housekeeping about the late check out? Happens all the time. If it was that important to sleep in, then the flight attendant (who should be really familiar with hotel practices) should have taped a note to the door and blocked the card slot; works every time.

Your "demands" are over the top.

you don't think 10k is warranted for a stay from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. - when having confirmed it three times?!?!?!

EDIT: and it's too late for an apology - if the cleaner had apologized on the spot it would have meant something; now it's too late for apologies. Moscow Marriott forgot to give me my wakeup call and I almost missed flight, but they were incredibly apologetic and so I did not ask for any point or anything. That ship has sailed with respect to this situation IMO.

I rarely ask for late check-outs but I only recall one occasion where they violated the DND sign.

I don't know that FAs ask for late check-outs, and she shouldn't have to show up at hotel exhausted at 7 a.m. and have to worry about writing note, blocking slot, etc.

Unfortunately, IME, most hotel chains are really lousy about honoring late checkout requests. A high percentage of the time, someone shows up to clean the room and bangs on the door. Or, a phone call comes in. Or both. :(

From the Marriott Rewards Terms and Conditions (emphasis mine):Source: http://www.marriott.com/rewards/terms/elite.mi

If I had violated the rules, the last thing I'd do would be to demand anything. Maybe that's just me.

Hate to say it but probably best to keep quiet on this since you did not occupy the room.

If you were the occupant, then you would probably have grounds to invoke a satisfaction guarantee sort of claim and demand your points back or a refund...

But since you weren't the occupant...

I am sure this will color your friend's opinion of Marriott and its brands in a negative light, though.

Tedgrrrrr, I'm puzzled why you once asked for compensation because you forgot to set your alarm. I'm even more surprised the hotel gave it to you.

She was not entitled to stay until 4 p.m. End of story.

The "do not disturb sign" is just a suggestion and is frequently ignored in many foreign countries.

Also, in foreign countries, even if you have a regular noontime checkout, it's not unusual for maids to try to get in and clean the room.

Don't be the ugly American deserving "compensation" for a maid's knock on the door at noon.

Like you, I would be fuming - really annoying to go to such lengths and still end up disturbed.

But, whilst you can reserve a Rewards room for a third party, elite benefits attach only to the room you occupy. I did this recently for my wife and daughter redeeming my points at the Times Sq Ren. The property very kindly afforded my wife all my elite benefits which she wasn't expecting as I'd told her all she was likely to get was the basic room I'd reserved. It was totally unexpected because she wasn't entitled to the benefit. Like my wife, you cannot expect your elite 4pm checkout benefit for your friend even though you arranged it carefully it still attaches to you and only you.

If I'd been sleeping in the room I'd be chasing for 20,000 points - a full rebate of my utterly pointless night (I could have gone home driving an extra hour and did this for undisturbed sleep) and the same again to enable me to enjoy that peaceful night they still owe me. I'm not sure where your 50,000 comes from.

The hotel did confirm the late checkout multiple times. At no time did they say "sorry, the member isn't occupying the room, so no benefit". I'd say at least the points used to pay for the room should come back.

finally, two people who understand. I told the hotel I would not be occupying the room all three times. The last time; I asked whether the fact that I would be staying at a hotel in the mid-west would at all interfere with her stay.

More to the point though, I didn't even know there was such a thing as a guaranteed 4 p.m. check-out - I "negotiated" the 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. check-out for my situation; and clearly told them that I would not book the room unless they agreed.

These kind of claims are always hard to respond to. We have the hotel guest, who we have no idea how she checked in. Did she reconfirm with the hotel that the check out is 4PM or did she just trust you had taken care of things? I'd assume the later. You seem to be the guy who wants to care of other things and she trusted you and just asked for her key and that's it.
I'd never let anyone make my reservation because each one of us have our own preferences and would advice you not to do so in the future.

So the FD had no information from her upon check in that she asked for a later check out. This is crucial. If you don't ask or reconfirm (if you asked earlier) for a later check out upon check in you are not given a later check in.
Has never happened to me at least if I don't reconfirm with the hotel upon check in that I'm granted later check in. Even if I request and the hotel confirms by email that it's possible many days earlier.

Don't book for other people when you are not in their party or stuff like this happens. If she had done the booking herself she would have taken a more adult responsibility and had reconfirmed with the FD her requests.