Nazdoom

Admittedly I am newly Plat, but this is all a bit bizarre for me.
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In my last two hotels in Asia I've had the experience where all of the staff in the hotel know my name and room number without asking me and without having met me before. Oddly enough both are courtyards and I've never experienced this level of service at JWs or other higher end Marriott properties.

In Hotel #1 I heard that the staff discussed me at their daily meetings (so for instance, the lounge staff knew I had switched rooms to a suite that became available and asked me how it was) and all of the staff (including room service and restaurant) recognized me and greeted me by name (some would wave all the way down the hall and really go out of their way). I know the GM there so I assumed it wss just a one-time thing.

At Hotel #2 , no daily meetings but I was recognized by my appearance and greeted by name by various staff in different departments. I also have since seen a special guest list, which consists of the photos, names, and room numbers of (presumably) all of their platinum or vip guests. I saw a lounge attendant going through the faces and checking them off (first time I saw such a list). Also, the lounge attendants knew I was switching rooms, which makes me think they either proactively read my profile when I entered the lounge or were briefed as part of the dsily meetings.

Is this really a thing? Do most Marriotts do this??

I presume the photos are captured via CCTV during checkin (based on the ones I saw) and retained as part of the guest profile. Are all guests captured or just status guests? Are the photos kept indefinitely?

While I appreciate the outgoing effort, it does come off a bit creepy and it must be hard for staff to memorize faces off of grainy photos. Have others experienced this and/or do you appreciate having your hidden photo being circulated to all staff?

To be quite honest, I thought I would mind but it is a bit nice not to have to remember and say my room number all the time!

TravelinSperry

When I was Starwood Ambassador level they specifically requested a photo from us so they could provide to the properties for recognition pre-checkin. I would forget I had given a photo - and when walking in the door, fd personnel would greet me by name. Took me a moment to understand how they did that.

Of course, this is different than them taking photos of you without your knowledge. I'm not sure I'd like that. Are we sure that's what they're doing?

Nazdoom

I certainly haven't uploaded any photo to Marriott or SPG and my social media isn't linked. The photos I saw all looked like they, were taken by a webcam from an above angle (poor quality and nobody looking at the camera). Makes me. wonder..

CJKatl

This has happened to me in some Asian hotels when I was PP. In at least one property they asked before taking the picture and told me how it would be used. In another, I discussed it with the CL clerk. In a Shanghai hotel they were stopping people at the CL door asking for names and checking them against the list, but I did not see this until after I walked in and sat myself. I asked the clerk if I needed to give him my name and he indicated he already knew who I was, which made me think he had seen a pic. I was not the only American or even the only one with a shaved head.

Another kinda creepy trick... I pulled a rental car into the SF JW and popped open the trunk. As the bellman was taking out my luggage he said something like, "We have been expecting you Mr. CJK. You have been upgraded to the Presidential Suite (or something like that)." There was a long line at check-in but he took me to a seating area on the side where they checked me in immediately. So I asked how he knew it was me and he sheepishly admitted that bellman will look at the airline luggage tags for a guest's name.

Another time on my first morning at an Asian hotel where I had stayed several times before, when I entered the CL the attendant ran over to my table and said something about CNN. I finally made out that a few months earlier they had seen me being interviewed on the CNN feed that plays in the CL. One of the women saw it and they all kept an eye out for the story to play again. My neighborhood gets spotlighted once a year when the FedEx Cup is played at the golf course across the street from my house and I had been interviewed in one of the stories. It shows that even if the staff is given pics, they get to know who guests are.

CJKatl

The hotel where they asked had a webcam attached to the computer used for check-in. The process was much like getting your pic taken as you go through immigration to get into a country. I have stayed in the hotel since then but they have not asked about taking a pic. Maybe they have stopped, maybe they use the old pic or maybe they use the copy of my passport pic.

Often1

It's pretty common and it's called good service. Back before digital photography and databases, high-end properties took a real photo and then kept paper records of a guest's preferences.

Even at Disney, if you arrive by car service and are staying at one of the high-end places such as the Grand Floridian, when the car pulls up to the gate and the driver gives your name at the gate, that is texted ahead and there is someone waiting to check you in curbside.

aaupgrade

Many Hotels throughout rest of the world (outside US), have your picture as most, if not all, ask for your passport when you checkin and most hotels scan it and in doing so capture your passport photo.

Having stayed at 7 hotels in OZ, Asia, and Europe in the past few weeks that has been the case each and every time. I have noticed that Asian hotel staff know me and greet me by name; whereas that is not the case in Europe. Now, SkyCity Marriott did look at my passport but did not scan it as the concierge met me at the limo and escorted me to my room where she checked me in, but my stay there was my 5th or 6th, so they probably already have it in my profile. She did note that I had a new passport since my last stay and updated the passport number for their records.

runningformqm

i booked an airport pick up at the st regis bangkok. as i was walking out of customs an attendent ran up to me and greeted me by my name...it was also my first time staying at the hotel. i assumed they googled my name and got my picture off linkedin. not creepy at all, just amazing service.

paolo64

This used to be quite common in Bangkok and a few other places. Some hotels would ask if they could take a photo at checkin ( presumably for future recognition). I always consented, notwithstanding the fact that these pics were taken after long flights and consequently I looked like either the mad Professor from Back to the Future, something the cat dragged in, or a fugitive from justice ( or all three). I could have given them my own ' approved' photo but then the strong likelihood that no one would ever recognise that as me. Can't win.

C17PSGR

There are a couple of other threads where this was referenced. I know when I walked into the Concierge Lounge at the Queens Park Marriott, I was greeted by name. Additionally, on the second day, they brought a coffee to me that was identical to the one I had the day before. I've had similar service at a couple of Marriottts in London (well not the coffee). This is not unique to Marriott, Mandarin Oriental and Four Seasons also do this with regular guests.

Its really a factor of an engaged GM. I don't think Marriott is passing pictures around but there are certainly GM's who understand the importance of service.

ehallison

It's nice when hotels with gated security do this...happened to us at SPG's Tambo del Inka.

I get that the OP is a little creeped out by the security camera photos, but that's just the world we live in today. I always assume I'm on camera in public.

yrs

I do not recall having my picture taken by the staff, nor having sent them a picture myself.
The attention and eagerness to please is enjoyable. But I have seen this only in Asian properties.

MSPeconomist

newbiztraveler

I don't know if it is my imagination, but at one hotel I frequent (in the US), the front desk staff have been greeting me by name, before I even say a word - including staff that I've never seen before. I don't know what's going on, but it is somewhat creepy.

C17PSGR

I don't usually have this in the US but I was once checking into a Marriott in London with a GF. Within a minute of so of me starting to check in, the Assistant GM came out of her office, came over to greet me by name and to welcome me back to the hotel, and to tell me that they had upgraded us to a great suite. Unfortunately, the GF was not amused and wanted to know how I knew the the Assistant GM ...