arlflyer

I originally read this too quickly; thought you were advising OP to sleep in the lobby.


Yeah, standard tough guy talk on the Internet; in real life sounds like a good way to end up getting Dr. Dao'ed.

Uncle Nonny

Actually, it's 10,000 attendees plus about 2000 people in support. I've worked Dreamforce, no doubt a monster. And AAOS as well, 40,000 out of towners. Regardless, this is a classic FT example of a bunch of good advice being offered after the fact. Reading through threads on here can be a grueling process. Sleeping in one's car would be the absolute last option.

pinniped

I've been in SF during that Oracle conference. Last-minute trip, I had to stay in a crap hotel in Oakland. I've seen lots of cases where desirable hotels in the parts of San Francisco that you actually want to stay in are 100% sold out. I've looked across all brands, even ones where I hold no status, and found nothing. It's depressing when you have to go back to your original search and change "San Francisco" to "Oakland" and sift through the Econolodges and Super 8's trying to figure out which one looks least awful for your $300 per night.

But I'm 100% certain that some hotel room was available within 60 miles of that Marriott on the night the OP slept in his car. It sounds to me that the FDC just didn't care. Maybe did a cursory search for Marriotts. Maybe not. Something was available.

Kacee

I guess it depends on what we mean by "sells out." If we're talking about non-chain motels, you can probably find a room somewhere. But if we're talking about the major chains, Oakland totally sells out for Dreamforce. Heck, Walnut Creek, San Ramon, and Pleasanton sell out.

MSPeconomist

SkiAdcock

That's my take on it. If the OP needed a room, any room, my money's on something was available. Sure it might not be Hilton/Marriott/IHG but it also could have been the difference between sleeping in a real bed & sleeping in a car. Sometimes points aren't worth it.

Cheers.

dulciusexasperis

I think some people do not have very high English comprehension skills. Either that or the OP does not have very good English composition skills.

As I read the OP, the booking was made on the Marriott website, not directly with the hotel. So the hotel did not confirm a booking, Marriott did. There is a difference.

The hotel did not 'walk' the OP, the hotel stated that Marriott reservations had a problem and it was up to them to solve it. If that is indeed what happened, I am in agreement with the hotel, they had no responsibility for the problem, they had no reservation!

The OP called Marriott Customer Service who then spoke to the FDA. I see no indication in the OP that Marriott CS made any attempt to find another hotel. I see no indication that the OP made any attempt to find another hotel. It appears both simply accepted the FDA's comment re '60 miles' as if it were a fact.

I think the OP most definitely has a bone to pick with Marriott, but not with the hotel directly.

As for sleeping in the car, obviously not every hotel room in 60 miles was full, that statement is simply beyond belief. The OP 'made his bed and has to lie in it' seems quite appropriate. No one is responsible for that other than the OP and no compensation from anyone for that decision is due. But Marriott is definitely responsible for confirming a reservation for a room that was not available in the hotel.

SkiAdcock

Nice summary.

CJKatl

If the OP had a valid reservation (confirmation number) then whether it was made online or with the hotel is irrelevant. If the hotel is a Marriott property making the reservation through the Marriott reservation system not only should it be honored but if you call the hotel directly to make a reservation IME they will connect you to the Marriott system and not take the reservation themselves.

When I had a very similar situation at a Hilton property, both the Hilton people and the hotel made it clear that the hotel was not supposed to take reservations and should have honored mine, made through the Hilton system, and not the ones that were taken by the FD clerk who was taking them over the phone despite having been told not to do this. My understanding is she was fired over the incident. The hotel manager confirmed reservations made online should be honored in his TA response, too.

arlflyer

Wow, this is a pretty new level of victim-blaming and apologism, even for FT. How do you make your reservations, in-person and with a notary present?

SkiAdcock

I think his point was that if the Marriott online system was having problems then Marriott was to blame rather than the hotel, although the hotel got stuck w/ it & didn't necessarily handle it well. So Marriott is to blame in that respect. Could the hotel have done more to help? Absolutely. Does that absolve the OP of doing his own due diligence in determining if there was any hotel - not just a chain one - absolutely not. Speaking only for myself, if it came to sleeping in my car vs. staying at a non-chain or budget hotel, I would have taken the non-chain/budget hotel & would have been online looking for an alternative vs. just taking the FDC's word.

Cheers.

dulciusexasperis

Interesting beliefs CJKati.

It may surprise you to learn that I always make reservations directly with the hotels I stay in, including Marriotts and Hiltons. Are you aware that most of the hotels are franchises, not directly owned by Marriott or Hilton etc.? Did you note that the OP wrote that the hotel blamed the Marriott reservation system (meaning they were saying Marriott confirmed a reservation when in fact a room was not available) and Marriott blamed the hotel for 'not closing' their reservations.

Does that not indicate to you that both consider themselves to be separate entities? Does it not also indicate to you that both do make reservations and that the Central Reservation system can and does sometimes make a reservation when in fact no room is actually available? Does it not also indicate to you that the best chance of getting a reservation for an actually available room would therefore be through the hotel directly?

You may believe that it should make no difference who the reservation is made through but in fact, that dog won't hunt.

dulciusexasperis

I don't see where I did any 'victim blaming' arlflyer. I simply pointed out that the OP chose to not insist that Marriott Customer Service pursue finding a room elsewhere, having confirmed a reservation. That was the OP's choice. It was then also the OP's choice to accept the statement that there 'was no room within 60 miles'. Would you have accepted that statement? I certainly would not have. I would have insisted that Marriott Customer Service find me a room somewhere and pay for it. I certainly would not have chosen to sleep in my car as the OP chose to do.

Yes, I make my reservations in person arlflyer, by phone, directly with the hotels I stay in and get a confirmation number from the hotel directly. That way, it is not possible for anyone to try and put the blame on someone else as happened to the OP. The 'It's the hotel's fault, it's Marriott's fault, it's the hotel's fault, it's Marriott's fault' merry-go-round does not exist for anyone to play. Any dispute is then between the hotel and myself.

pooker

Wow, you guys are an interesting group, especially Dulcius & SkiAdcock.

I am not mad in the least bit. I am in my 20's; Not the first or last time I will sleep in my car, I am sure. I only posted this thread because I was curious who was responsible for the Platinum Guarantee

I also posted this because I thought you guys might be interested.

I spent over 100K USD this year on flights & hotels & have very little time to be my own travel consultant; I like the chains because they are generally consistent.

For those of you who asked why I did not push harder - I know Front Desk Agent's do not make that much & I felt like she wasn't going to do much else. I don't argue with people - I have on the other hand sued large Corporations for not abiding by their promises, but that is few & far between.

Doesn't bother me to be walked, I just heard there was a compensation for it & was curious about it & if it applied to me.

Sorry if my English composition is not good enough

You can bash me all you want - could care less - don't be stressed on a forum it causes wrinkles

Anyways, me and the GF are going to plan our Maldives Trip again - maybe I will work on my spelling if I have time. cheers :P

catocony

Most of the time, if you directly call a hotel for a reservation, they will transfer you to Marriott Customer Service. Some full-service hotels still have staff to do it, but a Coutyard and below do not. Regardless, if it was made on-line, through customer service, or directly with a hotel, if you have a confirmation number, it's a Marriott problem. In the OP's case, Marriott didn't do much, if anything, to rectify the problem when it mattered most.

Don't blame the OP for using Marriott's preferred method of booking a room. The franchisees and the management company do everything they can to get customers to do their bookings on-line. It's 2018, not 1998.