I actually was referring to being disturbed in general (not to mention getting fewer upgrades), because of significant events not disclosed, as I mentioned in my original posting.

The most likely explanation is that you're staying for multiple nights and the Presidential Suite (or any other "special" rooms) weren't available for the length of your stay.

Again "impacting" is very subject and the variables are constantly changing - hopefully you can understand how difficult it would be to provide you with any meaningful information

....


Read between the lines :)

Just out of curiosity....Had you gotten that presidential suite...Would you have used that 2nd bedroom, 2nd bath or the conference table? Perhaps I just don't see the draw of getting these types of upgrades when I travel for business but I find the quality of the c-lounge and distance to the client site a higher priority than having a 2nd bed that I can put my backpack on.

Now...If this was a vacation or some kind of an important trip where I would definitely benefit from having a presidential suite perhaps I would call the hotel and talk to the GM about getting it. But those occasions are far and few in between.

And yes...I've turned down those types of upgrades because I didn't need it.

Gold and Platinum have the same Upgrade benefits and are "Based on room availability at check-in". If he checked in before you and it was available, they gave it to him. When you checked in, it wasn't, so they didn't. I don't see anything about "priority, pre-arrival reserved upgrades for PLT over GLD" in the program T&C.

Requesting something in your reservation doesn't mean much. I'm sure you know that suites aren't included in the program anyway, so you weren't entitled to one.

You will have to be very, very diplomatic to avoid that. You're calling them liars, and asking why you didn't get something that you aren't entitled to. Is it worth the hit at a property you frequent regularly?

Maybe he was more profitable for the hotel than you are or more likely to bring in more business.

I'll Probaly Regret This
 

Since I still have a couple of good-friend assistant managers (one Hyatt and one Marriott) from my 200-night plus in same hotel days (I was one of the ten most-frequent guests at one hotel one year and the other two years later), and there are two similar threads going, I'll relay their past thoughts, which seem relevant. Even though this is the calmer thread, I'll put on my crash helmet and kevlar underpants first, and probably still regret mentioning it.

They both would just start spitting in a hurry when I tried to make conversation about upgrades. I apologized and told them I just loved my room assignment, and when they calmed down they explained themselves. As noted above by several persons, there are many variables that go into a comp upgrade, and "availability showing online" isn't the top one.

First, especially at Marriott but also true at Hyatt, the suites are just not promised as an upgrade in the program. Your odds of getting any upgrade and especially a suite go up the shorter your stay, the higher your recent night count, and especially the higher your recent night count at their property. Getting to be friends with the front-end staff does not hurt, but their point being if you got a good room that fit your profile you got what you paid for, and any upgrade was based on availability and not entitlement.

Second, both made the point they stopped upgrading at some critical level of remaining inventory. They had an expected level of walk-in sales of suites and club floor, and would not free-upgrade past that point. (The key word being "availability", which they did not interpret as "we have three left and they show online". Rather, they defined it as "still being above minimum reserve").

Related to this, you may be an elite, but then again they may be expecting a dozen more guests eliter than you, and the room you want is soft-blocked for them. It still shows available online and they will still sell it at full price, but not give it as a free upgrade. If it does sell to a full-revenue guest, a late-arriving elite, even a super-elite, and sometimes that was me, got stuck in an odd little room because that was all that was left. The flip side is a very late guest, even a non-elite guest, might get lucky if they never sold the last one and that was what there was left.

For the most part (and I realize its not everybody), elites as a group had a bad general reputation as complainers among the staff. They were not too keen on a first-time guest at that hotel demanding an upgrade at all even if an elite (as opposed to an advance request for a special occasion from a regular). For awhile, my Hyatt friend gave away her suites to the first however many Diamonds walked up just to get rid of the problem, but that got her in trouble when mega-Diamonds could not get one.

My best advice is if you stay there frequently figure out who is your front-end friend and speak to them every time, and who is tight and to be avoided. (All hotels have both). Don't complain unless you have a real issue (like no club access, or a room with a real problem). You may not get something this week, but in the long run calm repeat guests get repeat upgrades. (Taking a double when kings are tight wins friends and influences future happiness).

In the event a specific property is a continuing frustration, try another. Its not likely to change, so you should.

Putting myself in the shoes of the manager that you spoke to, I think you would be guaranteeing yourself worse treatment in the future.

If I were getting junior suites every week other than this one, I would consider myself pretty fortunate.

Also, if this property frequently upgrades you to junior suites, I'd let this one drop lest you look unappreciative. I suspect they must have a good reason, as opposed to the situation in the other thread.

Yep.

Then don't be.

entitlement is a very interesting subject. Those who feel entitled can justify it in about 1000 ways.

Okay so get this
 

When this all happened on Monday night, the MOD offered me a 1,000 points because of the trouble. Tonight when my team returned to the hotel at around 7pm, a co-worker's room had not been serviced by housekeeping. He called the front desk to inform them of such and they offered him 20,000 MR points and a free meal via room service or in the hotel restaurant, which he of course accepted! They sent housing right up as well. He later received a $25 gift card from Barnes and Noble with a note of apology from the Front Desk Manager. BTW, it was not the same manager on duty as Monday night and my co-worker has no status.

RIP...

My own quote from post 29 in this thread
The best part of my Marriott experience was with the brand and guest assurance.I had fair trust if something went wrong with my stay the company would step in if the hotel didn’t.

And that is why I still look up to Marriott despite the other concerns.
You still buy in reasonable trust ^
I just booked a Marriott Fairfield Airport Hotel after reading your post.
I am out of touch but how many points does that brand earn these days?

it does sound like a different manager was working - but it does sound as though that hotel does understand the meaning of empowerment