mntblue

I can certainly understand when people travel with their family or spouse, a bigger room or suite would be nice. But if you are by yourself out-of-town. Is the room upgrade really that important? I personally found occupying a two story penthouse alone can be quite a lonely experience.



[This message has been edited by mntblue (edited 02-19-2000).]

thepla

I agree with the size of the room, but it is nice to get an upgrade to club level.

doc

Absolutely agree, just the club floor and a quick coffee, cont breakfast & newspapers are what I'm after!

Traveler113

Can't disagree more!! I love a suite upgrade, which I most recently enjoyed at the Baltimore Inner Harbor. It's nice to have a comfortable place to have room service or a nice sofa for watching TV. It's not a common occurance to get the upgrade, but it sure is a nice surprise when it happens.

You can always turn it down if it's offered..

stimpy

At some hotels, an upgrade means a two-line phone which is very helpful for us folks who stay on-line a lot and need to phone people.

QuietLion

I just adore a penthouse view.

RichG

QuietLion: Easy for you to say now, from the Green Acres of Seattle, but you're about to move to a (slightly) reclaimed desert.

On to the subject at hand: I find that staying in a suite makes my checkout time interminable. I'm generally paranoid about leaving things behind in hotels, but from time to time do so anyway, with the loss list over the past 10 years including shirts, trousers, sweaters, alarm clocks and cell phone batteries, some of which were eventually recovered, and some not. My checkout technique is to keep moving stuff closer and closer to the door until done, with checked areas of the room considered "sanitized" and not returned to. (Obviously from the above, this technique doesn't always work!)

In a suite, a rigorous application of this checkout technique can take well over an hour, especially at the end of a stay more than 2 days in duration.

[This message has been edited by RichG (edited 02-20-2000).]

Eastbay1K

Invariably, I get the nicest rooms when I am travelling alone. And although some have been "a waste", it is nice to be able to watch TV from a couch, sit at a real table to eat, and do whatever else one does at a "real table", have breakfast in a room that isn't going to make my bedroom smell like stale omelette hours later, and so on.

Steffo

I definitely like to get a suite, even when alone. It's true that I care more when I have family along, especially my 7 year old who is at least as upgrade conscious as I am. He was in rare form on a recent Hilton stay, checking with the front desk clerk if we could have an upgrade, loading up at the buffet, cruising the halls with his bathrobe dragging on the floor and insisting on drinking coffee with me when he went out to get my coffee in the morning.

But even alone I like the suites, although when I'm checking in at midnight and out at 6 or 7 as I often do, I really don't care. i just want there to be bottled water in the room, and I want to know I COULD have a suite if I cared! On long stays, I find I am more rested and more able to work in my room if I have a nice work space and 2 line phones are a HUGE plus.

mauifirstclass

I am Platinum and condier an AUTOMATIC UPGRADE TO A CLUB LEVEL SUITE ESSENTIAL.

Boomer

I'm Platinum and I consider Oxygen and Water to be essential. Most everything else is far
from essential.

Hotel location is far more important to me, when I travel, than a room upgrade.

Of course, I've yet to turn one down

IsleTraveller

If I am travelling on business and have to work in my room after hours, an upgrade with a work area is always appreciated. When my nights are my own, being able to sit on a sofa, not a bed or an uncomfortable chair) to watch tv is always appreciated.... hhmmmm seems like I will always appreciate an upgrade!

Jamester

Since my hotel room activities are usually limited to hang my coat, shower, shave, TV, and sleep, I often find it a waste to be upgraded by yourself. This is perhaps because when you work all the grueling hours at the client's site, you rarely have time to spend oggling around in your room.

I think the guideline is as follows (according to my married co-workers): when a girlfriend/companion is travelling with you, you want something impressive to show that you're being pampered everytime you travel. (i.e. an upgrade, a champagne bottle waiting for you, etc.) But when a spouse or the little lady is involved, you MAY not want an upgrade because they would get jealous of your high-flyin' hotel-stayin' lifestyle and future travel may come at your 'guilt' (aka brownie points) expense. :P

But as for me, if I can get in to the concierge level for a continental breakfast then I'm usually happy.

wsboth

I love it when I get up get upgraded when I travel. I don't ever expect to of Demand to be upgraded and I don't usualy have to ask, they just usually do it for me. If I don't get it, so what, I understand that sometimes a hotel is full. If it looks like I might not get an upgrade I just ask just to see if I can talk them into it, it yes if not
as long as I am safe and the room is clean and comfortable I am happy.

[This message has been edited by wsboth (edited 02-22-2000).]

Boomer

Jamester:

Let me get this straight:

Your married co-workers sometimes check into
hotels with their girlfriends/companion?

And if the wife is traveling they don't want upgrades because what? The wife will get impressed and want to travel with them, meaning the girlfriend can't go?

You aren't a member of Congress are you?