DCF

You book a room for 21 hours from 1500-1200.

For every hour after 1500 that you get the room, you should get a 5% discount, surely?

ZenWorld

While sometimes hotel mis-manages their inventory and screw things up, and in OP's case, an astonishing 3 rooms in a row, but I think the biggest problem here is in OP's opinion, the hotel does not even think that it is a problem when the hotel fails to deliver any of the 3 rooms on time. Not just that, they will fail to deliver any of them in the next 3 hrs.

I think OP should name the property, as it is one thing to fail to deliver (3 pm * 3 rooms), it is another thing for the hotel to fail to recover.

Did OP receive any apology or gesture from the hotel? Or is it swept under the carpets? Does the hotel think that as long as you get the room before 2359, the hotel has delivered, regardless of 3pm check-in policy? From the hotel's actions, it seems that their aim is to provide a room before the next day.

If the hotel has not offer any recovery till date, I think OP should state the hotel, and perhaps the Lurkers can assist.

I believe if the hotel does have a vacant lower category room (like what OP has mentioned), then OP should be offered the lower category room first before being moved to the booked category when cleaned. And for the inconvenience caused, OP should further receive a small gesture from the hotel. Since it is 3 rooms, then perhaps every room should receive a small gesture. It can be token points, small gift, whatever. Something very simple can go a long way to soothe things. OP is probably upset as the hotel does not even think it is a problem, much less any form of recovery.

TimesTwo

Okay I've been very busy with a client this week and traveling but I've got a minute to update.

Some posters are right that the biggest part of the problem in my mind is that no one seemed to think it was an issue. The hotel staff didn't, the platinum concierge didn't, and the person I spoke with again at the hotel (manager on duty, I think?) didn't. When I said that I didn't find it appropriate that I was being told 6:30 at the earliest, the manager literally - literally - shrugged and said people often don't get into their rooms until 7. It was at that point I started questioning my own sanity or if I had somehow unexpectedly turned into a diva by being frustrated. I asked for some starpoints for the trouble and the manager said okay but didn't say how many.

I tried to catch the GM but he wasn't in and I had to leave for the airport. Because I was holding meetings at the hotel (and do every year), I spoke with sales and catering person who was the first to be on my side and she said she'd look into it. When I couldn't catch the GM, I sent the salesperson an email telling her I was leaving and thanking her for looking into it for me. She was on vacation (I got her OoO) but I got an email from the sales and catering manager apologizing and saying she would look into it while the salesperson was away.

Just got an email back saying that she asked and they awarded me 2500 points. 2500 points for a 5:00 check-in and downgraded rooms. That made me laugh. So the plot thickens...

RichMSN

And you *still* haven't named the property.

RogerD408

Yes, OP should name the property. Possible benefits are:

1) others can confirm if this is SOP for the property
2) someone may have contacts with the property to get more visibility
3) others will be informed/prepared for future stays

Also, OP may find engaging the Lurkers to be helpful too.

miloworld

Give him some space, maybe OP wants to know the story behind the incident before spilling the name.

Miami305

Why?

If this is out of the ordinary and a true oversight, other FT-ers will happily chime in to say this is a one off.

If this is SOP, then other FT-ers will let us know too.

I still don't see the cost incurred of naming the property?

nineworldseries

Yes, I'd like to know. If this is the kind of crap pulled on elite guests at Starwood, then I'll just avoid the entire brand. I can tell you that this has never happened to me at a Hyatt (it actually has at a Marriott property, but we were upgraded as golds to an oceanfront suite, so I didn't really complain).

kasi

I can tell you that this neither happened to me at any starwood property.

nineworldseries

Good, so this may be an outlier, which still means OP should name the property so it can be avoided.

jdmsilver

I managed properties for 10 years, all front of house operations, and issues like this would come up often on Fridays and Saturdays as business guests would be departing late while leisure guests were coming in early (for a hotel, early is 3pm, most guests arrive after 5pm). First we need to take into account the uncontrollable variables here, most important being that some states do not allow the eviction of a guest unless there is an inability to pay. So if a guest wants to stay in a room longer, hotel staff cannot force him to leave unless he is failing to uphold his end of the agreement. Basically he needs to have sufficient credit with the hotel and not be breaking any rules. If the story the manager told you is correct, this is likely the issue they were faced with.

The issue here though is the lack of thinking on the part of the staff of the hotel. Even if the fd agent is an idiot, a manager or supervisor should have thought to get you into a room, regardless of type. I have put guests into rooms plenty of times when issues with their specific roomtype not being available at check-in, with the promise that once their room is ready I will move them. Once moved I get housekeeping to redo that room and it's ready to be sold again.

This is not an issue with check-in time, it's an issue of service, and they blew it. Unfortunately this would have been a pretty simple situation to manage, but it sounds like the manager got upset that you were upset and decided to show you who is "boss." We'll see how that works out for them.

ZenWorld

I think OP should name the property, and update us if the Hotel followed up with any form of recovery, and how they view the incident after OP's feedback.

If the recovery is poor and the hotel does not really care about its service delivery, we could see if other FTers chip in with similar experiences or have a vastly different one altogether.

Should there be a consistent pattern of poor service delivery, we could vote with our wallets.

Miami305

The OP has consistently refused to name the property and has not followed up with more of an explanation.

This reminds me of the time my daughter told me that someone ate all the cookies before I got home and that they should be punished, but refused to tell me who it was.

I wonder if the events happened the way they were described...

craz

Or maybe the OP feels if they out the Hotel, then any proper compensation will be a no deal. Since saying if I dont get X I will blast it all over the internet wont be leverage for the OP

Miami305

You're essentially describing blackmail.