Guaranteed hotel room availability
 

Most hotel program top tier elites are offered the benefit of guaranteed room availability (subject to some time and blackout constraints). Is there a way to buy such a benefit (e.g., credit card benefit, club membership)?

TIA

There are travel agents that work with very high retainers (10k+) that are able to book most chains even if rooms are sold out. There was an article in Conde Nast about a year back which listed a bunch of them.

Even for the top elites in the programs it's not foolproof, the hotel can still refuse a reservation if they want. Each program calls it something different, but in times of high demands they may not free one up.

I've always wondered how such guarantees work. Does anyone know? I mean, do hotels walk people in order to honor the guarantee?

If everyone shows up, yes they do.

If they have to, they will, but most programs have some time window you have to make the reservation before, even if it's 24 hours they can make acceptable arrangements for the people they don't have rooms for.

won't one get last rom availability if the rate you're quoted includes that guarantee? for the corporate rates agreed by my company with the hotels, some of the room rates do offer last room available, while the other rate is only for standard rooms. anf if the standard room is not available, the rate increases of course!

At Marriott anyway, the deal is you pay rack rate and get what they give you. And they do have wiggle room "if there's an event in town". Isn't there always?

There isn't always wiggle room. In my past hotel career, I have had to refuse elites because I was truly in a hole... like negative 25 rooms... or more. The hotel always has the discretion to say no. I'd rather pay a minimal penalty to corporate than refund a night for a walked guest + pay for their room elsewhere.

But I'm not in the hotel business anymore, so what do I care :D