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Do worse by showing a loyalty card?


WillTravel
By WillTravel,
in

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I've read a lot of reviews where people have shown their various program cards (Hilton, Starwood, etc.) when they have a Priceline or Hotwire stay. In some cases, everything works well and they get points for their stay.

In other instances, it seems to lead to a less-than-pleasant interaction with the desk staff.

I wonder if in some cases, if you show your card, will the desk staff perhaps treat you worse, or give you a worse room, than they would otherwise just to make a point that Priceline or Hotwire stays do not qualify? Does it make a difference if you have a zero balance on your card otherwise?

Any anecdotes either way would be welcome.

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I presented my Starwood card at a recent Hotwire stay at the Seattle Sheraton Hotel & Towers. Although I did not get points on the room, I earned points on my phone calls and parking. I don't know if it had to do with the card, or politely asking for a higher-floor room, but they assigned me a great water-view room just under the concierge level which was very nice.

Although Kimpton doesn't have a card to present, I had tried to have my loyalty-program 'information' attached to my reservation. I was told they were unable to add it, or alter any of the reservations made through Hotwire. In this case, I faxed a letter to the concierge with my reservation# and asked that my preferences be honoured. Of course it was delicately worded, but I believe with the expected service standards of 4* plus hotels, you should still be able to get the royal treatment (as a return guest or loyalty program member) when booking through Hotwire or Priceline.

I also was given a better room at the Hilton Seattle -- I thought the place was disgusting, but never-the-less I believe they assigned me a premium room. The staff at the front desk were very professional and courteous.

Bottom line, it doesn't matter how much I pay for my room, or who I book it through -- I never expect them to automatically give me a great room. I politely ask for my preference and give them an 'out' (something like "if occupancy permits").

No bad experiences yet. I'm a little worried about how it might be in Europe though, I've only booked Hotwire for US properties.

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Did you have some points or status on those cards beforehand? It sounds like you had good results.

For my upcoming European trip, my second main concern is getting a nonsmoking room (I already know there's some chance this might not happen, of course, particularly in Europe). I've gotten the twin beds issue nailed down, but I didn't want to push my luck by asking for a nonsmoking room in the same email. The Holiday Inn Ariel did respond that the room had been booked as a nonsmoking twin. For other hotels, I have signed up for a Starwood card (for the Westin Grand in Berlin) and a Le Meridien card (for the Le Meridien Montparnasse in Paris), but I have no points on them. I'm guessing my best best for a nonsmoking room is to be as polite and charming as possible and hope for the best. I'm also wondering if a no-points card would result in worse service than no card at all.

Particularly at Hilton hotels, judging from various reviews I have read, the staff can get huffy when someone tries to present a card for a Priceline stay. Also judging from reviews, sometimes people who presented the card seemed to get worse service than others who did not (although there could be many other factors). Of course I'm only reading one side of the story, but that is what made me nervous in particular.

You're right, though - there should be an expectation of excellent service at the 4* level.

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I did have points on Starwood (though I don't have any type of elite status with them) and had stayed previously with Kimpton group hotels. However, Kimpton doesn't assign you a number or card, so there is nothing to present. Based on your name, location and other info they keep track of their repeat guests.

I had just signed up with the Hilton loyalty program and did not have any previous stays recorded. I didn't have any problems with the service but I though the property was well below their usual standard.

I always ask for EVERYTHING I want in one sentence, such as "I would be very grateful if I could have a non-smoking King room facing the water if occupancy permits." Then it doesn't really sound like you're asking for all that much! I try to enlist their help and co-operation and THEN hope for the best. If I feel the concierge has done a wonderful job then usually I'll leave a thank-you card and a tip for him/her tucked inside. This may sound awful, but I don't tip when service meets expectations -- only when it exceeds expectations (except in the case of bellmen and valets, etc.)

I don't ask for room upgrades or suites, but will ask for things I already know are in the better rooms or suites (such as a deep bathtub or high floor). The best perks I have received (when celebrating a special occasion) were a Suite, with chocolates and a fruit platter delivered after my arrival. I almost felt guilty, because I was already paying so little for my room. The worse I ever got, was the feeling that no one had made any effort to honour my requests and was assigned a fairly standard room (albeit a room in a fairly plush 4 1/2* hotel). I don't think I was purposely ignored, or it had to do with my rate, just that the service was generally inept! :) Either way, I don't think my request, or presenting a loyalty card when checking in with a Hotwire rate has been to my detriment -- I just don't expect to earn points on those stays.

I'm not sure who tends to the e-mails for most hotels, but I always send a fax about 3 days ahead. Not too far ahead so it gets lost, but just close enough so it's about the time they start looking at their occupancy rates and room assignments. I also (naively) envision my hard-copy fax getting into the hands of someone in the office who personally delivers it to the eager concierge!

Have a wonderful trip and let me know if any of your requests were honoured. Thank you for sharing all your wisdom with everyone on the boards -- many of your posts have been very helpful to me.

Cheers.

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Also received this reply from Amerisuites.

As a Prime Rewards member, you are certainly entitled to free local phone calls each time you stay, no matter how your reservations are made. I have spoken to the General Manager and he assured me that any local calls that you make while staying will be deducted from your final bill upon checking out. I apologize for the inconvenience this matter has caused you.

We regret that since your reservations at the AmeriSuites Dulles/Chantilly were made via priceline.com, we are unable to give you Prime Rewards points or miles for your stay and hope that you make future reservations using www.amerisuites.com, www.welleslseyonline.com or www.primehotelsandresorts.com to receive full benefits each time you stay.

If you have any questions concerning Prime Rewards benefits, please don't hesitate to contact me.

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I always add my frequent guest number by phone in advance of the stay. And since some folks will get confused I always add "so that I can earn points for incidental charges."

That way my number is there, my status is there. I don't need to flaunt it.

And then I make requests of the hotel as though I had booked through any other channel, whether it's for a specific room or room type or even an upgrade.

I have never been treated poorly on a Priceline stay. And Hilton has always given me my free breakfast. :)

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Different chains apply rewards differently. The best example was my Marriott Rewards program last year. They were running a Rewards promo offering a free weekend stay with 10 stays purchased through the year. I was able to apply 4 Hotwire stays to get to the 10 stay level (2 stays @ Fairfield, 1 @Residence & 1 @Townplace Suites). Priority club (through Holiday Inn) just gives you incidental points plus using any Priority Club amenities. Starwood has changed, but I had a co-worker get to the "Gold" level by staying at a Sheraton through Hotwire.

As far as using the Travel Programs to resolve problems thru a Hotwire stay, I have not had much issue to do so (yet). I have always called the hotel imediately after a booking to give them my travel program info and to confirm or switch the room type (non smoking, king or doubles, off main floor) before showing up. One of the great tools after finding this site is now I can call a specific hotel before booking and know if certain room types are really available. The biggest issues for me when booking a room is to get: 1) Non-smoking 2)off the main floor 3)a room without adjoing doors (to your neighbor's room) and 4)2 double beds if traveling with kids.

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  • 3 months later...

Anybody have experience with Hyatt's Gold Passport program on Priceline stays? I'll be staying at a couple Hyatts in the near future and was trying to decide whether or not it would even be worth trying to present the Gold Passport card I signed up for after my first Priceline Hyatt win. As per their "terms and conditions," I understand that I am not eligible for points from the room rates I obtained on Priceline ("You will not receive Gold Passport points for discounted rates, including, but not limited to, Internet wholesale rates [such as priceline.com, Hotels.com, etc.], airline crew rates, airline employee rates, or net rates and travel agency employee rates"), but I'm not completely clear as to whether or not I am entitled to: #1 points for any incidental charges I may accrue, or #2 (and potentially more important to me) a room on the Gold Passport Floor. The points for incidentals don't really mean much to me, as I don't think I could pile up enough points in my lifetime to earn any rewards, but I am intrigued by the whole Gold Passport floor thing. Does anyone have any knowledge or reason to believe that rooms on Gold Passport floors are noticeably different from all the other ones? The website for the Hyatt Regency St. Louis mentions that rooms on Gold Passport floors include such additional features as candy dishes, daily newspaper delivery, and a coffee maker (ooOo) ! Other than that, I haven't found any information about what the typical difference is between a room on a GP floor and a room on any other floor. Most Hyatt websites just mention the existence of Gold Passport rooms but don't say anything about what's different about them.

Figuring I had nothing to lose, I did call the Hyatt St. Louis and ask if they would input my Gold Passport number into my reservation, and the woman told me that since it was a Priceline reservation, I would not be entitled to any points. I said I knew that I wouldn't be entitled to any points, but I was wondering if I could still get a room on a Gold Passport floor. She told me to inquire at the time of check-in, and she never did input the number.

Well, any feedback anyone has would be appreciated...

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Are you Diamond?I always call Hyatt customer service and ask them to add my GP # so I can get credit for incidentals and theres never been a problem.Then I use 1800-check-in and ask for club floor.If they don"t give it to you,don"t check-in and try again at the front desk.

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With Hyatt, how your priceline or hotwire reservation gets treated seems to depend on the individual hotel, but the overall experience seems to be much better than the Hilton chains.

With Hyatt or anyone else, I would suggest calling the local hotel after you purchase the room. Don't bother with their 800 numbers.

When I call, I always say something like, "Hi, my name is John Doe, and I have a prepaid reservation for June 29. I just wanted to request that my Hyatt Gold Passport number be added to the reservation, and that, if possible, I could be reserved in a nonsmoking upper floor king room." My most recent Hyatt experience was with the downtown Phoenix Regency (3*), and they were super-nice. No mention of Priceline (saying that your reservation is prepaid can pre-empt such mentions) AND they already had my Gold Passport number attached to the reservation. I believe that their computers periodically scan their reservation logs to match names/addresses to the Gold Passport database.

When I arrived at the hotel, I greeted the front desk representative, gave my name, and reiterated that I had a "prepaid" reservation. I also asked how late the restaurants were to remain open that evening --which I really wanted to know, but which also signals that you're likely to spend some $$ in the hotel besides your lowball Priceline room rate... Nothing but smiles from the staff. And I got a great room, upper floor, facing east. Got my newspaper in the morning. Even got points for the stay.

So Hyatt gets the big thumbs up. Class act all the way.

Hiltons vary widely. On the same trip, the Hilton Sedona gave me the HHonors benefits and credited one night's stay to my account, but no points/miles. The Doubletree Tucson didn't accept my HHonors number at all, and gave a very slight whiff of attitude upon checkout.

Bottom line: Call your number in and make your requests politely, via the phone, before you check in. I believe it can only help.

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Priceline stays don"t have a very good chance of being upgraded to club floor.A lot of hotels don"t even like to give diamonds their benefits for PL stays,without a fight.

Not true at least based on my experience. I have always received the Diamond benefits even if the reservation was done through Priceline. The key is to call 1-800 check in and let them to put your Goldpassport number to the reservation when they check you in to the hotel. You can earn Goldpassport points for the incidentals but better deal is to get airline miles if the rate is prepaid. You do not get the additional hotel bonuses but do get the general bonuses like 10 000 points for 3 stays.

Priceline reservations DO qualify for the FFN promotion as well, although maybe not officially. Just make sure that you have your Goldpassport number on your folio and some charges. My usual folio charge is 411 call ($1.50). Sometimes I have to DEMAND that the frnot desk would NOT remove any charges.

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Holt2ju is exactly correct. I always recieve Diamond treatment at Hyatt with Priceline stays. Remember to give a Mastercard upon check in for credit in the Faster Free Night promotion. Most incidentals charged to the room will qualify. Getting a free night for every two stays is the best deal around. Hyatt is the best for these promotions.

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Im going to add my two cents. I am Hilton Gold( thanks to this board, I took advantage of some promotion) and even when I was Blue, I always was upgraded. Now being Gold I get free breakfast. I honestly havent used the gold status on a priceline stay yet though.

I have regular Spg status( prefered) with Starwood and I have an upcoming stay in Montreal booked directly thru the website taking advantage of a 50% off special 129$ CAD for Civic Weekend.

I decided to use my persuasion skills and a bit of chutzpah to get free breakfast. I talked to reservations manager and let her know I could stay at the Hilton for the same price and get free breakfast. She wouldnt budge so I called SPG customer service asked for a free breakfast and the woman gave me GOLD STATUS UNTIL FEB 28 2006. Whoooo Hooooo.

Happy Travelling, Randi
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My last PL stay at San Diego Manchester Grand,I had to ask for a manager because at check-in the desk clerk refused to give me club access,saying it was full.The clerk returned and granted me access.

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  • 4 weeks later...

I had a PL stay at the Hilton New York in June. They were extremely nice and very efficient, checking us in on a neat wireless tablet pc right in the lobby. We tried to use the auto-checkin kiosk, without success, but immediately a staff guy saw us, come over with the tablet, checked us in and gave us the key, we never even made it to the front desk. He even gave us a choice of rooms.

Now for the downside. They WOULD NOT take my Honors number for incidentals, even the ridiculous $40/night parking fee. He was very nice about it however, so I wasn't too bothered. We had a nice stay at a good rate.

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  • 2 months later...

I had a strange experience. I had a stack of what I thought was junk mail to go through, including one from Le Meridien (the corporate entity). I had signed up for a Moments card a while back, but I did not present it when I stayed at the Le Meridien Montparnasse in Paris this summer. Imagine my shock to look at this mail and see that they credited my stay with some Moments points (I think 399, but I'd have to check). I don't have any idea if that is very many or not, but it was the last thing I expected. I don't even know how they knew my number, unless they searched for the customer name and entered the number automatically. The web site says that heavily discounted stays aren't eligible for points, so I didn't even try.

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  • 1 month later...

you can't receive points unless "you" actually pay the hotel, this is true for all stays at hotels not just hw and pl. i believe all companies though will credit you points towards your incidentals that you incur during your stay, such as food, parking, movies and the like. you are also eligible to be upgraded based upon your status with the points program...just remember that you can't get points on it. these policies are not hotel specific, but rather company specific. one hyatt won't give you different treatment than another, if they do than you need to speak with a manager familiar with the rules. same as one hilton to another, or one westin to another.

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I just received 1000 gold points as a result of a recent stay at a Raddisson in Saddle Brook, NJ; the room was booked through Hotwire. I have also received an email from Hilton stating that I would receive Hilton HHonors points "as a courtesy" for a recent stay at the Hasbrouck Heights Hilton booked through Hotwire. The note also went on to say that they are only giving points with stays booked on Hiltons web site or using the 800 number.

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