Do Hotel Managers Read Postings?

[Rhine-and-Roses]

I am just a little curious as to whether hotels read the postings here. I know they do at TripAdvisor. I am curious because of the postings where people mention they believe they had substandard treatment at a hotel because they used Priceline or Hotwire. I have had only one mention of "Priceline" at one check in. It was not a friendly mention- it was this tone, although not these exact words "You'll take what we give you. You booked on Priceline." after I quite politely asked for a non-smoking room. No other request. So I have not had a series of bad experiences, but I do want to share my thoughts.

If you do read these, hotel managers, I use Priceline and Hotwire to book my (fairly frequent) pleasure travel. I have been able to largely figure out which hotels I'll get using the information on this board. If I see problems with a hotel that is frequently the "winning" bid, I will simply NOT use Priceline/Hotwire and book somewhere else, usually using my AAA or other discount. Or I return home without extending my trip.

It is in your interest, hotel managers, to have your staff treat all the customers with respect. It is also in your interest to put all customers in the best rooms you have available. I don't mean everyone deserves immediate upgrades, or you should give out suites. But if your hotel is nearly vacant and you have guests, PL/HW or whatever, you want to make sure they have the best experience possible. Those experiences are shared in online forums, and through word of mouth. Shoving customers into loud rooms by the elevator, or in rooms that are smaller than most, have oddities about them, or are generally a lower standard than the rest of your rooms (when you have other rooms available) is only assuring you'll have unhappy customers who won't want to return, and who will post their bad experiences.

I travel close to 100 days per year. I often extend my business trips for pleasure, using PL or HW. Unless at a convention type meeting, I ALWAYS have the choice of hotels when on businesss. Because of good experiences at Priceline-booked Marriott Park Lane, and Vienna Imperial Riding School last year, I switched from one large corporate chain to the Marriott when the Marriott was in the market I needed. Again specifically thanks to good experiences while on leisure travel. (And it wasn't hard to open a new rewards account.)

[tweev]

Although it hasn't happened the mention of "priceline' at my checkin wouldn't bother me at all. I don't think that anyone is doing me any kind of favour by giving me a room I booked on Priceline. There is no way that I'm putting the hotel out either. They are making money on room that would otherwise be empty. It would be similar to looking down on someone stayin in a regular room rather than a suite.

I've gotten burned using pricline before. I booked three days in downtown manhatten and had to give them up due to a death in the family. Therefore, the hotel got >$400 for doing nothing. Sucked for me but great for the hotel.

I've always gotten great rooms through priceline. I usually book on location and just use the room to sleep anyway so perhaps I just haven't noticed.

T

[AaronJB]

I think there's been a few hotel employees on this site who have made it known that they did work in the industry, and there's probably more than a few on the site who are in the industry and who haven't made it known.