To Recognize or Not to Recognize
I am traveling the next few days and just checked into the Hyatt Regency Valencia for the night. Thanks to the very generous Hyatt Diamond Challenge, I am a Diamond member, which is the top level of the Gold Passport program.
Thanks to this hobby, I also have Club Carlson Gold, IHG Rewards Platinum, SPG Gold & Hilton Gold statuses. Basically, when I stay in a hotel, I normally have one kind of elite status or the other.
Should I Be Acknowledged
Tonight when I arrived at the hotel, the front desk agent never once thanked me for my loyalty or acknowledged my Diamond status at all.
I think the only reason this lack of acknowledgement really stood out was that it is so outside the norm from my other Hyatt experiences. Normally they go over the top to thank and acknowledge elites.
I have found that other chains like IHG barely recognize elite status on most occasions. This definitely varies from hotel to hotel and country to country, but each chain handles things slightly differently.
Not A Complaint. Just a Curiosity
Before I go any further, I do not want you to misunderstand what I am saying. I am not complaining about the way I was treated tonight. The front desk agent was pleasant and thus provided me with good service.
After noticing he failed to acknowledge my status, I began thinking about others and how they handle such a thing. Most readers of this site have one status or another, so I want to know what you think.
Do you prefer to be acknowledged when checking in? Does it really matter to you? Do you expect a room upgrade or other published benefit every time? How do you handle not being given one.
Generally I am a really passive person and don’t really mind, however I have played spoiled from time to time. Tonight is definitely not one of those times as I am happy to be watching football in my normal room here at the Hyatt Regency.
Let me know what you think? What do you do when you aren’t properly acknowledged or given all of your elite benefits? I am curious! Comment away!
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So.. I sold my home and I been living in hotels for past 3.5 months road tripping across and around the USA, normal staying in hotles for 1-3 nights before moving to next. I have stayed at the 5-2 star level of every brand using Cash, points and or Certs.
I normally feel awkward saying I’m a ….. do you have upgrade etc… but I’m also hardly recknozied or thanked for having status which tends to make me think they dont know my status nor have they ever considered me for any status perks. When I hear a simple thank you for being… then it’s conformation they considered me for what ever.
Currently my status are:
IHG, Diamond, recknozied my status upon check in about 40% of the time. I’m not given upgrades but simple thank you is great although its 4 out of 10 check in.
Hilton, Diamond, recknozied about 20% of the time which that of my 2 out of 10 check in I am offered a bottle of water.
Marriott, I’m Gold (currently 3 nights away from Plat status), with my past 37 (+10 for AMEX card) night stays I only been thanked 2 times for being a gold upon check-in.
Besides the few bottles of water I received from a few Hilton check in I have never once been offered an upgraded room or anything despite my “elite” status.
Then I started to think must I really announce my status and ask for my perks upgrade, welcome snack? Last week I checked in to a Hilton as always they said nothing about my Diamond status no water nothing. Then as I was walking away another guest was checking in behind me and loudly announced “I’m checking in, I’m a Diamond member do you have any upgrades for me?” Or course it sounded extra entitled but immediately the desk clerk thanked her for the status and handed her a Hilton bag with I assumed water’s, maybe a snack inside. (Which I did not get) and looked for upgraded room to check her into. None of the service I received upon my Diamond check-in.
So must we really inform and ask for the pearks we earned? Is that normal?
I always feel more humble feeling they must know my status and would honor it if they could but my spouse feels opposite as I earned my status and spending allot of money on the brands I must ask directly if they have an available upgrade.
I also feel IHG used to be very good at thanking you for status a few years back when I had Spire status I would walk in and even see my name on a board and they always 99% of the time said thank you upon check-in, but not anymore.
I recently had this conversation with my husband about this very matter. We are Wyndham Diamond members, travel all the time, and I’ve noticed we rarely get acknowledged when checking in. I am of the opinion that if I’ve spent this much money at these hotels, then yes, when I check in, then I want my gift bag, a room with a view, etc.
Wyndham has always done a bad job at recognizing elites sadly.
[…] Miles To Memories mused about how hotels recognize elite status guests at check-in. I found this one particularly interesting since the property in question is one where I […]
[…] wrote a couple of days ago about how my Diamond status was not verbally acknowledged when checking in, but I was asked if I wanted points or the food/beverage amenity. I chose the […]
I think the best approach is to ask if your (hotel loyalty program) name is linked to the reservation. Something like, “did I remember to add my Hyaty gold passport number to the reservation?” Then when they check, they will usually see the elite status and should proceed as expected.
At other times, I will stop by the front desk after checking in and ask them a question. Then I follow that up by asking if that policy is the same for (hotel loyalty program) (elite status) members. You usually get different answers to those 2 questions.
Ahhh I like that approach more or my style a soft approach and not trying to sound like someone who is entitled. I will for sure add that line to my check-in kit bag.
I have a love/hate relationship with this particular property. I love the property itself but have had horrible customer service issues here (at the front desk, with the valet, and with the restaurant). Its still my property of choice when I’m there as it’s physically beautiful and close to my local client, but I always brace myself to be underwhelmed by the people.
As a Hyatt & Hilton Diamond, my experience has been that both are good at recognizing status. Probably 60% of the time they’ll say, “I see your Diamond status here.” 30% of the time they’ll say “thank you for your loyalty” and 10% of the time it goes unrecognized. In those 90% instances, I’ll thank them for mentioning it.
I normally don’t care much about the benefits I receive unless I don’t get a King Size bed – then I’ll absolutely say something as sleeping with my legs hanging off the bed is where I draw the line.
If my wife is with me, and it’s a resort then I’m a completely fussy little b*tch about all of my benefits…seriously. 45+ annual weeks on the road, with loyalty to their brand had best be recognized or there’s gonna be a problem. Entitled? No. Better or more important than other guests? Definitely not. However, a deal is a deal. I’m loyal and you’ve agreed to reward that loyalty.
I agree when it is a special trip that the benefits become more important. On shorter business stays they are less important. Thanks Jake!
I don’t even necessarily “expect” anything, but it is nice to at least have it mentioned, especially when I’m at the very top status (Diamond, etc). Maybe that’s because most of my status is earned by not very much loyalty (credit cards and status matches)
All I really would like is that hotels provide whatever benefits are written as part of the chain’s elite program. If Best Western says that Diamond members should be given a welcome gift upon arrival, then when I arrive, I expect a welcome gift. It doesn’t even necessarily have to be anything special – generally if I have a choice I’ll take the points.
I agree with you Dan. Unfortunately they don’t always provide all of the benefits. It is difficult to know when to complain and when not to. In this case I was given the benefits (maybe not a room upgrade, but that is based on availability) so there really isn’t anything to complain about.
As Jake said in another comment, when it is a special trip then I fully expect and look forward to the benefits. For shorter business stays or ones when we are on a family road trip then it is less important.
Having earned elite with several groups over the past decade, some chains tend to work harder to acknowledge their elite members than others. Marriott has been quite good at this, as have about 1/2 of the choice properties I’ve stayed at.
The whole state of loyalty programs is changing & shifting to reflect a new era, especially with more people earning basic elite status more often. The four-tier/five tier system is slowly becoming the norm, while the ‘silver’ or ‘gold’ level elite members are pretty much treated like their basic customers would be. Airlines themselves are guilty of this, with only MP1K and higher at United recognized – and even then, that is a rarity these days. Loyalty programs themselves are shifting to reflect the new era of travelers, and not necessarily for the good overall, but more to suit the bottom line of the operator.