Category Archives for Hotels.
A Cleveland man was sentenced to two years in prison for attempting to break into a coworker’s hotel room. But he didn’t force entry. He used a key. And he’d been given that key by the Courtyard by Marriott Independence, Cleveland.
Marriott has the most exclusive top elite tier with published earning criteria. The Ambassador level requires not just 100 nights in hotels but also a minimum of $23,000 in spend, nearly impossible to achieve in many parts of the world with low hotel rates.
Yet for three years the Ambassador level didn’t even come with Ambassador service. Marriott eliminated dedicated Ambassadors during the pandemic, even while Hyatt (which offers concierges at just 60 nights without minimum spend) kept theirs.
A new study shows that guests at 5-star hotels are more likely to steal high-value items like tablet computers, artwork, TVs, and mattresses, reflecting a trend among wealthier guests. There’s been an increase in the theft of more valuable items since 2019, including coffee makers, mattresses, and tablet computers. Mini fridges are now commonly stolen from 4-star hotels.
The survey categorizes theft behavior in hotels by nationality.
World of Hyatt is making changes to elite benefits for 2024, and they are mostly good. All awards like upgrades and free nights become transferable, and more benefit choices are being added as members stay every 10 nights. It’ll be possible to confirm a suite and try out top tier benefits after fewer nights, while their Guest Of Honor benefit will be more flexible – but no longer unlimited.
There’s a simple reason that annoying fees are prevalent in travel. They work. Customers spend more money. And in some cases politics and the tax code encourage them.
John Arnold shares what happened at StubHub when they tested an elimination of hidden fees for some customers: those who were shown transparent all-in pricing spent less money.
The blog post explores the challenges hotels face in personalizing amenities for guests, highlighting the complexities of catering to diverse preferences and the occasional missteps, like inappropriate gifts or failing to recognize guest preferences. It emphasizes the impact of well-executed amenities, using personal experiences and industry insights to illustrate how getting it right can significantly enhance guest satisfaction.
Allegations have surfaced against the private security force at the Marriott Renaissance Center, originally founded by General Motors, involving over a dozen years of racially motivated abuse and violence against African American guests and visitors. Incidents include a severe beating resulting in a brain injury to guest Demarko Brown, the detainment and humiliation of an African American woman, and other cases of harassment and excessive force, raising serious concerns about racial discrimination and safety at the facility.
Airport self-checkout kiosks demand tips. I’ve even had one that wouldn’t allow opting out.
In fact, websites now solicit tips. You never even deal with a human. You book a hotel, and boom – please add on to the charges!
Hyatt is rolling out confirmation of suite upgrades online. This is a big advance in convenience for using these suite upgrade awards. I always worry that inventory will disappear during the time it takes to confirm a suite. I also worry that the manual process won’t be completed correctly.
In March 2022 Marriott officially eliminated award charts. It turns out that Marriott didn’t actually eliminate award charts they just hid them and raised prices.
Gary Leff is one of the foremost experts in the field of miles, points, and frequent business travel -- a topic he has covered since 2002.
Co-founder of frequent flyer community InsideFlyer.com, emcee of the Freddie Awards, and named one of the "World's Top Travel Experts" by Conde' Nast Traveler (2010-Present) Gary has been a guest on most major news media, profiled in several top print publications, and published broadly on the topic of consumer loyalty. More About Gary »
