A LoyaltyLobby reader sent us a case where Hilton had processed Global Automated Upgrade based on their Diamond status, but then the hotel, Hilton Yancheng, had downgraded the suite to an executive room.
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Here’s the message from the reader:
I hope to share with you my experiences of being downgraded by HILTON YANCHENG just one day before arrival when I was about to APP-check in.
Well, interestingly, I have read your relevant post, in which you were doubtful if hotels would pushback upgraded booking by the auto system.
That DID happened to me “-( I was automatically upgraded to a Deluxe Suite 72 Hrs prior to my arrival and was manually changed by hotel end to Executive Room.
As it was low season now, hotel actually has an abundant number of Suites unsold, it is apparent that it doesn’t like to give me a suite , partly , i guess, because my rate is quite low.
It was such a joke. I don’t really see the point of Hilton introducing this online system, if hotel has the final say about everything, what’s the difference and why take the trouble and time to create such an added “benefit”
By the way, I contacted HH teams immediately, what i got in reply is sorry, and they will follow up and let’s see what happened.
I will keep you updated after this stay. I hope you can write a post about it , reminding members of such downgrade possibility.
The reader on the second email forwarded us the confirmation from Hilton about the upgrade and message from the Guest Assistance:
YES，I did. Same like what you have posted and shared from other members
But I didn’t get a screenshot of the upgraded suite ( I thought it was final, hotel wouldn’t change)
Well, I did contacted online hilton customer service, and he checked for me …
He said it was upgraded by system 72hrs before to an suite but somehow was modified by hotel then.
I kept this record for future use when i arrive hotel.
by the way, did any one of your members or friends report to you if they had similar experiences of being downgraded upon arrival day?
We were in touch with the Hilton spokesperson, who confirmed that automated upgrades should not be canceled by the hotel:
We are looking in to this instance/case. To answer your question, hotels may not rescind a complimentary, space-available room upgrade once it has been confirmed and communicated to the guest.
Conclusion
The reader did the right thing and contacted Hilton customer service and opened a Guest Assistance case that costs the offending hotel $$$. I would ask for a Be My Guest voucher as compensation.
It would be interesting to know if other readers have been downgraded from their upgraded rooms and suites that the Hilton’s Global Automated Upgrades had processed? If you have any experience, you can always drop me an email.
I have had somewhere between half a dozen to a dozen upgrades processed by this automated system, and absolutely no issues yet.
I got also a downgrade at the Doubletree Krakow in Poland.
Hmmm that’s weird, I am very often guest at DT Krakow and always get One Bedroom Suite, even when booking points + cash, or only points or lowest possible rate. You just had a bad luck probably, that there were so many Diamonds present or something.
Interesting. I am too quite often there but got never a One Bedroom Suite. I have this year 175 nights with Hilton so that can´t be an issue. They always say that the One Bedrrom Suite is not for Diamond Upgrades.
I’ve received a 1BS here a number of times. It depends on your rate and occupancy vs other guests. On weekends they sell the suites to families.
Guest Assistance created a case. The suite is bookable and the should give it to me because it´s confirmed via corporate.
There’s a way to block the suites, they just need to load an upgrade cost in the backend and it will stop, more properties are switching on to this
This is so true. They cater to families on the weekends at most Hilton hotels especially during a local weekend event.
I got 10k points compensation
Sad story indeed…
However, during my stay at the Hilton Athens, I had received an email from Hilton mentioning an upgrade to a King Executive room with Acropolis view (vs. King Guest room originally booked). When checking-in at the hotel, I was thanked for being a Diamond member and actually given the keys to one of their King Olive Suite. Quite a nice surprise!
Well, I am currently at the Hilton Mauritius and although being a Diamond member, I did not get offered any automated upgrade at all. As the Hilton (which is rather a resort and not the usual business hotel) has no executive lounge I just get one drinking voucher per night as some sort of recognition …
Don’t forget your free bottle of water! Seriously though, Diamond is such a joke these days….
that is really a bad joke 🙁
i mean if a suite free by the checkin then you should get it. But i can understand the hotel let the suite so long time open to booking as possible… and is then no one free by the checkin… ok shit happens.. but it is one free you should get it.
I am by Radisson Platinum Member, the Radisson Hotels give me to 50 % already automatically a suite.. you can see it often 1-2 days before you will checkin in the Radisson App by my bookings.
I check it each time a hour before i am in the Hotel is a suite free, and by the checkin i asks then for upgrade of this room then. to 80 % i have luck there give it me.
In this case i can say nothing bad about the Radisson group.. there is only written, Radisson Platinum can upgrade to a one bed room suite … and nothing more.
But it is from Hotel to Hotel and Country to Country different, the biggest nighmare i have had last weekend in the Radisson Helsinki Plaza, 3 times i change the room there was some nothing ok… no sorry or some else … i will me there not welcome… i will book this hotel never again… or is some by the checkin not ok… it give the option then change the Hotel directly… the Parkinn Dubai Motor City was some day before not really better.
In Poland is each time everything absolute perfect….
I have stayed at 5 United Kingdom Hiltons in the past few days. I am a current Diamond Member and have been for more than 10 years. I have NOT received a single “Auto-Upgrade” on stays that were booked more than a month in advance. To be fair, the individual hotels have bumped me up to Executive (except for the Hilton York, which a sorry excuse for a Hilton in any case). For me, the “Auto-Upgrade” has SIMPLY NOT WORKED.
I am doubtful of the automatic upgrade system. Second stay in a week that goes only to basically Exec Plus whereas before I’d get a suite. I know from a Flyertalk post the system will not allocate a category where <50% is allocated. They have 6 suites and 3 are available. Plus, the automatic email says Diamond, but I am Lifetime.
Hi John,
I really love and appreciate your posts. Very insightful and interesting, indeed. It does not pertain to Hilton’s automatic room upgrades, but I would like to hear your thoughts on IHG’s room upgrades.
A few years back, I booked a complimentary one night stay on account of my IHG branded Chase credit card. The night before check in, I noticed on the app that it said my room now was a junior suite (I think with lounge access as well). On the day of check in, I noticed that it had been downgraded back to a standard room. When I arrived at the hotel, the front desk informed that there was nothing that they could do.
Although, I overheard the employee checking in a couple next to me that they were checking into a junior suite. Since, they were checking in the same time as me, it may be that the hotel decided to manually change my upgrade back to the standard room that morning or something. I understand about the importance of paying guests for the hotels, but are there any rules stated in the T&C in this situation? When I mentioned about my check in experience on TA, I got a company line apology including on how they will train the employees in charge of the app better. Also, at that time I was just a Platinum Ambassador. Now, I am a Spire Ambassador. It sure reminds me about your recent Hyatt post.
As regards to Hilton, I had a bad experience at the former Hilton Shanghai. Someone else who checked in on the same day as me got a junior suite upgrade over me despite that he was only gold and I was and still am a diamond. The hotel employee even confirmed it when I questioned it. All I got was a lousy apology/clarification and promise of a possible upgrade next time.
So, I guess at the end of the day, it really depends on the individual hotel policy besides company policy as well as the staff member checking you in/in charge of upgrades on the app.
Thank you so much. Have a good weekend. I truly look forward to your response. Thanks again.
Note that this incident took place in mainland China. PRC-based businesses have gotten much, much better over the years about fulfilling their contractual obligations and not changing the rules and making stuff up as they go along. So, I have been quite disappointed to hear about this snafu.
Hi John,
I have been avidly reading your blog. I have enjoyed your insights and appreciated the information and promotions provided by it. Thank you.
It does not pertain to Hilton, but it does relate to IHG “automatic” upgrades. I know that on the IHG app, it would provided the details of any possible complimentary room upgrades. A few years ago, I had a stay at the Intercontinental HK. As a Platinum Ambassador, I used my Chase free night for a standard room. I was delighted when I saw on the app that my room was displaying a junior suite (I think with lounge access as well).
However, on the morning of check in, the app showed that it was a standard room again. When I inquired about it with the check in staff, I was just told that it is now a standard room and nothing could be done about it. I know that the hotel does not need to give such a generous upgrade (usually the Intercontinental Hotels in HK are not that generous especially the one at the Grand Stanford). Yet, surely if it shows up on the app, it should be provided? Can the hotel manually change it back to a regular room if the app displays a complimentary upgrade? Also, I know that the cash and award bookings come first as I overheard the couple right next to me being told that they were checking into a junior suite. Probably that was where I “lost” the so called complimentary upgrade.
For a Hilton stay that I had at Shanghai a few years back, it was much more disappointing. This was at the former Hilton Shanghai. A guest with lower Honors status than me was given a complimentary upgrade and I was not given anything at all as the hotel claimed that all the suites were occupied. I questioned him about it. On the day before check-in, I noticed suites were still on sale. On the day after check in, the front desk in his own way told me that they had given the last junior suite to someone else. Yes, why did I not ask about it on the day of check in? I was still at work that day and could only arrive the next day. My family told them I was busy with work and would most definitely arrive the next day which I did.
I knew it was to someone who was an Honors Gold, because he wrote about his stay on TA that he was an Honors Gold and that he was happy that he was given the last junior suite. I was and still am an Honors Diamond member, so that was not a good experience at all. I wrote about it on TA and all I got was a company line apology and a promise of a possible upgrade in future stays.
So, I just wanted to share my experiences with you, John, to see what you have to say about it. I remember your more recent Hyatt posts about whether it is worth it to stay loyal to a brand anymore. For example, I am now a Spire Ambassador, I wonder if it is worth it to keep spending a lot of money and time to keep it? I think it still offers some good things, but I really would appreciate your opinions about it. Thank you. Have a nice week.
Well, then I can totally expect on my upcoming stay (business bay in dubai for new year’s eve), that if I even get an automated upgrade, it will certainly be totally downgraded to give the big spenders the super deluxe burj khalifa view suites 🙁 But, the good thing is i’ll be closer to the fireworks this time and don’t have to deal with walking in that crazy crowd.