Questions and Answers

Hi Ben,

Huge fan of your blog and thank you for all that you do.

My wife and I are currently staying at the Park Hyatt Sydney (what a beautiful hotel!). I am a diamond member and I booked a 5 night stay with points – (150,000 Hyatt Gold Passport Points). I understand based on the gold passport policy that diamond members are given the best available room on check in (excluding suites – until March 1st when World of Hyatt will replace Gold Passport). Based on reading your blog and from other diamond members – I understand that the Opera Deluxe rooms is the best available room that is not a suite. However, on check-in there were no opera deluxe rooms available, so we were given an Opera View room (which is still amazing). However, upon looking at availability on the 4th night of our trip (which is today), I noticed that there is availability for an opera deluxe room. So I asked the front staff politely if they could upgrade me to the opera deluxe room (so the front staff looked it up and did see there was availability), however, she said she has to talk to her manager first. The manager came back and stated we could upgrade to the room but for a charge of 600 AUD (which is the difference between the opera view and the opera deluxe room). I was shocked by this, and asked him if there was anything he could do and he said that this is the gold passport policy that I am only entitled to the best available on check in and if there is a better room available later that we would have to pay for the upgrade. So I rejected this offer and went back again later tonight to another staff member and then she stated the same thing (I think the previous manager might have made notes in my file). Also the initial manager seemed very stern and did not want to budge on anything.

Have you ever experienced something like this? If so, how did you handle it and any other tips or feedback? I would really appreciate it.

Also, at this hotel they acknowledge me as a diamond, however, I feel that they treat me a little differently whether it is because I’m young? or casual clothes? or maybe they feel that a lot of North American diamond members are always thinking they are “entitled” to things, or even the fact that I am Asian. Any thoughts?

Thanks for your help

Gordon

Tagged for merge with [URL]http://asklucky.onemileatatime.com/threads/park-hyatt-sydney.10249/[/URL]