rightted

After a 4-hour train delay, I attempted to check in to the Marriott Marquis in Times Square. I had called earlier in the day to let them know I would be arriving late, possibly after midnight, but that I wanted the room, no matter what time I arrived. Since they had my credit card number, and my reservation was supposedly guarranteed, I thought I was set.

So imagine, if you will, how my wife and I felt to arrive at the hotel desk at 12:30 a.m., with our 5-month-old daughter, only to be told that they didn't have any rooms available, and that we had a choice of waiting 20 minutes for them to clean a room or going to another hotel. Leaving at that point was not an option with the baby, so we waited. After 20 minutes, I was about ready to explode, and so basically badgered the desk clerk until the room was finally magically available. The room we were given is very nice, and much larger I'm sure than the room we had reserved. I imagine the room was sitting there empty, and that the desk clerk was sick of me and so gave us that room.

She told me that they have no control over how many rooms they have available on a daily basis. I said that I'm sure I would have been charged for the room had we not shown up at all. She didn't really respond to that.

Once I talk to the manager about this, I'll post an update.

nytraveler

If you're ready to explode because of a 20-minute wait then I think you need to seriously consider anger management classes.

All hotels are overbooked sometimes. And when you arrived so late, and they were essentailly full, and gave you a free upgrade to a much better room - I can;t imagine what you're complaining about.

(FYI the MM is a huge hotel - and if you arrive at busiest times you will often have to wait more than 20 minutes to check in.)

You need to get a grip.

kcapuani

I completely sympathize with you rightted - at 12:30am at night, you should have no problem checking into a room. Either the hotel is sold out or not, and if it isn't, then the room should have been ready (especially if you called to say that you would be arriving past midnight - those are the types of comments that a front desk agent should be looking for when running an arrivals list). Plus, 20 minutes can seem like an eternity when waiting with an infant who was probably exhausted.

Was the front desk agent trying to say that they have no control over guests who are due to check-out for the day, but decide to stay another night? Or, that they have no control over rooms that must be shut down for maintenance? She should have made herself more clear. Otherwise, to say that they have no control over how many rooms they have available on a daily basis is poor planning on the Front Desk's part.

bennnie

nytraveler - I think you are being overly harsh. The poor guy is 4 hours delayed, he's traveling with a baby, its 1230AM and his room is not ready. By the time he gets a room its close 1AM.

The hotel wasn't full - they just didn't have a clean room for him. No excuse. He garuanteed it with his credit card - it or another should have been available.

righted - I think you were justifiably ticked off.

FainaAgain

NY traveler, I would agree with you if these were the normal check-in, check-out hours. But at midnight... I'm surprised there was somebody to clean! I would not let it go, I'd complain and post on TripAdvisor.

rb_travelerxATyahoo

If you've not worked a hotel front desk than you have NO IDEA of what may have happened. Your writing sounds as if you think some sadistic clerk was just holding that room to pz you off.

The third shift clerks get all the crap from the doings of the other clerks. Why wouldn't they have your room? Overbooking? Yes, sometimes. But how about: a guest didn't vacate, a room got trashed, a room (or rooms) got flooded, a trashcan fire didn't damage the room, but the odor made it unrentable until it gets a thorough cleaning.

No doubt the night clerk was scrambling to find you a room, and maybe they WERE cleaning another room, but the clerk decided to take a chance and give you some OTHER room so your family could settle down, while she prays that the person who was to have that smaller room doesn't show, or if he does isn't the pain in the ass you probably were.

nytraveler

No - I think his problem is that the train was delayed 4 hours - which is obviously no fun - but has nothing to do with the hotel. Nor is it the hotel's fault that he's traveling with a baby

(I don;t understand why people traveling with kids seem to think this gives them some special consideration. At that hour everyone is tired and it should be strictly first come/first served.)

People check in and out of hotels that big at all hours - and rooms are cleaned at all hours - and if you need to wait a few minutes - and are then given an upgraded room - I can;t imagine you have any reason for complaint - never mind rage.

The MM is a huge convention-oriented hotel and is well known for long delays and minimal service. If you want 5* service you need to pay 5* prices - not go to the MM.

kcapuani

Marriott is supposed to pride itself on its customer service. To say that the Marquis is a convention hotel doesn't mean we should give the front desk any slack.

Now, there is no need to be rude to the staff - its true that the 3rd shift has to deal with all of the screw ups of the evening shift. Check-in time is probably 4:00pm so his room should have been ready and he has a right to be upset. But, the fact that rightted was given an upgrade should have made amends for the check-in delay.

Dick

While I don't think the hotel was at fault..I don't believe that Marriott's customer service (in general) is anymore than ..average.

bennnie

I've stayed at the MM many times and aware of their service level. If a room is guaranteed, then it should be available.

By the way, all the rooms that I've stayed in at the MM are very large by NY standards. I'd be surprised if it truly was an upgraded room.

owlwoman

I have to add my two cents here, I too am from NY and if this happened to me, I'd be upset too. Considering the fact that a telephone call was made informing the hotel of their lateness, hours earlier, they had every right to expect a room to be ready. If they had not called, then I wouldn't be so sympathetic. On my way to Wash DC once we got stuck in a huge traffic jam, took us over 8 hours from NY, we have reservations at the Inn at Little Washington, I kept calling explaining our predicament, when we finally arrived, 3 hours late, we had no problems....if I had not called, then who knows how we would have been treated....in this day of competition, hotels should go out of their way to please their customers, especially the chains who advertise these as features!

Frank

rightted: I think you were treated fairly and would hope that you are prepared for the standard issues that come up when traveling. A 20 minute wait might be annoying but far from unusual, besides you got an upgrade what more do you want? I don't think the manager will do much for you.

rjw_lgb_ca

Most hotels have a policy that, even with a credit card, the room is usually held only till midnight, then it's released into available inventory. They might have put a note on your record, but.... Fact is, you were accommodated pretty quickly, all things considered. It is indeed not the hotel's fault that your train was delayed.

FainaAgain

Once I was scheduled to arrive at midnight, so put a note on my reservation: please hold for late arrival, then called the front desk and they said: with a credit card reservation they routinly hold the rooms till 6 am, even if there is no such note.

And it was just a Ramada, not some fancy Marriott.

BeachBoi

rightted....Sorry for your grief...Whenever I know for sure that I am going to be "late", I call and ask to speak with the Front Desk.Not the manager,they are too busy.I NEVER ask for reservations, as with a chain hotel you are more likely to be put thru to their Central Reservations.Someone totally off property who could care less about your delay.Then when I get the front deks clerk, I ask if they can go ahead and "block" my room.Most of the time,thats as good as checking me in.I have even had the clerk ask me if I want this room or that room.Then when I get to the hotel,there is no chance that they gave it away to anyone else.Virtually all hotel reservations have to be guaranteed with a credit card these days.I understand there was a time when you could put a res on a 6pm hold.But not today.Also,hotels will hold your room till at least 7am the morning following.The morning crew are the ones who work the No Shows.Yes there will be instances where someone may have checked into a hotel at midnite and been told they only hold the room till 11pm or so.That simply means they oversold the hotel.Most travellers dont know to ask how long the room will be held.

rb_travelerxATyahoo

The standard reservation policy is that the room is held all night, and remaining nights cancelled in the morning if guest fails to check in.

Hotels try darn hard to honor reservations; many of the chains require the hotel to PAY for accomodations elsewhere should the guest be "walked" Yes, you would think that since the guest called, there would be a room, but rooms don't appear by magic. If they don't have the inventory, they continue to juggle and juggle until either someone doesn't show, or someone gets walked. Has anyone given any thought to the various scenarios I described above why a room may not be ready/available? BTW, I returned to moonlighting at a front desk last fall (yes, including 3rd shift) after having worked in hospitality (including management) years ago. We are not out to ruin your trips, I swear.

likeswords

I have always assumed that if I am paying for a room, I have a right to go to that room when I arrive (assuming that I arrive within the hours that I will pay for, that is, after check-in time and before check-out time the next day). Is this not the reason that I give my credit card number in the first place, so that the hotel won't be stiffed if they commit a room to me and I fail to show up to claim it? I am supposing that I will be charged for the room unless I cancel my reservation (within the time specified in the original agreement). If this is not the case, then the word "reservation" does not apply to the agreement between me and the hotel, and I wonder what people who are unavoidably detained are supposed to do when they appear and ask for the room they have reserved and find that it has been given away. Of course, it only makes sense to call and let the hotel know that you will be late in arriving, but sometimes this is not possible. Regardless, if you are paying for a room, you should have access to it during the time that you have paid for. Am I missing something here?

Statia

My experience is also that a room guaranteed for late arrival with a credit card is held all night and no shows are charged one full night's stay. It's happened to me in NYC when I've had a last minute emergency and forgot to cancel the room before 6 p.m.

At that time of the night, especially with a baby, I would most certainly have been glad to ultimately get a room and probably not made a fuss about it, but that's the pacifist in me. However, I also agree that I would be a bit ticked that my "guaranteed reservation" was not held. The whole reason for guarantees is due to late arrivals, including unforeseen circumstances. I'll bet you would have been charged one night's stay had you not shown up at all.

nytraveler

Well - I'm not sure why people are talkng about Marriott and customer service in the same sentence. This is not an upsacle hotel like a 4 Seasons or Ritz Carlton (and nothing whatsoever like the Inn at Little Washington).

This is a basic 3* hotel - somwhat better than a Holiday Inn - but not so nice as a decent Hilton or Hyatt.

And they did give him a room. they told him they woud have it shortly and they did. I don;t know anywhere that you are guranteed a room the minute you walk through the front door. Frequently rooms are being cleaned - and a wait of a few minutes - esp when you turn up so late at night is no big deal.

I repeat my first point - he was really mad about the 4 hour train delay and is taking it out on the hotel - which has a face to yell at - when the train doesn;t.

antlori

Likeswords, I agree with you completely. If the phrase "guaranteed by a credit card" doesn't mean you have a room guaranteed, then what does it mean? I book groups into hotels for company meetings and I have had people sent to other hotels even though I specifically booked them as late arrivals and was assured 100% that they would have a room at our meeting hotel no matter what time they arrived. This has happened to me so many times now that I practically get the hotel sales manager to guarantee in blood but it still doesn't make any difference. I do agree that the OP was lucky to actually get a room within 20 minutes, but I still don't understand why a guaranteed room isn't really guaranteed. If he didn't show up, they would bill him for it anyway so the hotel wouldn't be out any money if they held his room until the next morning. In fact, I'm reasonably sure they would bill him as a no-show even if they gave his room away to a walk-in.