Hyatt, Hilton, and Marriott were struggling to keep their doors open during the pandemic, but now that the revenge travel boom is in full effect, they are showing their true colors.
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Hyatt, Hilton, Marriott Warn High Prices Here to Stay
Executives from three major chains warned that the high prices travelers are seeing this summer are here to stay, at least for a while. While revenge travel following the pandemic was something predicted (right here on this blog, in fact), exceeding 2019 levels, widely considered heretofore to be “Peak Travel”, remains impressive. At the risk of being self-righteous, I made this claim just two days shy of two years ago to the day: “As such, my prediction is that Peak Travel may not occur again until at least early 2022.” In fairness, I had assumed it was aircraft retirement and replacement that would be the sticking point – I was wrong, it’s not the retirement of aircraft but the pilots that fly them that’s the problem.
Add in the highest inflation in 40 years (half of the US population hasn’t seen these levels in their entire lifetime) and the current demand is completely shocking.
“Marriott CEO Tony Capuano said that over Memorial Day weekend the company’s revenue per available room, which measures hotel performance, was up about 25% in 2022 compared to 2019.” – CNBC.
And it’s not just cheaper, broader select-service hotels with lower price points that are pushing demand. In fact, the luxury segments saw even higher growth.
“In Marriott’s luxury portfolio, which includes hotels like JW Marriott, Ritz-Carlton, and St. Regis, those hotels saw nearly a 30% increase in rates in the first quarter of 2022 compared to 2019.” – CNBC
Hyatt Hotels CEO, Mark Hoplamazian, sees great performance across the board with no slow down in sight. IHG CEO, Keith Barr, echoed those sentiments.
“Pretty much across the board, all the business segments and leisure are all firing on all cylinders,” Hoplamazian said.
“Keith Barr, the CEO of IHG Hotels & Resorts which owns brands like the InterContinental and Holiday Inn, said that he expects demand to continue to grow for the rest of the year as travel is more normalized post-pandemic.” – CNBC
Barr added that despite these price increases, they haven’t kept up with inflation but 25% room rates and high occupancy with reduced service suggest that’s probably not true.
Hilton is excited about revenue this summer as well.
“…Hilton CEO Chris Nassetta predicting that the hotel chain will “have the biggest summer we’ve ever seen in our 103-year history this summer.” – CNBC
Reduction of Benefits Due to COVID
It wasn’t so long ago that hotels were on the verge of collapse among a complete abandonment of business travelers, especially in the convention space. Hilton Hotels opted to do away with daily housekeeping at many of its properties, a move several hotel operators followed. The chain also removed its breakfast benefit and replaced it with a daily credit for elites by which incidentals can be charged to the room but the credit almost never covers even a modest breakfast.
Hilton is hardly the worst offender, Marriott benefits were nearly wiped off the board entirely including select suite upgrades, breakfast, and seemingly any benefit they no longer wanted to offer.
Breakfast was an easy casualty as was housekeeping due to COVID. Communal spaces with open food is a tough benefit to deliver, and short-staffed housekeeping interacting with guest spaces was also unwise. Despite more than 100,000 daily cases being reported, mortality has fallen dramatically and nearly every vestige of the pandemic has gone away.
Yet the benefits haven’t returned. Housekeeping may be a tough position to fill, but that’s the business they’ve entered. If we all collectively agreed that some benefits could go away for obvious pandemic reasons, fair enough, but despite these restrictions and need for them diminished if not disappeared, why have benefits not been returned?
Because they don’t have to. Hotel chains (and their independent franchisees) are raking in cash, something they clearly have no problem telling investors and business media. That said, if the looming recession occurs, hotel chains might be forced to compete again. Don’t worry though, there’s no recession according to the US Treasury Secretary, Janet Yellen:
“There’s nothing to suggest a recession is in the works,” Ms. Yellen said. – New York Times
Sure.
For those keeping score at home, two straight negative quarters of negative GDP growth is considered a recession. The first quarter of this year qualified with 1.5% negative GDP, the second quarter is forecasted to buck the trend by showing a slight gain, but we will find out in a couple of weeks if that’s true.
Typically, in economic downturns, major travel brands expand their benefits to entice travelers over the competition.
What About Those PPP Loans?
Remember the $793 billion in PPP loans to protect employee payrolls that American taxpayers incurred during the pandemic. Hotel chains and their franchisees consumed a tremendous amount of support supplied by the citizens of the US. Of those, 90.2% of loans were forgiven entirely – I’d argue that more will continue to wiped away.
So just to review, the hotel chains and their franchisees couldn’t afford to offer priority elite checkout, or cereal at breakfast during the pandemic. The US taxpayer came to the rescue with a ton of free money. The hotel chains still couldn’t offer benefits back to travelers, and now that they most certainly can – they simply do not intend to do so.
Cool.
If you want to search for your favorite hotel (or any business) that took PPP money, how much, and how much was forgiven, here’s a helpful tool: Propublica Tracking PPP.
Conclusion
The pandemic was a significant setback for every sector of the economy but particularly for the travel industry. However, now that rates and occupancy at Hyatt, Hilton, Marriott, and IHG not only have returned but exceeded the best year on record, the takeaways remain out of reach. The PPP program was a necessary evil at the time, but with the behavior and frankly the hubris of hotel executives, there will be no sympathy from this travel writer if Secretary Yellen is wrong, and once again hotels find themselves competing for our business and their own survival.
What do you think? With hotels firmly out of peril, should the COVID takeaways be returned or is this just supply and demand?
I have been disgusted by the excuse of Covid to not deliver appropriate level of service to customers. I stayed at a Grand Hyatt hotel this week for 4 nights. I am a Globalist and was told I didn’t need to request housekeeping service since my status gives that. What???? You now need status to get a clean room? Well, after the second night my room was never serviced. No towels, no toiletries, no trash removal, etc… I go to the reception in the morning and ask my room to be cleaned. I was told the cut off time to request that service was 6am? What??? They said they would see if they could get my room serviced as they were making a huge favor. What a joke!!!!
I agree with you Santastico, and with the author overall. There is no reason for hotels not to return to the same level of service and amenities as before the pandemic. And if a hotel doesn’t have enough staff to provide adequate service to all of its guests, the hotel should: 1) adjust their occupancy accordingly and/or 2) give guests the option to select the type of service/amenities they want at the respective room rate. Hotel guests should NOT be paying HIGHER rates for services/amenities they NO LONGER receive. That is just wrong and another example of corporate greed. Given the current state, staying at a private vacation rental where I can choose the amenities I want is becoming more appealing. And at least I would have the option to cook if I wanted to versus being forced to eat out every meal because a hotel doesn’t offer suitable dining choices anymore. Trying to get a decent breakfast alone is becoming an exercise in futility at many hotels these days.
I am in full agreement. As a frequent traveler and the treatment I have received from Hilton, Marriot, Hyatt etc have all been bad. Charging twice the price and no housekeeping. If you stay more then 1 night your screwed and customer service is gone and most are just down right rude. One area that is really bad is Bozeman Mt, a resort town hotel rates are $400-$1000 per night. 2 years ago they were $150-300 per night.
I am a hotel GM and I’m ready to get out. There aren’t enough staff, not enough product. I don’t want to deal with the stress of it all. The owners and brands are making money hand over fist. They need to figure out a way to make things fair to their guests and employees. Its bigger than property level
So? Don’t travel. Or, stay in air bnb type places. The prices and amenities are based on demand.
Just wait until the looming recession hits this country as well as others around the world and it will. People are already beginning to curtail their travel in small numbers but ever increasing. Look at the current inflation rates only to increase. No I have seen this picture show before Regan/Volker had to take prime to 21% to break it, mortgage rates were 14.75% with 20% down!! While I don’t think rates will go that high they will go far enough to cause pain, which is what it takes to break inflation.
Stay Tuned !
Could not agree more. The woke generation has never seen something like this before. They will definitely be woken up.
Old people can be woke too, just saying.
I think your point is the younger generations have never lived through any of it and to make things worse, many young people with “wealth” now haven’t earnt it and are rather living off “daddies” money. They are the ones with the biggest wakeup coming.
Spot on!!
I wouldn’t expect most of these hotel amenities to come back in the same form regardless. Outside of luxury hotels, your basic Marriott/Hyatt/Hilton wasn’t getting a premium by offering breakfast, lounges, etc.
I am utterly confused about hotel rates. In London and other major cities here in the UK, they seem pretty low during the week and quite high at the weekend, when the opposite used to be the case prior to the pandemic. I guess that can sort of be explained, as a general trend, but pricing in general seems a bit random.
A couple of examples: when booking an upcoming stay in the Basque Country, the full-service 4-star NH was 15 Euros per night cheaper than an ensuite room in the halls of residence of the local university! The difference between the Ibis and the Novotel in Sheffield is about £30 this Thursday but falls to ca. £15 for the Friday even though both rates are higher, so the difference is even less than half in percentage terms! The Hampton is £15 more than the Ibis on Thursday, but £20 less on Friday!
The only takeaway from this bizarre situation is that loyalty to a hotel chain really is pointless- you need to ensure you check prices and availability for your destination on a whole-of-market basis before considering whether chasing any points and/or elite benefits is worthwhile.
A major cut with Hyatt is Club Lounge. They claim they come with status but keep them closed. What is the current situation with Lounges? Will they ever reopen?
In general, lounges will open on a case by case basis depending on local travel recovery. The brands that seems to be pretty committed to lounges is Marriott (not the company – the brand itself) and Ritz Carlton (because they charge for it). Otherwise, I see Hilton continuing its trend of eliminating lounges and Hyatt doing the same. In places like Hawaii where the lounge serves a key purpose for providing elite guests meals, lounges are open. But they aren’t gonna be open in a standard business hotel in a city, maybe ever again.
Reservation at the Holiday Inn in Oceanside CA, adjacent to the Del Taco, and NOT close to the water was $375. for a standard room. Yes – it was Memorial Day weekend, what the heck?!
Hotel loyalty programs are so 1995’ish.
Glad I’m a free agent.
Let’s accept that as right leaning writers like Kyle, and their followers like Santastico, are screaming about a looming recession as if already here, that it may be more a talking point along the lines of the one thing Trump proved in his Presidency, that fear works on the minds of many Americans. There is no doubt that Republicans want nothing more than to scream recession over and over as we approach the mid-terms. As well ignoring the fact that this current trend of inflation is almost entirely made up of a combined hit involving Russia and supply chain issues, especially out of China. Will it work for them, probably, maybe? It’s clear that many Americans are suckers for good fear mongering.
However, what we also know right now is that unemployment rates are reaching record lows, wages are up, jobs are plentiful. People are actually making living wages on all rungs of the ladder these days. That is why you see even budget properties filling up around the country and people still traveling. The American consumer, despite your doomsday predictions, Kyle, seem to be saying otherwise. They are perhaps feeling better than they have in their lifetimes because for the first time ever they are valued at wages that do not force them into poverty. And they can seek a job they really enjoy and for an employer that appreciates them.
Budget hotels are thriving because of this and, guess what, luxury hotels as well that you point out, even at inflated rates. At all levels of society right now there is money flowing. It’s no longer stimulus – and I think the whole revenge travel thing was more last year. This is more along the lines of people just doing “stuff” again (weddings, graduations, all the things that were different during Covid) there is more money being evenly distributed now across the country. Sure, corporate profits will take a bit of a hit, but they will be just fine in the end by distributing some of this to employees being paid living wages and thereby contributing back to the economy as a whole.
Time will tell. We may have a small recession as a result of inflation, sure. But I will bet on the trends of the American consumer any day, and so far they are nicely hanging in there.
I’m with Stuart
There are several years of events / meetings / vacations / “stuff” people want to do, and people have the means to afford even higher prices.
Boy are you stupid? Do you also like the price of gas and 10% inflation?
People have jobs now, Bob.
@Stuart – Let’s be clear about a few things. Quoting you:
“Let’s accept that as right leaning writers like Kyle, and their followers like Santastico, are screaming about a looming recession as if already here, that it may be more a talking point along the lines of the one thing Trump proved in his Presidency, that fear works on the minds of many Americans” – that’s pretty misleading of you and possibly factually false. For example, last quarter, the economy contracted by 1.5%; two quarters of that (the second quarter closes in two weeks) would be the definition of a recession. If you wanted to call it fear-mongering before the Q1 numbers put us literally halfway there, then fair enough. Search the site, you won’t find it because I didn’t say it. We will all see shortly whether or not a recession is occurring in the US but being halfway there when even the current Administration and Treasury Dept wouldn’t argue has materially improved seems like a safe assumption that a dramatic recovery is unlikely. That said, the words that I typed said “if” there’s a recession, and Yellen herself, quoted in the post stated that “there’s nothing to suggest that a recession in the works.” which math and the literal definition of a recession would counter.
“People are actually making living wages on all rungs of the ladder these days.” That’s only true if inflation is suppressed. However, inflation is at a 40-year high (indisputable fact), and those numbers exclude food and gas both of which far exceed 8.6%. Considering that gas is up 100% from two years ago and prices at the pump are up more than 50% from one year ago, to suggest that a living wage is now being made because employers are simply paying more indicates a lack of understanding of the term living wage: “A wage that is high enough to maintain a normal standard of living.” When costs rise with wages (and for that number you have to account for transportation and food considering those are important factors to a “normal standard of living” you no longer meet the standard of the definition. If you think that’s the case then consider that consumer sentiment is at an all-time low since the metric has been studied (1952) beating out even 1980 which saw mortgage rates increase to 18% interest. But if you don’t believe me or the University of Michigan, perhaps this CNN article entitled “Consumer sentiment plunges to record low amid surging inflation” will help:
https://www.cnn.com/2022/06/10/business/consumer-sentiment-preliminary-june-inflation/index.html
The one area where we absolutely agree is that consumers are continuing to spend (an inordinate amount) on travel and that may be enough to lift the entire economy back into the black. I don’t think it will be enough, but I will say that this typically clear economic corollary is currently contrary to other metrics. When we last saw gas prices this high during the Bush Administration (2004-06 approximately) hybrid vehicles became more widespread, carpools were utilized, people tightened their belts. That’s not happening right now which either means that Q1 numbers were a blip (possible) and the negative growth wasn’t truly representative or that we are careening for a cliff. What I don’t forsee is some sort of soft landing middle ground where people are paying $2000/week for a stay at a Hampton Inn without consequences to the broader economy in the next few weeks or months.
I know many Stuarts. They hold meetings and circle talk themselves into convincing themselves they are right. And other, lesser types, are wrong. One thing they tend not to be good at is seeing the world as it is. Most people have almost no savings, rent their housing arrangement, drive cars and allocate significant portion of budget to food. Their budgets are getting slammed on housing and gas costs. They don’t own a home with 3% 30 year fixed mortgage. They have to spend less on things because they have no money left. There are more people in that bucket than reading this blog. The Stuarts of world claim allegiance with the great other half and never – truly never – look to see what reality is like on other side of track. American economy is driven by consumer spending, which is hitting a wall as cost of essentials is eating up any wage gains. Recession is here and the the all wise Stuarts will be the last to know.
Um.. GOP doesn’t need to wish for a recession this year. Brandon is doing a great job of doing so without needing help from the GOP. I’ll take the mean tweets any day of bumblin’ Brandon.
And as for this laughable comment: “it may be more a talking point along the lines of the one thing Trump proved in his Presidency, that fear works on the minds of many Americans.” If anyone is the party of fear, it’s Brandon’s party. His regime is still pushing for masks on planes for heaven’s sake..
What an idiotic statement when the whole world is suffering from all the things you mention. How is that Biden’s fault you [redacted] traitor?
I know that a lot has changed in the US in terms of free breakfast/lounges/housekeeping, but I did not really feel affected in Europe (Marriotts and Hiltons in the UK, Germany, Austria, Poland, Czech Republic).
The executive lounges either remained opened or had been reasonably replaced – normally in forms of free main courses and free drinks (x2) in the restaurant. The majority of flagship properties have reopened their lounges in mid/mid-late 2021.
The breakfast was served differently in 2020 (either menus or a buffet), but everything returned to normal after June 2021 in Europe. “
The same applies to housekeeping – while in 2020, it was rather limited (every 2-3 nights), in early 2021, it was offered daily on request, and it returned back to normal by June/July 2021.
The prices did not go up in many European cities, but I’ve noticed significant changes (rises) in Southern European capitals/major cities and in the UK (especially in London).
This article pretty much omits facts with incorrect information throughout. Strictly opinion piece without even understanding why hoteliers who are small business owners are charging higher than normal prices. Business is obviously thriving but slimmer profit margins are not getting better, they are way worse from pre pandemic levels considering the risk of owning a hotel. You can understand $5 gallon gas but you can’t understand that cost of delivery of every one of the 500 different items that the hotel has to order and the labor it takes to run a hotel. Probably smart to interview a hotelier before writing a piece like this unless obviously propaganda is your motive.
@K – The problem in your example is that when I bought a gallon of gas for $1.80 in 2019, I got the exact same product as I did today at $5.01. With hotel products, that’s not been the same experience. What I bought in 2019 for 25-30% less than today was a better product than now. If inflation is truly 8.6% excluding food and gas (that’s the metric since the 1980s and while I don’t think it should be that way, it is) then hotel rates should just be 8.6% higher and the product should be the same, right? But it’s not. And I also understand supply and demand. Supply is down from 2019 and demand is well above 2019 levels so increases in price are fair, but the product should be the same as it was then too and it’s not. And it’s not going back to that unless the market forces it and hoteliers can probably appreciate that they are making more money than they were in 2019 as well. You said to interview hoteliers but I included a link to an interview with all the major hotel chain CEOs where they spoke of this being their “best summer ever” so to suggest that I didn’t evaluate the hotel’s perspective means you probably didn’t read the article. Or rather, you read it but had already decided it wasn’t something you agree with, either way, links and quotes were included.
Has anyone considered the cost of food and lack of distribution for hotels? I work for a major chain and the cost of doing business has raised significantly. Electric has gone up approximately $8000.00 per month where I am at. Getting food deliveries on time to satisfy our guests with trucks has become a guessing game. Staffing, what staffing? Yes we raised our minimum wage by $8.09. Do people show up? No it’s a guessing game. Try an article on the insiders view on the frontline for hospitality. Oh and how some guests are even more abusive to the staff for shortcomings.
Wouldn’t the supply of travel been WAY worse without the programs which forced employers to keep their employees? Just using the example of the airlines: we have a pilot shortage because the airlines weren’t allowed to lay anyone off, so instead they offered generous retirement plans.
If the airlines hadn’t gotten that money with those strings, it is logical to assume that they would have fired MORE employees than those who took voluntary retirement because they would have needed to make up the shortfall that government aid did instead.
So… if the supply of labor is a key element of the travel supply shortage, wouldn’t travel price inflation have been WAY worse if government aid hadn’t been provided?
Sadly, the worst offender is the Disney World resort , Prices still at WDW prices, but no mousekeeping. Before the pandemic, guest could opt out for a discount, but no more. In addition, trash duties needed to be done by guest. I stayed at a Hyatt, Holiday Inn and Hilton recently, at least trash was performed by hotel housekeeping and all housekeeping duties were performed on the third day of your stay.
My go to Marriott Residence Inn completely abandoned the happy hour/free beer/wine/snacks. That was a nice perk for all guests. Oddly they brought it back about 6 months ago after pandemic, then dropped it again a month later. Not sure if its company wide, but it was a common feature for years.
Current airfares alone have discouraged me from traveling. All airfares have basically doubled this year’s high season compared to last year. I’m going to sit out the summer and plan any more traveling for the fall .
Being a loyal Hyatt customer at Globalist, it’s as good as it ever was.
Hilton doing OK.
Marriott is worse than ever.
Personally I prefer getting my soap and towels from housekeeping when they are in the hall, SPG used to give me extra points for this behavior!
I just cancelled my Marriott Bonvoy card. Cant find hotels that I want that will take the free night certs.They are stealing money from loyal guests who are charged for points when they did not want to buy them.tried to use a 35 cert and the system wanted me to use a 25 k and buy points.
United is just as bad. No saver awards. 250 k mikes wont get me anaward trip from sfo to lhr
I am also cancelling united card. Went with a Wells Fargo 2% back on everything. Amdone with all these worthless programs.
Great piece Kyle and yeah I have been hearing the COVID excuse from hotels since it started and hoping that it will eventually change. Luckily I’m one of those status holders in both Marriott and Hilton but for the others who are not, I feel for them.
As far as Stuart’s “fear mongering” comments, I didn’t even see that in your article and you’re merely just talking about how these particular hotels are even after all this COVID is starting to normalize the world. Just as Tom had said everything in Europe has gone back to normal with in the hospitality sector. It’s funny how it’s true that who ever says it is really actually the one that is it. The democrats we’re the one who brought fear to this country when COVID happened, scaring everyone of dying from it and when after everyone had it and didn’t die because of it they seem to not now how to avoid the cause of the rise of all necessities. Now they’re making the war as an excuse of course for everything rising in price. I wonder where Stuart is living that his oblivious of all that’s around him? I happen to just read your article because I am one of those consumers who use these top hotels and I was curious to know what you had to say about them,
Signing up for rewards programs not just for the hotels but all the vendors I like paid off for me. I specially just recently experienced it when I checked in at a Hilton and when the person behind me asked for the snacks that I was given after checking in, It was sad that the attendant told him that because I was a platinum member. It was snacks they could have just given it to him. I just hope and pray that people will be more kind and considerate of others.
Maybe you should look at the numbers being reported before stating that everyone that had it didn’t die… To date 1.1M people have died in the U.S. from covid.
How many of those 1.1 million people were obese or had other underlying conditions? That is not to say those deaths are not tragic it is just Tomlin tout that for the vast majority of people who are not obese or have other conditions COVID is not very serious. It is especially not serious for younger people yet we are still pushing vaccines for toddlers. It is absolutely absurd!
I think the problem in the United States is that there are just too many elite members. Hilton gives it away, and anyone who has done even a medium level of activity at Marriott over their career probably has lifetime Plat status. While I wish hotels, Marriott and Hilton specifically, would return service levels to what they were in 2019, I guess I don’t really see their incentive to do so.
While Hyatt (in the US) still seems reluctant to open their lounges, I don’t really care because lounge offerings in the US suck. With the exception of the fmr Grand Hyatt NY, I haven’t dealt with any Hyatt shenanigans, so they remain my preference.
I’m a Hilton Diamond Member, and I literally have to fight for every benefit, each time i stay. Not what I signed up for.
How difficult would it have been to actually talk to some hotel operators or operations staff for this article? There is almost no insight into the reality of the actual work it takes to offer these services, or the amount of time it takes to hire staff to return to the pre pandemic levels of offerings. A few months of booming rates is nice for the industry, but it doesn’t mean that everything is just back to normal. You would think that someone who writes about hospitality for a living would know that media quotes from hotel CEOs are not going to give you much insight into the day to day of running a hotel. Or that an editor for a travel website might say “go back and flesh out this article a bit” before publishing. But admittedly, I know as much about how travel websites work as this guy does about hotels apparently. Everyone I know in this industry is working long hours, filling multiple roles, and tying to return our industry to where it was before. But if it’s not happening at the rate you want it too it’s not fast enough?
In regards to the comments, I don’t know about every hotel but literally most have switched daily housekeeping to a request as opposed to the default option. Because not everyone needs or wants housekeeping every day. And because of staffing levels it allows the people who clean the rooms and run the housekeeping department to go home after ten and twelve hour days. And get two days off. But”gasp!” You might have to request it? How dare hotels?!? The audacity! How will they ever survive.
@Joe Hotel – Is it your assertion that a single site that took PPP loans and have all-time high current occupancy (with potentially all-time high rates) will defend not putting out a box of cereal, milk, and bowls because the extra $50/night (on a $150 nightly rate) they are getting over their 2019 numbers can’t squeeze it in (not everyone eats breakfast and not every guest in single occupancy)?
I’ll make you a deal. I will reach out to some hoteliers and ask for them to share their books so that I can demonstrate that they are actually in a worse position than in 2019 and will defend to my dying breath that they can’t possibly afford late checkouts, daily housekeeping, nor the costs of maintaining a lounge. But at the same time, if I don’t have any takers, we are going to have to agree that their plight might be hyperbole after an undoubtedly difficult two years of a pandemic.
For what it’s worth, I am an owner or stakeholder in four businesses. I started a travel agency during the pandemic (I guess that MBA didn’t pay off.) I have covered the industry, spoken with managers and staff members, on both a local and corporate level. I don’t want to diminish what they’ve been through which was worse than what many of the rest of us endured. However, higher costs matter only when you have the same or lower revenue. When the revenue offsets the costs, and more rooms are filled vs 2019 numbers which included those benefits, then you’d also have to agree that some hoteliers would rather take the profits than return to the same level of service.
AMEN!
Slamming the complaints of your customers, even if misinformed in your view, is typically not going to help win friends and new revenue. That you cannot find qualified staff to show up would seem, just may be, that economic storm clouds are rising and building a bit of good will might be helpful. Or keep slamming customers for complaining but please do check in during the next economic downturn, whenever that might be, to let us know how this strategy plays put.
I’ve gone from Diamond status at Hilton to searching for the rates and amenities I want for a particular trip on booking.com or airbnb. It’s obvious that hotel chains don’t give a flying duck about customers anymore. Since my loyalty means nothing to them there’s no point in having any.
I was also shocked recently as a Hilton Diamond Honors member to adjust a 4-night stay to 3 nights and be told the entire reservation would be booked at the current market price – resulting in MORE money for LESS nights! The Hilton Honors desk said this was a new policy they are using post-COVID that mirrors the airline’s policies of rebooks. What?!
Hoping sanity returns to protect business travelers.
The rates being charged today in London and other major markets are jaw-dropping.
You know how you put your trash outside the door for pick up? How about we all start doing the same when it’s time for a bed to be remade? I stay at hotels regularly for business travel and I don’t need a lot, but I do need my trash taken out and my bed made as if I were at home. What happened to traveling making you feel pampered? I think these executives and owners are out of touch with the guests that stay with them.
Breaking news!!! Corporations are generally scum and want to do AMYTHING to increase profits.
What a shocker.
I’m a Marriott Titanium and have never seen it this bad since I started traveling in 1998. Their “guarantees” remind me of the scene in Tommy Boy about marking guaranteed on the side of a box. Those guarantees are only honoured when convenient…and for marketing. Case in point: Last week attempted to book hotel in Singapore. All sold out. Called Titanium line. Their answer? Sorry, the properties “won’t let me override the sold out status so I can’t book you.” Hmmm…not so guaranteed. And prior to calling I actually got the hotel to send me in-writing that there were no special events during my desired booking days. I filed a complaint. The response: It looks like you booked a different hotel so you’re all good, you have a room to stay in. Makes me want to status match to a different chain, Although the grass is never greener anyway…
Hotels were decimated because everyone chose to “follow” the science. You did this to yourself. The PPP money went to cover our employees payroll when we had no work to give them. Now we can’t get them to work now that travelers are back.