Status upgrades – best to check-in via app or in person?

[Guernsey Globetrotter]

I have Platinum Elite status and am staying at the House in Barbados from this Thursday for 11 nights.

The Bonvoy app has just prompted me to check-in remotely and on the page it states “Based on room availability at check-in, we’ll do our best to upgrade your room”.

Now this suggests to me that nothing really happens in the app process and it’s all down to the hotel on arrival, in which case I question why I would use the app. At least if you wait til arriving you can hopefully appeal in person. However, if there is a chance of an auto-upgrade on a first-come-first-served basis then I can see why the app process may be better.

Does anyone have any real-world experience of upgrades in either scenario please?

[Kowalski]

I have Ambassador status with Marriott and always check-in using the app 2 days before arrival. If the hotel has availability to upgrade me it will normally show on the app under room type on the booking page info tab on the morning of the day of check-in. Occasionally it will show the day before the arrival day. This is especially so with hotels that I visit quite often. Its the hotels I stay at regularly that tend to give me the best upgrades. In my experience, hotels really value loyalty to them, and not just loyalty to Marriott as a chain

[Guernsey Globetrotter]

Kowalski wrote:

I have Ambassador status with Marriott and always check-in using the app 2 days before arrival. If the hotel has availability to upgrade me it will normally show on the app under room type on the booking page info tab on the morning of the day of check-in. Occasionally it will show the day before the arrival day. This is especially so with hotels that I visit quite often. Its the hotels I stay at regularly that tend to give me the best upgrades. In my experience, hotels really value loyalty to them, and not just loyalty to Marriott as a chain

Hi and thanks for the reply! Coincidentally I have just got back from my stay, where I was upgraded from the regular ocean view room I had booked to an ocean view junior suite (so a one-level upgrade as might be expected). I didn’t use the app but I may try what you have suggested in the future. Interestingly, there were quite a few people who were walked by Marriott from Treasure Beach nearby to stay in the top ocean view suites as the House was only about 1/3 occupancy and apparently Marriott had sold-out Treasure Beach to a group. We got upgraded to the ocean view suite for the last couple of nights of our stay (due to a water leak in our original room) and it was a very nice space.

[Kowalski]

Sounds like you did well, how was the hotel overall?

Forgot to mention also, you can of course message the hotel via the Marriott app once the online check-in has opened. I always check-in straight away and then normally message the hotel via the app the day before to say I’m looking forward to my stay and ask them to add any requests I might have to the reservation and also to let them know I have a food allergy.

Opening dialogue with the hotel seems to be a good idea. If its a special occasion or you’re celebrating anything you can mention that and tell them it would be really appreciated if they have an upgrade available for you

[Chrisasaurus]

There’s an argument that checking in on the app demonstrates you’re likely to turn up, especially relevant for cancellable rates and logically you could imagine that would inform their choices around upgrades

But, truly we don’t know…

[Tariq]

Chrisasaurus wrote:

There’s an argument that checking in on the app demonstrates you’re likely to turn up, especially relevant for cancellable rates and logically you could imagine that would inform their choices around upgrades

But, truly we don’t know…

I used to think this, and always checked in online. Until I arrived late at night (11.30pm) due to a delayed flight and the hotel had reallocated my room and walked me – I don’t bother since then…!

[JDB]

Chrisasaurus wrote:

There’s an argument that checking in on the app demonstrates you’re likely to turn up, especially relevant for cancellable rates and logically you could imagine that would inform their choices around upgrades

But, truly we don’t know…

My view is that of you deal with the hotel in a totally transactional and anonymous manner – online booking, app check-in you will be treated accordingly, even if you insert some loyalty/membership number. If you are going to arrive late, call.

It’s the same with anything – pick up the telephone and speak to someone, things get sorted out. Write an actual letter, handwritten where appropriate and send by post, again gets people’s attention. It’s why, taking the matter back to the post re hotels, those hotels that don’t have formal loyalty schemes look after guests much better than those that give you a number by which to be identified.

[JDB]

My view is that of you deal with a hotel in a totally transactional and anonymous manner – online booking, no communication and app check-in you will be treated accordingly, even if you insert some loyalty/membership number. If you are going to arrive late, ring.