Anyone Here Work for a Hotel Assigning Rooms?

[BrianL]

We don't typically use any of the hotel apps. We stay at so many brands that our phones would be full of apps. It's probably time that we got over caring about that & started using them though.

If you travel a lot it would be beneficial to join a loyalty program (preferably Hilton Honors ) to earn points and status, not to mention selecting your far-from-the-elevator room. Do what works for you of course, but these options are available.

 

[tony67]

Room assignment (or requests) are usually dealt with a day or two in advance - since you book on that day I doubt anyone sees anything till you check in.

At check in you can request and they will usually try their best - but honestly even with Dimond or Titanium status at Hilton and Marriott they wont do much if you book day of, but they will try (or at least pretend to try).

If you don't have status with a hotel and stay Id look into that - maybe even getting a credit card that gives you some sort of status.
Again - even with status - its all just a request.

 

[lovesmurfs]

If you travel a lot it would be beneficial to join a loyalty program (preferably Hilton Honors ) to earn points and status, not to mention selecting your far-from-the-elevator room. Do what works for you of course, but these options are available.

Agree. I only have a few that I gravitate to: Hilton (yes, @BrianL!); Marriott; and Best Western.

Frankly, Best Western has really great deals for members (I've been able to stay free a few times because of well-timed promotions) and they take dogs as a brand -- I don't have to double check.

 

[jalapeno_pretzel]

Most hotels we've stayed at in the past decade or so are so well soundproofed we really never noticed elevator noise, even when right adjacent. There was maybe one a couple of years ago that got kind of noisy in the morning but it actually seemed like some kind of maintenance needed on it, and later in the day it was out of service.

 

[tarheelmjfan]

If you travel a lot it would be beneficial to join a loyalty program (preferably Hilton Honors ) to earn points and status, not to mention selecting your far-from-the-elevator room. Do what works for you of course, but these options are available.

Room assignment (or requests) are usually dealt with a day or two in advance - since you book on that day I doubt anyone sees anything till you check in.

At check in you can request and they will usually try their best - but honestly even with Dimond or Titanium status at Hilton and Marriott they wont do much if you book day of, but they will try (or at least pretend to try).

If you don't have status with a hotel and stay Id look into that - maybe even getting a credit card that gives you some sort of status.
Again - even with status - its all just a request.

We are members at 4 loyalty programs some of which we have reached highest status. We haven't gotten a credit card, because I choose based on price (company per diem) location & reviews first. I also choose unique boutique hotels occasionally, if they fit our preferences & appear to offer a better experience. The only time points really influence my decision is when they have an excellent offer. Other than that, the loyalty program is my last consideration.

 

[NYCgrrl]

It’s been sometime since I worked the front desk but elevator/staircase placement never entered the equation. Of course I mostly worked in older urban locales so the buildings weren’t spread out as is often the case now.
We were more concerned with matching bed types than anything else.

 

[NYCgrrl]

We are members at 4 loyalty programs some of which we have reached highest status. We haven't gotten a credit card, because I choose based on price (company per diem) location & reviews first. I also choose unique boutique hotels occasionally, if they fit our preferences & appear to offer a better experience. The only time points really influence my decision is when they have an excellent offer. Other than that, the loyalty program is my last consideration.

I noticed you travel frequently . Is Philly a place you go to? Our fav was the Penn’s View but there’s been some changes that make it difficult for me to visit. I’m looking for a non or small chain boutique hotel thats wheelchair accessible. If you know of something I’d love a recommendation

 

[RedAngie]

I’m the one who always makes our hotel reservations. We try to stay at Hilton brands most of the time for the points and our room preferences are on file. We prefer the highest floor possible, and as far away from the elevator as possible.

I like that I can pick my room for Hilton brands on their app. Granted, sometimes the selection is rather limited and only “less desirable” rooms by my standards are available.

 

[Deb]

not all hotels pre assign rooms and even if they do there is juggling that gets done. Someone shows up before their assigned room is clean, an expected check out extends...
My point is, it's always best to make requests in advance but even at check in you can say "do you have anything away from the elevators?"

 

[tarheelmjfan]

Agree. I only have a few that I gravitate to: Hilton (yes, @BrianL!); Marriott; and Best Western.

Frankly, Best Western has really great deals for members (I've been able to stay free a few times because of well-timed promotions) and they take dogs as a brand -- I don't have to double check.

I agree that Best Western is the best for accumulating points. You can use their points for some nice hotels in vacation destinations. As long as you're choosy about which ones you book, you can get some really good deals. Unfortunately, you can also happen upon some "never agains". That's pretty much true with all brands though.

Most hotels we've stayed at in the past decade or so are so well soundproofed we really never noticed elevator noise, even when right adjacent. There was maybe one a couple of years ago that got kind of noisy in the morning but it actually seemed like some kind of maintenance needed on it, and later in the day it was out of service.

We travel to some areas that haven't had a hotel built in decades. The whole area may have less than a handful of places to choose from, including AirBnB. Lack of soundproofing isn't uncommon.

I noticed you travel frequently . Is Philly a place you go to? Our fav was the Penn’s View but there’s been some changes that make it difficult for me to visit. I’m looking for a non or small chain boutique hotel thats wheelchair accessible. If you know of something I’d love a recommendation

We're actually going to Philly for the first time at the end of our current trip. I haven't even looked for a hotel there yet. I'm still trying to find a place to stay for our next two destinations. I really should be doing that now rather than posting on the DIS. That said, I'll let you know, if I happen upon something good.

I also have to avoid hotels that aren't handicap friendly. My knees are toast, so stairs are out. If I find a hotel that looks promising, but doesn't have an elevator, we call to see if they will guarantee the ground floor. If not, we have to look elsewhere.

 

[china mom]

I have the opposite problem. My last few trips I have had the absolute farthest rom form the elevator in rather large hotels. I leave my ECV in the car and DH carries the 30 pound battery to the room. It has become a joke about us knowing we will have a mile walk to and from our room before we check in.

 

[tarheelmjfan]

I have the opposite problem. My last few trips I have had the absolute farthest rom form the elevator in rather large hotels. I leave my ECV in the car and DH carries the 30 pound battery to the room. It has become a joke about us knowing we will have a mile walk to and from our room before we check in.

Maybe, we could coordinate our stays, so we could switch rooms.

 

[tony67]

We are members at 4 loyalty programs some of which we have reached highest status. We haven't gotten a credit card, because I choose based on price (company per diem) location & reviews first. I also choose unique boutique hotels occasionally, if they fit our preferences & appear to offer a better experience. The only time points really influence my decision is when they have an excellent offer. Other than that, the loyalty program is my last consideration.

Not really about points - if you have status they are much more likely to consider your requests and not give you a bad room - for Marriott and Hilton they are supposed to give you the best available room especially if your at the highest level - the points are usual not worth it anymore - but again if you book on the day they don't have to do much for you at all.

 

[focusondisney]

It's funny you say that. I'm currently sitting in a Hilton Garden Inn behind the elevator. Maybe, you could hook us up. I will say it's been fairly quiet. I heard a couple groups early this morning, but that's been it.

Our biggest problem is we rarely book our hotels far in advance. Most are booked same day. My top priorities are location & reviews at that point. We've resigned ourselves to taking the room we get, but you all have convinced me that it wouldn't hurt to call to make a request, even if we're only a few hours away.

As my husband would say…. There’s your problem right there Vern. Booking same day, you get what’s left. People who booked months or weeks out have requested or were already assigned other rooms, leaving only the more undesirable rooms available for you.

 

[tarheelmjfan]

As my husband would say…. There’s your problem right there Vern. Booking same day, you get what’s left. People who booked months or weeks out have requested or were already assigned other rooms, leaving only the more undesirable rooms available for you.

Are most rooms really assigned far in advance? Based on what I've read, it appears room assignments, even at Disney, appear to be luck of the draw. It's like winning the lottery to get all of your requests. I realize some chains offer a better chance of receiving the location you want, but do they assign those rooms far in advance.

We understand that booking same day limits our options. I was just curious as to why we were always being assigned the same room location, even in a hotel that's far from full. Are the rooms closest to the elevator the least desirable rooms at every hotel? I really don't know. If they are, why are we assigned those rooms at a high percentage? Inquiring minds want to know.

 

[tony67]

Are most rooms really assigned far in advance? Based on what I've read, it appears room assignments, even at Disney, appear to be luck of the draw. It's like winning the lottery to get all of your requests. I realize some chains offer a better chance of receiving the location you want, but do they assign those rooms far in advance.

We understand that booking same day limits our options. I was just curious as to why we were always being assigned the same room location, even in a hotel that's far from full. Are the rooms closest to the elevator the least desirable rooms at every hotel? I really don't know. If they are, why are we assigned those rooms at a high percentage? Inquiring minds want to know.

Well all I can say is for Marriott and Hilton I tend to get my room upgraded a couple of days in advance - they don't want the front desk person ignoring the members status.

Even with Dockside at Universal I got a text about a week in advance asking for any requests - and they were able to accommodate me.
I cant say they do that for everyone - but I was staying for 2 weeks and I have stayed for 10 days several times in the past.

Also - the prices tend to be better well in advance - unless you are using something like Hotels.com and not booking direct - and in that case they don't really (have) do anything for you as a member.

 

[RedAngie]

I’m checking into the Hampton Inn near the San Jose, CA airport later today. About 3pm yesterday the Hilton app prompted me to check in and gave me the opportunity to choose a room. There were about 5 or 6 rooms available on each of floors 2 thru 6.

DH and I chose third floor near the elevator but not next to it.

 

[lovesmurfs]

I’m checking into the Hampton Inn near the San Jose, CA airport later today. About 3pm yesterday the Hilton app prompted me to check in and gave me the opportunity to choose a room. There were about 5 or 6 rooms available on each of floors 2 thru 6.

DH and I chose third floor near the elevator but not next to it.

That's been a relatively new add to the Hilton app (maybe last 2 years or so) -- it's really great, but it also depends on your arrival time. If you show up early, it's possible that particular room had a late check out and isn't ready, yet.

 

[RedAngie]

That's been a new add to the Hilton app -- it's really great, but it also depends on your arrival time. If you show up early, it's possible that particular room had a late check out and isn't ready, yet.

Yeah, even if you show up at your indicated arrival time your chosen room might not be ready. That has happened to us once or twice.

Our expected arrival time today is 6pm Pacific so hopefully our room is ready.

 

[happybaker]

Are most rooms really assigned far in advance?

I used to work the front desk at a couple of Marriots and we would assign rooms same day. For us, it was usually done once check-outs were done. We'd start with special requests, and then like @NYCgrrl said, we'd go by bed type.

Both hotels I worked at were located in suburban/corporate areas, so honestly most rooms were the same.