LoyaltyLobby readers have filed lawsuits regarding partial reservation denials and re-accommodation due to “government” takeover of Marriott properties in Abu Dhabi.
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Reader email address:
I have confirmed a reservation for 4 nights in a $1,200/night desert-facing private pool villa at Al Wathba Luxury Collection from January 9th to 13th, 2024. As I write this, I’m at my vacation home.
Shortly after checking in yesterday, and after our ride had already left, my wife and I were informed that we would be kicked out one night early on January 12th because the hotel was booked by the “government.” We were offered to move to the St. Regis Saadiyat Island (a Marriott sister property) for our final night. This is free (but rooms are not assigned). There’s no mention of the $200 + 90,000 points additional coverage of the Titanium Warranty, not that it matters that much in the grand scheme of things. So far I haven’t agreed to anything.
Unfortunately, we will be traveling 6 hours to Abu Dhabi to spend January 12th (my wife’s birthday) in a pool villa and will be returning home on the 13th. For us, January 12th was what this trip was all about.
There are no villas at the St. Regis. Based on your experience, would you be sued if you claimed this was not comparable accommodation and instead insisted on moving to his villa with a pool at the Park Hyatt, for example?
In fact, this is the second time this problem has occurred out of the three times I have stayed at the same hotel. In January 2022, our hotel was downgraded from suites to standard his rooms following a similar request from the government/owner to free all suites and villas for their own use . Apparently January is their favorite time and they can evict any guest if necessary, regardless of status etc.
I am completely shocked by this situation as this is the first time in over 30 years of traveling that I have been walked out of a hotel and it was after I checked in.
Please let us know if you have any suggestions as to what compensation we may be able to claim.
I answered the reader:
They will definitely be obligated to pay you the walking compensation you described and should place you in accommodation similar to the one you booked.
We will explain your request in detail. Ask to be moved to a pool villa in PH and request walking compensation.
Marriott has Ultimate Booking Guarantee We’ve talked about this a few times here at LoyaltyLobby, but there are some things to watch out for, such as when a hotel notifies guests before they check-in that their reservation has been canceled due to overselling.
Believe it or not, the warranty does not apply. Only if you walk in at check-in or during your stay.
Reader follow-up:
There was quite a bit of back and forth as the hotel encouraged us to move to the St. Regis while also agreeing to book at the Park Hyatt. St. Regis’ original offering evolved from complimentary ocean view suites to upsells. So if you pay the same price as Wasbah, you’ll get a two-bedroom Majestic Suite (described as the second largest suite in the resort with its own private pool). I stayed in the Park Hyatt villa and had a great time there tonight. My understanding is that all the other guests either agreed to the St. Regis or canceled.
Al Wathba initially tried to avoid paying the $200 by offering to take a taxi to the St. Regis, about an hour away, but gave up and asked for the AED equivalent of $200 (at the hotel’s exchange rate, of course) at check-in. He gave it to me. Outside. Park He also paid for a Mercedes van to the Hyatt.
Below is the written solution email I received.
“We apologize for the inconvenience and disappointment you experienced during your recent stay at Al Wathba, Luxury Collection.
We understand the importance of celebrating your wife’s birthday at the villa, but we regret that unforeseen circumstances have affected your plans. We would like to assure you that your concerns are being taken seriously and we are committed to making things right.
We will enclose 90,000 Marriott Bonvoy points and $200 in cash and deposit them into your account. Additionally, we are pleased to inform you that, at your request, we have arranged for you to stay in Park Her Hyatt’s ocean-facing one-bedroom pool villa for the evening of January 12th.
We would like to extend our apologies and guarantee you a free upgrade to your villa for future stays (summer season – April to August 2024). Please rest assured that we will do everything possible to prevent this from happening again in the future.
Please feel free to contact us directly regarding your future stay. We will respond carefully. Once again, we apologize for the inconvenience. We look forward to welcoming you back in the future and hope that we can provide you with the excellent service you deserve. ”
As far as I’m concerned this is a satisfactory solution. The final impression was bittersweet as Al Wathba’s staff and hardware products were amazing.
I can’t imagine how much a last minute requisition like this would cost real estate. I’m also surprised that this issue hasn’t been covered much.
We are pleased that the property was willing to work with our guests and honor our ultimate booking guarantee, even if only after a gentle push.
conclusion
In the Middle East and the Maldives, it’s not uncommon for hotels, in whole or in part, to be requisitioned by governments or royal families (and these families are large).
Because hotels are often owned by companies associated with these organizations, there is little consideration given to how booked guests are treated in such situations.
These Marriott Elite Ultimate Reservations and Elite Benefits Guarantees are something you need to know about, and I have exercised several times. Hotels tend to conveniently “forget” or “not realize” their responsibilities until management prompts them to do so.
Handing over the cash is usually the hardest part, and I often agree to extra point compensation worth 0.5 cents for each Bonvoy point (hotels pay 0.55 cents). This is easier financially.
Have you had a Marriott Elite Guarantee case recently? Comment below.