ElainePDX
Level 2 Member
Just wanted to pass along a recent problem I had with back-to-back Carlson award bookings.
We just returned from 6 nights at the Park Inn Vancouver. These nights were all award nights, booked on the Club Carlson website at the end of May, in 2 night increments, using 2 nights from my husband’s personal account, 2 nights from my personal account, and 2 nights from his business account.
Two days before our first check-in, I called to tell the hotel that we would be happy to stay in the same room for the full 6 nights, making it easier for us (no need to move rooms) and making less work for them (easier to tidy a room than to get it ready for a new guest). I also asked nicely whether, as two Gold Club Carlson members celebrating a big birthday as well as an anniversary, we might be upgraded. The person I spoke with said that the hotel was quite full due to the Women’s World Cup games, and she could not promise any upgrades or that we would not have to move rooms. She suggested I call back the following day to speak with the Rooms Division Manager. I asked that she alert her re: the situation.
En route to Vancouver, I reached out to the manager, who was very relieved to be in touch because the hotel’s records did not show all of our reservations, and the dates they had did not exactly match the ones in the message I’d left. Indeed, she did not show us checking in that day. I gave her our confirmation numbers, and she rang off to check the Carlson site.
She did so, found them, and called to assure me that we would indeed have a room for that night, but she’d have to work to make it happen due to the nearly full capacity. She couldn’t promise any specific accommodations but we would have a place to lay our heads. It was not clear exactly what happened, but it sounded like some of the reservations we made on the Carlson website did not make it to the hotel’s reservation system correctly.
Soon after, she called again to say she was putting us in a suite which would be a very nice upgrade for the first two nights, and that she’d make every effort to find a way for us to be able to stay in the same room for the next 4 nights, but it would not be the suite. She did just that. I was extremely impressed with her handling of a situation that was not her fault and her commitment to make it right. While this is not a property that would please those of you interested in aspirational stays, the personal service we received during our 6 nights there, the great location, and the wonderful views kept us quite satisfied.
We've all booked a lot of Carlson rooms to maximize the points. I was surprised that the Park Inn Vancouver's reservation system was independent from the Club Carlson system, and the manager was mystified that the reservations had not transferred over correctly.
So, before you head out on your Carlson 2 for 1 night vacations, I'd suggest a call directly to the property. Since the time between making our reservations and using them was pretty short, I did not bother to garden this reservation; I only called in hopes of an upgrade and to avoid switching rooms. I was lucky that as a result we discovered the problem and that the manager was so committed to making things right.
We just returned from 6 nights at the Park Inn Vancouver. These nights were all award nights, booked on the Club Carlson website at the end of May, in 2 night increments, using 2 nights from my husband’s personal account, 2 nights from my personal account, and 2 nights from his business account.
Two days before our first check-in, I called to tell the hotel that we would be happy to stay in the same room for the full 6 nights, making it easier for us (no need to move rooms) and making less work for them (easier to tidy a room than to get it ready for a new guest). I also asked nicely whether, as two Gold Club Carlson members celebrating a big birthday as well as an anniversary, we might be upgraded. The person I spoke with said that the hotel was quite full due to the Women’s World Cup games, and she could not promise any upgrades or that we would not have to move rooms. She suggested I call back the following day to speak with the Rooms Division Manager. I asked that she alert her re: the situation.
En route to Vancouver, I reached out to the manager, who was very relieved to be in touch because the hotel’s records did not show all of our reservations, and the dates they had did not exactly match the ones in the message I’d left. Indeed, she did not show us checking in that day. I gave her our confirmation numbers, and she rang off to check the Carlson site.
She did so, found them, and called to assure me that we would indeed have a room for that night, but she’d have to work to make it happen due to the nearly full capacity. She couldn’t promise any specific accommodations but we would have a place to lay our heads. It was not clear exactly what happened, but it sounded like some of the reservations we made on the Carlson website did not make it to the hotel’s reservation system correctly.
Soon after, she called again to say she was putting us in a suite which would be a very nice upgrade for the first two nights, and that she’d make every effort to find a way for us to be able to stay in the same room for the next 4 nights, but it would not be the suite. She did just that. I was extremely impressed with her handling of a situation that was not her fault and her commitment to make it right. While this is not a property that would please those of you interested in aspirational stays, the personal service we received during our 6 nights there, the great location, and the wonderful views kept us quite satisfied.
We've all booked a lot of Carlson rooms to maximize the points. I was surprised that the Park Inn Vancouver's reservation system was independent from the Club Carlson system, and the manager was mystified that the reservations had not transferred over correctly.
So, before you head out on your Carlson 2 for 1 night vacations, I'd suggest a call directly to the property. Since the time between making our reservations and using them was pretty short, I did not bother to garden this reservation; I only called in hopes of an upgrade and to avoid switching rooms. I was lucky that as a result we discovered the problem and that the manager was so committed to making things right.
