No sleeping late at the Hyatt?

[muffinbuffer]

I actually thought I'd posted this almost a week ago, but hadn't. Maybe I was sleep-deprived!

I bid $69 per night for a Priceline.com 3-star hoping to get the Hyatt. I did. I'd never stayed there before, but read good things here. As much as I like the Sofitel and the Vogue, I preferred to apply my budget to other expenditures. I like the Omni and Sheraton just fine but really dislike the Hilton so decided to risk a 3-star.

Many things about it were quite nice, including a location that was walking distance for many places I like to go, nearby Metro, the IGA and SAQ downstairs for necessities, and a surprisingly nice pool and steam room.

I checked in late Thursday, had a couple of very active meetings with 2 new business associates, then went out for a late dinner. I hit the sack about 0200. I'd made sure the Do Not Disturb thingy was in my door lock. Housekeeping phoned my room at 1130 to inform me it was there and to ask when they could clean my room. I figured it was time to get up anyway and was in a good mood from the previous night so got up, showered, and left in search of lunch.

Friday night I had a couple more somewhat draining meetings with two more new associates that ended at 0100. Thank goodness l'Express is open until 0300! I'd had a bit of wine with each of my new friends and a half-bottle at the restaurant and was quite ready for some sleep when I got back to the Hyatt. I made a point of stopping at the front desk and boozily insisting they put no phone calls through to my room until 1400 before heading upstairs and putting the Do Not Disturb thing in the lock and going to bed at 0400.

On Saturday morning, they let me sleep 10 more minutes (until 1140) before phoning to ask when they could clean my room. I took a few minutes to clear my head then phoned the front desk and asked to speak with a manager. I told her what had happened. To my surprise, she confirmed "That is policy. They are not supposed to knock or enter your room when it says Do Not Disturb, so they phone." I was simply gobsmacked! I tried making the point that the phone is also a disturbance and that I was a big boy and wanted to choose my own bedtime and time to get up. She wasn't much impressed by this.

I've stayed in more hotels in more countries than I can count, from breathtakingly expensive boutique places to ones I'd call fleabags except I'm not sure fleas are that brave. Never before has something like this happened.

Do they let you other guys sleep late at the Hyatt?

 

[bond_james_bond]

I've never stayed at the Hyatt, but as a Priceline customer, I haven't experienced any significant "Priceline discrimination" that seriously upset me.

You don't get your choice of rooms, but that only happens when the hotel is fully booked. The only other thing I've noticed is that you can't cancel your reservation, but only people who pay the highest hotel rates listed on the website are able to cancel with no penalty.

Of course, for VIP rates or loyalty program privileges, you get extra stuff like free breakfast, room upgrades, etc., but that's besides the point.

If it weren't for you, the hotel would receive $0 for that room.

I think the phone calls has more to do with housekeeping policy and not room rates. You could always turn the ringer off, or disconnect the phone.

 

[Special K]

I suggest unplugging the phone if you return.

 

[super hiro]

I stayed at the Hyatt for the first time last month. Even though I booked through PL, the girl at the front desk went out of her way to have a room cleaned for me ASAP. I was quite impressed and she was cute. lol.

 

[muffinbuffer]

Maxima, I always tip the cleaning staff and I did so when I left at the end of my stay. I didn't have a chance to before my first involuntary wake-up call because they threw me out of the room before I was fully awake.

Let's get this clear: you're apparently in agreement that when I rent a hotel room and put out the "do not disturb" sign, the cleaning staff get to decide when I need to wake up and get out?! Recall that I still had two more days to go at this point. What if I had just flown halfway across the world and was seriously jet-lagged? What if I'd had a critical afternoon or evening business meeting?

I figure if I don't want my bed made and my towels replaced, then I have nobody to blame but myself if I leave out the Do Not Disturb sign for the entire stay.

I don't think this is at all a Priceline thing. I think it's an issue of not wanting to have to check back to see if the sign's down so they can get in.

 

[metoo4]

Muffin, the house keeping call was unprofessional. Even more since you specified you did not want phone calls.

I was told by a Marriott Manager once that the DND sign is a solid "leave me alone!" in all the serious hotels. It basically mean "this room is no longer part of the hotel" as far as house keeping is concerned. House Keeping should only note the situation in their log and don't bug you. If they need more info, they can contact the "gouvernante" and she'll call front desk to see if there's special instructions. What you experienced was a case of a cleaning lady who wanted to ensure she won't have to stay late to clean your room, and that's unacceptable.

In these cases where you get a stupid answer when you complain, you don't want to talk to the front desk shift manager, you need to talk to the hotel's General Manager. If this doesn't work, you call straight to the head office of the chain. After I suggested that was my next step, at a Marriott, I never had problems with house keeping again, and that was almost a year ago. I still go to the same hotel almost 1-2 days a week since then.

The only time they'd be allowed to call when you said you didn't want to get disturbed would be if you checked-out that same day or if they didn't visit your room for a few day. Even then, they should first check for special instructions.

 

[bond_james_bond]

People have died in hotel rooms.

I wonder what their policy is; at some point, do they HAVE to check up on you?

I was watching the movie Seven; there was a scene where a guy was tied in bed for a year, but the rent was always paid, so no one gave a crap.

 

[Ben Dover]

I would have been royally pissed off if I were you... If you ask not to be disturbed by phone, it's exatcly the same things as the sign on the door -- THEY ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO CALL YOU! Period. Other than being past checkout time (if you are leaving that day) or if the fucking building is on fire, there are few valid excuses for disturbing you when you have specifically asked not to be disturbed, AND they've already confirmed that your request has been received. I would write a little to the Hyatt head office and complain. The whole priceline part has nothing to do with this at all. It's just a problem in the future, if you use them again, you might end up at a hotel you don't want to be at... Most hotels can put a "do not disturb" on your phone and all calls go to voice mail. If not, I suggest you just unplug it as said...

BD

 

[muffinbuffer]

I have sent an email to Hyatt and will let you all know what they end up saying.

 

[EagerBeaver]

If you ask not to be disturbed by phone, it's exatcly the same things as the sign on the door -- THEY ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO CALL YOU! Period. Other than being past checkout time (if you are leaving that day) or if the fucking building is on fire, there are few valid excuses for disturbing you when you have specifically asked not to be disturbed
BD

I agree........and I don't know what valid excuses there might be other than:

(1) The Hyatt or the Complex Desjardins is on fire;
(2) Being past checkout time, which appears not to be the case here.

Is it possible that muffinbuffer made two (2) PL reservations and forgot to inform the Hyatt at check in? If you don't do this, the hotel will assume you should be checked out of the room even if the other reservation starts the same day. I had this happen one time, and the hotel called me to ask me WTF, but I was awake and I told them I had another reservation. They then told me I had to come down and check in again. This did not happen at the Hyatt, though. I think it was at the Sheraton, but was so long ago I am not sure.

 

[IamNY]

They did the same thing to me. I thought that the Hyatt was awesome otherwise.

 

[jacep]

I was told by a Marriott Manager once that the DND sign is a solid "leave me alone!" in all the serious hotels. It basically mean "this room is no longer part of the hotel" as far as house keeping is concerned. House Keeping should only note the situation in their log and don't bug you. If they need more info, they can contact the "gouvernante" and she'll call front desk to see if there's special instructions. What you experienced was a case of a cleaning lady who wanted to ensure she won't have to stay late to clean your room, and that's unacceptable.

In these cases where you get a stupid answer when you complain, you don't want to talk to the front desk shift manager, you need to talk to the hotel's General Manager. If this doesn't work, you call straight to the head office of the chain. After I suggested that was my next step, at a Marriott, I never had problems with house keeping again, and that was almost a year ago. I still go to the same hotel almost 1-2 days a week since then.

The only time they'd be allowed to call when you said you didn't want to get disturbed would be if you checked-out that same day or if they didn't visit your room for a few day. Even then, they should first check for special instructions.

Well, at the Marriott Residence Inn, I twice caught the cleaning staff ignoring my "No Service" sign. Once was when I was actually with a SP (SexyTamara) and the "No Service" sign was on my door knob. Someone tried to get into my room to replenish the coffee filters. It was a good thing that I had locked the door with the bolt as well as the handle. But this didn't stop him from knocking on the door for a good minute or two until Tamara noticed that someone was at the door. After the encounter when Tamara left, I passed by the front desk, they apologized and told me that the person had the wrong room number.

The other time was when I was preparing to check out and the cleaning lady was on my floor. I had checked-in with 3 bags (1 luggage bag, 1 gym bag, and 1 laptop bag) so I decided to take 2 of my bags immediately to my car. When she saw me leaving the room with 2 bags in my hands, she assumed that I had checked out but left the "No Service" sign on my door and went into my room. After I placed the items in my car, I took the elevator back to my floor, I noticed that she was exiting my room. The bag that I had left in my room was my laptop bag so I was somewhat annoyed that she entered when the sign on the door knob indicated that I didn't want any service. She then excused herself and told me that she thought I checked out and left the sign on my door by mistake. I confirmed that I was checking out today but only brought a few items down to my car.

When I was in Florida a few years ago on vacation, I had the DND sign on my door knob and the housekeeping service opened my door while I was coming out of the washroom from taking a shower.

I now assume that the cleaning staff or hotel staff will ignore the signs when they deem it necessary.

 

[metoo4]

Same Residence Inn I guess! On Lincoln? I raised some shit last time they did that to me and, since then, no problems! They are the ones who confirmed to me the meaning of the sign, ie "the room dissapear".

I left at 14:00 one day, even if I was checking-out that day! I finished work at 4:00am at my customer (was supposed to be 20:00 previous evening) so I passed by the reception and asked not to be disturb till I leave and told them I'd leave around 14:00. No knock, no phone calls! I was left alone till I left! It wasn't the high season and I'm there almost every week so, this might be some priviledges I got?

Also, I noticed that every time I leave and the cleaning lady see me, she ask if I'm leaving for good. That must be your doing Jimace!

I once got one of these lady opening the door while I was "on the throne". Knock-knock and the door open without leaving me time to reply!! Don't know if it was the smell or my protestations but she didn't even make it to the bathroom door!