Royal Pacific- not a premier hotel anymore?

[CJN]

I think that they are really going to push Sapphire Falls as a convention hotel. Those people don't need the express pass.

Gulp...... unless you convention like I do. You know, where we blow off the meetings, sneak out of our hotel, slink around behind the shrubbery, make a mad dash for the boat docks, have a wild and crazy day in the parks, do it all in reverse, race back to our room, whip off the Jurassic park t-shirt, put on the button-down, do a last minute check in the mirror for BMG paint, wipe the smile off our faces, and head down to the convention's evening reception pretending to be exhausted from a long day of meetings. Oops, did I just admit to that?!?

 

[Squirlz]

I don't see how you could be looking at information stating RPR offers EP without seeing info stating SF does not on that same page. If you're just going by uninformed word of mouth, that's on you.

 

[bumbershoot]

I received a nice glossy brochure through the mail about Sapphire Falls. My understanding is that Sapphire Falls will have Early Entry but not Express Pass. Royal Pacific currently has both. This brochure suggests that Royal and Sapphire are in the same class of hotel:

Anyone know what's going on??

I can barely even read that.

If I got it in the mail, I would read it. All of it. I am going to make a big assumption that that tiny print explains it more.

Or if I can't read it, I'll go here: https://www.universalorlando.com/Hotels/Theme-Park-Hotels.aspx

And read all about it. Like where it says "Preferred – Relaxing getaways offering the perfect blend of resort conveniences and amenities." Doesn't say the SAME amenities or conveniences, but that they have the perfect blend.

Then I would go further down that page.

Prime Value: Cabana Bay, with early park admission.
Preferred: Sapphire, with early park admission.
Preferred: Royal Pacific, with early park admission and unlimited express pass and priority seating at restaurants.
Premier: Hard Rock, with early park admission and unlimited express pass and priority seating at restaurants.
Premier: Portofino Bay, with early park admission and unlimited express pass and priority seating at restaurants.

That is going to confuse so many people! How many people will book SF thinking they get EP?

Not sure how many will. Those that book like that will be people who don't read what they are booking, that's for sure.

That's why the whole point of this topic is asking why complicate things for guests by having different hotel perks for the same hotel category

In a brochure. How many people are going to get that? I didn't, for instance.

Brochures used to prompt people to call and speak to CS agents to learn more. Now they might do that, and they might also prompt a person to go to the website to learn more. Brochures don't have all info (though actually they often do...you just have to read the whole thing...though i can't say that for sure with this since I can't read much of the writing on it). Websites have a ton and CS reps do, too. The website has, with one easy click (maybe a hover and a click or perhaps a hover, click and click), a ton of info. Specific info. All listed out.


Doing the Uni vacation is easy.

But no one ever said you shouldn't *read* about where you're going. Gotta read. That's why they make these websites.


If you guys are really upset about it, contact Universal! Give them feedback.

 

[EveDallas]

I can barely even read that.

If I got it in the mail, I would read it. All of it. I am going to make a big assumption that that tiny print explains it more.

Or if I can't read it, I'll go here: https://www.universalorlando.com/Hotels/Theme-Park-Hotels.aspx

And read all about it. Like where it says "Preferred – Relaxing getaways offering the perfect blend of resort conveniences and amenities." Doesn't say the SAME amenities or conveniences, but that they have the perfect blend.

Then I would go further down that page.

Prime Value: Cabana Bay, with early park admission.
Preferred: Sapphire, with early park admission.
Preferred: Royal Pacific, with early park admission and unlimited express pass and priority seating at restaurants.
Premier: Hard Rock, with early park admission and unlimited express pass and priority seating at restaurants.
Premier: Portofino Bay, with early park admission and unlimited express pass and priority seating at restaurants.





Not sure how many will. Those that book like that will be people who don't read what they are booking, that's for sure.





In a brochure. How many people are going to get that? I didn't, for instance.

Brochures used to prompt people to call and speak to CS agents to learn more. Now they might do that, and they might also prompt a person to go to the website to learn more. Brochures don't have all info (though actually they often do...you just have to read the whole thing...though i can't say that for sure with this since I can't read much of the writing on it). Websites have a ton and CS reps do, too. The website has, with one easy click (maybe a hover and a click or perhaps a hover, click and click), a ton of info. Specific info. All listed out.


Doing the Uni vacation is easy.

But no one ever said you shouldn't *read* about where you're going. Gotta read. That's why they make these websites.


If you guys are really upset about it, contact Universal! Give them feedback.

Exactly. There's really nothing confusing about it. If someone books a hotel without doing five minutes of reading about what said hotel offers, that's on them. Not to mention the fact that the much cheaper price for SF should give people a clue.

 

[damo]

This info isn't just in the brochure, it is first page when you click the hotel link on www.universalorlando.com

https://www.universalorlando.com/Hotels/Theme-Park-Hotels.aspx

I just don't understand why they needed to categorize.

 

[chmurf]

I just don't understand why they needed to categorize

@damo nailed it

The debate has veered off topic
It initially was about RPR no longer being a Premier Hotel, which brings it in the same category as Sapphire Falls but with non aligned perks

Yes, there is enough information available for guests to know what perks they get. But that's not the issue. You are all right that if a guest can't read or make enough research, then it's on them. But that's not the point

@damo has the point
Why recategorize and create a category where the ''items'' are not similar ?
Example : Why would you put an appetizer in the entrée section of a menu ? Yes the guest can read and find out by reading. But putting the appetizer in the entree section only makes sens if the restaurant has the intention of offering a bigger plate and turn that appy into a real entree, if that makes sense
That's what categories are made for

The question behind the topic here is that re-categorizing RPR in the same category as SF only makes sense if there are plans (even remote) to align perks between the 2 hotels of that category

Q : why do you make categories ?
A : to group similar things together

Grouping a non EP hotel with an EP hotel only makes sense if there is a plan to take EP from RPR or give EP to SF or otherwise give some form of similar perks to both hotels

If you own a pet shop and have ''dogs'', ''cats'' and ''birds departments, it doesn't make sense having cats in the dogs department and justify it by saying that your customers should be able to tell a cat from a dog.
That would just defeat the whole purpose of having departments/categories

So the real issue here is WHY remove RPR from the premier category and put it with SF in their own category if perks remain unchanged ?

 

[Kivara]

Just a Q, because I do not know WAS RP moved from a Premier to a Preferred? I thought RP was always categorized as a Preferred hotel and SF was just added to that category?

I see both sides, but personally it doesn't bother me. They could reclassify RP as a Jupiter hotel with space benefits, and I wouldn't care. I know what I like, and that's where I stay. I know there will be people out there that won't bother to research, but maybe that will be an eye-opener to research a bit better. Oh well, just my 2 cents.

 

[chmurf]

JI know what I like, and that's where I stay. I know there will be people out there that won't bother to research, .

Agzin, it's not about research
It's about the re-categorizing only making sense for example if RPR loses the EP in a not too distant future
And for those who like to stay there, it might be bothersome having to choose between RPR and EPs

I'm not saying it will happen. I only say that recategorizing only makes sense if they plan on changing the perks of either RPR (downgrade perks) or of SF (upgrade perks)

 

[damo]

@damo nailed it

The debate has veered off topic
It initially was about RPR no longer being a Premier Hotel, which brings it in the same category as Sapphire Falls but with non aligned perks

Yes, there is enough information available for guests to know what perks they get. But that's not the issue. You are all right that if a guest can't read or make enough research, then it's on them. But that's not the point

@damo has the point
Why recategorize and create a category where the ''items'' are not similar ?
Example : Why would you put an appetizer in the entrée section of a menu ? Yes the guest can read and find out by reading. But putting the appetizer in the entree section only makes sens if the restaurant has the intention of offering a bigger plate and turn that appy into a real entree, if that makes sense
That's what categories are made for

The question behind the topic here is that re-categorizing RPR in the same category as SF only makes sense if there are plans (even remote) to align perks between the 2 hotels of that category

Q : why do you make categories ?
A : to group similar things together

Grouping a non EP hotel with an EP hotel only makes sense if there is a plan to take EP from RPR or give EP to SF or otherwise give some form of similar perks to both hotels

If you own a pet shop and have ''dogs'', ''cats'' and ''birds departments, it doesn't make sense having cats in the dogs department and justify it by saying that your customers should be able to tell a cat from a dog.
That would just defeat the whole purpose of having departments/categories

So the real issue here is WHY remove RPR from the premier category and put it with SF in their own category if perks remain unchanged ?

Exactly. Why are RPR and SF in the same category? Why are SFR and CBBR not in the same category? That would make a lot more sense to me. Keep PBH, HRH and RPR in one category. Put SFR and CBBR in another or put SFR in its own and CBBR in its own.

The only similarity for categorization that I can see is room size and that's not mentioned in the amenities.

Yes, people can read that the amenities are different but what is the point of having them bunched the way they have now on the website? If you look at the listed amenities on the website, PBH, HRH and RPR have the same amenities and SFR and CBBR have the same amenities, yet they are in different categories.

https://www.universalorlando.com/Hotels/Theme-Park-Hotels.aspx#LSFR

 

[angryduck71]

Maybe they could lower the price of RPR then. LOL

 

[EveDallas]

Obviously, we're not all going to agree. Disney does the same damn thing, but no one freaks. Pop Century and the All Stars are all values, but no one mentions that POP has dedicated bus service and the others share buses. AKL and the Grand Floridian are both deluxe, but no monorail service from AKL.

 

[chmurf]

Pop Century and the All Stars are all values, but no one mentions that POP has dedicated bus service and the others share buses. AKL and the Grand Floridian are both deluxe, but no monorail service from AKL.

Apples and oranges


The type of transportation is not a perk. It doesn't matter what color the bus is, or how old is the driver, guests still get free and efficient transportation.

If PBH had the express passes printed on a plastic card, HRH on Tyvvek and RPR on plain paper, it would be irrelevant to the perk which is Epress Pass and would not prompt for different categories just because they use a different media type

 

[EveDallas]

Apples and oranges


The type of transportation is not a perk. It doesn't matter what color the bus is, or how old is the driver, guests still get free and efficient transportation.

If PBH had the express passes printed on a plastic card, HRH on Tyvvek and RPR on plain paper, it would be irrelevant to the perk which is Epress Pass and would not prompt for different categories just because they use a different media type

Whatever. I don't know why this is such a big deal to you. Anyone who can read can see what benefits the hotels get. If someone sees a category and blindly books due to that, then that person is stupid. Period.

 

[damo]

Whatever. I don't know why this is such a big deal to you. Anyone who can read can see what benefits the hotels get. If someone sees a category and blindly books due to that, then that person is stupid. Period.

Because express is such a HUGE perk, you'd think it would be a deciding factor in categorization....at least for the top level. It really makes me wonder what the real reason is for the separation and if RPR is not long for the express pass perk. Are they starting to prepare people now for it by doing the separation and then they're just going to sneak in the removal of express? If they would have put Sapphire Falls in with Cabana Bay, I wouldn't have given it a second thought, but putting Sapphire Falls in with RPR makes me wonder.

 

[pcstang]

I could care less about the categories. I see both sides of argument. One thing I'm wondering though is if pool hopping will continue. 1000 rooms right next to Royal and vice versa...

 

[chmurf]

Whatever. I don't know why this is such a big deal to you. Anyone who can read can see what benefits the hotels get. If someone sees a category and blindly books due to that, then that person is stupid. Peri

Once again this debate is not about reading the benefits.

It's about how a change of category means a foreseeable change of perks
RPR losing Epress would amount to a price hike of the Express Pass through a hotel booking, since it would be required to book more expensive HRH or PBH to get them

You're missing the point, because the concern here is the foreseeable loss of EP for RPR due to no longer being a Premier hotel
You, like many here, insist that Joe Average should read the benefits, and it's on them if they don't notice that Preferred Sapphire does not get Preferred RPR's express passes
But that's a million miles away from what we're saying.

We're saying : one category, one set of perks
Meaning that, if the category change makes sense, RPR could no longer have EPs, so the whole talk about someone booking preferred and not notice the perks are different would just be irrelevant, as both RPR and SFR would hve the same perks to begin with

The main issue is a foreseeable price hike or pricing structure change for Express Pass, and THAT is on all of us if we can't read between the lines of that category change

 

[schumigirl]

Whatever. I don't know why this is such a big deal to you. Anyone who can read can see what benefits the hotels get. If someone sees a category and blindly books due to that, then that person is stupid. Period.

I agree.

No one knows what changes are ahead, if any for these resorts.

If you are booking now for RPR you have EP. I for one won't be looking further than that.

 

[damo]

I agree.

No one knows what changes are ahead, if any for these resorts.

If you are booking now for RPR you have EP. I for one won't be looking further than that.

Nope, no one knows what changes are ahead, but it is interesting to discuss them. That's one of the things I really like about this board. We can discuss things politely. I think that was the intention of the OP.

 

[schumigirl]

Nope, no one knows what changes are ahead, but it is interesting to discuss them. That's one of the things I really like about this board. We can discuss things politely. I think that was the intention of the OP.

Yes that's true, but some people on the boards seem to be dismissive of others opinions.

 

[damo]

Yes that's true, but some people on the boards seem to be dismissive of others opinions.

I just think that there were different points that were being discussed and that lead to some confusion. Some people were discussing that the various categories would or would not mislead people and others were discussing that the different categories might or might not be indicative of something else.