Cheap tickets Room Location

[Mouskemom]

For those who have booked through CheapTickets, do you find you get a less desirable room location or is it the same as it would be booking through Loews?

 

[jrw118]

I just stayed at portifino on Wednesday night. We were upgraded for a bay room to a deluxe. Room 3567 with full balcony. It was fantastic. The most beautiful hotel I have ever stayed at. Also stayed at royal pacific on Monday. Room was standard. I do not think my booking at cheaptickets influenced room location

 

[Mouskemom]

So glad to hear this. Sounds like you had a great trip.

 

[macraven]

i have never heard or read that the way you booked will influence the room you end up getting.

front desk will only have the info if you paid in full or paid first night stay only.

any requests will be on the list that the scheduler receives so they won't be aware of how your booking was set up.

 

[keishashadow]

mac - i can't say i have inside knowledge of how Loews runs their front desks or makes assignments. However, I had always thought that hotels would service their direct bookings first before those of 3rd party (orbitz, expedia, cheaptickets) & opaque sites (hotwire/priceline/LMT). I have often wondered exactly what the OP has asked.

If you go to trip advisor and look at reviews, many of the negative comments for properties with otherwise high rankings are from those who booked non-direct and were unhappy with their room assignment.

Loews, like many other hotel chains, has their own rewards program. If you join YouFirst and attach the information to your reservation, it was my assumption it would be indicated on your reservation, along with your preferences as to room selection, etc., just as with other hoteliers. Loyalty programs are designed to reward repeat guests and I have found that written requests for specific upgrades as to floor/view/bedding type (even if they would be in another/higher booking category) are often granted automatically when the hotel is not at full occupancy.

I've utilized cheaptickets, orbitz, LMT, hotwire & priceline. The only major issue I've run into involved hotwire & priceline. All they guarantee is a run-of-the house room that will accommodate the number of guests you specify. This is not necessarily at the hotel you booked. Many properties oversell and the first people to get bumped are those booked thru a opaque site. It's not as bad as it sounds since the sold-out hotel will find you a comparable room and refund the cost of the original booking. Doubtful this is common practice at Loews or it would likely have been reported here.

 

[macraven]

well keisha, you sold me with your thoughts.
i'm thinking you are correct, it sounds valid.

i don't use the 3rd party vendors as i have to keep my bookings up to continue at the platinum status with you first.
booking thru the loews site, i have not had any issues with my requests or upgrades.
3rd party bookings do not count for stays in youfirst.

i haven't checked out trip advisor but will do so very soon.

thanks for the heads up.

 

[zbsigpi]

Hotels will look at their rewards members first, then price (normally third party reservations are the cheepest,so they are normally last.) But there are a ton of other factors in there as well that the front desk tries to consider. Placing guests into rooms is not as easy as one would think.