Chase Luxury Hotel And Resort Collection Service Issue

Chase Luxury Hotels and Resort Collection Issue

Stays booked through the Chase Luxury Hotel And Resorts collection have some awesome perks and the prices are very competitive but I recently discovered an issue that you may want to consider before booking.

*Background Note: Here’s a little info on my booking options so you understand why I (luckily) had multiple rooms booked when I arrived at Aria. Each June I travel to Las Vegas during the World Series of Poker for a few weeks. Every year around that same time the deals and promotions for hotel stays are very generous and numerous. Combining promotions and the fact that I get standard comps most nights at several hotels explains why I might book rooms at more than one casino on the same night.*

Must Read: Mastercards Amazing Travel Booking Portal & Why It’s Better than FHR and LHRC

Recent Experience Booking through Chase Luxury Hotel and Resort Collection

I booked Aria through the Chase Luxury Hotels and Resort Collection for a great rate of $101 and let the booking agent know I’d be arriving “very late”.

I ended up getting to Aria to check in at 2:07 AM and walked over to an empty reception desk with two giggling agents who informed me that I’d have to wait 30 minutes to check in since they were rebooting the system. Ugh. I naturally turned into a big baby because that’s my normal state at 2:15 AM after 10 hours of travel. I asked why they don’t let guests know at the time of booking that they reboot the system every night and cannot check in between certain times. Seems like a no brainer to me. The agent agreed that would probably be a good idea since it “happens all the time.”

Also Read: Should you Buy Points or Pay Cash for your Next Hotel Stay?

But Guess what? I had just returned from checking into my room next door at the Cosmopolitan and I actually had no intention of staying at Aria. I was planning on going to the Aria pool the next morning to use the $100 credit and get breakfast at their diner. At this point I decided to tell the desk agent that I wanted to cancel so that I could just go to bed, she said she’d be willing to cancel it but had no way of knowing whether my reservation was considered direct (in which case she could unilaterally cancel it) or third party. I crossed my fingers and opted to chance it so that I could head back to my other hotel.

Related: 5 Easy Ways to Get Hotel Elite Status

LHRC’s Response

I called Chase LHRC’s customer service to explain my check in issue and make sure they’d cancel or assist me in canceling with Aria. The call went something like this:

Me: blah blah blah and I want to cancel

Chase Rep: let me check the hotels cancellation policy.

Me: no, you’re not understanding what I’m saying, it’s obviously too late to cancel it’s 2:30 AM the calendar day after my reservation ?. My issue is that I am unable to check in and I can’t wait so I need to cancel so that I can go to bed.

Rep: I’m sorry to hear that but it looks like you’re outside of the cancellation period.

Me: ?. call the hotel and ask for the woman I just spoke to, she said she’d allow me to cancel.

After a 10 minute hold she came back on and confirmed that Aria agreed to cancel my booking without penalty. At this point, I had a few more questions about LHRCs booking guarantees and customer service. I asked the rep what the policy was for situations like these and whether customers had any recourse. Her answer shocked me. Basically, she explained that since the hotel agreed, the cancellation wouldn’t cost me anything (lucky me) and since my issue was caused by the hotel and not LHRC, I should go back and speak to a manager AT ARIA. This doesn’t exactly feel like the level of service one would expect from a “luxury” program

Also read: Luxury Hotels: How Much Am I supposed to Tip for Butler, Maid and Concierge Service?

Thoughts

Good luck If you book through Chase LHRC and you experience an issue with the hotel. The terms on the LHRC website basically confirm this by making it clear they are not the supplier and the ONLY guarantee I was able to find was in the FAQ’s section. Though the second FAQ below kind of makes it seems like the guarantee isn’t a guarantee at all because the term “late arrival” is completely subjective. Mastercard has an awesome guarantee that I wrote about here. 

Q: Does My Credit Card Guarantee My Hotel Reservation

• Yes, your hotel reservation is held until the date you check in, whether or not your card is charged. Please see the specific rules and regulations for the hotel you are booking.

Q: Will I Be Charged a Night’s Stay if I Miss My Reservation or Arrive Late?

• You could be charged a penalty fee by the hotel, depending on their cancellation policy. It is recommended that you check the hotel’s cancellation and late arrival policy. Please note: If you fail to notify the hotel about a late arrival, your reservation may be canceled.