Re: Grand Cayman Trip Report

On Thu, 14 Dec 2006 23:04:55 -0500, Dan Bracuk <bracuk@pathcom.com> wrote:


>The Unpleasant Part


>On Saturday the weather was cloudy and windy, but we went diving with
>the other crew anyway. I asked one of the dm's what they had done the
>previous day. She said that they took a large group of cruise ship
>passengers out at 10:30 in the morning. While there is still an
>element of doubt, my current opinion is that the dive shop cancelled
>the dives for the hotel guests so they could make more money from the
>cruise ship passengers and then lied to us. Nothing else makes sense.

It makes absolute sense. I see this happen all the time to me when I travel, especially when it comes to hotel
accomodations, restaurant seating etc. because I travel alone. I always seem to get the crappiest room
assignments and tables etc. because the "better" ones, the "seats by the window" or the "rooms with the
fantastic view on the highest floors" etc. seem to be reserved for "parties of two or more", since more money
can be collected from them in that instance for the same accomodation. In your case, I imagine the Cruise ship
company represents more business over a longer time than any one individual guest at a hotel... So they get
the attention.

Quick Horror Story - Two years ago in Kyoto, I had reserved an "Executive Club" room in one of the fancier
hotels. Knowing this hotel from a previous stay there, I knew that all the "exectuive club" rooms were on the
10th - 11th floor. I arrive at 12:30pm on a Friday in August, well ahead of the "weekend wedding" crowd and
after the business exec's had checked out for the day, so they couldn't claim they were "full.". I had a
confirmed reservation booked months in advance, and had asked for the "highest floor, with a city view."

My initial assignment: 5th floor facing the inner courtyard. My esteemed desk clerk spent 5 min. attempting
to convince me that this *was* and Executive club room, not realizing that I had half a brain, could read the
posted signs on the wall, and had stayed there previously. So after another 5 min he came back with:

9'th floor still facing the courtyard.


I told him to "try again." After another 5-10min, He came back wtih the 11th floor (the highest *and*
executive floor), so I went upstairs with the floating concierge. The room wasn't even made up yet, and
it faced the opposite side of the city! Mind you I'm being absolutely polite with the hotel staff. An ugly
attitude will get you nowhere fast in Japan. I asked the concierge to try again. Finally after almost 1/2 hr,
they gave me a suite on the 11th floor facing the city that had been pre-assigned to a local couple (I know
this from the "welcome gifts" left for them in the room). But of course, by that time, the damage was done.
To get into the "club lounge" where the "free food" etc. was located, "executive club" guests had to present
their room key cards to the attendant. I didn't have to show mine even once!!!

Apparently, this hotel chain pre-assigns rooms before the guests arrive and gives preference to:

1) Their local constituents - who obviously patronize them more frequently and over time;

2) Those who pay "rack rates" for hotel rooms

3) parties of two or more (who end up generating more revenue for the same accomodation).

I had a similar incident in a restaurant in Tokyo where I was in line for the next seat in a high rise eatery
where there are seats against windows and you can look out at the gorgeous view. The place was, of course,
crowded at lunch. As my turn came up, the last of those windows seats became available at the same time. The
Matre-D sees me waiting next, and then he turns to a Japanese couple already seated and eating in the inside
of the restaurant and asks them if they want to move to the window! Thankfully, they refused, and I got the
seat. Trust me, that could have gotten *very* ugly!!!!

Bottom Line - Money talks. The more people paying over time, the better service they get.


>They did refund our money for the day we didn't dive though.

They better have.

____________________________________________
Regards,

Arnold