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Not very sucky just interesting. Also their are some bits of notes from the front desk agents I'd love to have the front deskers here try to translate.
As most of you know I currently work in a call-center making hotel reservations for a casino players club (IE for the average joe I act as their host but I have less discretion and most of my decisions are made by computer databases analyzing the guest's past play (how much we profited off them and how much we mathematically should have profited off them) and our room inventory for the dates they want and then offering discounted or free rooms based on this data.
Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday night we had a HUGE convention in town (the current equivalent of COMDEX or CES at it's peak). This means we have a LOT of non-players club guests filling our rooms (several of our hotels were sold out, it was common for me over the last two weeks for me to book fairly valuable players at a different hotel for each of the three nights just to somehow get them in a bed for all three nights).
I get a call from a kid (just a hair over 21) from California Monday night wanting two rooms for Tuesday night only. His play averages a value of $1xx per night and his Grandma (2nd room) averages abut $3xx per night). On a typical weeknight lately I would guess they both would get a free room. With the inventory being so crunched no matter what I did I couldn't get the kid's room to comp we went around in circles for over an hour (in the nicest way possible, he was super easy to talk to) with the kid disappointed I couldn't get his room to comp. I try every trick in the book and I end up getting a room to discount to $3x for the night for him and the 2nd free for gamblin granny. He wasn't happy but we'd been through so many quotes that he knew he was getting a deal (everything else was over $2xx).
To get this rate I had assigned him a standard room with a parking deck view (mountain view is more expensive, and strip view higher still). He books it but he asked due to the disappointment if I could merely ask for an upgrade (we've talked so much he know that the final room assignment is made by the front desk, and what I book is basically a request). So I send this exact request to the front desk to see during room blocking "Guest Would Like an Upgraded Room based on Availability". I hedged my bets by making it clear he was the one driving his higher value granny in.
I got a call from him today direct to my extension. He wanted me to book him for this weekend because I'm THE MAN!. Turns out when he and granny rolled in just after-midnight tuesday. The front desk manger assigned them the 2 PENTHOUSES in our semi-top-secret bookable only by hotel management super premium suite wing (it was built for attracting and maintaining $25,000 a hand and WAY UP players before the company I worked for owned the casino, now we use it to rent to pre-screened celebrities and high end executives that want opulence and privacy). All we know about it in my department is that NO EMPLOYEE without special security clearance and a signed confidentiality agreement can set foot in this building and all rooms have their own assigned butler. These are the REAL DEAL and make the amazing 2,000 square foot suites I can sell in the main hotel towers look like penny candy. I'm thinking with all our standard rooms and suites in the hotel towers being booked solid with conventioneers, and these two known players rolling in at midnight to check out at 11am, and these penthouses otherwise sitting empty for this one particular night (they sit empty more often than a standard room or suite), it was an easy decision to surprise these everyday folks in such a grand manner.
He wanted me to work the same magic I did for the Tuesday where all the right factors had aligned just so for, this weekend so he could propose to his girlfriend (awwww).
I layed it down to him, I admitted what I booked for $30 was a room with a view of the parking lot and I my best hope when I asked for the upgrade is that he'd get a better view than I paid for or maybe the long-shot of one of those 2,000 square foot suites if it was empty. I never imagined he could get what he got but I'm thrilled for him and myself (I beat my record of coolest upgrade just by asking).
I wish I could make lightning strike twice but I doubt that history could repeat itself for this weekend (big ultimate fight in town and the conventioneers are flying their wives in for the weekend after and upgrading their rooms since the convention's over and they are already here). I was honest and told him he could roll the dice and take his chances again but he could end up proposing in a room with a parking lot view.
And now for the super-cute front desk notes I don't understand. On the boy's reservation: "2 suites, thanksgod momma is here to keep and eye on this "crew""
and on the granny's reservation "thanksgod momma's in this suite with her kiddos! Upgrade Mania for Sure!?"
BTW this super premium suite wing is all connecting rooms and if one was to book the entire wing it turns into a full on 18 bedroom 18 bathroom mansion, how cool is that?
As most of you know I currently work in a call-center making hotel reservations for a casino players club (IE for the average joe I act as their host but I have less discretion and most of my decisions are made by computer databases analyzing the guest's past play (how much we profited off them and how much we mathematically should have profited off them) and our room inventory for the dates they want and then offering discounted or free rooms based on this data.
Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday night we had a HUGE convention in town (the current equivalent of COMDEX or CES at it's peak). This means we have a LOT of non-players club guests filling our rooms (several of our hotels were sold out, it was common for me over the last two weeks for me to book fairly valuable players at a different hotel for each of the three nights just to somehow get them in a bed for all three nights).
I get a call from a kid (just a hair over 21) from California Monday night wanting two rooms for Tuesday night only. His play averages a value of $1xx per night and his Grandma (2nd room) averages abut $3xx per night). On a typical weeknight lately I would guess they both would get a free room. With the inventory being so crunched no matter what I did I couldn't get the kid's room to comp we went around in circles for over an hour (in the nicest way possible, he was super easy to talk to) with the kid disappointed I couldn't get his room to comp. I try every trick in the book and I end up getting a room to discount to $3x for the night for him and the 2nd free for gamblin granny. He wasn't happy but we'd been through so many quotes that he knew he was getting a deal (everything else was over $2xx).
To get this rate I had assigned him a standard room with a parking deck view (mountain view is more expensive, and strip view higher still). He books it but he asked due to the disappointment if I could merely ask for an upgrade (we've talked so much he know that the final room assignment is made by the front desk, and what I book is basically a request). So I send this exact request to the front desk to see during room blocking "Guest Would Like an Upgraded Room based on Availability". I hedged my bets by making it clear he was the one driving his higher value granny in.
I got a call from him today direct to my extension. He wanted me to book him for this weekend because I'm THE MAN!. Turns out when he and granny rolled in just after-midnight tuesday. The front desk manger assigned them the 2 PENTHOUSES in our semi-top-secret bookable only by hotel management super premium suite wing (it was built for attracting and maintaining $25,000 a hand and WAY UP players before the company I worked for owned the casino, now we use it to rent to pre-screened celebrities and high end executives that want opulence and privacy). All we know about it in my department is that NO EMPLOYEE without special security clearance and a signed confidentiality agreement can set foot in this building and all rooms have their own assigned butler. These are the REAL DEAL and make the amazing 2,000 square foot suites I can sell in the main hotel towers look like penny candy. I'm thinking with all our standard rooms and suites in the hotel towers being booked solid with conventioneers, and these two known players rolling in at midnight to check out at 11am, and these penthouses otherwise sitting empty for this one particular night (they sit empty more often than a standard room or suite), it was an easy decision to surprise these everyday folks in such a grand manner.
He wanted me to work the same magic I did for the Tuesday where all the right factors had aligned just so for, this weekend so he could propose to his girlfriend (awwww).
I layed it down to him, I admitted what I booked for $30 was a room with a view of the parking lot and I my best hope when I asked for the upgrade is that he'd get a better view than I paid for or maybe the long-shot of one of those 2,000 square foot suites if it was empty. I never imagined he could get what he got but I'm thrilled for him and myself (I beat my record of coolest upgrade just by asking).
I wish I could make lightning strike twice but I doubt that history could repeat itself for this weekend (big ultimate fight in town and the conventioneers are flying their wives in for the weekend after and upgrading their rooms since the convention's over and they are already here). I was honest and told him he could roll the dice and take his chances again but he could end up proposing in a room with a parking lot view.
And now for the super-cute front desk notes I don't understand. On the boy's reservation: "2 suites, thanksgod momma is here to keep and eye on this "crew""
and on the granny's reservation "thanksgod momma's in this suite with her kiddos! Upgrade Mania for Sure!?"
BTW this super premium suite wing is all connecting rooms and if one was to book the entire wing it turns into a full on 18 bedroom 18 bathroom mansion, how cool is that?
And a butler? 
Wowza!
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