I am doing something I generally do not, which is to talk about a problem I had with a specific hotel. Therefore, I want to preface the post by saying that, while it was indeed a problem, the team at the hotel fixed it before my arrival and went the extra mile to make up for it. They did their job and they did their job well. I am not writing about the problem to complain about the hotel, but instead to point out an issue that has affirmed how I select the hotels in which I stay. In fact, I slept well, had a pretty and quiet room and a great workout in their gym. I could have lived without the glut of bridal parties carrying inflatable penises through the lobby, but that’s me.

I needed to travel to Nashville for a friend’s wedding this past weekend. When I first made my travel plans — way back in January — I booked a room at the 21C in town, where I had stayed previously (June 2017) and enjoyed. I’ve been a fan of 21C since my first stay at their first location in Louisville more than a decade ago. However, I canceled that reservation and rebooked at the Thompson Nashville, when the bride said it was the best hotel in the city. If nothing else, I would have a new hotel to write about.

If nothing else, I would have a new hotel to write about.

About a week before my stay, I received an email reminding me of my reservation — and reminding me that I had booked a room at a hotel owned by Hyatt. I very rarely stay at hotels owned by one of the giant holding companies (e.g., Hyatt, Hilton) and, when I do, it’s generally because I have no choice. It’s not necessarily that they are bad; it’s instead the feeling that — due to the cookie cutter rooms — you could be anywhere: Salt Lake City, the Newark Airport, or off the highway in Missouri. (I also have a bias for buying local and for doing business with independent small business owners. But I’m aware that most things that look “small” are often owned by something larger. 21C, after all, is still a chain and a "hospitality company” based in France bought a majority stake in that chain last August.) However, on this trip, I encountered a whole new problem with staying at these larger hotel chains, one I had never experienced before, but which a Google search made clear was prevalent.

Check-in time was 3:00. I was scheduled to land at the airport in Nashville a little before 4:00 and my intention was to head straight to the hotel, a 15-minute drive from the airport. However, while connecting in Chicago, I received a voice mail and an email informing me that my room would be available “after 6” because the current guest had a late check out. I was told I could access another room to rest or wash up while I waited. I said no and made it clear that I wanted the room for which I was paying.

Late check outs are a reward for loyal customers/hotel point-chasers. The guest staying in the room — again, for which I was paying (a hefty rate due to the Memorial Day weekend) — was likely a loyal customer/point-chaser. The guest staying in MY room is not likely someone else who tries to stay in as many different hotels as they can, including that one time they went to England for 10 days and stayed in 7 hotels. They, understandably, matter a great deal to the hotel and their corporate overlords. I do not — at least not as much as someone who books with them regularly.

I get it. I do. I’m loyal to an airline and, as a result, I get treated really well by that airline. And it’s undoubtedly to the detriment of — or at least an annoyance to — others, including those who may have paid a higher fare for the same flight.

While I promise I never got nasty, it was clear I was unhappy and the staff at the hotel fixed the issue before I arrived and gave me a complimentary late check out of my own (hopefully because no one had a reservation for that room the next day). I would stay at the Thompson Nashville again because of the hospitality I experienced, but I probably won’t.

If you’re not playing the points-chasing game, it seems best to leave those hotels to those who are.

My Stay: May 25-27, 2019