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The Joule Hotel- Dallas, TX and the Anatomy of Suite Upgrade Shenanigans

Dec. 22, 2010
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3 min read
The Joule Hotel- Dallas, TX and the Anatomy of Suite Upgrade Shenanigans
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I stayed at the Joule Hotel in Dallas, Texas this October for a wedding weekend. The hotel, a part of Starwood's Luxury Collection, gets pretty solid reviews on Flyertalk and other hotel rating sites, so I was excited for my stay. The hotel is also knwon to offer solid upgrades to Starwood Platinum Guests, so I was hoping for the best.

When I arrived, the check-in agent quickly told me the hotel was 100% sold out, so no upgrades or nicer rooms could be given. She assured me every room was great and started hard selling the facilities, including the night-club. She even said "well since there are no upgrades, as a Platinum member I'll put you on the list for the club!"

"Thanks, but no thanks".

I'm not one to normally cause a scene when I don't get upgraded, I fully understand that a hotel's main prioritiy is to make money. However, under Starwood's loyalty program, Platinum guests are entitled to an upgrade to a select standard suite when they are available at check-in. This is a key reason why I stayed over 50 nights in Starwood hotels this year.

When I got to my room, I decided to pull up Starwood.com and see if the hotel was indeed "100% sold out". To my surprise, there were a number of different room types, including select standard suites, still available for sale for the weekend.

A little ticked off that I was "misled", I ended up calling the front desk agent and giving her the heads up that the hotel wasn't really sold out and asked her to check again for an upgrade. She seemed shocked that I actually called her out and told me her manager would look into it and call me back.

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About 30 minutes later, the manager calls and offers me a suite upgrade and apologizes for the "confusion." A bellman is immeditately sent to the room and I move to the "sold out" suite, which was nice, per the pictures. That evening, I came home to a decent bottle of champagne and an apology note from the manager, which was a nice touch.

Overall, the rest of the trip was great. The hotel is centrally located and within walking distance of major restaurants, bars and of course, Neiman Marcus. The hotel did seem very busy that weekend and we even ran into actor/singer Alan Cumming in the elevator.

Moral of the story? Don't be afraid to ask for what you want. Just like I wrote about yesterday with weather related re-booking tips, so many customer service agent's top priority is to get you out of their face as quickly as possible. While unfortunate, its a fact of life and you need to stick up for yourself sometimes to get what you want. Crass? Possibly. Effective? Absolutely.

Joule Suite Living AreaJoule Suite Bedroom
Joule Suite Bathroom
Joule Suite Living Room View 2
Joule Rooftop Infinity Pool



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  • Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
  • Solid welcome bonus

Cons

  • Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
  • Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
  • You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
  • $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
  • $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
  • $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
  • $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
  • Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees.
  • Annual Fee is $325.
  • Terms Apply.