Hotels Suck (And the travel conspiracy theory)

In general, and sometimes coz of very specific reasons. Or maybe it's hotel chains that suck..

Anyway, despite trying to standardize on Marriott hotels for my travels this year, in a vain attempt to get enough points for a free vacation sometime before I die from all the travelling (it isn't going to happen.....), I'm in a Hilton for my longest trip of the year. It's not a bad hotel, but what really gets to me is the fact that if I had managed to stay in the Marriott here in Atlanta for all of my trips between now and the end of the year, I would have hit "Gold" status, meaning free room upgrades, extra bonus points (and here's the important bit) free beer after work every night. So, of course, I was a little excited at the prospect. Then I called the travel agent we go through, and I find out that every week I'm meant to be down here, the Marriott is booked out. There goes the free beer......

Now I understand hotels get full (especially with the conference gigs being moved away from New Orleans after Katrina), so I wasn't too upset (well, the free beer thing was a bit of a deal but I'd survive). Then we get down here, and the majority of the team I'm down with somehow managed to get into the hotel. And it's not even just this week - every other week that I'm down (and staying in a different hotel) someone got into the hotel I wanted to get into. So what was the deal? Do they realize you're coming up on a status upgrade, and just decide they'll make it difficult??? I can't imagine they'd be so bright, but you never know these days (If United stops flying to Denver for my next trip, and I miss out on Prem Exec status this year, I'll know there's a travel conspiracy going on........)

Still, the Hilton has a mini bar..... (if only I could work out how to get the drinks out without getting charged 20 bucks every time I open the door).