So how much more would you pay for a specific room, building or floor?

[melody]

I feel like if this happened I would have to spend a day mapping out the resort and rating each room in case we decided we want to return and stay in one of them rather than the room we are familiar with. I also feel like if I don't pay extra I am going to be left with a crap room because surely all the good ones will be taken. Soon everyone will be paying extra for the room/floor/building they want and you will be in the same boat as you are now anyway. I think this is going to be a huge PITA on your end and things are going to get mixed up. There is no way people are going to happen to all ask for something different so someone if going to be disappointed.

I don't really know how to write this without sounding like a jerk because that is not how I mean it. Every time we have tried to book a vacation or price one out we have had problems with the pricing not matching what is advertised. I usually do this when my fiance is home so it is when you are closed. I write emails and never get a response and it doesn't get fixed. The only one time it did get fixed is when the error was in my favor. There has been a major error every single time I have tried and I have tried a lot. Once I could not even book a special because the link for CSA took me to CN. No matter what I tried I could not book the special for CSA so we eventually gave up. I feel like if something as basic as this is getting messed up then trying to incorporate a system to book specific rooms will be a total disaster. Don't get me wrong. We will keep coming back because we like the resort but the online booking system and hot deals page is already not very good, don't make things worse.

[EinWI]

NOPE! Not in my opinon with the costs going up and now this...how much more you wanna nickel and dime guests? I must ask: why $50 per reqeuest....what is the breakdown of that $50 or was it just a nice round #?

We were there for our honeymoon in 2007 and got the room we requested (3rd fl corner). This time I requested a 3rd fl corner as well at booking (I would be fine with 2nd floor corner..really I just want a corner room that is not on the ground floor for privacy and security reasons, I don't care what building #) but I like these because of the wall of shutters, the middle rooms feel too much like a closed in space to me.

Yes I will be very disappointed if I get a middle section room, I will ask to be moved as soon as one comes available but with the 3800 I am already paying I do not expect nor accept to pay more.

Now if a room selection was guaranteed to say a repeater someone with a romance rewards with no additional cost that would work.

Just my 2 cents.

[youngatheart]

Well, I think things are just fine the way they are. All the rooms are great We started out with a beachfront at CSA- did that twice and absolutely loved them but now we do not get the most expensive rooms because we want to stay as long as we can. At CSS we did the beachfront which was not the most expensive and at CN we get the garden-the cheapest and we love it. Actually, we love all of them and once the front desk had us down for third floor but they moved us because of our age and it was no problem. We do prefer the first or second floor because of that but I really do not know how the "reserving a certain room" would work for Couples without all of the rates going up and we would hate that because now Couples is actually a bargain when you look at everything that is available and the fact that you are in paradise.In face we can hardly wait until Dec when we will be at CN in a garden room. We may not be able to wait that long!!! Thanks Couples for being YOU.

[redy4vac]

This would not be for us. We like the surprise when we open the door and see the new view. That's part of the adventure. As long as we get our booked catagory we're good.

[Treasurer]

No, No and No.

Having stayed at CTI 4 times, CN x 3 and CSA x 2 and curretly booked for CN in August 2010 and CSA in 2011 I would not be willing to pay additional.

In fact, this coul drive me away from Couples. If upon arrival I found that I was in a ground floor room near the stairs simply because i was unwilling to pay an additional premium to get a requested room, I would no longer consider Couples as my annual, sometimes twice a year vaction spot.

If I am given that room because that is what is available then that is different. But again, if the availability is simply because others were willing to pay a premium, Couples would lose my business.

[cleversole]

Randy excellent suggestion!!!
1) for those who have special room request for any non medical reason then obviously their pursuit of pleasure (i.e the room location of their choosing) far outweighs the pain of paying the premium.
2) For those who are opposed it will not impact you.
You book a room class as you do now you arrive to the resort as you do now and you are given the available room pin that category
there is no downside for those who are opposed and there is a significant up side to those who are in favor.
The one post about using reward points is a excellent suggestion. Since the "don't" seem to be returnees it would then offer them a chance to partake without having to pay the rake (the premium)
To the post who comment about potential never getting a "hot" room it would be simple if you really wanted a "hot room" this method would be the most systematic way for Couples ot facilitate your desire

I disagree that it wouldn't impact those of us who don't want to pay the extra. If we want a beachfront rooms and there are only so many....what if with all the requests, they are "holding" them to meet the requests and when we get there, they are sitting empty but held and we DON'T get the category of rooms we want. I agree this is almost creating a class system, like I have heard that "S" has and I think it would hurt business. I think the only exception should be someone with a medical reason to need to be on a lower floor. I have a preference but won't pay extra but don't want to be stuck with what's left either. I think I like the fact that you get what is available when you get there, but if people are holding all the "choice" rooms (and all are good) what is going to be left.?

[Vickyj]

I think that is pretty generous myself, especially when you look at the cost of a room.

Some questions come to my mind. What if someone pays extra for the room and then discover they have rude neighbors. Who moves? What if I am in a room someone wants that that they have paid for? Do I have to move? I didn't want to move when there was a problem with the plumbing. No offense to anyone, but I certainly don't want to take time from my vacation so you can have the room of your choice, whether or not you paid for it. Our experience has been that if you don't like your room, the Guest Services will do everything they can to accommodate you. When we checked into CTI and were taken to our room, we had booked a Premium Room. We were taken to what we felt was a Deluxe Room. We went back to Guest Services right away and we were taken care of.

Don't do it, as someone else state, it just opens up the "class" system that is present at another resort--the "I can pay for it, so I should get it" mentality of some, not all, people.

[pynk322]

We prefer the second or third floor and I would consider paying the extra. I would not pay extra for a specific building or room. That said, one of the things that I love about Couples is that the playing field is level. I'm not treated any differently than someone who can afford to go multiple times a year or someone who has saved for years for the trip. Charging extra for a specific room, building or floor would be benefit those who can afford it and may hurt those who had a chance at the second floor, corner room, etc. with the current system. Tough one. Good luck, Randy.

[J_and_K]

Personally, like others have said, I feel like this is a slippery slope, and it starts to make things feel like there is a caste system. My husband and I have been to other all-inclusives where they make you wear wristbands, and make you pay for every little extra...one of the things that we love about Couples is that this "have" and "have-not" system doesn't exist. No matter what room category you stay in, everyone is treated the same. I'm afraid that if such a policy is instituted, other similar ones will start to follow. When we check-in, my husband and I usually make a request, but it's not a make or break for us for our vacation. Personally, I think that this is a huge marketing mistake for a resort chain that does so many things right.

As a couple that never thought we would return to the same place twice, we are headed back for our 5th trip in 4 years the end of March....

[EinWI]

I totally agree with the above post! It should only be done upon check in, if it is available then make the customer happy with no extra charge. Otherwise you'll run into a lot of problems and I can't see Couples charging $100 to hold a room when that room could have been rented for over $300??? After a while your prices will go up again to accomodate the loss you'll be making, makes no sense to me! Furthermore, when we pay for a certain room category we should have access to all the rooms in that category, if you do this then of course you will keep the "better rooms" within that category when someone reserve just in case you could be making more money off of someone who is willing to pay the extra $100. This to me is putting "class categories" to the resort. Everyone should have access to any rooms within the category they are paying for. We have enough class categories in society as it is.

I agree and feel that the upon check in request if available should be accomodated if within the room category booked.

[sun n fun]

I wouldn't pay extra. I was happy just to pick a room category and take my chances with where my room was located. It's what I will do again when my husband and I return. (and we will return)
Seems like this would cause more problems than it would solve. Also, wouldn't this just make it harder for the repeat guests to get the upgrade they request at check in?

[folkh]

Big Mistake

[randymon]

Thanks everyone for your input. I just KNEW I could count on you all to tell us how you really feel about this subject.

The sheer volume of specific room, floor and building advance requests is overwhelming our staff and often creates a disappointing start to one's vacation when we are unable to accommodate the request.

Further, it increases check-in time when our front desk personnel are asked to check specific room, floor or building availabilities.

I am closing this thread for now and will let everyone know what we come up with to minimize the issues we are currently experiencing at the resorts.