The Suite Life of Entitlement: Tales of the “Ultra Shiny” Hotel Guest
If you’ve ever worked a front desk during the summer rush, you know the drill: check-ins, upgrades, and the occasional guest who thinks their rewards status should be accompanied by a parade. But rarely does one guest manage to become a living, breathing masterclass in entitlement—until now. Let’s dive into a real-life front desk tale that left Reddit cheering, eye-rolling, and, most importantly, laughing.
Meet the Aluminum Avenger
Our story, shared by u/Sad_Nose_407, unfolds at a bustling hotel with one coveted suite. Enter the “aluminum member”—a rewards guest whose loyalty status sparkles, but whose manners leave much to be desired. Every day, without fail, this guest descended upon the front desk with a singular mission: to be upgraded to that elusive suite.
But there was a catch. As OP patiently explained—again, and again, and again—the suite was booked solid for weeks. Not by some shadowy cabal of higher-tier members, but by guests who (gasp) simply paid for it. The suite’s popularity was so unyielding, it was locked down until the end of August.
Undeterred, our aluminum protagonist tried every angle. Was it always the same guest in the suite? What was their rewards status? Could he have their name to “negotiate” directly? When OP (rightfully) cited guest privacy, the stakes were raised: “Corporate is going to intervene,” he warned, and—my personal favorite—“Hope you’ve enjoyed having a job so far because soon you won’t have one anymore.”
To quote u/TenaCVols, “He has an entitlement problem. Wonder how he would feel if he paid top dollar for the suite but then was asked to move to another room because a shiny member wanted it? He would probably pitch a fit.” Spoiler: we all know the answer.
The Shiny Status Spectrum: When Loyalty Becomes Loco
Loyalty programs are supposed to reward frequent guests, but the Reddit crowd knows all too well that “shiny status” sometimes goes to people’s heads. User u/sdrawkcabstiho hilariously outlined the three evolutionary stages of elite loyalty members:
- The Grateful Rookie: “OMG I get an upgrade? For free? Wow! Thanks!”
- The Entitled Escalator: “I’m a 2nd level member you pleb. I demand my upgrade!”
- The Zen Master: “Oh, you were able to upgrade me? Awesome. Hope your day goes well, thanks for making an effort.”
And then, the bonus round: the family member riding on someone else’s status, demanding upgrades, free water, and a 6pm checkout. (Because nothing says “hospitality” like dragging your spouse’s ultra-shiny status into battle over a mini-fridge.)
u/curvebombr, a self-proclaimed ultra shiny traveler, summed up the frustration perfectly: “I love being a smartass in line while waiting to check in when some ass hat is giving the FD a hard time. ‘We’re all Ultra Shiny, you’re not special.’ Taking the heat off the FD by embarrassing people has become a highlight on my travels.”
Entitlement Olympics: Privacy, Policies, and DNRs
The saga didn’t stop at repeated requests. Our aluminum member wanted guest names, room details, and even tried to negotiate directly with the (utterly oblivious) suite occupant. As u/thetitleofmybook cautioned, “make sure you log all of this, because there is a very high possibility he is going to that suite, knocking on the door, and trying to negotiate some BS.” (Don’t worry, OP assured us that the suite’s location is a fortress of confusion, safely hidden on the garden level with a secret hallway.)
The community consensus? Document everything, escalate to management, and if possible, slap a Do Not Rent (DNR) on the guest’s profile. u/GirlStiletto advised, “Time to document his harassment, his demands to be upgraded, his demands for private guest information, and his constant pestering… Then report all of that to corporate rewards and have him DNR'd from the hotel.”
But alas, as [OP] revealed, management valued dollars over dignity and wouldn’t kick him out—until karma struck. The guest, it turned out, was living on the edge, booking his room day by day. When the hotel finally sold out, there was no room left at the inn. As u/[deleted] cackled, “You mean the demanding idiot was only extending his stay on a daily basis and not planning ahead? Hahahahaha 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣. I hope his bags were already packed!”
Lessons from the Front Desk (and the Peanut Gallery)
The comments section became a support group for hospitality workers everywhere. u/txparrothead58 cut to the chase: “My approach to hotels is simple. I book and pay for the room type I want or need for the trip. If, for some reason, I get upgraded, it’s a bonus. This guest is ridiculous.”
Meanwhile, u/socal_swiftie offered a reality check: “I’m a shiny member because I have a stupid credit card. My shiny status is in no way a bearing on my actual loyalty. Do I like free things? Yes. Do I have any expectation whatsoever of free things? Hell no.”
And for those wondering about guest privacy, u/MrStormChaser posed a poignant question: “Do you realize there are privacy policies you are asking me to violate? If I get into trouble and lose my job are you going to help support me?” (Spoiler: he won’t.)
Finally, the community had fun inventing even lower status tiers for our aluminum avenger—Tin, Lead, Thallium—culminating in u/Intelligent_Law_5614’s mock announcement: “Sir, we have decided to upgrade your rewards status to Thallium. It comes with a free side order of DNR, and our friendly security staff will be glad to personally escort you to your free tour of the sidewalk out front of the hotel.”
Conclusion: Shine Bright, but Don’t Be That Guy
If there’s one takeaway from this saga, it’s that a little humility goes a long way. Being a “shiny” member is great. Demanding upgrades, threatening staff, and trying to oust paying guests? Not so much. As the comments remind us, the real VIPs are the ones who appreciate a clean room, a friendly smile, and maybe, just maybe, a surprise upgrade.
Hospitality workers: what’s the wildest loyalty program behavior you’ve ever seen? Travelers: have you ever scored (or lost out on) an upgrade? Share your own tales of the shiny, the entitled, and the unforgettable below!
Original Reddit Post: another day another request