Marriott Rewards (including Ritz-Carlton) - I guess Do Not Disturb has a different meaning in Canada

Checked into the Vancouver Marriott.
After a long delay at airport for my flight, I arrived late to hotel Sunday night.

Checked in. Checked e-mail. Put out the Do Not Disturb sign and went to bed.

Get a call at 10:45PM. It is the front desk telling me that my "Do Not Disturb" sign is out and they have something to deliver.

So I throw on some clothes to see what important packages has been delivered.
It is a note a generic note from manager inviting guest to a Wednesday reception.

I almost lost it!
They thought they need to call me to tell me my "Do Not Disturb" was out (You know because I did NOT WANT TO BE DISTURBED) so they could make sure to deliver to me a generic note.
One that could have been left in my room the next or turn on my message light or slip it under the door or DO ANYTHING ELSE BUT DISTURB ME.

They did however success in making sure that I will attend the manager reception.

So that is my rant for the day - feel much better.
By the way, the rest of the staff here is great and the view is wonderful.

...I almost lost it!...

And there is the difference between you and me. Congrats on your restraint. Had it been me, there wouldn't have been any "almost" in that sentence. Instead, the term "ape cr*p" would have likely been warranted.

Almost lost it? Really?

What were you doing that was sooooooo secretive? :)

Were you expecting something at the hotel? Why not just tell them to leave it at the desk and you would just pick it up later?

Honestly I would have been upset too, but losing control I over a do not disturb sign is, IMHO, kinda silly.

Almost lost it? Really?

What were you doing that was sooooooo secretive? :)

Were you expecting something at the hotel? Why not just tell them to leave it at the desk and you would just pick it up later?

Honestly I would have been upset too, but losing control I over a do not disturb sign is, IMHO, kinda silly.

I would have lost it as well. Imagine if you were asleep and the front desk wakes you up to deliver a generic non-urgent not. Regardless of the do not disturb sign, no reason to call a guest at 10:45pm for that kind of message. No reason why that note cannot be slipped under the door like the guest folio is.

Similar thing happened to me on Friday, checked in around 8pm, picked the amenity instead of the points and asked for it to be delivered the next day (during a four day stay) had my do not disturbed sign on the door and was sound asleep due to jet-lag. Received a call around 11pm from a server on his cell phone saying he was outside my door with my amenity gift but there was a do not disturb sign. I promptly answered the door to inform him the do not disturb sign was there for a reason and I had asked to have the amenity the next day not at 11pm! He apologized and left.

I had a similar experience at the Santa Clara Marriott a few years ago, however along with the note inviting to the manager's reception was a plate with two large warm chocolate chip cookies and a ice cold glass of milk with another note saying, "We know you had a stressful day. Sweet dreams!" (This was in addition to the Plat. amenity, as I had chosen points.)

BTW, The cookies were delicious.

Regards,

RIP...

Almost lost it? Really?

What were you doing that was sooooooo secretive? :)

Were you expecting something at the hotel? Why not just tell them to leave it at the desk and you would just pick it up later?

Honestly I would have been upset too, but losing control I over a do not disturb sign is, IMHO, kinda silly.

It doesn't matter what the OP was doing - the fact that they want to be left alone should be enough for the hotel to respect.

Agree with the OP. That would be very frustrating.

Let us know how the reception goes ;)

Regardless of the do not disturb sign, no reason to call a guest at 10:45pm for that kind of message.

Exactly!

Room service (or similar) calling from a (personal?) cell phone? Even more so!
Why would someone think that receiving a call is less disruptive than a knock on the door?

If anyone wants to know how I react to this, just ask the manager at the CY VA Beach South. After asking twice not be disturbed and despite having the sign on the door, a male housekeeper decided he was going to knock loudly and immediately walk in anyway.

When she asked what she could do, I asked that the housekeeper be kept off the property while I was there. She not only complied, but also gave me 15k points.

FWIW, I wish the front desk wouldn't call to make sure everything in the room is okay. First thing I do when I check in is wash up. Having to run for the phone for that call is ridiculous. We all know how to call the desk if there is an issue. There is no need for the call.

And for that matter, same with the second wake-up call. For those of us who get up with the first call and jump in the shower, getting the second call is a nuisance.

I can definitely sympathize. I understand that there's a balance but hotel staff should be able to recognize issues that require urgency and others that can be dealt with at a later time.

For the OP, the invite should have been slid under the door. They do that with my bill all the time; I don't know why any staff member would think that the invite was important enough to disturb one's sleep.

Next time you put out the DND sign, slip a $1 under the door so they get a clue... Canadians can tape a Loon to the DND sign. Any bets it will gone even if there is nothing delivered? hehehe

Very funny. I also would have lost it. Like having a sign on your door and they are vacumning and knocking on everyone elses doors before 8am! Don't they know I am sleeping?? I did come in very late one night and forgot to put the latch on the door and the maid did not knock - just barged in. Nice.

Annoying, but it hardly rises to the level of getting emotional.

Happened to me at the Ritz st louis a few years ago. With my do not disturb sign out, they called to see why I didn't want the turndown service, twice. I got a free night from it.

I have had the same thing. Maidstone Marriott: check in and ask that the arrival gift is sent up straight away so I could get some sleep having been up since 5am and it is now 3pm. Wait and wait and wait and then give up at 4.30 and put the DND on the door. Just drifting off to sleep and there is a knock at the door, then the phone rings and I can hear the waitress in the corridor as well as on the phone. She has an in house portable phone and is ringing to say she wants to deliver the arrival gift but I am not answering. Sheesh, just what can you say to these people. Mind this is the wonderful hotel that wouldn't accommodate me with a second chair to sit on in the room and when I see the housekeeping room opposite, lo and behold they have 4 spare chairs that the staff are using for lounging in and putting coats on. I think I give up with expecting anything approaching "service" at this hotel.

Another vote for "I would have (almost) lost it."

I'm reasonably easygoing, but I'm not a doormat.

I have never understood why hotels don't just leave a message in your voicemail or slip a note under the door if they have something "urgent" when the DND sign is up. Seriously, they have to have annoyed enough people by now to have figured this one out.

Mike

karma

So guess what happened today - housekeeping knocked
on the door when I had the DND sign on. I told the person
to go away, which she did. Shortly thereafter I got a call
from someone or other. No pretense of politeness this time.
I got an hour extension from the normal late checkout,
even though I'm not going to use it. [This is not at a
Marriott property.]

Why not just tell them to leave it at the desk and you would just pick it up later?
.

Did you actually read the original post?

The fact is that they called him to tell him and woke him up, for a non important letter. They didn't tell him what it was, just said that they had something for him - for all he knew it could have been something important.

What if he had an early start in the morning and needed the sleep?

I would have almost lost it too.

I did come in very late one night and forgot to put the latch on the door and the maid did not knock - just barged in. Nice.

I hate when they do that. Happened to me this past weekend in New York at the Marquis. Room service knocked and opened the door right away, didn't wait for me to answer.
I did not have a DND sign up but I would still expect them to wait for me to answer the door.

FWIW, I wish the front desk wouldn't call to make sure everything in the room is okay. First thing I do when I check in is wash up. Having to run for the phone for that call is ridiculous. We all know how to call the desk if there is an issue. There is no need for the call.


My reply (especially if it's an hour or so after check-in): "Everything was fine until you called. You woke me up from a sound sleep. May I have your home phone number so that I may call you when you're sleeping?"

I was pleasantly surprised this past Sun-Tues at the Albany Courtyard near the University. I hung the DND sign on the door right after I checked in Sunday and left it there until I checked out Tuesday morning. No knocks, no calls - it was perfect!

The FDC even thanked me for being Plat and remember to offer the amenity! A good stay overall.