ehe123
Jul 28, 02, 3:06 pm
I thought that I would describe my recent experiences at both the Phoenician and Wigwam in Arizona. Amazingly, both are classified together as Luxury Collection Properties. The contrast is striking: from the sublime to the ridiculous. Please excuse the verbosity and length of this report, but I did not have time to write a short and succinct account! We originally made a reservation at the Phoenician, taking advantage of a Free Weekend and two nights using the Conde Nast Gold 50% off promotion. We then received a confirmation from the Phoenician, with the statement on it that renovation work would be taking place on some pools, but that two pools were open. Being concerned about this, since our main plan was to spend the time around the pool (given the 107 degree temperatures), I phoned the Phoencian. The woman at reception that I spoke with said that they have 9 pools, and 7 of them will be undergoing extensive renovation. Since all 9 are contiguous, she explained that being at the two open pools might not be a very pleasant experience. She added that if we were mainly coming to use the pools we might want to change or cancel our reservation.
Since we had non-refundable airfares to Phoenix, The Wigwam seemed like the best alternative. I phoned them to make sure that they did not have any major pool renovations in progress. I was told no. I also asked about Platinum upgrades to a suite, since I assumed that they would be far from full. The woman that I spoke with said that I could expect such an upgrade. I then received the great assistance (as usual) of William in crediting my account, so that I did not need to use an additional 5,000 points per night to stay at the Wigwam (which was not part of the Conde Nast promottion). So we flew out to Phoenix, rented a car, and drove out to a suburban area ~ 30 minutes from Phoenix. Our hopes for a pleasant setting for the Wigwam were diminished when we found that it was situated next to a strip mall. In fact, walking out of the room that we stayed in we
directly faced a strip mall across the street. We stayed at the Westin La Paloma (outside Tucson) in May, and were very impressed with the desert setting, including an impressive view of a local mountain. The Wigwam, on the other hand, had no desert views, and no mountains. At reception, I was given a room number for a "deluxe" room. When I asked about availability of upgrades, it was as if the person had never considered this possibility. I was told that the hotel was ~85% full. She hit some keys on her keyboard, and said that they have one suite available , but it is smoking. I said that we would like to see it, as perhaps the odors would not be too bad. We were amazed to find that this "suite" was one room in an L-shaped configuration that was about the same size as a standard large hotel room. When we told her this, she said that actually the room we had been given originally was larger! So we checked into the room with two double beds, and found the furnishings and ambience to be authentic motel, rather than the advertised "Authentic Arizona." This was true at every level. The clock-radio was a $12 model, rather than the Bose Wave (or B & O systems) found at other Luxury Collection properties. For those into toiletries, the single shampoo was in a 3/4 oz. container. While this is a step up from the foil packets given at some places, it was not what we would expect from a Luxury Collection hotel. Shortly after arriving at the room, we received our amenity, which was a small bag of stale taco chips, a miniature bag of cookies, and two small containers of salsa. There was a printed card with this that merely stated "Welcome to the Wigwam." I realize now that the personalized cards I receive at many properties do reflect a genuine effort to recognize Platinum members.
I phoned the General Manager to express my displeasure, but had to leave a voicemail message for him. We decided to use the pool in the interim. After an hour and a half, there was still no message from the GM, so I left a message with his secretary, and we went to take a look at the Phoenician (which we had never visited). We were very impressed by the setting, the ambience, etc., so I made reservations for the next three nights at the Phoenician after explaining our plight to a very helpful Platinum concierge. I checked my voicemail, and had finally received a response from the GM at the Wigwam. He said that there are a few other King bed rooms that we might look at, and he was sorry for any problems. I called the front desk manager at the Wigwam and said that we wanted to cancel the remainder of our stay. He said that this would be no problem. I then spoke with a very friendly woman at the front desk at the Phoencian to ask about the possibility of an upgrade when we checked in the next day. She said that she had just been phoned by the Platinum concierge about our upcoming visit, the paperwork was being faxed to her, and she would handle everything for us the next day. I was impressed.
Checking out of the Wigwam the following morning was par for the course. I was given a bill that included a room charge of ~$58 as well as a $12 charge for "resort fee". I explained to her that this was an award stay on points, and thus the $58 was what was being charged to Starwood and the resort fee should not be charged, since it is a "free" stay. She clearly did not have a clue about any of this, since she said to the other associate at the desk, "This gentleman is a Platinum member and should not be charged for his stay. How do I remove the charge?" The other associate prepared a new statement with those two items removed (leaving, however, a number of $2 charges for "toll-free" calls). A week later, I find that a $12 charge from the Wigwam has appeared on my AmEx bill. I called the Wigwam, and was told that this was a "resort fee." The woman agreed that a credit will be issued after I explained that I should not be charged for this.
Now for the Phoenician. The setting is spectacular, as one has views of both desert and mountains, as well extensive landscaping. A different associate was at reception than the woman I spoke with the previous evening. She explained that we
had been pre-blocked into a Canyon Suite in the Canyon Building. Since the Canyon Building had its own swimming pool, we would be unaffected by any of the renovations in progress at the main pool area. She led us to believe that the entire staff of the hotel had eagerly awaited our arrival and stood ready to assist us during our stay. The suite was very impressive. There was a large open living room/dining room, with a great view of both the pool and the adjacent mountain. The foyer contained a bar, as well as a half-bath. The bedroom was completely separated by sliding doors, and the large bathroom included a Jacuzzi. After returning from the pool, we found that a bottle of Roederer sparkling California wine had been delivered in a bucket of ice, along with a very nice fruit plate, and a welcome card. There was also a voicemail message from the director of Guest Relations to welcome us, and let us know that she and her staff stood ready to help us in any way. To make a long story short, we enjoyed the next three days at the Phoenician immensely. The food and service at the Windows on the Green restaurant were terrific (I highly recommend the guacomole prepared at the table). We also received a second fruit plate the second day. There were no charges for "toll free" calls on my bill.
In summary, strong recommendations for the Westin la Paloma and the Phoenician. The Phoenician clearly stands above the La Paloma in every way, but the La Paloma is very good. The Wigwam, on the other hand, should never have been in the Luxury Collection. It would make a terrific Four Points, and a nice Sheraton (but I have stayed at many nicer Sheratons).
[This message has been edited by ehe123 (edited 07-28-2002).]
[This message has been edited by ehe123 (edited 07-28-2002).]
[This message has been edited by ehe123 (edited 07-28-2002).]
Since we had non-refundable airfares to Phoenix, The Wigwam seemed like the best alternative. I phoned them to make sure that they did not have any major pool renovations in progress. I was told no. I also asked about Platinum upgrades to a suite, since I assumed that they would be far from full. The woman that I spoke with said that I could expect such an upgrade. I then received the great assistance (as usual) of William in crediting my account, so that I did not need to use an additional 5,000 points per night to stay at the Wigwam (which was not part of the Conde Nast promottion). So we flew out to Phoenix, rented a car, and drove out to a suburban area ~ 30 minutes from Phoenix. Our hopes for a pleasant setting for the Wigwam were diminished when we found that it was situated next to a strip mall. In fact, walking out of the room that we stayed in we
directly faced a strip mall across the street. We stayed at the Westin La Paloma (outside Tucson) in May, and were very impressed with the desert setting, including an impressive view of a local mountain. The Wigwam, on the other hand, had no desert views, and no mountains. At reception, I was given a room number for a "deluxe" room. When I asked about availability of upgrades, it was as if the person had never considered this possibility. I was told that the hotel was ~85% full. She hit some keys on her keyboard, and said that they have one suite available , but it is smoking. I said that we would like to see it, as perhaps the odors would not be too bad. We were amazed to find that this "suite" was one room in an L-shaped configuration that was about the same size as a standard large hotel room. When we told her this, she said that actually the room we had been given originally was larger! So we checked into the room with two double beds, and found the furnishings and ambience to be authentic motel, rather than the advertised "Authentic Arizona." This was true at every level. The clock-radio was a $12 model, rather than the Bose Wave (or B & O systems) found at other Luxury Collection properties. For those into toiletries, the single shampoo was in a 3/4 oz. container. While this is a step up from the foil packets given at some places, it was not what we would expect from a Luxury Collection hotel. Shortly after arriving at the room, we received our amenity, which was a small bag of stale taco chips, a miniature bag of cookies, and two small containers of salsa. There was a printed card with this that merely stated "Welcome to the Wigwam." I realize now that the personalized cards I receive at many properties do reflect a genuine effort to recognize Platinum members.
I phoned the General Manager to express my displeasure, but had to leave a voicemail message for him. We decided to use the pool in the interim. After an hour and a half, there was still no message from the GM, so I left a message with his secretary, and we went to take a look at the Phoenician (which we had never visited). We were very impressed by the setting, the ambience, etc., so I made reservations for the next three nights at the Phoenician after explaining our plight to a very helpful Platinum concierge. I checked my voicemail, and had finally received a response from the GM at the Wigwam. He said that there are a few other King bed rooms that we might look at, and he was sorry for any problems. I called the front desk manager at the Wigwam and said that we wanted to cancel the remainder of our stay. He said that this would be no problem. I then spoke with a very friendly woman at the front desk at the Phoencian to ask about the possibility of an upgrade when we checked in the next day. She said that she had just been phoned by the Platinum concierge about our upcoming visit, the paperwork was being faxed to her, and she would handle everything for us the next day. I was impressed.
Checking out of the Wigwam the following morning was par for the course. I was given a bill that included a room charge of ~$58 as well as a $12 charge for "resort fee". I explained to her that this was an award stay on points, and thus the $58 was what was being charged to Starwood and the resort fee should not be charged, since it is a "free" stay. She clearly did not have a clue about any of this, since she said to the other associate at the desk, "This gentleman is a Platinum member and should not be charged for his stay. How do I remove the charge?" The other associate prepared a new statement with those two items removed (leaving, however, a number of $2 charges for "toll-free" calls). A week later, I find that a $12 charge from the Wigwam has appeared on my AmEx bill. I called the Wigwam, and was told that this was a "resort fee." The woman agreed that a credit will be issued after I explained that I should not be charged for this.
Now for the Phoenician. The setting is spectacular, as one has views of both desert and mountains, as well extensive landscaping. A different associate was at reception than the woman I spoke with the previous evening. She explained that we
had been pre-blocked into a Canyon Suite in the Canyon Building. Since the Canyon Building had its own swimming pool, we would be unaffected by any of the renovations in progress at the main pool area. She led us to believe that the entire staff of the hotel had eagerly awaited our arrival and stood ready to assist us during our stay. The suite was very impressive. There was a large open living room/dining room, with a great view of both the pool and the adjacent mountain. The foyer contained a bar, as well as a half-bath. The bedroom was completely separated by sliding doors, and the large bathroom included a Jacuzzi. After returning from the pool, we found that a bottle of Roederer sparkling California wine had been delivered in a bucket of ice, along with a very nice fruit plate, and a welcome card. There was also a voicemail message from the director of Guest Relations to welcome us, and let us know that she and her staff stood ready to help us in any way. To make a long story short, we enjoyed the next three days at the Phoenician immensely. The food and service at the Windows on the Green restaurant were terrific (I highly recommend the guacomole prepared at the table). We also received a second fruit plate the second day. There were no charges for "toll free" calls on my bill.
In summary, strong recommendations for the Westin la Paloma and the Phoenician. The Phoenician clearly stands above the La Paloma in every way, but the La Paloma is very good. The Wigwam, on the other hand, should never have been in the Luxury Collection. It would make a terrific Four Points, and a nice Sheraton (but I have stayed at many nicer Sheratons).
[This message has been edited by ehe123 (edited 07-28-2002).]
[This message has been edited by ehe123 (edited 07-28-2002).]
[This message has been edited by ehe123 (edited 07-28-2002).]