techgirl
Sep 27, 02, 8:09 am
I did a search to see if other FTers had experiences with this since it had gone into effect. I found a few separate threads running about individual experiences, individual properties, or program terms, so I thought one thread on experiences might be warranted.
Anyhow - I'll start. I can count on one hand how many times I've complained at a hotel... but I had a "first time for this" experience at the Sheraton Atlanta - my first experience with Sheraton's Service Promise.
I checked in with two colleagues to the Sheraton Atlanta. When we had booked our rooms (one room for me, one for my two colleagues), only rooms with 1 queen were available. We had both requested a 2 double or a queen w/ pullout couch in the comments field of our reservations... knowing full well that those might not be available. Check in was fast and pleasant and, low and behold, my colleague had a room with two doubles and I was upgraded to an executive suite. My suite, however, wasn't available (it was only 1 pm) so they offered to stow my bags until 3 pm when my room would be ready. So far so good.
I declined the offer and stowed my bags with my colleagues (both female, so I had no problem just hanging out in their room). We went to the Hyatt to take care of some conference business and came back to the hotel at 3 pm. The gentleman occupying the executive suite (another Platinum) had extended his stay for another two hours so my room was scheduled to be ready between 5 pm and 6 pm. The front desk offered me another room to use in the interim. Since I only needed to change clothes, I politely declined. The front desk staff assured me I would be checked in to that room as soon as it was ready. Still no problem.
We headed to the third floor to eat lunch but discovered that the restaurant was closed during the late afternoon and would reopen at 5 pm. The 24 hour restaurant was actually a deli-style place with preprepared sandwiches. We decided to go eat room service instead. Our order arrived quickly and the waiter brought back fairly quickly the items that were missing off the first order (a glass of milk and some condiments). Still no problems.
We went to the Hyatt and got back around 9 pm. I checked and discovered my room was ready and they had already checked me in. I got my key although I had to ask for my Platinum amenity choice card and also had to ask about a key to the Club Lounge. Still... fairly satisfied.
I got up to my lovely suite... and I was very satisfied. Or I should say I was very satisfied UNTIL I realized that it didn't seem like the room had been cleaned. There was a half-empty bottle of red wine and a half-empty cola bottle on the bar, a half-eaten fruit plate on the counter and another in the fridge. In the bathroom, the toiletries were disturbed and several bottles were open and uncapped in the shower, although the towels were all in place. The bed was made, but all of the cards normally left on the bed were on the bedside table and upon reading them, I couldn't tell whether the sheets had been changed or not. On top of the television were several packs of UA snack mix and a length of cord. There were wire coat hangers in the closet which was wide open. There were read newspapers folded on two of the sofas and on by the telephones, the pads were nearly empty and full of notes. Miscellaneous pocket emptyings were on one table.
I decided that I needed to bring this to the front desk's attention. The "First Response" line labeled on the phone didn't work... rang a rapid busy. I dialed "0" and was put on hold. I finally got transferred to the front desk where I was put on hold for about five minutes. I hung up, called back, got put on hold again... and then the phone disconnected me. I called back a third time and refused to be put on hold. Apparently the housekeeping got confused with the late check-out and thought I was the same guest staying on and that they just needed to freshen the room, not make it ready for a new guest (since they had already checked me into the room, it didn't show up as vacated).
I have to say that at this point, the hotel did ALL the right things. All I wanted was for housekeeping to come up and change the sheets (just in case) and clean the food and such out of the room. The housekeeper was very polite and the night manager called shortly after to say that they would find a way to make things right. (At this point, I should say that things were FINE with me!) Yesterday, the desk staff delivered an additional fruit basket (this on top of the bottle of wine and fruit/cheese plate that had been waiting for me) and I had an apology note from the operations manager. Then I had a voice mail message from the front desk manager letting me know that they had credited me 2,500 Starpoints for the inconvenience.
Anyway... I just have to say that I'm pleased with the program in place. I'm sure that many FTers would have been much more disturbed than me with everything from the suite not being ready to the room not being cleaned. I am just glad to see that Sheraton is working towards more consistency in the brand.
Anyhow - I'll start. I can count on one hand how many times I've complained at a hotel... but I had a "first time for this" experience at the Sheraton Atlanta - my first experience with Sheraton's Service Promise.
I checked in with two colleagues to the Sheraton Atlanta. When we had booked our rooms (one room for me, one for my two colleagues), only rooms with 1 queen were available. We had both requested a 2 double or a queen w/ pullout couch in the comments field of our reservations... knowing full well that those might not be available. Check in was fast and pleasant and, low and behold, my colleague had a room with two doubles and I was upgraded to an executive suite. My suite, however, wasn't available (it was only 1 pm) so they offered to stow my bags until 3 pm when my room would be ready. So far so good.
I declined the offer and stowed my bags with my colleagues (both female, so I had no problem just hanging out in their room). We went to the Hyatt to take care of some conference business and came back to the hotel at 3 pm. The gentleman occupying the executive suite (another Platinum) had extended his stay for another two hours so my room was scheduled to be ready between 5 pm and 6 pm. The front desk offered me another room to use in the interim. Since I only needed to change clothes, I politely declined. The front desk staff assured me I would be checked in to that room as soon as it was ready. Still no problem.
We headed to the third floor to eat lunch but discovered that the restaurant was closed during the late afternoon and would reopen at 5 pm. The 24 hour restaurant was actually a deli-style place with preprepared sandwiches. We decided to go eat room service instead. Our order arrived quickly and the waiter brought back fairly quickly the items that were missing off the first order (a glass of milk and some condiments). Still no problems.
We went to the Hyatt and got back around 9 pm. I checked and discovered my room was ready and they had already checked me in. I got my key although I had to ask for my Platinum amenity choice card and also had to ask about a key to the Club Lounge. Still... fairly satisfied.
I got up to my lovely suite... and I was very satisfied. Or I should say I was very satisfied UNTIL I realized that it didn't seem like the room had been cleaned. There was a half-empty bottle of red wine and a half-empty cola bottle on the bar, a half-eaten fruit plate on the counter and another in the fridge. In the bathroom, the toiletries were disturbed and several bottles were open and uncapped in the shower, although the towels were all in place. The bed was made, but all of the cards normally left on the bed were on the bedside table and upon reading them, I couldn't tell whether the sheets had been changed or not. On top of the television were several packs of UA snack mix and a length of cord. There were wire coat hangers in the closet which was wide open. There were read newspapers folded on two of the sofas and on by the telephones, the pads were nearly empty and full of notes. Miscellaneous pocket emptyings were on one table.
I decided that I needed to bring this to the front desk's attention. The "First Response" line labeled on the phone didn't work... rang a rapid busy. I dialed "0" and was put on hold. I finally got transferred to the front desk where I was put on hold for about five minutes. I hung up, called back, got put on hold again... and then the phone disconnected me. I called back a third time and refused to be put on hold. Apparently the housekeeping got confused with the late check-out and thought I was the same guest staying on and that they just needed to freshen the room, not make it ready for a new guest (since they had already checked me into the room, it didn't show up as vacated).
I have to say that at this point, the hotel did ALL the right things. All I wanted was for housekeeping to come up and change the sheets (just in case) and clean the food and such out of the room. The housekeeper was very polite and the night manager called shortly after to say that they would find a way to make things right. (At this point, I should say that things were FINE with me!) Yesterday, the desk staff delivered an additional fruit basket (this on top of the bottle of wine and fruit/cheese plate that had been waiting for me) and I had an apology note from the operations manager. Then I had a voice mail message from the front desk manager letting me know that they had credited me 2,500 Starpoints for the inconvenience.
Anyway... I just have to say that I'm pleased with the program in place. I'm sure that many FTers would have been much more disturbed than me with everything from the suite not being ready to the room not being cleaned. I am just glad to see that Sheraton is working towards more consistency in the brand.