Starwood Preferred Guest - Availability and mis-information.

So I made a reservation at a 4 Points several months ago. I then faxed the GM of the hotel - I stay at this 4 points quite often and they have always upgraded me to a suite. Usually I'm by myself, but this time I have two friends traveling with me and we are going on the cheap so I suite would be nice - in my letter I say I know it is not guaranteed but if he can do anything to help out it would be appreciated.

I arrive yesterday and no suites available. No big deal - except in my letter I also wrote if they had no suites I'd need to switch to a room with two double beds - none of those are available either. Mind you I also followed up with two phone calls. Neither my phone calls, nor my fax was in any way every acknowledged nor the phone calls returned.

Today I decide we can't all share a room, so I break down, call the front desk and say "do you have any rooms available" they reply no, I also ask again if there are suites available, they say no. I then go on-line and the hotel is available, even offering suites. So I call SPG and book an award reservation. Then I walk from my room down to the front desk and check-in for this room which was not available according to the front desk just 5 minutes ago. I also question them about the fact that the SPG reservations would have booked a suite for me (although only for $ not for points) and they still say no suites are available. I did however get checked into to second room without any problems. So where is the mis-communication and mis-information coming from?

As I said before I stay at this hotel often and last time when I checked-in they even said this is your 20 something stay at our property, but this time I feel the treatment has been really bad and unresponsive, and I don't think I'll be staying here again. What I would really like is for them to comp me the second room - do you all think that's unreasonable?

Thanks - just had to vent. :(

Having checked in to thousands of hotel rooms in my life, and having been a hotel night desk clerk in college - I can tell you that the sharpest tools in the shed are not working the desk. I've found that most Four Points managers couldn't give a rat's behind about the fact that you're a *Wood plat, or even that you're a client with a complaint. I've had more unresolved CS issues at 4P than at any other hotel. I'm interested in which property this was (as I've stayed in about 75% of the 4P in the US).

It's the Four Points in San Diego the one on Aero Drive. If I write the GM of the property (and assume they don't care as you state) whom do I copy on my complaint? Who is the next in the chain in command? It is obviously somebody off-property at corporate right?

Thanks.

1. You are plat right?

2. Was the room cheaper because it was a king, and the higer rate was for two beds? If so is that why you reserved a king orig instead of 2 bed?

Man, that's one hotel where I'm afraid to stay. Stayed there once (see a long thread on this) and couldn't wait to get the heck out of Dodge. Can't believe they'd not have a room and can't believe they wouldn't du pushups in front of you to make you happy if you've stayed there 20 times (better man than I Gunga SF1K).

It's the Four Points in San Diego the one on Aero Drive. If I write the GM of the property (and assume they don't care as you state) whom do I copy on my complaint? Who is the next in the chain in command? It is obviously somebody off-property at corporate right?

Thanks.

Sorry - didn't reply to your earlier message - call the *Wood Customer Service line. They give the hotel five days or so to reply to your complaint. I've never seen anyone not jump to it.

Yes but other than denying upgrade if hotel gave you ACTUAL room type books technically they didnt do anything wrong.

Also how could u get one bed if you put 3 people in res. wouldnt it not let u book more people than occ allowed?

When I booked the reservation I was "hoping" for the upgrade. So I was told to book a king bed, since most suites have king beds, and then they were supposed to note the reservation that if they were not able to accomodate the upgrade to give me a room with two double beds.

It was also irritating that there was not a single response from the GM in regards to my fax and two phone calls. It was one of the few times that I wanted a stay to be "perfect" and was being pro-active about it and it was worse then any other stay I've ever had.

Not to mention that housekeeping threw away my personal "facial" soap that I had in the shower, I think they thought it was the free hotel soap and now I get to spend $15 to buy a new one.

The final straw is that my friend left his cell phone charger in the room, by mistake (yes, I know that is his fault), but when I called they said they would run to the room and check on it and call me back, they still have not called back. :(

....but, you should be able to get your friend's phone charger back. Most hotels have more of these laying around than they care to even admit. I called after having left my charger behind in another hotel -- all they wanted to know is if I was willing to pay postage and what brand of phone it was. They sent along two chargers for me with a friendly note telling me that I could now pack one and leave one home! I thought it was hysterical. If you stay there frequently, check with housekeeping the next time you are there (if it is soon??) and I am sure they will just give you one.

Stevekoe

Not to mention that housekeeping threw away my personal "facial" soap that I had in the shower, I think they thought it was the free hotel soap and now I get to spend $15 to buy a new one.


Wow - that's a pretty expensive bar of soap. What's it made of?

Did you get the name of who told you this. You should of had called them for the upgrade

"So I was told to book a king bed, since most suites have king beds, and then they were supposed to note the reservation that if they were not able to accomodate the upgrade to give me a room with two double beds."

Well as of today (1 week after faxing my complaint letter to both the hotel and the Customer Service Number) I have had zero response from either one. The Starwood representative I spoke with said that once they received the letter he would send me an e-mail with a "case number". How long does this normally take?

Well as of today (1 week after faxing my complaint letter to both the hotel and the Customer Service Number) I have had zero response from either one. The Starwood representative I spoke with said that once they received the letter he would send me an e-mail with a "case number". How long does this normally take?

Provided we received it and it has been processed, up to 10 business days.

Since July 30th, this hotel has had exactly 5 complaints registered with Hotel Customer Service. Only three files have been entered since August 2nd.

Doesn't sound like we got your fax or you would have been notified and given a file number.

Sincerely,


William R. Sanders
Customer Service Coordinator
Starwood Preferred Services

guest.forum@starwoodhotels.com

I refaxed it today. I hope this time it has been received. :(

Well as of today I still have not received any confirmation from SPG that they have received my complaint? I know the hotel has 10 days to respond, but how long does it usuall take to receive this confirmation? This is the first time in 2 or 3 years of being a Platinum that I've used this "complaint service" and so far I'm very disappointed. :(

Well as of today I still have not received any confirmation from SPG that they have received my complaint? I know the hotel has 10 days to respond, but how long does it usuall take to receive this confirmation? This is the first time in 2 or 3 years of being a Platinum that I've used this "complaint service" and so far I'm very disappointed. :(

The most reliable...and fastest...way to contact Hotel Customer Service is by calling them or sending them an email. My department usually gets the faxes sent to Starwood Preferred Guest and I haven't seen your letter as yet. Valerie (we are a department of two people) may have it on her desk, but she will not be back until Monday.

So, what fax number did you use? Just curious.

Sincerely,


William R. Sanders
Customer Service Coordinator
Starwood Preferred Services

guest.forum@starwoodhotels.com

Well as of today I still have not received any confirmation from SPG that they have received my complaint? I know the hotel has 10 days to respond, but how long does it usuall take to receive this confirmation? This is the first time in 2 or 3 years of being a Platinum that I've used this "complaint service" and so far I'm very disappointed. :( Try emailing them at one of the address in the sticky post at the top of this forum. That's what I did, took about 3 business days for a reply, and I'm still waiting to hear back from the Hotel GM. (only been 4 business days though)

So what exactly do you want him to say? I mean honestly you expect a response right away when you are partially at fault.. I dont see how with 3 people you could book a 1 king room type so you must of fudged the # there. You expect an upgrade (WHICH is your LEGIMATE COMPLAINT). But they could of upgraded you to a nicer king room and you'd still be complaining.

The soap issue, I mean its the housekeep, how is she to know it was your special soap. She was just cleaning up.

And the cell phone charger, I mean you lose an item at hotels alot.. They could have been better on that, but anyone including the next party could take it

1) My soap does not look anything like the soap that the Four Points gives you - and when I leave my room for the day I would expect all my personal property to remain there.

2) It is not the lack of upgrade that I am complaining about, but the fact that they said "no other rooms where available" - and then I call central reservations and they say they have rooms, including suites available.

3) The cell phone charger was not that big a deal. But the fact that I called twice and never received a return phone call even though I was promised one each time is a big deal.

4) The fact that I have faxed the GM of the property twice and the fact that I called him twice and still have not received a response is totally unacceptable - regarless of whether they think they did something wrong or not.

By the way I have now e-mailed the "complaint", that was on Saturday. No response thus far, but then that would be a little fast.

SPG also told me over the phone that if I faxed it, it would be entered the same day and I would receive a file number. I faxed it twice and still have not received one - so that seems to have fallen through the cracks as well. We'll see if the e-mail arrived. It certainly does not show bounced on my end.

And yes I did book a 1 King room with 3 people. I think with roll-aways that is not unreasonable, my point was that I faxed and called the hotel saying that if a suite would not become available then could they please switch me to a room with two beds. I was simply following the advice of the platinum concierge to whom I spoke. I did not "fudge" any numbers.

...SPG also told me over the phone that if I faxed it, it would be entered the same day and I would receive a file number. I faxed it twice and still have not received one - so that seems to have fallen through the cracks as well. We'll see if the e-mail arrived. It certainly does not show bounced on my end...

So, what fax number did you use? Just curious.

Sincerely,


William R. Sanders
Customer Service Coordinator
Starwood Preferred Services

guest.forum@starwoodhotels.com

Sorry - forgot to answer that question. The fax number I used was 512-835-4417. Which was given to me by the customer service rep when I called.

Sorry - forgot to answer that question. The fax number I used was 512-835-4417. Which was given to me by the customer service rep when I called.

A file was entered for you on August 10th. According to the notes at the end of the file, an email was sent the same day advising you of the file number and that it may take up to ten days for the hotel to contact you. Sorry if you didn't get the email, but I can see that it was sent in Brightware.

Six days later, the hotel closed the file with an email apology and explanation. Sorry if you didn't get this one either, but I can also see it in Brightware.

Sincerely,


William R. Sanders
Customer Service Coordinator
Starwood Preferred Services

guest.forum@starwoodhotels.com

so when you get the email let us know what the compensation/apology is

Oh well. I have not received any e-mails at all. So I guess if it wasn't for this board I'd not even realize there was an apologoy. Lurker, can you actually see if the hotel sent it to me? Considering the lack of response from the GM on all other occassions I would tend to think that he would respond to your system but really does not care about the guests at his property. Well there are other SPG properties in San Diego and also a few nice other ones.

do u have a spam filter you are unaware of?

Yesterday I received the "apology" from the hotel. If one can call it that. They have actually managed to make me even more upset then I was, basically making excuses and blaming me. They also never address the fact that they did not return my phone calls, faxes or either of the lost items. Here is the letter.

Dear Mr. SF1K,

Starwood Corporate services forwarded your concerns to us. I would like to thank you for your comments for it is through the comments of our guests that we can strive to improve.

I reviewed your reservation and did not see any changes regarding the room type which leads me to belive that the reservation was booking into a room with a king bed. We did receive your request for a suite, and while the Starwood policy is to upgrade Platinum members to the best available room at check in, we were unable to upgrade you to a suite because we did not have any available on the day you checked in. We do our best to fulfill the requests of our guests buy unfortunately are not always able to do so.

Regarding your question about reservations, the hotel is always in flux, with reservations cancelled and added at different times by several different sources. It could very well be that while you were at the front desk, we were completely booked and as you walked away, a reservation may have been cancelled at Central, leaving a room available for you to book.

I thank you for your comments and hope that you will choose to stay with us again. Please feel free to contact me with any questiosn or further comments you may have.

Sincerely,

Revenue Manager



I think the biggest slap in the face is that the GM to whom I addressed both of my letters and phone calls (which were never returned) still seems to be too busy to return a letter to me, since he was simply copied on the response. Funny thing was I always read all the negative reports about this hotel on this forum, but in the past have always had good experiences. However, after this one I will not be staying there again.