Starwood Preferred Guest - Twice in one Week: Assigned Room Already Occupied

It's never happened to me before and I'm sure it's just coincedence, but 3 SPG check-ins in the last 7 days, and twice, the room was already occupied. I just felt fortutate that the folks were not in the room when I entered, only their luggage.

It's funny, as an PLAT, you get a wonderful greeting and the assurance you're getting the best room available, and you're sent on your way. Then when you show back up at the front desk, there's embarassment with a half-hearted apology, reassignment to a new room (in both cases, a lesser quality room), and not much else.

The first was at Westin Atlanta Peachtree Plaza, the second happened at Sheraton Phoenix Airport.

Any similar experiences out there? Any better handling from the front-desk staff in terms of a follow-up call, room upgrade, etc. I'm not sure what I was expecting, but it wasn't "do nothing".

Thats worth 10,000 points at least. Its freaking traumatizing. Everytime you hear someone at the door you think its someone going to the wrong room. Not cool

Interesting -- I had the same 2 weeks ago at the Miami Mart Sheraton. The front desk response was "Oh, OK, let me find you another room," as if it were far from an uncommon event.

Maybe the room assignment software has changed recently, and has some significant bugs in it?

However, if you are in your room, you should ALWAYS lock your door and flip the deadbolt to prevent situation like this.

This prevents any "surprises"! ;)

I always lock the door now.

I am convinced that its a manual error at check in. It once happened to me at LA westin. The guy had changed me from my original room into a new room. My guess thats where the error hits.

It happened to me at a hotel I was staying weekly for several months, and I knew the front desk staff fairly well. They gave me an upgrade to a suite -- say room 1401. Suite 1401 had luggage and a lump on the bed, and I jetted out of there as quickly as possible. The guy at the front desk apologized, and later, at my pressing of "what happened", the lady at the front desk admitted that she forgot to enter previous guest's room change into the system.

As I was chatting with them at the front desk, a man came up, saying that his room key suddenly stopped working. "Which room?" asked the lady at the front desk. "1401," he replied. She re-swiped his keys and gave me a sheepish look as he left.

Very interesting. Happened to my wife in at the SAME hotel in Atlanta 10 days ago! Front desk staff and GM really didn't care. After I told my wife to complain the GM finally gave a half hearted apology.

In the last year, this has happened to me 4 or 5 times. Once, I was in the room and security called me to demand I stop trespassing and get out of the room :rolleyes: That one was good for a free night.

Twice in one Week: Assigned Room Already Occupied

Well...now you know what the "catch" is on the current Double Stay promotion.

;)

Well...now you know what the "catch" is on the current Double Stay promotion.

;)

Happened to me at a Hilton. I was laying on the bed in my boxers and a couple walked in with their suitcase. I was definitely startled, but the couple almost fainted. The front desk manager tracked me down later that night to give me a few drink coupons.

Happened to me once in the Sheraton Minneapolis. Checked in and went to the room; tried the key for a little bit until someone in the room opened the door. I apologized and went back to the front desk. The manager was present at that time and was apologetic. He provided a new room and gave me 2500 points. Not too bad.

Happened to me once in the Sheraton Minneapolis. Checked in and went to the room; tried the key for a little bit until someone in the room opened the door. I apologized and went back to the front desk. The manager was present at that time and was apologetic. He provided a new room and gave me 2500 points. Not too bad.

I had the same experience at the Westin Bonaventure in L.A. last month. After I jiggled the key a little someone opened the door. When I went to the front desk for a new room ,they assigned me to a handicap room in which everything was very low. Since I was staying for a month and had a lot of luggage, I called down to the desk and asked them to give me a new room and have someone bring me the key. They kept insisting that the room I was in was not a handicap room. Finally someone met me, confirmed that I was right and gave me a third room. I got a plate of fruit and cheese for my trouble.

Now I'm sorry that I didn't think to ask for extra points.

Perhaps calling the SPG number and relating your experience and the trauma it caused you would be good for some points/vouchers/etc? I'd be sure to mention that the apathetic reaction of the staff.

Kind of like sitting in your seat on a plane and having someone come up with a boarding pass with the same seat number. :)

I always put this down to human error - whether at a hotel or on a plane. I can't believe that their computers systems don't have some sort of safeguard that indicates a room (or seat) is already occupied. Unless a human either overrides it, or hasn't properly entered it into the computer system.

Knowing that humans make mistakes, I always lock my door when in the room and I never get out of the seat when someone else claims it's theirs.