Starwood Preferred Guest - Injured at a "Sheraton"

I am wondering if anyone else has run into this type of problem. I was injured at a Sheraton in Rome (in the fitness room - long story, but basically a piece of equipment broke). The GM of the property is making several untrue claims about the incident and about what I and my colleagues reported about it. I attempted to escalate through Sheraton White Plains, but have been told that the property is a franchise (franchisee is UNK?) and that Sheraton essentially has no control or liability for what happens there.

Seems to me that there should be some brand responsibility even if there is not direct ownership - does anyone have experience with this type of situation with Starwood?

Thanks

Welcome to Flyer Talk!
Thats is horrible. Are you all right? Not to change the subject, but when I was at the W Newark- Silicone Valley, There was a nail sticking up in the carpet and it stabbed me in the foot. They ended up comping that night and brought up some amenities. Nothing broke, but the hotel should give you some compensation as a good will gesture. I hope you are okay. I guess I dont understand what you are asking. Did they make you pay for the equipment? Did you receive anything?

Thanks for your concern - I now have a "character" scar on my forehead, but otherwise I am ok. All I originally asked for was to for them to cover my medical copay for the plastic surgeon when I got home (about $50), a new iPod to replace the one that was also broken by the flying piece of equipment, and some compensation for the lovely evening in the Italian ER and having to cut my business trip short one day (I was thinking maybe a few nights at a Sheraton - not in Rome!).

It has become personal to me now, however, given that the hotel GM is lying about both what I and my colleagues said, and the equipment itself. The hotel has closed the case, and Sheraton corporate can "not do anything" because they do not own and operate the property - they are going to get me the phone number of UNK's (the franchisee) customer service to escalate within that organization, and offered a few Starpoints.

At this point I am more upset about the brazen lying of the GM than the scar - it just doesn't seem right to drop it...

Right, the General Managers usually back their hotels. I feel Starwood should absolutely take some responsibility. Did you ever feel out an incident report? Getting a new iPod? that might be hard, but they should defiantly pay the fifty dollars and either comp your night or offer some points such as 10,000 since it is a category 4. For escalated hotel-related complaints or SPG program-related issues, where you have already contacted Corporate Customer Service or the SPG Customer Contact Center, and the issue remains unresolved, you can send a letter to the corporate office using the following address:

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.
1111 Westchester Avenue
White Plains, New York 10604

and describe your matter. Hope this helps.

W Scottsdale Insider

Thanks...in fact, the corporate response I described came via sending a letter to corporate HQ at the address you mentioned...so I guess I have reached the end of the line with Starwood customer service...they have been very unresponsive and frustrating to deal with

Not a nice way of staying a night in Italy....

However, it will not be easy for you. I assume the case will be under under Italian law. I am not qualified in Italy but the systems in Europe are not that different but certainly very different from the US. For a beginning: There certainly is no general liabiltiy for accidents with equipment in a fitness room. If a piece of equipment brake and the business can make evidence that it was (a) standard equipment (b) properly checked and maintenance was performed, you will might have a problem. Certain accidents are considered to be bad luck (outside the US).

What I would do in your shoes: I would further try to escalate this in the US. You do not care whether or not this is a franchise. It had "Sheraton" on it. You do not care, whether is was in Italy. It was a US brand and you are a US citizen. Keep the case in the US as much as possible!

Wow, what a horrible way for you to be treated--especially if you were just looking for the basic compensation you describe.

You mentioned you were on a business trip? I would consider filing an incident report (or whatever your company's equivalent is) with your travel department and see if you can get them involved. Depending on the size of your company, you might get better traction that way.

Thanks for the comments. I was not aware of the liability differences in Europe, so that could certainly play into this.

I completely agree that Sheraton should view this type of problem as their issue, independent of their franchise agreements...I am not sure how to elevate above the liability manager that I am currently in conversations with in White Plains.

I have not involved my company yet (a very large upstate NY company, so that could help), although I think that may be the only next step that could produce results...

The thing that is driving me crazy is that all Sheraton has to do is make one phone call or inquiry to my colleagues to immediately realize that the hotel GM is lying - I just can't get them to do even that cursory level of investigation - they always return to the property and - surprise - get the same answer.

I am struggling with the value of the Sheraton brand, and what it actually means at this point - maybe all hotel chains are exactly like this in this day and age?

Would your colleagues be willing to sign notarized statements of their version of events? This might bolster your case with Customer Service and show that you are serious about pursuing this matter.

Starwood have given me nothing but trouble in the past. Their customer service is very poor and unresponsive, and I spent more than an hour on the phone one time.

I had a car stolen from a Sheraton Valet parking lot and didn't get so much as one starpoint. They did comp my room 1 night because I had to stay there without a car to drive home, and they rented me a car to get home, but I thought a few starpoints should've been in order, especially since an employee was involved in the theft!

And when I was at Westin Los Cabos I got hit in the head with a wooden hatch that covered a ceiling air conditioning unit. (It WAS during a bad storm when I opened the door and the open balcony door created a vacuum.) I was bleeding pretty bad when they came to fix the fallen cover, but no one offered me so much as a band-aid!

I think all properties are different, especially as you are dealing with a foreign country, but the least they could do is give you some starpoints. I'm surprised it was a Sheraton- they're usually so good about making things right. Then again, when different countries are involved and different owners, it's hard to know where you stand.

Good Luck!

Thanks...in fact, the corporate response I described came via sending a letter to corporate HQ at the address you mentioned...so I guess I have reached the end of the line with Starwood customer service...
Not necessarily...you can certainly ask for management review. I doubt the person writing your letter was the director of customer service or an executive.