Originally Posted by
Starwood Lurker
The upgrade benefit for Gold members is about as clearly defined as it is going to get. It is no longer as broad as it used to be:
(b) An Enhanced/Preferred Room at Participating Properties at the time of check-in based upon room availability for your entire stay, except at Aloft and Element properties. Enhanced/Preferred Rooms are identified by each property and are restricted to the class of room originally booked, but may include rooms on higher floors, corner rooms, newly renovated rooms, or rooms with preferred views. The upgrade benefit is available for one room for the personal use of the Member only, regardless of the number of additional rooms purchased by the Member.
Nothing in there says that Le Meridien St. Julians had to upgrade
Guava to the executive level, but they did. So, they actually went above and beyond what was required of them in that regard.
Where they fell short was not realizing that once they chose to go above and beyond that they had an obligation to provide whatever amenities normally come with that room type. Quite honestly, it is probably not a well-known matter because it happens so few times that a hotel gives an upgrade of this sort, but not the amenities. Think about it. We've had maybe three threads about this sort of issue in 9 years. That's just not a lot of heavy traffic in this area.
So, it really doesn't surprise me that something that happens so rarely gets missed by customer service or the hotels. When it does happen, we need to get assistance to the folks on the front line. To that end:
1) everyone in customer service who dealt with
Guava on this issue will be coached in how they should have handled his complaint.
2) the hotel itself will be told that if they choose to upgrade a Gold member to a category of room above what the guest originally booked, then they are obligated to give whatever amenities normally come with that room.
I expect that because of #2, Gold members have probably seen the last of their exceptional upgrades at Le Meridien St. Julian. And, if this issue happens somewhere else in the same fashion as this one, I expect it to disappear there as well. After all, if you want them to follow SPG policy, it cuts both ways on an issue of this sort.
Best regards,
William R. Sanders
Online Guest Feedback Coordinator
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide
[email protected]
William,
Thanks very much again for your intervention and actively following up on this in every aspects of it. First, I am very happy to hear that SPG CS agent and supervisor concerned will be coached, they really need it. Whether they knew how to handle it or not, the attitude could also use some coaching as well, including but not limited to dumping a customer's call to the hotel.
You can also say because of #2, put it in another way, Le Meridien St Julien may see a drop in traffic from many SPG members as well. This hotel is selling 4PM late-check, into 4 different prices: 12PM-1PM, ... 3PM-4PM, among others. I am sure there will be a new list of "items" up for sale soon. FYI, the little cucumber story would really serve the hotel management well in this case. Many SPG hotels do not view granting lounge access along with Club room as a major favor to the point ofshadowing the guests everywhere they go. As you said, in 9 years, there had been roughly 3 threads on this issue and in them, only a handful of properties seemed to have been bother enough like Le Meridien St. Juliens. In other words, what does that say about the management itself? I'll leave that up to the members here to decide how they feel about staying in such a hotel where everything they give to guests is considered a big favor on their part and every penny counted, including no A/C in the hallways of most floors except the lobby because somehow the management feels that guests don't need A/C in 100+ degree temperature while waiting for elevators, very slow and small elevators btw. No wonders, such mentality that goodwill means nothing and what matters is $ or Euros and cash is king is a sure way to create customer loyalty, eh?
The lesson to take away, perahps for members here is: Stay away from SPG hotels with such mentality, there are others who don't view non-Platinum members like pests or beggers. The choice is yours. Minimalistic treatment will ellicit similar response from customers, that's when the very concept of loyalty program starts to be challenged when it ceased to be one. Personally, I deplore such mentality. I am a MBA and experienced business person, in my mind, there is no doubt such way of managing a hotel is not going to work well in the 21st century. But then, what do I know? Most SPG hotels don't seem to make a fuss about this so why this one and a few others in particular? Maybe they really should quit SPG for the benefits of everyone concerned.