Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: CGN (Cologne, Germany), travel agent, hardcore Sabre user
Programs: AA Lifetime Gold, BA, DL, LH, HH Diamond, Bonvoy Platinum, AX Centurion
Posts: 445
Sheraton Suites Fort Lauderdale at Cypress Creek [Master Thread]
Stayed there 12/27 thru 12/29. I don't want to be unfair so I must mention that the front desk agent checking me in was fabulous - fast, friendly and efficient.
But:
They either have too few elevators (four) or the elevators are operating way too slowly. That is especially annyoing when you just want to get some ice and the ice machine on your floor is broken. I repeatedly had to wait minutes for an elevator to arrive. Took me quite some research to finally find the staircase. There are two doors next to the vending machines, one is marked "private" and the other has no sign at all. That is the emergeny exit door leading to the stairs! If I am to ever experience a hotel fire I surely don't want to experience it at this property!
Room was not really clean. I could see that it had been cleaned in a rush, but there was still hair on the bathroom floor and some parts of the carpet had not been vacuum cleaned for ages. Also, the bed was very uncomfortable. Soft at the edges, when lying close to the edge it felt like one could easily fall out of it while asleep.
The issue of the train line running next to the building has been discussed on FlyerTalk before. I would like to throw in another annoyance: there is a giant fan on the back side of the building, larger than an airplane engine and about as loud. It runs for about a minute or so, stops for a couple of minutes and then starts again. First I thought it was the air condition and it somehow is - front desk said it's needed to vent the a/c system. I wonder how the central air conditions in all other hotels of the world work... Even with the windows closed this thing was so loud that it completely ruined my sleep.
The evening before check-out I checked my balance on the TV and found a restaurant charge that was not from me. Called Service Promise and asked what it was. They said two cocktails from the bar. Told them that this must be a mistake and asked them to take the charge off. They said I would have to call the restaurant as they are run independantly. Called the restaurant and they suggested that I just forgot that I had had two drinks! I insisted that they search for the signed charge form. When they called back they admitted that it contained my room number but no name and an unreadable signature not at all similar to mine (they were checking it against my signature from breakfast). "Problem solved", I said, "just take it off". I was told I would have to come down the next morning to discuss the issue with the restaurant manager as charges could not be taken off so easily. Obviously, I was not getting anywhere this evening with the restaurant people so I dressed again and went down to the front desk to see the manager on duty. She was very friendly and helpful but confirmed that only the restaurant manager could cancel the fraudulent charge. But she promised to make sure that he would do it first thing the next morning. When I talked to him the other day he reluctantly agreed to cancel the charge. No excuse for all the hassle I had been through discussing the issue with various employees. I was about to have breakfast at his place but as he obviously believed that I had found a way to cheat him for two drinks I decided to have breakfast at a nearby restaurant.
After breakfast, I wanted to use video check-out. Upon check-in, I had received a flyer advertising 100 bonus points for using the sytem and completing an online guest satisfaction survey. I certainly had some comments to give, but unfortunately the system was down. Told the front desk that I would have liked to share my comments with them and that I certainly would like to have at least the 100 survey points, but she had never even heard of it. She took my email address and promised to get back to me. As of today, I have neither received the points nor an email.
What do you think? Should I complain directly to the hotel or write a letter to my local Starwood service center? After all, this hotel is touting "We are not satisfied until you are satisfied". Can't really see that they are living up to this promise.
[This message has been edited by jreichel (edited Jan 09, 2004).]