Originally Posted by
cfischer
Legally they probably can - 'hotel is closed'. From a PR perspective with a major renovation having gone bad ... not advisable. The last thing they need is having 6 months of frustrated angry travels flood the review sites with negative reviews when you want to get back on track after being closed for a year.
Marriott is a toothless organization and the Lurkers don't care either - I doubt the W management will come around and offer 'sensible' solutions.
There is certainly nothing stopping them legally from doing this and I think that if the JW is inseed available cheaper than you paid they shuld be offering you the difference back and some sort of upgraded room type, promise to look after you. That or an option to move your stay at the W to a later date, again with a promise to look after you, improved room type etc.
To expect the St. Regis to take all the W guests that are being cancelled however maybe a step to far as the St. Regis is several steps up from the W and the owners and Marriott are very unlikely to be willing to swallow these costs. I think when issues happen, its great to try and get what you can, but you also need to be realistic about what maybe offered instead and moving all W bookings to St.R is just never going to happen!