Stayed in this place for one night last weekend.

The pool is OK. I cannot vouch for the restaurant because it was closed.

When I checked in they told me that they couldn't give me a club-level room but it didn't matter because the club was closed at weekends. Fair enough, but perhaps I should have been warned by the tone.

First room offered was, without any exaggeration, the worst room I have ever been given anywhere in any Starwood hotel anywhere in the world. Small, dark, smelly, view of a piece of glass, which turned out to be part of the walkway past the pool. I did what I have never, ever done before in perhaps 200 stays at Starwood hotels, went back to the front desk, and asked for a better room.

Checkin staff treated me like I was asking for a free helicopter to the 'top-of-mountain-suite' but after their huffing and puffing and my rather pointed pointing at the bit on the platinum wallet that says 'best available room' found me another room.

Second room was exactly the same layout, half underground, but at least looked outwards. It smelled better.

2 hours after checkin, and after unpacking, my 2-year-old discovered the remains of the previous occupants breakfast under the bed....

Staff offered me 1000 points 'for my inconvenience'. I told them I preferred a clean room. They said they had no other rooms. A quick check of the website showed they were lying.

I cancelled my reservation for later in the week. I've never done that before either.

I appreciate that this corner of Vermont is thin on hotels that are part of big chains, but seriously, Starwood - you should be embarrassed that this hotel is part of your chain.