$4 to Mail a Hotel Postcard!
Nov 3, 2010, 11:09 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Summit County, CO.
Programs: UA 1K, Marriott Ambassador, Hyatt Diamond, American Platinum
Posts: 384
$4 to Mail a Hotel Postcard!
I'm currently staying at the Shangri-La in Vancouver. I noticed that they had a quite nice looking postcard with a photo of the hotel and the surrounding mountains in the stationary folder.
Occasionally during my travels, I actually write a postcard (one of the ones provided by the hotel) to my grandmother and ask the hotel to send it. She really appreciates receiving them. I have never once in 15 years of travel been asked to pay for the privilege. It is a marketing vehicle for the hotel, after all.
I take the postcard to the front desk: "Sir, that will be $4."
Me: "I'm sorry, did you say $4 to mail the hotel's postcard?"
"Yes, it's $4 because we have to go buy the stamp for you."
"But this is the HOTEL'S postcard."
"Yes, sir, but we have to buy the stamp."
"Really? I've never been asked to pay to mail the hotel branded card anywhere in the world."
"I'm sorry sir, let me make a phone call."
Meanwhile, there are now two guests waiting to check in as she is the only front desk person.
I hear here say "Yes, but the guest would like this complimentary."
By now, I really can't believe how much trouble this is to get a card mailed.
"Sir, it's $4 to mail."
"This is a bit unbelievable. Can I please have the email address of the hotel manager? I'd like to send him a note. I've never been charged to mail a hotel postcard before, especially at a hotel of this caliber."
"Oh, I'm so sorry sir. Here is the email address." She looks it up and writes it down. "And I'll make sure the card gets mailed personally at no charge. I'll also talk to the manager about this."
"Ok. Thank you."
Such craziness for a stamp! And I'm still trying to understand why a stamp that costs the hotel about $1 will be charged $4 to the guest!
Even Westin hotels have mailed cards for me! I can understand if it's a postcard I purchased that I am responsible for the postage - but not the hotel's post card.
Have I been getting special mailing privileges for the past 15 years?
Occasionally during my travels, I actually write a postcard (one of the ones provided by the hotel) to my grandmother and ask the hotel to send it. She really appreciates receiving them. I have never once in 15 years of travel been asked to pay for the privilege. It is a marketing vehicle for the hotel, after all.
I take the postcard to the front desk: "Sir, that will be $4."
Me: "I'm sorry, did you say $4 to mail the hotel's postcard?"
"Yes, it's $4 because we have to go buy the stamp for you."
"But this is the HOTEL'S postcard."
"Yes, sir, but we have to buy the stamp."
"Really? I've never been asked to pay to mail the hotel branded card anywhere in the world."
"I'm sorry sir, let me make a phone call."
Meanwhile, there are now two guests waiting to check in as she is the only front desk person.
I hear here say "Yes, but the guest would like this complimentary."
By now, I really can't believe how much trouble this is to get a card mailed.
"Sir, it's $4 to mail."
"This is a bit unbelievable. Can I please have the email address of the hotel manager? I'd like to send him a note. I've never been charged to mail a hotel postcard before, especially at a hotel of this caliber."
"Oh, I'm so sorry sir. Here is the email address." She looks it up and writes it down. "And I'll make sure the card gets mailed personally at no charge. I'll also talk to the manager about this."
"Ok. Thank you."
Such craziness for a stamp! And I'm still trying to understand why a stamp that costs the hotel about $1 will be charged $4 to the guest!
Even Westin hotels have mailed cards for me! I can understand if it's a postcard I purchased that I am responsible for the postage - but not the hotel's post card.
Have I been getting special mailing privileges for the past 15 years?
Nov 3, 2010, 11:27 am
#2
Join Date: Jul 2009
Posts: 983
I'm currently staying at the Shangri-La in Vancouver. I noticed that they had a quite nice looking postcard with a photo of the hotel and the surrounding mountains in the stationary folder.
Occasionally during my travels, I actually write a postcard (one of the ones provided by the hotel) to my grandmother and ask the hotel to send it. She really appreciates receiving them. I have never once in 15 years of travel been asked to pay for the privilege. It is a marketing vehicle for the hotel, after all.
I take the postcard to the front desk: "Sir, that will be $4."
Me: "I'm sorry, did you say $4 to mail the hotel's postcard?"
"Yes, it's $4 because we have to go buy the stamp for you."
"But this is the HOTEL'S postcard."
"Yes, sir, but we have to buy the stamp."
"Really? I've never been asked to pay to mail the hotel branded card anywhere in the world."
"I'm sorry sir, let me make a phone call."
Meanwhile, there are now two guests waiting to check in as she is the only front desk person.
I hear here say "Yes, but the guest would like this complimentary."
By now, I really can't believe how much trouble this is to get a card mailed.
"Sir, it's $4 to mail."
"This is a bit unbelievable. Can I please have the email address of the hotel manager? I'd like to send him a note. I've never been charged to mail a hotel postcard before, especially at a hotel of this caliber."
"Oh, I'm so sorry sir. Here is the email address." She looks it up and writes it down. "And I'll make sure the card gets mailed personally at no charge. I'll also talk to the manager about this."
"Ok. Thank you."
Such craziness for a stamp! And I'm still trying to understand why a stamp that costs the hotel about $1 will be charged $4 to the guest!
Even Westin hotels have mailed cards for me! I can understand if it's a postcard I purchased that I am responsible for the postage - but not the hotel's post card.
Have I been getting special mailing privileges for the past 15 years?
Occasionally during my travels, I actually write a postcard (one of the ones provided by the hotel) to my grandmother and ask the hotel to send it. She really appreciates receiving them. I have never once in 15 years of travel been asked to pay for the privilege. It is a marketing vehicle for the hotel, after all.
I take the postcard to the front desk: "Sir, that will be $4."
Me: "I'm sorry, did you say $4 to mail the hotel's postcard?"
"Yes, it's $4 because we have to go buy the stamp for you."
"But this is the HOTEL'S postcard."
"Yes, sir, but we have to buy the stamp."
"Really? I've never been asked to pay to mail the hotel branded card anywhere in the world."
"I'm sorry sir, let me make a phone call."
Meanwhile, there are now two guests waiting to check in as she is the only front desk person.
I hear here say "Yes, but the guest would like this complimentary."
By now, I really can't believe how much trouble this is to get a card mailed.
"Sir, it's $4 to mail."
"This is a bit unbelievable. Can I please have the email address of the hotel manager? I'd like to send him a note. I've never been charged to mail a hotel postcard before, especially at a hotel of this caliber."
"Oh, I'm so sorry sir. Here is the email address." She looks it up and writes it down. "And I'll make sure the card gets mailed personally at no charge. I'll also talk to the manager about this."
"Ok. Thank you."
Such craziness for a stamp! And I'm still trying to understand why a stamp that costs the hotel about $1 will be charged $4 to the guest!
Even Westin hotels have mailed cards for me! I can understand if it's a postcard I purchased that I am responsible for the postage - but not the hotel's post card.
Have I been getting special mailing privileges for the past 15 years?
Pretty much sums up my experience with this hotel. Truly awful, overly trained staff with no concept of flexibility whatsoever. I hope someone from the hotel reads this forum so they can get a sense of how silly things such as this drive away paying customers.
I would make a real point of speaking to the manager about this issue if I were you. Actually, that reminds me, could you perhaps PM me a contact email for the hotel? I've been meaning to follow-up to a phone conversation I had with them last month, and never heard back.
Nov 3, 2010, 11:33 am
#3
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: VCE
Posts: 14,165
I feel your pain. The physical property of the Shangri-La Vancouver is very beautiful- however some of the service concepts are extremely frustrating- I have had extremely poor service in the restaurant for example at breakfast.
Nov 3, 2010, 9:47 pm
#4
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: PEK and BOS
Programs: BA - Blue
Posts: 4,531
Wow! My amazement is in the other direction...I never knew that one could mail hotel post-cards for free. I've occasionally used hotel post-cards when I've not had a chance to buy one myself, but always bought stamps and posted it as if it were any other postcard. The fact that I didn't have to pay for the card was enough for me. I'll have to try this on my next trip, just for fun!
tb
tb
Nov 4, 2010, 2:39 am
#6
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: OSL
Posts: 2,145
I have always been prepared to pay for stamps, no matter which card I am sending. However, once at the luxury hotel La Casa Que Canta located in Zihuatanejo, Mexico. We asked for stamps to send a couple of cards. They gave us the stamps and asked us to pay the double price for them because we would need to cover the costs of someone going to the post office to buy new stamps for the hotel! We gave them their stamps back, bought our own and lowered the planned tip for the stay significantly.
Nov 5, 2010, 11:02 am
#8
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: VCE
Posts: 14,165
Nov 6, 2010, 12:25 pm
#11
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: SAT / MAA / BOM
Programs: CO Plat; UA 1K; EK Gold
Posts: 5,110
Wow! My amazement is in the other direction...I never knew that one could mail hotel post-cards for free. I've occasionally used hotel post-cards when I've not had a chance to buy one myself, but always bought stamps and posted it as if it were any other postcard. The fact that I didn't have to pay for the card was enough for me. I'll have to try this on my next trip, just for fun!
tb
tb
Nov 6, 2010, 12:54 pm
#12
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: south of WAS DC
Posts: 10,131
i have stayed at a number of high end starwoods in europe. i have always had to pay for postcards, and premium at that. when i mailed a postcard at the vatican, i payed a gigantic premium, and it was not delivered. i have stayed at a couple dozen "destination resorts". always had do pay for postage. even aftwer showing them my "he is special" documentation.
Nov 6, 2010, 1:41 pm
#13
Join Date: May 2009
Location: SIN (with a bit of ZRH sprinkled in)
Posts: 9,456
Wow! My amazement is in the other direction...I never knew that one could mail hotel post-cards for free. I've occasionally used hotel post-cards when I've not had a chance to buy one myself, but always bought stamps and posted it as if it were any other postcard. The fact that I didn't have to pay for the card was enough for me. I'll have to try this on my next trip, just for fun!
tb
tb
I assume this will only work on 4*+ and 5* properties?
Nov 6, 2010, 4:37 pm
#14
Join Date: Nov 2010
Posts: 1
Our Sincere Apologies from Shangri-La Vancouver
Dear cohighcountry1k,
Greetings from the Shangri-La Vancouver and our sincere apologies for the Post Card response from our staff. We totally agree that sending our signature hotel post card should be with our compliments and i will personally ensure this is communicated to all of our staff starting with the Concierge.
Although we do have high performance ratings on Flexibility and extending our brand of hospitality, sometimes we do miss the mark.
, which in your case was unnecessary. I really appreciate you bringing this to my attention. It is unfortunate that you have appeared to have checked out? In anycase, if we can be of any assistance in the future, pls do not hesitate to contact me personally.
In the meantime, wishing you safe travels and a graet weekend.
Best regards,
Ed Brea
General Manager
Greetings from the Shangri-La Vancouver and our sincere apologies for the Post Card response from our staff. We totally agree that sending our signature hotel post card should be with our compliments and i will personally ensure this is communicated to all of our staff starting with the Concierge.
Although we do have high performance ratings on Flexibility and extending our brand of hospitality, sometimes we do miss the mark.
, which in your case was unnecessary. I really appreciate you bringing this to my attention. It is unfortunate that you have appeared to have checked out? In anycase, if we can be of any assistance in the future, pls do not hesitate to contact me personally. In the meantime, wishing you safe travels and a graet weekend.
Best regards,
Ed Brea
General Manager
Nov 6, 2010, 7:19 pm
#15
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Seat 2A
Programs: AA EXP LT GLD 1MM, BA GLD, NH/UA*G, Hyatt Dia, Marr Tit LT PLT, IHG Spire,HH Dia, MGM NOIR,Hertz PC
Posts: 10,571
There are a couple Canada Post offices close by the SL.
I have, on occasion, sent a fax from hotels and was not charged for it. I never asked for A postcard or letter should in no case (especially not a luxury hotel) incur more than the actual postage which in this case was about 400%.
The worst experience was when I wanted to send a FedEx (labeled and prepared) from the Wynn Las Vegas and they wanted to charge me 15$ to accept it and having it sent out with their own stuff from the mailroom.
I have, on occasion, sent a fax from hotels and was not charged for it. I never asked for A postcard or letter should in no case (especially not a luxury hotel) incur more than the actual postage which in this case was about 400%.
The worst experience was when I wanted to send a FedEx (labeled and prepared) from the Wynn Las Vegas and they wanted to charge me 15$ to accept it and having it sent out with their own stuff from the mailroom.