W Philadelphia [Master Thread]
Mar 5, 2023, 9:39 pm
#46
Ambassador: World of Hyatt
Join Date: Apr 2000
Location: San Diego,CA
Posts: 10,091
No one wants a fire alarm to go off at any hour but it unfortunately happens to many times in hotels sadly
The last time it happened to me @ 2 AM management refunded my night not because I asked
but because we were left in the cold for hours with no communication from the skeleton crew who left many dozens of guests
guessing if it was real.Eventually we hoped it wasn’t a fire and went back to our rooms despite no one answering the hotel phones to confirm. They were proactive in recovering the situation with points
It’s up to you depending on the extent of the failures to discuss with the hotel or Marriott
I personally feel your stay was a failure but only you can decide how to proceed
The last time it happened to me @ 2 AM management refunded my night not because I asked
but because we were left in the cold for hours with no communication from the skeleton crew who left many dozens of guests
guessing if it was real.Eventually we hoped it wasn’t a fire and went back to our rooms despite no one answering the hotel phones to confirm. They were proactive in recovering the situation with points
It’s up to you depending on the extent of the failures to discuss with the hotel or Marriott
I personally feel your stay was a failure but only you can decide how to proceed
Mar 5, 2023, 10:48 pm
#47
Join Date: Feb 2020
Location: USA
Programs: MB Ambassador, WOH Globalist, HH Diamond (Aspire), AA Gold, UA (*G) Gold
Posts: 5,187
I don't doubt that OP had a bad experience, but I've never understood the poor ratings. Great bed, great service, and great views on both of my stays - in fact, this was the first hotel that ever gave me an Ambassador welcome gift as I had just attained the status - a great box of truffles.
It sounds like this W will need to learn the lessons of other W properties that the parties and money that come with them aren't always worth the poor publicity from other guests.
It sounds like this W will need to learn the lessons of other W properties that the parties and money that come with them aren't always worth the poor publicity from other guests.
Mar 6, 2023, 3:40 am
#48
Company Representative, Marriott Bonvoy
Join Date: Feb 2019
Programs: Marriott Bonvoy
Posts: 1,089
(barely) completed a one night stay this morning.
could not escape this property fast enough.
absolutely astounded that marriott/bonvoy allows this place to operate anywhere within its group, let alone branded in the 'luxury' category as a W.
as part of marriott international?
unbelievable.
it was, pound for pound, the worst hotel experience i've ever had. a true endurance test from beginning to end.
i guess i could go into a blow-by-blow if anyone wants. it'd be a really long post, and a really depressing one too. such was the seemingly never-ending ballet of serious issues encountered.
not sure about other luxury M/B options in philly. there's the ritz - antagonistically, right next to this W - but i think that might be it. i've stayed at that ritz twice before, neither time was a total wow experience, but next to this W it feels like the George V in paris.
could not escape this property fast enough.
absolutely astounded that marriott/bonvoy allows this place to operate anywhere within its group, let alone branded in the 'luxury' category as a W.
as part of marriott international?
unbelievable.
it was, pound for pound, the worst hotel experience i've ever had. a true endurance test from beginning to end.
i guess i could go into a blow-by-blow if anyone wants. it'd be a really long post, and a really depressing one too. such was the seemingly never-ending ballet of serious issues encountered.
not sure about other luxury M/B options in philly. there's the ritz - antagonistically, right next to this W - but i think that might be it. i've stayed at that ritz twice before, neither time was a total wow experience, but next to this W it feels like the George V in paris.
We are sorry to learn about it. If you can send a private message to us with your stay details, full name, member number and recorded email address, we would be pleased to look into further for you.
Best regards,
Carrie L
Specialist Social Media Care
Marriott International
[email protected]
Mar 6, 2023, 9:39 am
#49
Ambassador: World of Hyatt
Join Date: Apr 2000
Location: San Diego,CA
Posts: 10,091
In this day and age it’s nice that someone from Marriott actually monitors these threads 
Hotels and airlines especially have pulled back from social media over the past decade ghosting their members and most loyal customers.For awhile Twitter was where folks went and I perceive that too is less effective these days for guest assistance.Myself I’m old school I still use the phone not that I always succeed
Hotels and airlines especially have pulled back from social media over the past decade ghosting their members and most loyal customers.For awhile Twitter was where folks went and I perceive that too is less effective these days for guest assistance.Myself I’m old school I still use the phone not that I always succeed
Mar 6, 2023, 11:28 am
#51
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: DCA
Posts: 7,769
Sorry to hear about your experience, but the above is about the most succinct and accurate encapsulation of my experience with the W brand that could be created, and hence why I don't stay at W properties. It's a brand designed to enable crazy party people!!!
Mar 6, 2023, 1:55 pm
#52
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Philadelphia
Programs: Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 1,790
I wonder if there's been any resolution to this lawsuit against the brand.
https://consumerist.com/2014/10/07/l...-prostitution/
https://consumerist.com/2014/10/07/l...-prostitution/
Mar 6, 2023, 3:28 pm
#53
Join Date: Oct 2022
Location: nyc/l.a.
Programs: all of 'em.
Posts: 317
hey folks. i'm really sorry i posted this. i kinda knew it was going to be a mistake before i did it. but i figured of all the travel forums, FT seemed the most reasonable, the smartest, the fairest, the shrewdest.
and it IS all that. i love the site.
i just dont think there's an appropriate place within FT to post comments as bad as mine, however fair and truthful. even with the seemingly endless amount and variety of subs within FT.
i thought first about the 'luxury hotels and resorts' sub - mostly where i lurk anyway - but figured it'd get quickly removed or admonished by a mod ('this isn't a sub for hotels like the w, this is a luxury sub!")
so in the end, i chose M/B sub as the w corporate parent. but this sub is - quite naturally and reasonably - full of marriot/bonvoy.... enthusiasts. i do not fault the sub for that one iota.....i understand what it's like to be committed to a brand - i'm a hardcore fender guitar loyalist. i don't like hearing people disparage their guitars.
so i'm sympathetic to anyone who commits their enthusiasms to a particular brand. i like enthusiasm. i like forgiveness. these things represent the best of human nature. as i mentioned, i'm fully familiar with the W brand. the south beach hotel has tons of beachy pizazz. i'll never forget the 3 or 4 nights i spent at w barcelona, a masterclass in chic hotel design. (particularly the interiors).
having said all that, however, i will admit to getting a bit flummoxed by responses claiming the serious faults i've cited have nothing to do with the hotel itself, instead it's the guests.
or starting a sentence by saying one doesn't doubt i had the experience i described, only to complete it by saying they don't understand how the hotel could have such bad soc med reviews? that's a mystification that largely solves itself within one sentence!
or defaulting to 'stuff happens'. sure, 'fire alarms go off twice during the night at every hotel sometimes'. but stuff like that generally doesn't happen at luxury hotels. at least not with any notable frequency. that's why they are 'luxury hotels'.
and the basic platitude that 'everyone has different experiences and preferences'?
i'm a reasonable person. i totally get all that. i surely don't think every other human experiences the world the same way i do, or should have identical preferences to my own?. i mean, doesn't this stuff go without saying?
in light of this, i have decided not to post a formal review here. i will do the most appropriate thing and send mails to m/b corporate, cc-ing the philadelphia location.
and ftr, i hate talking disapprovingly, disparagingly about any idea, person or thing. it feels so much better to be enthusiastic, to love something, to tell anyone who'll listen about this fantastic new hotel you've discovered.
anyway, apologies again if i've offended any w or marriot fanboys out there. there's certainly many things to love about the company, and i've experienced a bunch of great properties within their offerings.
finally, as for carrie l's response, i appreciate that as well.
and i guess i think it's nice that hotel representatives hang out in forums such as these. nice to know the public is heard by those behind the curtain. but i don't think UG forums are a great place for hotel representatives and guests to interact as far as business goes. complaints, recoveries, and such. it strikes me as more of a private matter between client and vendor. but i appreciate you providing your email, carrie, and will add you as a cc to the email i plan to send. if you want to DM me with a (physical) office address, i can cc you on the snail i plan to send as well.
and it IS all that. i love the site.
i just dont think there's an appropriate place within FT to post comments as bad as mine, however fair and truthful. even with the seemingly endless amount and variety of subs within FT.
i thought first about the 'luxury hotels and resorts' sub - mostly where i lurk anyway - but figured it'd get quickly removed or admonished by a mod ('this isn't a sub for hotels like the w, this is a luxury sub!")
so in the end, i chose M/B sub as the w corporate parent. but this sub is - quite naturally and reasonably - full of marriot/bonvoy.... enthusiasts. i do not fault the sub for that one iota.....i understand what it's like to be committed to a brand - i'm a hardcore fender guitar loyalist. i don't like hearing people disparage their guitars.
so i'm sympathetic to anyone who commits their enthusiasms to a particular brand. i like enthusiasm. i like forgiveness. these things represent the best of human nature. as i mentioned, i'm fully familiar with the W brand. the south beach hotel has tons of beachy pizazz. i'll never forget the 3 or 4 nights i spent at w barcelona, a masterclass in chic hotel design. (particularly the interiors).
having said all that, however, i will admit to getting a bit flummoxed by responses claiming the serious faults i've cited have nothing to do with the hotel itself, instead it's the guests.
or starting a sentence by saying one doesn't doubt i had the experience i described, only to complete it by saying they don't understand how the hotel could have such bad soc med reviews? that's a mystification that largely solves itself within one sentence!
or defaulting to 'stuff happens'. sure, 'fire alarms go off twice during the night at every hotel sometimes'. but stuff like that generally doesn't happen at luxury hotels. at least not with any notable frequency. that's why they are 'luxury hotels'.
and the basic platitude that 'everyone has different experiences and preferences'?
i'm a reasonable person. i totally get all that. i surely don't think every other human experiences the world the same way i do, or should have identical preferences to my own?. i mean, doesn't this stuff go without saying?
in light of this, i have decided not to post a formal review here. i will do the most appropriate thing and send mails to m/b corporate, cc-ing the philadelphia location.
and ftr, i hate talking disapprovingly, disparagingly about any idea, person or thing. it feels so much better to be enthusiastic, to love something, to tell anyone who'll listen about this fantastic new hotel you've discovered.
anyway, apologies again if i've offended any w or marriot fanboys out there. there's certainly many things to love about the company, and i've experienced a bunch of great properties within their offerings.
finally, as for carrie l's response, i appreciate that as well.
and i guess i think it's nice that hotel representatives hang out in forums such as these. nice to know the public is heard by those behind the curtain. but i don't think UG forums are a great place for hotel representatives and guests to interact as far as business goes. complaints, recoveries, and such. it strikes me as more of a private matter between client and vendor. but i appreciate you providing your email, carrie, and will add you as a cc to the email i plan to send. if you want to DM me with a (physical) office address, i can cc you on the snail i plan to send as well.
Mar 6, 2023, 3:48 pm
#54
Join Date: Feb 2020
Location: USA
Programs: MB Ambassador, WOH Globalist, HH Diamond (Aspire), AA Gold, UA (*G) Gold
Posts: 5,187
cornwall4000 I'm not sure why you're apologizing. It sounds like you had a validly bad experience. My point upthread was that I had nice stays, but I didn't experience the party and security atmosphere you did. In the absence of that, I question why the reviews are so bad (and I've been questioning this for a long time). Perhaps, that atmosphere is prevalent most nights now?
What you described, though, was a long-running issue with several W properties in the Starwood era. My take is that many of these properties mellowed out over time - the few that haven't (W Scottsdale comes to mind) continue to get criticized in online reviews.
What you described, though, was a long-running issue with several W properties in the Starwood era. My take is that many of these properties mellowed out over time - the few that haven't (W Scottsdale comes to mind) continue to get criticized in online reviews.
Mar 6, 2023, 3:52 pm
#55
Ambassador: World of Hyatt
Join Date: Apr 2000
Location: San Diego,CA
Posts: 10,091
Unfortunately especially these days many in social media have a tendency to be judgemental of folks with failed stays.
I think you painted a clear enough scenario previously that matched on point with the hotels shocking 3 star rating and below
Majority rules in my book typically
Its unfortunate anytime a member of the FT community has to be hesitant to participate here or in any forum.
When I started here 23 years ago there was a less cynical behavior and more so a culture of caring reasonably
about each others experiences.We appreciate you sharing your story negative or positive as it helps many folks decision making going forward.
Hopefully we will see you around these boards.Happy Fender playing!
Cheers
I think you painted a clear enough scenario previously that matched on point with the hotels shocking 3 star rating and below
Majority rules in my book typically
Its unfortunate anytime a member of the FT community has to be hesitant to participate here or in any forum.
When I started here 23 years ago there was a less cynical behavior and more so a culture of caring reasonably
about each others experiences.We appreciate you sharing your story negative or positive as it helps many folks decision making going forward.
Hopefully we will see you around these boards.Happy Fender playing!
Cheers
Mar 6, 2023, 4:53 pm
#56
Join Date: Oct 1999
Location: Grey areas and blue zones
Posts: 428
Cornwall4000, when you send the mail to Marriott corporate and the Philadelphia hotel location, I suggest that you include the property owner (I believe it is Brook Lenfest) as one of the recipients as well.
When I was at the element, I inquired at the front desk about the fire alarms over the weekend. I was told that the one at around 3:30am on Saturday was caused by a smoke detector at the W and the one at around 5:30am on Sunday was caused by the cleaning crew at the Dolce restaurant. This was the least sweet response I got.
When I was at the element, I inquired at the front desk about the fire alarms over the weekend. I was told that the one at around 3:30am on Saturday was caused by a smoke detector at the W and the one at around 5:30am on Sunday was caused by the cleaning crew at the Dolce restaurant. This was the least sweet response I got.
Mar 6, 2023, 5:13 pm
#57
Join Date: Oct 2022
Location: nyc/l.a.
Programs: all of 'em.
Posts: 317
ho jeez, i'm not going anywhere.
sorry, 'ol corny loves flyertalk and you can't rid yourselves of me that easily. it's truly a one-of-a-kind online space.
i honestly just don't like making people feel bad about their favorite hotels, or kind of hotels, or hotel brands.
but i needed to clear up any possibly ill-conceived assumptions about my own marriot/w knowledge, previous experience and attendant expectations. i've long known what 'w' means, for better or worse.
and while it's indeed true i booked the hotel based on those (already somewhat meagher and tempered) assumptions - this is how we all book a hotel, right? - my real point here is that any expectations or previous knowledge of the W brand were completely obviated by this 'stay'. made meaningless. such things would cease deserving to factor into any reasonable person's assessment. it was that bad. another way of saying it: it was my first hotel stay where things like "hard product", "food & beverage", "service", etc completely left the orbit of needing to be considered. it just wasn't really a functioning 'hotel' at all during most of my 20 hours there, at least by the definition most people would accept and agree upon.
management had lost any meaningful control of its own hotel. it felt like a truly dangerous situation at points, and this coming from a big fat 6'3" 220lb dude. i felt genuinely relieved when what looked like a precinct-full of philly's finest showed up and began sweeping every inch of hotel common space - hallways and all - for several hours.
'as always, your mileage may vary' : )
sorry, 'ol corny loves flyertalk and you can't rid yourselves of me that easily. it's truly a one-of-a-kind online space.
i honestly just don't like making people feel bad about their favorite hotels, or kind of hotels, or hotel brands.
but i needed to clear up any possibly ill-conceived assumptions about my own marriot/w knowledge, previous experience and attendant expectations. i've long known what 'w' means, for better or worse.
and while it's indeed true i booked the hotel based on those (already somewhat meagher and tempered) assumptions - this is how we all book a hotel, right? - my real point here is that any expectations or previous knowledge of the W brand were completely obviated by this 'stay'. made meaningless. such things would cease deserving to factor into any reasonable person's assessment. it was that bad. another way of saying it: it was my first hotel stay where things like "hard product", "food & beverage", "service", etc completely left the orbit of needing to be considered. it just wasn't really a functioning 'hotel' at all during most of my 20 hours there, at least by the definition most people would accept and agree upon.
management had lost any meaningful control of its own hotel. it felt like a truly dangerous situation at points, and this coming from a big fat 6'3" 220lb dude. i felt genuinely relieved when what looked like a precinct-full of philly's finest showed up and began sweeping every inch of hotel common space - hallways and all - for several hours.
'as always, your mileage may vary' : )
Mar 6, 2023, 5:27 pm
#58
Join Date: Oct 2022
Location: nyc/l.a.
Programs: all of 'em.
Posts: 317
Cornwall4000, when you send the mail to Marriott corporate and the Philadelphia hotel location, I suggest that you include the property owner (I believe it is Brook Lenfest) as one of the recipients as well.
When I was at the element, I inquired at the front desk about the fire alarms over the weekend. I was told that the one at around 3:30am on Saturday was caused by a smoke detector at the W and the one at around 5:30am on Sunday was caused by the cleaning crew at the Dolce restaurant. This was the least sweet response I got.
When I was at the element, I inquired at the front desk about the fire alarms over the weekend. I was told that the one at around 3:30am on Saturday was caused by a smoke detector at the W and the one at around 5:30am on Sunday was caused by the cleaning crew at the Dolce restaurant. This was the least sweet response I got.
happily, i didn't stay there sunday night, but i enjoyed two separate fire alarms on saturday night (sun morn, actually, i noted the times as 3:10am and 4:30am). the fire alarm shenanigans, annoying as they were, rated about 24th on my list of astonishingly serious faults here. not sure why i even mentioned them in my 'highlight' post above - i guess because while it wasn't the last straw (there was plenty more to come the following morning) it felt like it happened after i thought the worst was over. like, 'just when you thought you might be able to sleep through the final hours of this midnight express-esque nightmare..... nope."
Apr 3, 2023, 11:23 am
#59
Join Date: Oct 2022
Location: nyc/l.a.
Programs: all of 'em.
Posts: 317
In case anyone was following my trail o tears here, wanted to check in with a final update:
A week or two after my stay, the property manager (not sure if his official title is GM or not, if that matters) contacted me to let me know they had fully refunded my 500$-something room rate for my single night stay.
He also arranged for 30K bonvoy points to be added to my account, on top of points accrued with that stay.
While I still say this was the single worst hotel stay I can remember in 30+ years of adulthood globetrotting, I also want to be fair and I can now say the property did properly recover.
Recovery is a fine art, I've found, and this dude didn't just do what he 'had to do' (a full refund was really the only appropriate measure he could take, given the total dumpster-fire-inside-a-trainwreck that was my stay). He took it a step further and plussed the situation with the Bonvoy points.
(I still think the best (and, ironically as it turns out, 'least expensive') recovery would have been to immediately rebook me next door at sister property RC at same rate. But again, the situation at his hotel seemed so out of control in that moment that i can excuse the momentary deer-in-headlights initial response i got. I'm more than satisfied with this recovery.)
A week or two after my stay, the property manager (not sure if his official title is GM or not, if that matters) contacted me to let me know they had fully refunded my 500$-something room rate for my single night stay.
He also arranged for 30K bonvoy points to be added to my account, on top of points accrued with that stay.
While I still say this was the single worst hotel stay I can remember in 30+ years of adulthood globetrotting, I also want to be fair and I can now say the property did properly recover.
Recovery is a fine art, I've found, and this dude didn't just do what he 'had to do' (a full refund was really the only appropriate measure he could take, given the total dumpster-fire-inside-a-trainwreck that was my stay). He took it a step further and plussed the situation with the Bonvoy points.
(I still think the best (and, ironically as it turns out, 'least expensive') recovery would have been to immediately rebook me next door at sister property RC at same rate. But again, the situation at his hotel seemed so out of control in that moment that i can excuse the momentary deer-in-headlights initial response i got. I'm more than satisfied with this recovery.)
Apr 3, 2023, 11:52 pm
#60
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Pittsburgh Pennsylvania
Programs: Marriott Platinum, Starwood Platinum
Posts: 373
yeah. either i haven't done a very good job of explaining this property's manifold shortcomings, or you have misunderstood my citations.
i have experienced plenty of other W hotels. well familiar with the marque's fast-fading 'brand philosophy', and the type of traveler it once aimed to please. and i'm telling you that, far from being even a typical W, i found it to be a property near total disfunction this weekend. at any level of service or product.
unless youre suggesting the hotel guests are responsible for the events the hotel allows itself to book, how those events unfold and are managed, how the hotel's key system works (or doesn't/didn't), the hotel's fire alarm system disfunction...., etc etc
i don't personally feel responsible for any of that as a guest. on my home planet, each of the faults ive mentioned have zero to do with hotel guests (actual, paying, overnight guests) and everything to do with 'hotel management'..
i haven't even gotten to the inanity of the hard product: the elevators (wildly insufficient for a hotel with this kind of verticality, virtually every other patron i encountered complained about the long wait times), the room layouts (surely arranged and lit by andrea bocelli), the cigarette butts all over the 'secret garden'.... it goes on and on.
trust me, this is not about expecting too much or the wrong kind of 'luxury' from a W.
i have experienced plenty of other W hotels. well familiar with the marque's fast-fading 'brand philosophy', and the type of traveler it once aimed to please. and i'm telling you that, far from being even a typical W, i found it to be a property near total disfunction this weekend. at any level of service or product.
unless youre suggesting the hotel guests are responsible for the events the hotel allows itself to book, how those events unfold and are managed, how the hotel's key system works (or doesn't/didn't), the hotel's fire alarm system disfunction...., etc etc
i don't personally feel responsible for any of that as a guest. on my home planet, each of the faults ive mentioned have zero to do with hotel guests (actual, paying, overnight guests) and everything to do with 'hotel management'..
i haven't even gotten to the inanity of the hard product: the elevators (wildly insufficient for a hotel with this kind of verticality, virtually every other patron i encountered complained about the long wait times), the room layouts (surely arranged and lit by andrea bocelli), the cigarette butts all over the 'secret garden'.... it goes on and on.
trust me, this is not about expecting too much or the wrong kind of 'luxury' from a W.