gleff

parking was more than $15 each time i've been there

Christian

Wife and I enjoyed a long weekend stay at the W Seattle JUly 27-30.
A few comments, in no particular order, all IMHO...
- Rack rate is silly. Point rate is OK, other options in the area for Starwood worth a look in economic terms...
- Parking in Seattle is difficult, W is 31.55$ /nt ... street worked out OK for a couple of nights
- Ambiance is 'overdone' - it's 630pm, and they have the candles burning, the ambient techno background music, and the lights all dimmed in the 'lobby/lounge' - PLEASE - let's not try SO HARD eh?
- Same ambiance at 730am is just FUNNY - I felt like I had stumbled home after a RAVE...
- Torchlight parade as part of SeaFair was ongoing Saturday night, right past the hotel - But the hotel didn't 'post' or advise to the guests in any fashion that this was happening - we had NO IDEA >>> not only did we get completely messed up because of traffic restrictions, the hotel didn't even provide chairs or grab a piece of the sidewalk for guests to watch the parade.
- That being said, observing the parade from our 23rd floor corner suite was nice.
- Room itself was FAIR, not 'OH AH WOW - W' - smallish, nothing dramatic or special, nice LCD TV ($9.95 to listen to a CD?? LOL!), bed was nice, chaise lounge was broken!
- Missing some bathroom amenities - no ear buds, no sew kit (only time we've ever needed it... ) - toiletry selections didn't impress the Mrs...
- Staff was OK. Whatever/Wherever concierge was helpful, but 'snooty' at best. Check in/Checkout was very smooth and quick.
- Did mention that this was our anniversary weekend, but didn't even get a reaction from checkin staff... and no further recognition.
- Didn't need to see the loverboy in his W bathroom, barefoot in the Starbucks in the am. No shoes, no service, no barista boys cared...
- Would we stay again? - probably go with the other Starwood properties - closer to shopping, larger rooms...

tjk1976

After checking in, the same shrieking baby belonging to some idiots who had cut in front of me at the front desk, was continuing his performance in the next room. Annoyed, I called the Whatever Wherever line and asked that for a new room, which I received.

The next day when I woke up, I requested a 4 pm checkout and was told no problem. When I returned to the room at 3:00, however, the key didn't work. I called the operator from a house phone in the hallway and was told that someone would be "right up." After waiting ten minutes or more, I went down to the lobby where a bell hop was leaning on the front desk staring into space and the sole front desk clerk wasn't serving anyone. After I explained the situation (again), I was given a new key which I was assured would work. It did.

Before leaving, I thought about it and decided that I would say something to the manager on duty because the combination of putting me in a room next to people with a screaming baby after the check in clerk saw how annoyed I was that they had budged in front of me, combined with cancelling my key when they assured me that my 4 pm check out would be "no problem," warranted a complaint.

When I explained my disappointment to the manager, I was a astonished that the best response she could come up with was that "it's common knowledge that keys stop working at check out time." When I asked what the point of requesting a 4 pm check out was if they go ahead and cancel my key, her explanations just got worse. At the end, she suggested I contact the SPG concierge if I wasn't happy with her response. I was p*ssed.

Fast forward to today at my office where I was thinking if I should bother complaining about the manager's poor handling of my concerns when my phone rang:

"Mr. tjk1976, it's Maiana from the W Seattle. I just wanted to call to apologize for the way I handled your concerns yesterday. I had a chance to think about it and I checked into how you had to change rooms because of the loud baby so I'm calling to apologize for being short with you and to tell you that I've credited you an additional 2,000 Starpoints for your trouble. We hope to see you soon again."

I thought I would post the story as a refreshing positive *wood customer service example. Kudos to Maiana for being proactive in making a badly handled situation right. ^

Bulldog King

Heh

That has happened to me so many times at various Westins, Sheratons and 4Pts to the point where I always stop by the front desk before heading up to my room if it's past the normal check-out time.

Requesting a late checkout very rarely extends the life of a key to past the normal checkout time. AFAIK, it only serves to let housekeeping know that the room won't be vacant until later in the day.

A.J.

Jumpgate

The W Seattle is my favorite W. 'nuff said

MeNoSay

Common knowledge among those who regularly exercise that benefit, but not really fair to expect all to know it. You're a plat though, you've never run into that before?

mikeef

Actually, I have never run into that as a plat. I would be annoyed if a manager told me that it was "common knowledge." I would think that, among hotel managers, the rules regarding 4 pm checkouts should be common knowledge.

I'm glad that the W had a nice service recovery and that the OP was satisfied. All's well that ends well.

Mike

tjk1976

Whether or not it is, in fact, "common knowledge," I certainly didn't appreciate being told that it is. To me, it kind of implied that I must be some kind of an idiot for not assuming that my keys would stop working at noon.

To answer your question, this was one of the first times that I have ever had a reason to request a late check out and yes, I am SPG Plat. On the other rare occasions that I have asked for 4 pm check out times at other *wood properties in the past, my keys were not deactivated before 4:00.

Eastbay1K

The key thing seems to vary between hotels. I generally ask when I ask for a late checkout whether my key will still work. With increasing frequency, it does (maybe more sophisticated programming? Who knows.) Although I know that keys are always a potential issue for late checkout, I could see how someone may not know. As far as your stay itself, (1) the screaming baby issue was promptly remedied, (2) the key isn't something you should have gotten upset about, and (3) the manager's initial reaction was unacceptable, and she realized it was, and took the appropriate steps to make everything right. [Of course, my standard of "inappropriate management response" relates back to years ago, at a nice hotel, where the management told me that I did not have poo in my toilet (not my own) that couldn't have gotten there, and that the incident just didn't occur. Your management response highly exceeded my experience ]

Sam P. Goodman

Just completed an award stay at Westin Seattle and was given 4pm checkout for the first time ever (I'm Gold). Keycard was not deactivated.

You're 100% correct that whether it is common knowledge or not, it's not good customer service to suggest that you should have known better. Glad to hear that her conscience got the better of her and she made things right.

ldsant

Perhaps I'm taking a different way of looking at this, but I think what *wood did was wayyy above and beyond. Heck - this last week I was put in a room next to a guy who coughed/hacked/etc. all night long with a room in a bed that had something on the sheets that caused a huge outbreak of hives all over me.

The key didn't work and yet when the person checking me out asked how everything was, I just said "it was fine, thank you."

I thought I fretted about some "small stuff" but I guess I'm just starting to learn when it's worth "picking some battles." Again, not a slam against the OP at all, but I am not sure how it was the hotel's "fault" for you being placed in a room next to a screaming baby - they switched you as soon as you called.

The key - well, the keys are programmed at the time of check-in and as default (no matter your status) it is set for 1 PM. Going downstairs to get another key (the Seattle W elevators rarely make you wait very long) seems to be a rather small thing imo. Annoying, yes? Enough to complain?. . .

ldsant

Again, I think that the manager did a wonderful proactive job! But then again, the Seattle W really seems to "get it".

wth

You covered my my exact thoughts on the matter. It is always advisaable to ask about the key when arrangeing late check out or stopping by the front desk. And the manager's initial response was innapropriate and disrespectful.

cur

You don't seem too pleased that they put you in another room

Oh man that must REALLY suck! That NEVER happens! Especially 1 hour before your free extended checkout.

Of course, what you see must be true. The Bell Hop must have deliberately ignored your concerns.

i'd hate to see you be around a delayed flight greater than 10 minutes or have to wait for your room to get ready

You woke up the next morning, called for a late check out, even though the key that was swiped in the night before wasn't changed.


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iflypdx

Don't sweat the small stuff. Your experience ranks pretty minor as far as I am concerned.