Had a couple of issues come up this week at the Cleveland Marriott Downtown and thought I would share.

I have stayed at this property about 20 nights over the last year.

-- I always get a wake-up call, and I usually just pick up the phone and hang it up when it rings. This normally is not a problem. Today, wake-up call comes in and I pick up and hang up. 30 seconds later, it rings again, and I hang up again. This happens like 4 or 5 times, and I finally call the front desk and say "I asked for 1 wake-up call, not 5, please stop calling me." The response I get is that they have to get a verbal acknowledgment, otherwise they send security up. More on this later.

-- I am a bit of a pain when it comes to the WSJ. Simply put, I'm supposed to get a copy and I want a copy. This is one hotel that is generally not in the habit of delivering it, but normally has an ample supply on the c-level outside the lounge. On a whim, maybe 4 months ago, I mentioned to a front desk associate that many FS properties deliver the WSJ to Plats regardless of where they stay, and that at least one front desk manager at a FS property remarked to me that as a Plat, I should always receive one, regardless of where I am staying in the hotel (not sure if that was a local policy or a corporate one). Anyway, at the time, the associate said that "we can definitely make sure that you get a WSJ, we just need to put it in your profile." Since that time, I've never had one delivered.

This morning, the first item above led me to stop at the front desk manager, and I spoke to the front desk manager. I did not ask for, nor did I expect or receive compensation. What I was hoping for, and I don't really felt like I got, was an answer to what I think is a reasonable question: If it is supposedly a necessity to get a verbal acknowledgment from a guest that a wake-up call has been received, to the point where security would be sent if one wasn't received, why is this the first time that this happened? Why in the past year have I gotten 20 other wake up calls and never once had this occur, if this is supposedly a "necessity"? The manager didn't really have a good answer other than to say that that is supposed to be what happens, but that the reality is that it depends on who is working. It sounds like there's a bit of a training issue, because this is not being handled consistently.

While I was speaking with her, I also took the opportunity to raise the WSJ issue. The point I tried to make was this: If delivering a WSJ to a guest (regardless of status) who is not staying on a c-floor isn't something that the property can/will commit to, that's perfectly OK. It's not a big deal. What really irritates me is when the staff isn't up front with me about it. Instead, I get this lip service about how "we can put this is your profile to make sure you can get it," but the profile is either ignored or not looked at at all. Why can't they just be up front and say "I'm sorry Mr. LPCJr, but that's not something that we do here." The manager basically admitted that it is not standard policy at this property to deliver WSJ to rooms not on a c-level. And again, I stressed that that was fine, I just wish someone would have told me that from the get-go. She did say that she would try to make sure that if she was on duty in the future that I did get one.

In summary, no really big issues here, but just thought I'd share. Any similar experiences, comments, etc.?

The matter of preferences entered into one's profile was recently discussed here. The picture I got is that once you get past room type preferences, nobody pays much attention. This goes for the hotels as well as the guests. I guess I'm one of those. My profile calls for a fridge and extra feather pillows. 80-90% of the time, I get neither. But its not a big deal to me, so basically I don't notice it....much less complain.

Frankly, I wouldn't expect any significant improvement here. My guess is that fulfilling what's on guests' profiles beyond room preferences isn't a priority because collectively customers don't appear to have made a big enough issue out of it.

At the Courtyard Bloomington this morning. Opened my door to get the paper. Both USA Today and the WSJ were waiting for me. Must be a plat thing, as the rest of the doors only had USA in front of them.