Awful experience and strange blowoff (mold in suites at Parker Meridien NYC)
Oct 21, 2009, 6:25 pm
#31
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 11,377
Who is Rachel, though? You say they called SPG, but I assume that they must have spoken to someone at the property and not in the SPG call center.
Oct 21, 2009, 6:33 pm
#32
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Canada
Programs: AA LT Platinum, AX Cent so...Delta Plat, SPG Gold, etc..
Posts: 504
Rachel is the SPG corp rep who re-opened the falsely closed complaint.
She had promised to call by 2:30 but didn't call till after my post (which I wonder if one of the Lurkers nudged her - if you did then thank you guys!).
She had promised to call by 2:30 but didn't call till after my post (which I wonder if one of the Lurkers nudged her - if you did then thank you guys!).
Oct 21, 2009, 6:33 pm
#33
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Australia
Programs: QF,VS,SQ,SPG,IC
Posts: 796
In answer to your previous question I generally find the service at Starwood hotels to be excellent. You really are having a bad trot.
Oct 21, 2009, 6:37 pm
#34
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Canada
Programs: AA LT Platinum, AX Cent so...Delta Plat, SPG Gold, etc..
Posts: 504
I really thought Starwood was upper end no?
I've stayed at a couple W's and I did have a good stay there. Based on the other posts and PM's I think this could just be a bad apple right?
I've stayed at a couple W's and I did have a good stay there. Based on the other posts and PM's I think this could just be a bad apple right?
Oct 21, 2009, 8:17 pm
#36
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: From: PWM
Programs: United GS, Fairmont Platinum,SPG LTPlat, Hilton Diamond, MarriottGold..like the rest of the world
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In my experience, this is a solid hotel. But it surely sounds as if they dropped the ball time and again with your stay. Good Grief.
I cannot fathom being presented with a $500 bill for finding an unopened cigar in the room. That's 2 miles past preposterous. In fact, I'm sure that will be the craziest thing I hear this month. If indeed no smoking took place in that room and the hotel won't listen to reason, I'd say this is another topic to take up with SPG Customer Care.
Wow.
To the OP: is there any more to this story? A side that we haven't heard? My experiences here have always been solid, so yours just seems incredibly different from mine. Understand, I'm not challenging you at all -- just seeking to find if you think the hotel might have a different version. Thoughts?
Good luck getting all of this sorted out. Yuck.
I cannot fathom being presented with a $500 bill for finding an unopened cigar in the room. That's 2 miles past preposterous. In fact, I'm sure that will be the craziest thing I hear this month. If indeed no smoking took place in that room and the hotel won't listen to reason, I'd say this is another topic to take up with SPG Customer Care.
Wow.
To the OP: is there any more to this story? A side that we haven't heard? My experiences here have always been solid, so yours just seems incredibly different from mine. Understand, I'm not challenging you at all -- just seeking to find if you think the hotel might have a different version. Thoughts?
Good luck getting all of this sorted out. Yuck.
Oct 21, 2009, 8:35 pm
#37
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: MSP
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To the OP: is there any more to this story? A side that we haven't heard? My experiences here have always been solid, so yours just seems incredibly different from mine. Understand, I'm not challenging you at all -- just seeking to find if you think the hotel might have a different version. Thoughts?
Good luck getting all of this sorted out. Yuck.
Good luck getting all of this sorted out. Yuck.
It seems like there wasn't--but you never know.
From the point of view of the hotel or the mangers you talked to, OP, how do you think they viewed your requests/complaints and demands for not being charged, being able to check out early--and why did they have no problem rejecting your requests? I'm sure they thought themselves reasonable (though obviously they weren't). If we asked them, what do you think they would say? That would help us to understand this--since it seems unfathomable the way it's been laid out here.
Best of luck getting it resolved. What would make me the most frustrated is the "Case Closed" when it's not--they're just working the system with Corporate!
Oct 21, 2009, 9:01 pm
#38
Company Representative - Starwood
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Singapore
Programs: SPG
Posts: 4,002
Just to drop a note that the management of the property will be contacting the OP within the next few days regarding this incident.
I would also advise that this is a situation where there are two different claims involved between the OP and the property.
Currently, I would like to thank the OP for his kind patience with regards to this matter and to continue providing assistance to my colleague Rachel so that the issue can be resolved as soon as possible.
[email protected]
Thyetus Lee | Online Forum Coordinator(AP)
Starwood Customer Contact Centre (AP) Pte Ltd
I would also advise that this is a situation where there are two different claims involved between the OP and the property.
Currently, I would like to thank the OP for his kind patience with regards to this matter and to continue providing assistance to my colleague Rachel so that the issue can be resolved as soon as possible.
[email protected]
Thyetus Lee | Online Forum Coordinator(AP)
Starwood Customer Contact Centre (AP) Pte Ltd
Oct 21, 2009, 9:09 pm
#39
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Canada
Programs: AA LT Platinum, AX Cent so...Delta Plat, SPG Gold, etc..
Posts: 504
Thank you for asking about if I had any form of an adult trantrum. I really didn't, my style is to kill people with facts and non-emotional truths. I'm not the tirade kind of guy, nor do I rant.
I'm just not that kind of guy, I pride myself on handling things in a mature and professional manner.
The cigar I left behind could not have been smoked. I am pretty sure I know exactly which one it was. I had brought it to my reunion in the hopes of smoking it with friends but there was no access to the roof top deck where I would have smoked it. It sat in my jacket handkerchief pocket and I removed it before packing up my suit. It was still in it's native cello and probably sat there next to my wooden matches I would have used to light it.
Trust me, there isn't anything more to the story then what I posted. If you have stayed at this hotel I would guess that you'll have a similar experience. Upon checkout they charged me $7.50 to print my boarding pass because they didn't have a kiosk for Cathay Pacific. The $7.50 was only for printing 1 page - I had printed the boarding pass to a PDF file which I saved onto a usb drive, handed it to the desk clerk who printed it and then informed me it was going to be a charge of $7.50. It's just one of those types of hotels.
Perhaps the $500 was revenge for opening the formal complaint. I'll never know really.
I'm just not that kind of guy, I pride myself on handling things in a mature and professional manner.
The cigar I left behind could not have been smoked. I am pretty sure I know exactly which one it was. I had brought it to my reunion in the hopes of smoking it with friends but there was no access to the roof top deck where I would have smoked it. It sat in my jacket handkerchief pocket and I removed it before packing up my suit. It was still in it's native cello and probably sat there next to my wooden matches I would have used to light it.
Trust me, there isn't anything more to the story then what I posted. If you have stayed at this hotel I would guess that you'll have a similar experience. Upon checkout they charged me $7.50 to print my boarding pass because they didn't have a kiosk for Cathay Pacific. The $7.50 was only for printing 1 page - I had printed the boarding pass to a PDF file which I saved onto a usb drive, handed it to the desk clerk who printed it and then informed me it was going to be a charge of $7.50. It's just one of those types of hotels.
Perhaps the $500 was revenge for opening the formal complaint. I'll never know really.
Oct 22, 2009, 11:02 am
#40
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Canada
Programs: AA LT Platinum, AX Cent so...Delta Plat, SPG Gold, etc..
Posts: 504
Today I received an email from a different guest relations staff telling me that a housekeeper had inspected both rooms and found absolutely no mold, but did detect a tobacco odor and found my unsmoked cigar. Thus the $500 charge they feel is valid.
The problem is that I truly and honestly did not smoke in the rooms. In the second room (the one with less mold) I actually took photos of the mold and the cracking bubbling ceiling in order to show the manager (because I thought the manager would have actually called me).
I just emailed the guest relations person back a nice note correcting them and giving photos of the mold and cracking bubbling ceiling. I suppose that this housekeeper got in trouble for the mold and is the one who retaliated with the false accusation of smoking in the rooms. It probably helped deflect any blame he or she may have been given for allowing so much mold in the bathrooms.
This situation is not being resolved at all. Instead they are continuing to make false statement after false statement. I'm sure they didn't expect me to have this photographic evidence.
The problem is that I truly and honestly did not smoke in the rooms. In the second room (the one with less mold) I actually took photos of the mold and the cracking bubbling ceiling in order to show the manager (because I thought the manager would have actually called me).
I just emailed the guest relations person back a nice note correcting them and giving photos of the mold and cracking bubbling ceiling. I suppose that this housekeeper got in trouble for the mold and is the one who retaliated with the false accusation of smoking in the rooms. It probably helped deflect any blame he or she may have been given for allowing so much mold in the bathrooms.
This situation is not being resolved at all. Instead they are continuing to make false statement after false statement. I'm sure they didn't expect me to have this photographic evidence.
Oct 22, 2009, 11:27 am
#41
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: INN
Programs: LH, KLM, BA
Posts: 566
Today I received an email from a different guest relations staff telling me that a housekeeper had inspected both rooms and found absolutely no mold, but did detect a tobacco odor and found my unsmoked cigar. Thus the $500 charge they feel is valid.
The problem is that I truly and honestly did not smoke in the rooms. In the second room (the one with less mold) I actually took photos of the mold and the cracking bubbling ceiling in order to show the manager (because I thought the manager would have actually called me).
I just emailed the guest relations person back a nice note correcting them and giving photos of the mold and cracking bubbling ceiling. I suppose that this housekeeper got in trouble for the mold and is the one who retaliated with the false accusation of smoking in the rooms. It probably helped deflect any blame he or she may have been given for allowing so much mold in the bathrooms.
This situation is not being resolved at all. Instead they are continuing to make false statement after false statement. I'm sure they didn't expect me to have this photographic evidence.
The problem is that I truly and honestly did not smoke in the rooms. In the second room (the one with less mold) I actually took photos of the mold and the cracking bubbling ceiling in order to show the manager (because I thought the manager would have actually called me).
I just emailed the guest relations person back a nice note correcting them and giving photos of the mold and cracking bubbling ceiling. I suppose that this housekeeper got in trouble for the mold and is the one who retaliated with the false accusation of smoking in the rooms. It probably helped deflect any blame he or she may have been given for allowing so much mold in the bathrooms.
This situation is not being resolved at all. Instead they are continuing to make false statement after false statement. I'm sure they didn't expect me to have this photographic evidence.
Oct 22, 2009, 11:40 am
#42
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Canada
Programs: AA LT Platinum, AX Cent so...Delta Plat, SPG Gold, etc..
Posts: 504
OK I posted them but had to shrink them way down for use on this forum.
Please remember that this was the MUCH cleaner room (3702) that had a LOT less mold then 3602. I wish I had taken pix of 3602 because then you'd really understand how prevelent it was (both black and red mold simply everwhere in the shower area and ceiling). 3702 had just been bleached and thus there was much less mold.
I know some of you will say I am too nit-picky but these are the pictures of the better room - not the super moldy stinky one.
Here are the pix of 3702:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/membe...02-though.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/membe...ough-shot.html
Please remember that this was the MUCH cleaner room (3702) that had a LOT less mold then 3602. I wish I had taken pix of 3602 because then you'd really understand how prevelent it was (both black and red mold simply everwhere in the shower area and ceiling). 3702 had just been bleached and thus there was much less mold.
I know some of you will say I am too nit-picky but these are the pictures of the better room - not the super moldy stinky one.
Here are the pix of 3702:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/membe...02-though.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/membe...ough-shot.html
Oct 22, 2009, 2:22 pm
#43
Suspended
Join Date: Nov 1999
Posts: 24,153
Im left speechless
Ive stayed in rooms that had ceilings that were 1000% worse and it didnt bother me, true I wasnt paying $$$$ and a ton of pts
As for the mold, guess I was thinking more in the way of mildew. I didnt know mold itself smells and yours seems to be white, Im use to seeing it if its there in black. From your pic I was hardly able to make it out. But nontheless wouldnt want it to be present under any condition or color even if it doesnt smell.
Ive stayed in rooms that had ceilings that were 1000% worse and it didnt bother me, true I wasnt paying $$$$ and a ton of pts
As for the mold, guess I was thinking more in the way of mildew. I didnt know mold itself smells and yours seems to be white, Im use to seeing it if its there in black. From your pic I was hardly able to make it out. But nontheless wouldnt want it to be present under any condition or color even if it doesnt smell.
Oct 22, 2009, 3:24 pm
#44
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Philadelphia, PA
Programs: Hyatt Diamond, Hilton Diamond, SPG Platinum
Posts: 362
Saga
Here is my "academic" thoughts on this incidence (take it for whatever it is worth):
The OP was paying tremendous amount of points and also the upgrade fee to stay in this special corner unit with Kitchen. None of these points and fees were going in the pocket of the hotel staff directly.
At some point, the hotel staff and management give up on a customer (no matter how valuable) as "high maintenance" (I am not saying the High maintenance applied in this situation). The attitude from the staff becomes "screw you". However, the manager/staff does not understand the true power of the internet as an equalizer. The official complaint is closed by the hotel mgmt without talking to the OP, hoping that the OP will go away rather than continue to waste time on this. But OP is persistent, takes it all the way to this internet forum. More firing power to the customer when "lurkers" are involved. Now it is a war. A cigar appears that is used by the hotel to create one more "headache" for this guy (talk to AMEX centurian, dispute charges, etc). Things are escalating. All of us are enjoying the saga.
The end is near. OP gets a call (with apology) from the hotel manager with an offer for 20K starpoints and a free upgrade to the corner (Kitchen) room during his next stay. $500 charge is waived. The reputation of this hotel as a customer friendly place is tarnished among some of the most loyal starwood advocates. Good guys (flyertalk) are victorious in the end
Epilogue: Parker Meridien, NYC left SPG program on March 15, 2010. The OP remains loyal to the SPG brand and continues to spend thousands of dollars staying at high-quality SPG hotels.
The OP was paying tremendous amount of points and also the upgrade fee to stay in this special corner unit with Kitchen. None of these points and fees were going in the pocket of the hotel staff directly.
At some point, the hotel staff and management give up on a customer (no matter how valuable) as "high maintenance" (I am not saying the High maintenance applied in this situation). The attitude from the staff becomes "screw you". However, the manager/staff does not understand the true power of the internet as an equalizer. The official complaint is closed by the hotel mgmt without talking to the OP, hoping that the OP will go away rather than continue to waste time on this. But OP is persistent, takes it all the way to this internet forum. More firing power to the customer when "lurkers" are involved. Now it is a war. A cigar appears that is used by the hotel to create one more "headache" for this guy (talk to AMEX centurian, dispute charges, etc). Things are escalating. All of us are enjoying the saga.
The end is near. OP gets a call (with apology) from the hotel manager with an offer for 20K starpoints and a free upgrade to the corner (Kitchen) room during his next stay. $500 charge is waived. The reputation of this hotel as a customer friendly place is tarnished among some of the most loyal starwood advocates. Good guys (flyertalk) are victorious in the end
Epilogue: Parker Meridien, NYC left SPG program on March 15, 2010. The OP remains loyal to the SPG brand and continues to spend thousands of dollars staying at high-quality SPG hotels.
Last edited by sjuhawk_jd; Oct 22, 2009 at 3:55 pm Reason: Epilogue added
Oct 22, 2009, 3:42 pm
#45
Join Date: Nov 2008
Programs: SPG-Plat, Hilton-Diamond, Club Carlson-Silver, Cathay-Diamond, Virgin-Gold
Posts: 2,183
Have to say I was expecting worse in the pictures, but mold is mold I guess!!
As I have said my experience here was with issues with speaking to management and once I did they were not great at follow through! I do believe they closed my case as well which was reopened at the request of SPG!
I took the option of giving SPG a few weeks to sort it out and did not push things to much, just told them my experience and let them decide if the hotels actions were correct! In the end SPG came through and I got a satisfactory resolution and I am happy and after speaking to the GM I may even return to the hotel!
What I would say is the OP said during his issues at the hotel he wanted to move to a non Starwood property as they were not sorting this out! While I cannot day for sure I would imagine this is about the worst thing you can say in trying to dela with these matters! While it might get the initial attention of the staff it will certainly not endear you to them or make them want to help more! If there was a need to threaten to leave I would at least suggest saying another Starwood property rather than anything else! Once you start suggesting non Starwood properties it is probably quite likely you will get labelled high maintence and they will know no matter what they do from this point on you will try and get some form of compensation so why bother trying!
I am not saying the above does apply in this matter, but or the hotel is right, but I would say the mold does seem very minor and I hope you have some pictures of the other mold as sending those in to SPG might not be the greatest evidence they have ever had!
As I have said my experience here was with issues with speaking to management and once I did they were not great at follow through! I do believe they closed my case as well which was reopened at the request of SPG!
I took the option of giving SPG a few weeks to sort it out and did not push things to much, just told them my experience and let them decide if the hotels actions were correct! In the end SPG came through and I got a satisfactory resolution and I am happy and after speaking to the GM I may even return to the hotel!
What I would say is the OP said during his issues at the hotel he wanted to move to a non Starwood property as they were not sorting this out! While I cannot day for sure I would imagine this is about the worst thing you can say in trying to dela with these matters! While it might get the initial attention of the staff it will certainly not endear you to them or make them want to help more! If there was a need to threaten to leave I would at least suggest saying another Starwood property rather than anything else! Once you start suggesting non Starwood properties it is probably quite likely you will get labelled high maintence and they will know no matter what they do from this point on you will try and get some form of compensation so why bother trying!
I am not saying the above does apply in this matter, but or the hotel is right, but I would say the mold does seem very minor and I hope you have some pictures of the other mold as sending those in to SPG might not be the greatest evidence they have ever had!