Creepy Starwood Stalkers-Edina MN Westin
May 25, 2012, 8:37 am
#31
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: EWR
Programs: AA, Delta, NWA,HHonors, Hyatt BF
Posts: 1,762
Mr. Halliday is a slacker
I didn't even know you could check to see who looked at it until this thread. I didn't think anybody cared (and obviously they don't , in my case...)
I'm still going with creepy on the OP. It's a personal perception. I like my hotel visits to be strictly business, I don't care to share my personal life with the staff, even if their intentions are completely benign. If they make an effort to gather info on my personal life and I notice it, it will weird me out. If on the other hand I was spending an amout of time at a B&B or a rental home where interaction with a host would be expected, it would be fine and maybe even appreciated, lets say if I found books to my liking in my rental or my towel art in the shape of a dog. But since in a hotel I expect a "standardized" experience, nah - it's creepy.
May 25, 2012, 8:44 am
#32
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: SEA
Programs: AS MVP, Hhonors Gold, National Executive, Identity Gold, MLife Gold
Posts: 2,687
To me, the thing that's really creepy here is that LinkedIn will give YOU personal information about people that have looked at your profile! 
If you have posted your info on the site, you have agreed that you want people to see it. I would not have an expectation when browsing any website that my information would be shared with anyone other than the owner of the web page themselves, and even then they'd capture only limited information.
I don't think it's creepy for the hotel to have a look at your social media profile for purposes of validating whether or not you qualify for a particular rate (though obviously this isn't going to be perfect) The part about the pets does seem a little off.
If you have posted your info on the site, you have agreed that you want people to see it. I would not have an expectation when browsing any website that my information would be shared with anyone other than the owner of the web page themselves, and even then they'd capture only limited information.
I don't think it's creepy for the hotel to have a look at your social media profile for purposes of validating whether or not you qualify for a particular rate (though obviously this isn't going to be perfect) The part about the pets does seem a little off.
May 25, 2012, 3:37 pm
#33
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: AUS
Posts: 690
From their privacy policy:
TYPES OF INFORMATION WE COLLECT:
Starwood collects information about our guests and visitors to our web sites so that we can provide an experience that is responsive to our guests' and visitors' needs. Information may be collected as part of: (i) fulfilling reservation or information requests, (ii) purchasing products or services, (iii) registering for program membership, (iv) submitting a job application, (v) responding to communications from us (e.g., surveys, promotional offers, or reservation confirmations), (vi) accommodating your personal preferences, (vii) fulfilling requests for services or recommendations we provide you, (viii) working with third party sources, including collecting publicly available information from social networking web sites, to better assist us with understanding your interests and to serve you better, (ix) your use of our apps on your electronic devices, (x) updating your contact information including your address (through such services as the National Change of Address Service in the United States), or (xi) facilitating the transmission of forward to a friend email at your request. The types of personally identifiable information (sometimes referred to as “PII”) that we collect may include your name, home, work and e-mail addresses, telephone, mobile telephone, and fax numbers, credit card information, date of birth, gender, and lifestyle information such as room preferences, leisure activities, names and ages of children, and other information necessary to fulfill special requests (e.g., health conditions that require special room accommodations).
Starwood collects information about our guests and visitors to our web sites so that we can provide an experience that is responsive to our guests' and visitors' needs. Information may be collected as part of: (i) fulfilling reservation or information requests, (ii) purchasing products or services, (iii) registering for program membership, (iv) submitting a job application, (v) responding to communications from us (e.g., surveys, promotional offers, or reservation confirmations), (vi) accommodating your personal preferences, (vii) fulfilling requests for services or recommendations we provide you, (viii) working with third party sources, including collecting publicly available information from social networking web sites, to better assist us with understanding your interests and to serve you better, (ix) your use of our apps on your electronic devices, (x) updating your contact information including your address (through such services as the National Change of Address Service in the United States), or (xi) facilitating the transmission of forward to a friend email at your request. The types of personally identifiable information (sometimes referred to as “PII”) that we collect may include your name, home, work and e-mail addresses, telephone, mobile telephone, and fax numbers, credit card information, date of birth, gender, and lifestyle information such as room preferences, leisure activities, names and ages of children, and other information necessary to fulfill special requests (e.g., health conditions that require special room accommodations).
May 25, 2012, 3:40 pm
#34
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2006
Posts: 83
As I see it, there was nothing shifty in the way the hotel looked at the linkedin and such data, as confirmed by the fact that they openly told to the OP that they had done this.
And it is of course possible that they resorted to this only because the several phone call messages they left went ignored.
And it is of course possible that they resorted to this only because the several phone call messages they left went ignored.
May 25, 2012, 3:45 pm
#35
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2006
Posts: 83
Unfortunately, secretly downloading customers' social network information is explicit Starwood policy since they quietly updated their privacy policy this January, when business travelers were least likely to notice.
From their privacy policy:
From their privacy policy:
May 25, 2012, 3:56 pm
#36
Join Date: Mar 2012
Posts: 280
This reminds me of the joke that teenagers post "LIFE SUCKS I'M SO ANGRY" on Facebook, and then when people ask them what's wrong, they reply "NOTHING I DON'T WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT" or "omg you're so creepy why are you looking at my Facebook profile".
OP: everything you put forth on the internet is public information. When you made your profile searchable, you implicitly permitted everyone to search for you. As one previous poster pointed out, if any stranger can search for you, how is it any more inappropriate for a hotel staff to do so when they were trying to verify a claim you made about a special pricing?
OP: everything you put forth on the internet is public information. When you made your profile searchable, you implicitly permitted everyone to search for you. As one previous poster pointed out, if any stranger can search for you, how is it any more inappropriate for a hotel staff to do so when they were trying to verify a claim you made about a special pricing?
May 25, 2012, 4:06 pm
#37
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: AUS
Posts: 690
It's completely legal for Starwood to send someone to stand outside your house and stare at you, but it would be very creepy.
Almost everything visible from the streets or the air is public information. But what Starwood is doing is creeping out (the privacy-conscious subset of) their (former) guests. The fact that it might not bother you doesn't change how creepy it is to the rest of us.
Almost everything visible from the streets or the air is public information. But what Starwood is doing is creeping out (the privacy-conscious subset of) their (former) guests. The fact that it might not bother you doesn't change how creepy it is to the rest of us.
May 25, 2012, 7:54 pm
#38
Suspended
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 3,816
While trolling around Facebook might be legal, I also think the press might be interested in this story...hotel employees looking up (female) travelers' Facebook profiles. I've read the comments in this thread and I still think it's creepy.
May 25, 2012, 7:55 pm
#39
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: All Over - Gathering No Moss
Programs: SPG Plat, HLT Honors, DL PLT but missing NWA terribly.
Posts: 435
If there's anything I don't want known to the world at large, I don't post it on a wide open social media site. I've drilled this into my college age children after a few unfortunate incidents. And this includes FT. I've received follow ups from hotels - including the Westin Edina Galleria - based on comments I've posted here. (BTW WEG - I like craft beers or a hearty cabernet in my room when I arrive
)However the lady doth protest too much, methinks. Given the long preamble it seems to me that the OP is just annoyed she got caught trying to game the system. And by calling her the hotel was trying to avoid embarrassing her or causing a scene at check in.
To satisfy my curiosity - do you work for the company who's rate you had booked and they were questioning you on?
May 25, 2012, 10:33 pm
#40
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Upcountry Maui, HI
Posts: 13,312
Well, IMO, that part of their privacy policy sucks.
Shame on you, Starwood.
Can we opt out of that part of it?
-David
Shame on you, Starwood.
Can we opt out of that part of it?
-David
Last edited by LIH Prem; May 25, 2012 at 10:38 pm
May 25, 2012, 10:47 pm
#41
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: PDX/AUS
Programs: AA-UA-AS IHG-SPG-Carlson
Posts: 4,562
May 25, 2012, 10:56 pm
#42
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: DEN
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, Bonvoy Titanium, CX DM, SQ Gold
Posts: 1,607
You gotta take the good with the bad
Starwood's new privacy policy including social media is just normal evolution.
You enjoy having Lurkers on FT ?
You enjoy PM'ing them as a back-channel to access help with issues ? Well.. From a legal perspective FT could be a form of social networking media and the lurker being a Starwood employee has just PM'ed you and clicked on your name in FT, thus he has accessed one of your social networking profiles.
Guys, you gotta take the good with the bad. Enjoy tweeting @SPG and getting a response ? You have just had a social networking interaction with a Starwood employee thus this sort of thing needs to be covered in their privacy policy.
Starwood's approachability and responsiveness via new media is one of the coolest things about this brand.
If you put stuff on the internet - a public network - and have privacy settings set in a way that someone you didn't explicitly authorize can see your stuff, you have no case complaining that someone looked at it.
Want the modern bits of the Starwood privacy policy taken out again ? By all rights this should make it difficult to keep lurkers around or to interact with Starwood through non-traditional channels such as Facebook or Twitter.
It's 2012. Roll with it!
You enjoy having Lurkers on FT ?
You enjoy PM'ing them as a back-channel to access help with issues ? Well.. From a legal perspective FT could be a form of social networking media and the lurker being a Starwood employee has just PM'ed you and clicked on your name in FT, thus he has accessed one of your social networking profiles.
Guys, you gotta take the good with the bad. Enjoy tweeting @SPG and getting a response ? You have just had a social networking interaction with a Starwood employee thus this sort of thing needs to be covered in their privacy policy.
Starwood's approachability and responsiveness via new media is one of the coolest things about this brand.
If you put stuff on the internet - a public network - and have privacy settings set in a way that someone you didn't explicitly authorize can see your stuff, you have no case complaining that someone looked at it.
Want the modern bits of the Starwood privacy policy taken out again ? By all rights this should make it difficult to keep lurkers around or to interact with Starwood through non-traditional channels such as Facebook or Twitter.
It's 2012. Roll with it!
May 25, 2012, 10:57 pm
#43
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: NY Metro
Programs: SPG Titanium, United Premier 1K
Posts: 1,601
If you look at the whole picture, context and intent, I dont see anything wrong here. This is a hotel which has almost 100% business travellers. With so many business travellers and so many corporate rates, there is probably a lot of fraud and people book whatever cheap rate they can get their hands on (as a consultant myself, I know this happens ALL the time, and its not hard to have an ID from a former employer, from contract work, etc). So as an extra layer of security, they probably do a quick google search and whatever PUBLIC information comes up (LinkedIn, etc), they probably use to verify you work for the company who's corporate rate you booked. And if it doesnt match, they'll probably give you a courtesy call to ensure there are no surprises at checkin OR let you know what you need to show if you are telling the truth but working as a consultant for the company who's corporate rate you booked. If the intent is something else (front desk guy checking out pretty guest's FB page), then it may be creepy but still perfectly legal.
Having said all that, I have stayed at this hotel quite a lot and they do overdo the whole corporate verification process. I had to show my contract letter before getting the corporate rate I booked (even though I always had the ID with valid dates on me). The hotel seems to have the attitude that they will always have a full house so they feel they can get away with this stuff (while other hotels are happy enough to get the business that they wouldnt mind if you saved a few extra bucks)
Having said all that, I have stayed at this hotel quite a lot and they do overdo the whole corporate verification process. I had to show my contract letter before getting the corporate rate I booked (even though I always had the ID with valid dates on me). The hotel seems to have the attitude that they will always have a full house so they feel they can get away with this stuff (while other hotels are happy enough to get the business that they wouldnt mind if you saved a few extra bucks)
May 25, 2012, 11:08 pm
#44
Moderator, El Al and Marriott Bonvoy, FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: SIN
Programs: SQ*G, Mar LTT, Hyatt Glb, AA LTG, LY, HH, IC, BA, DL, UA SLV
Posts: 12,020
New York Post headline? How is specifically looking something usingn Facebook or LinkedIn trolling?
May 26, 2012, 1:14 am
#45
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: AUS
Posts: 690
No one minds the voicemail clarifying corporate rate requirements. What creeps people out is the fact that hotel employees were stalking a guest online, even after she asked them not to.
This is completely mistaken. First, exchanging messages on some service does not require permanently downloading the guest's profile, which is what the new (“modern”) privacy policy admits. Second, if some people want Starwood to download their online profiles, that doesn't mean Starwood should access or download every guest's profile (with no opt-out, except to forfeit all Starpoints).
Well, we now have evidence (from the OP) of Starwood hotels stalking guests online, just as the privacy policy change predicted. What is even more disturbing (if the GM's representation is accurate) is that Starwood's stalking isn't limited to corporate-rate guests:
Is there any information about this? There is a “Starwood Personalized Travel (喜达屋贴心之旅)” program which doesn't seem relevant (it provides Chinese-language guides and things like tea kettles at some hotels outside China).
More interestingly, there are a few mentions of “Global Personalization at Starwood (GPS)” on Starwood blogs and job listings, with no public explanation I could find. Rolling out a “we downloaded your FaceBook page! ha ha!” program seems like a way for a hotel chain to shoot itself in the foot. Is this something Starwood is planning?
Well, we now have evidence (from the OP) of Starwood hotels stalking guests online, just as the privacy policy change predicted. What is even more disturbing (if the GM's representation is accurate) is that Starwood's stalking isn't limited to corporate-rate guests:
I was upset and called the GM. He stated that they check LinkedIn and Facebook to 1.) see who you are working for to validate that you are indeed with the company whose rate you are accessing and 2.) to provide a "personalized" experience as decreed by Starwood in their "Global Personalization" program. ie, to provide you with a mention of your alma mater, your pets, or what not.
More interestingly, there are a few mentions of “Global Personalization at Starwood (GPS)” on Starwood blogs and job listings, with no public explanation I could find. Rolling out a “we downloaded your FaceBook page! ha ha!” program seems like a way for a hotel chain to shoot itself in the foot. Is this something Starwood is planning?