christianj

Since we are staying here in 2 weeks....NOTE TO SELF....do NOT complain about the water drainage or the wifi! Seriously I can understand the frustration on the issues but I think the OP overreacted and the hotel IMHO made an attempt to rectify the issues. As mentioned by others, the award cost as well as their room rates do seem to create high expectations. I know I have high expectations considering we are paying over 550 Euro a night.

craz

I will say I to an extent feel for the OP, they had to be planning this trip for awhile especially since it was an award stay, in a special cat of hotel that has only very limit rooms that are all suites. Yet I cant help but think that the OP dug their own grave by thinking GOLD meant they were due a red carpet treatment.

Im sure theres alot more that has been left out. The OP it seemed was Upgraded but found issues with the room , where upon it seems they were offered a room that most likely was of the type they reserved (not an Upgrade). I wouldnt be surprised from how the OP has posted if they said I dont want #15 due to the problems with it, nor #14 since I want a larger room and a better view, so give me something else, when told #14 is what you reserved the OP might have countered with well I was Upgraded to #15 so you owe me either a room like #15 that meets my expectations or something better. If the conversation was anything remotely like that , Im sure once the owner was informed he knew this was a lose-lose situation for him and simply wanted the OP out of his hotel. And he was probably correct.

Again I do feel for the OP, but it was his choice to leave not only that Hotel and Island but Greece and return home. If #14s water was working properly and there was WiFi then thats what he should have taken, I cant help but feel he was demanding alot more in the way of a room then he reserved

craz

Yea but what type of room did you reserve? Theres only a few different types.And the 550 just might get you a #14

BlissWorld

I don't know what's more appalling, being thrown out of a hotel, or seeing the amount of SPG apologists doing damage control in this thread

christianj

Booked a Wet Allure Suite with outdoor private Jacuzzi which is listed as the third level of Suites you can book on their website above the Vibrant and Allure Suites. (so definiely not what the standard award suite should be) If I see #14 on the door I'm going to freak out...but I will wait to post a bad review until we get to the Blue Palace.

Jumpgate

An owner of a hotel should never kick anyone off the property just for a poor online review. Period. This is a horrible precedent and though the Mystique is just a franchise, SPG should take some action here.

I agree the OP is very whiny and has inflated expectations regarding what GOLD status entails as well as perhaps unreasonable expectations regarding the property he reserved. Additionally, I agree it seems the property was trying everything in its power to make things right.

That all being said, being kicked out of a property for leaving an exasperated - even embellished - online review is just. plain. wrong.

SeeTheLights

I rarely respond to these threads, but I feel compelled since this seems so strange. In my many years of traveling (and to many countries through out the world including Santorini and staying at Mystique), I have never heard of a hotel kicking out a guest early even for crazy complaints. Either the hotel owner was WAY out of line or more likely OP got aggressive (verbally or physically) with the staff which is why the owner removed them and also threatened to call the police. What is also weird is that OP just went home rather than finding different accommodations in Santorini or elsewhere in Greece. There are many lovely hotels/resorts and this time of year is not as expensive as the summer. Why ruin a whole trip over one bad experience. Anyways, we likely will never know the full story, but interesting thread nonetheless.

craz

just looked at TA seems the following total reviews have been posted:

214 excellent

39 very good

15 avg

2 poor

7 terrible

I read some of what had to be among the 7 terrible. Bout all I can say is if I was going I wouldnt want to reserve the cheapest room.If I was using pts Id inquire if I can use extra pts to secure an Upgrade. And dont expect a room like youd have if you were going to a Four Seasons

whimike

And Medved is a very typical Canadian name?!

What does an FT handle have to do with ones location?

whimike

What makes you think that they kicked him out only due to the online review? I suspect it is a combination of his actions/review and the review was the final straw, or the review brought the owner in and the owners interaction with the OP was the final straw. We just don't know.

My response to the OP would have been the same no matter what hotel chain it was, or whether it was a hotel chain at all.

postular

Two things that just don't seem to add up:

1. The guests are evicted from the hotel. Unless there is way more to the story this is way, way over the top.

2. The OP leaves Greece and cancels their entire vacation…..seriously?

dcstudent

I really don't think the vast majority of us who have commented are apologists or doing any sort of damage control.

Here's a listing of what happened and hotels response just from OPs side of story:

1) Hotel upgrades a Gold from basic room type.2) Sink and Shower do not work to OPs liking, neither does WiFi3) Guest still unhappy4) Guest refuses new room because of possible "downgrade"5) Guest complains that it was "too late for cake."
Hotel gave them a complimentary cake for their anniversary! How were they supposed to know he'd be out until 12:30, and that he wouldn't eat cake that late.

6) Guest writes rude, indignant review on TA leaving out everything the hotel was trying to do for him, and not even mentioning they were giving him his choice of suites the next morning, OR going to give a wine tasting or spa treatments, or the free cake, or the attempts to fix the problems....

And from there we can only surmise as to the OPs demeanor towards the owner/hotel staff. But it's really hard for me to believe the owner threw him out from the TA review.

It does sound, from the OPs own words, that he expected the hotel to move heaven and earth for him...and...it seems the hotel made some good attempts all of which were rejected in some way by the OP.

Jumpgate

Anyone can infer what they'd like, and I agree it's possible the OP isn't telling the whole story and may have been threatening or hostile with the staff and owner.

But if he wasn't, and you take the story at face value as described and subsequently dissected on this thread, there's no excuse for him to be kicked off the property.

He's whiny, had unrealistic expectations, was uncooperative with the hotel and also clearly has a high sense of entitlement (GOLD) ... and left likely a premature, embellished and undeserved TA review. All highly frustrating and annoying for a hotel, but nothing even in the same universe as anything that would warrant a removal from the property.

craz

It seems from the TA review all the owner was doing is helping the OP out:

I would never stay here and I would not recommend this. I am not being nose picky. Try taking shower in puddle, try washing hands in dirty water, stay without internet and you will know.

As I said hopes were high...but this place is a pure dump. Cannot stand this place.

So the OP cant stand the place, tells people its a dump and not to stay there, along comes the onwer and says OK if its dump and you dont want to stay here no problem you arent going to

So in the end it seems the OP is complaining about not being able to stay in a hotel he wants no part of and tells everyone to stay away from the place.

He mentions being offered #14 a downgrade, no thanks. But doesnt say that #14 is the room type he reserved so #14 isnt a downgrade as he would want people to believe. He wanted everyone to think he reserved a #15 and they wanted to downgrade him. When all the hotel was saying was OK if you dont like our upgraded room we will give you the room type you reserved

TerryK

Assuming the property refunded OP's Starpoints, which is likely, the owner actually did OP a favor. The cancellation deadline has long passed and OP will not receive a point refund for this terrible property without help from owner.