Miami305

Curious if the Hyatt tour took place...

JackE

When all is said and done, doesn't this come down to a case of the OP being walked, albeit on a grand scale?

DCF

Nope.

They are perfectly happy for him to have the room at the agreed price.

They just won't let him host a large party in it. He can sleep in it. He can eat in it. He can watch movies in it. But he can't have 30 party-goers in it.

donotblink

not yet, it was booked a few nights this week and I usually have to work late, so we are still trying to find a good time.

Keyser

i thought they said he can if he pays them the additional amount they are asking for....

RogerD408

+1 for the OP

I have been in suites that could easily host such a party and don't see anything else wise in what has been posted. It does sound like the property is trying to strong-arm him into paying more. It's unfortunate he only has a verbal agreement has those are much more difficult to enforce, and personally, I would be concerned about being harassed on the least little things during or after the event. I would take my business elsewhere and post the issue on Trip Advisor to increase the exposure. They should not get away with doing what they've done.

jibi

When the hotel has changed the text on the website following their conversation, then it shows deceptive intent (covering their tracks) on the part of the property. That combined with an alleged verbal agreement seems to put the property in a bad place with their backs against the wall.

WheelsFirst

You should be glad the hotel figured out this was a bad idea before you actually got there and threw a party. Sure they should have known when you started the conversation, but an actual horror story would have been if you and all your friends showed up, and then they kicked you out. No money had exchanged hands, it's not that big of a deal.

If you want to throw a hotel room party you have to figure out what hotels will allow it. Most probably don't because it's incredibly disruptive to the other people using the hotel for it's typical purpose, sleeping.

Jesperss

Eh, can't blame the hotel for not allowing the OP to have a party with 30+ people in a single room

RogerD408

That would have been nice if they had said no from the beginning instead of first saying yes and being enthusiastic about the event only to pull the plug AFTER the invites had gone out and THEN say yes for $5K. Plus he was talking about three adjoining rooms, not one.

andymo99

It seems that the OP did exactly that. He researched the website and had an in-person meeting with hotel staff... both seemed to confirm that they would allow it.

Now it seems that they won't allow it. Unless he pays more money, in which case they will allow it.

sbtinme

To the OP: I lean in your direction on your overall argument, but your comment above is off base and, frankly, somewhat insulting. Many of my colleagues choose to stay at W hotels around the world on their long term assignments. I can absolutely assure you that none of them would tolerate for a second any noise nearby that would prevent them from a good night of sleep. Nor should they.

Patrons of W hotels are not, by definition, all night party people who love loud music.

I hate this line of thinking that says, "If I paid top dollar for a room at a W hotel, I'm granted some permission to crank some tunes and pile the friends in my room. Nearby guests be damned."

W Hotels are, after all, hotels. True, they're not Holiday Inns with family station wagons in the parking lots, but nor are they party central facilities. I have zero tolerance for any noise that would prevent a reasonable person from sleeping in a hotel guest room after a reasonable time, say 10pm.

OP: stick with your case, but don't insult others along the way.

jibi

I agree completely. OP has a complaint about the marketing practices of this hotel. OP should not feel like he can do as he pleases in a hotel with no respect to the other guests. While I see his complaint, I would be the first one on the phone with the front desk asking for security to investigate my noise complaint.

donotblink

Your comments are fair, and in my most recent discussions with corporate, I offered to block even more rooms using my Starpoints.

DCF

I think that's a further example of the problem, not the solution.

Like us, the hotel has worked out that a party for 30 people in a bedroom makes the whole floor and rooms directly above and below unsellable.

That could be do-able if you buy those rooms. Which I suspect is where $5000 minimum spend came in.

But the whole reason you wanted to do things this way was to spend less than the market rate for hosting a function for 30. And so now you are offering to take extra rooms, but only using Starpoints, not money.

I think you're misreading the situation now. They are happy to sell you the suite to sleep in. Period. But your party's off unless you pay them what they are asking to host it.

You have no leverage, because your booking is for a bedroom, not a function. If guests arrive they just call the cops to kick them out. And in doing so they get the gratitude of their other guests.