Starwood Complaint
Nov 18, 2015, 10:14 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Hamilton, Bermuda
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Posts: 42
Starwood Complaint
Hi,
so I stayed at a Westin in Texas within the past few days along with my girlfriend. When we arrived at the hotel they took our bags out of the car and put them inside on a trolley by the front desk. My girlfriend and I checked in and went to take our bags off the hotel trolley to take them up to our room at which point the bell man says no don't worry i'll take them to your room and i'll be right behind you. On the way up to the room we realised we had no cash on us. The bell man arrives a few mins later and puts our bags in our room and says will there be anything else. I said no, that's it thank you. He stands there in a very intimidating manner staring at us for a few seconds with his hands almost open and then turns around starts to walk out of the room and then says "cheap mother ....ers". I thought about letting it slide but then I was getting more irritated so I decided to complain. I went to the front desk and asked to see the general manager who was not there and the front desk advised us to come back later when another manager was on. We had to walk past this same guy when we were leaving and as we walked past the same guy in the hotel lobby and he says again "cheap mother ....ers".
If we had cash we definitely would have tipped (even more so as it was being expensed!) but we didnt have any.
I told the hotel and they gave me 10,000 starwood points. Im not sure what sort of compensation is standard here. Should I be happy with that or should I be expecting more? My girlfriend was very distraught about the whole situation. Should we be complaining to starwood corporate or just the hotel?
so I stayed at a Westin in Texas within the past few days along with my girlfriend. When we arrived at the hotel they took our bags out of the car and put them inside on a trolley by the front desk. My girlfriend and I checked in and went to take our bags off the hotel trolley to take them up to our room at which point the bell man says no don't worry i'll take them to your room and i'll be right behind you. On the way up to the room we realised we had no cash on us. The bell man arrives a few mins later and puts our bags in our room and says will there be anything else. I said no, that's it thank you. He stands there in a very intimidating manner staring at us for a few seconds with his hands almost open and then turns around starts to walk out of the room and then says "cheap mother ....ers". I thought about letting it slide but then I was getting more irritated so I decided to complain. I went to the front desk and asked to see the general manager who was not there and the front desk advised us to come back later when another manager was on. We had to walk past this same guy when we were leaving and as we walked past the same guy in the hotel lobby and he says again "cheap mother ....ers".
If we had cash we definitely would have tipped (even more so as it was being expensed!) but we didnt have any.
I told the hotel and they gave me 10,000 starwood points. Im not sure what sort of compensation is standard here. Should I be happy with that or should I be expecting more? My girlfriend was very distraught about the whole situation. Should we be complaining to starwood corporate or just the hotel?
Nov 18, 2015, 10:18 am
#2
Suspended
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: YYZ
Programs: AC E50K (*G) WS Gold | SPG/Fairmont Plat Hilton/Hyatt Diamond Marriott Silver | National Exec Elite
Posts: 19,284
Hi,
so I stayed at a Westin in Texas within the past few days along with my girlfriend. When we arrived at the hotel they took our bags out of the car and put them inside on a trolley by the front desk. My girlfriend and I checked in and went to take our bags off the hotel trolley to take them up to our room at which point the bell man says no don't worry i'll take them to your room and i'll be right behind you. On the way up to the room we realised we had no cash on us. The bell man arrives a few mins later and puts our bags in our room and says will there be anything else. I said no, that's it thank you. He stands there in a very intimidating manner staring at us for a few seconds with his hands almost open and then turns around starts to walk out of the room and then says "cheap mother ....ers". I thought about letting it slide but then I was getting more irritated so I decided to complain. I went to the front desk and asked to see the general manager who was not there and the front desk advised us to come back later when another manager was on. We had to walk past this same guy when we were leaving and as we walked past the same guy in the hotel lobby and he says again "cheap mother ....ers".
If we had cash we definitely would have tipped (even more so as it was being expensed!) but we didnt have any.
I told the hotel and they gave me 10,000 starwood points. Im not sure what sort of compensation is standard here. Should I be happy with that or should I be expecting more? My girlfriend was very distraught about the whole situation. Should we be complaining to starwood corporate or just the hotel?
so I stayed at a Westin in Texas within the past few days along with my girlfriend. When we arrived at the hotel they took our bags out of the car and put them inside on a trolley by the front desk. My girlfriend and I checked in and went to take our bags off the hotel trolley to take them up to our room at which point the bell man says no don't worry i'll take them to your room and i'll be right behind you. On the way up to the room we realised we had no cash on us. The bell man arrives a few mins later and puts our bags in our room and says will there be anything else. I said no, that's it thank you. He stands there in a very intimidating manner staring at us for a few seconds with his hands almost open and then turns around starts to walk out of the room and then says "cheap mother ....ers". I thought about letting it slide but then I was getting more irritated so I decided to complain. I went to the front desk and asked to see the general manager who was not there and the front desk advised us to come back later when another manager was on. We had to walk past this same guy when we were leaving and as we walked past the same guy in the hotel lobby and he says again "cheap mother ....ers".
If we had cash we definitely would have tipped (even more so as it was being expensed!) but we didnt have any.
I told the hotel and they gave me 10,000 starwood points. Im not sure what sort of compensation is standard here. Should I be happy with that or should I be expecting more? My girlfriend was very distraught about the whole situation. Should we be complaining to starwood corporate or just the hotel?
Nov 18, 2015, 10:25 am
#3
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Aug 2002
Programs: UALifetimePremierGold, Marriott LifetimeTitanium
Posts: 71,110
10K Starwood points sounds fine. If you remember the employee's name & if it means that much to you (vs. just moving on at this point - do you really care what a bellman thinks of you?), then write the GM, explain the situation, say you weren't expecting the points but that they were appreciated, and that the purpose of your writing is so that he can have a chat w/ the dept head or employee specifically to make sure something like that doesn't happen to others.
Cheers. Sharon
Cheers. Sharon
Nov 18, 2015, 10:36 am
#4
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Washington, DC, USA
Programs: UA MM, MB LifeTit
Posts: 1,830
If the two of you choose to go through life with zero cash you have to expect to have problems. Yes, the bellman was out of line, but you should discount his misbehavior a bit to account for your choices.
Nov 18, 2015, 10:41 am
#5
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: Malaysia
Programs: Marriott Bonvoy Titanium Elite
Posts: 143
And be happy that you get 10K of points as a generous gesture - Just live with it 
Nov 18, 2015, 11:10 am
#6
Join Date: May 2012
Location: SIN
Programs: JL GC | Marriott LT Silver | Global Entry | SQ Silver
Posts: 6,819
I'm not use to tipping since it's not part of our culture here in Asia.
I heard tipping in Europe is not necessary as compared to US? How about Canada?
I heard tipping in Europe is not necessary as compared to US? How about Canada?
Nov 18, 2015, 11:11 am
#7
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Nov 18, 2015, 11:15 am
#8
Join Date: Nov 2011
Posts: 32
If they want to demand payment, then they need to charge for the service. If they can't accept that sometimes Tips don't happen then it is time to find another job.
Nov 18, 2015, 11:17 am
#9
Join Date: May 2012
Location: SIN
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Posts: 6,819
Nov 18, 2015, 11:18 am
#10
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: SMF
Posts: 1,251
Just as a tip, because I've found myself in this situation before, I would suggest asking the bell man to write his name on an envelope or one of the notepads in the room and explain that you don't have any cash but you'll be going out and will get some then and then ask where you could leave it to make sure it gets to him.
Sometimes after a day of traveling and tipping the taxi driver, the bartender in the lounge, the waiter at dinner, the valet etc. its easy to find yourself out of cash by the time you get to the hotel. The bell man was certainly out of line, no doubt, but that's what I would suggest should you ever find yourself in this situation again.
Sometimes after a day of traveling and tipping the taxi driver, the bartender in the lounge, the waiter at dinner, the valet etc. its easy to find yourself out of cash by the time you get to the hotel. The bell man was certainly out of line, no doubt, but that's what I would suggest should you ever find yourself in this situation again.
Nov 18, 2015, 11:18 am
#11
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Nov 18, 2015, 11:22 am
#12
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Glasgow / London
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Posts: 3,457
Nov 18, 2015, 11:36 am
#14
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Oslo
Posts: 448
10K Starwood points sounds fine. If you remember the employee's name & if it means that much to you (vs. just moving on at this point - do you really care what a bellman thinks of you?), then write the GM, explain the situation, say you weren't expecting the points but that they were appreciated, and that the purpose of your writing is so that he can have a chat w/ the dept head or employee specifically to make sure something like that doesn't happen to others.
Cheers. Sharon
Cheers. Sharon
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Nov 18, 2015, 11:42 am
#15
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