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GONE : Westin Diplomat, Hollywood, FL [Master Thread] : Left Starwood 30 Oct 2014

GONE : Westin Diplomat, Hollywood, FL [Master Thread] : Left Starwood 30 Oct 2014

 
Old Aug 29, 2014, 11:59 am
  #706  
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
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The SPG website is still accepting reservations at the Diplomat into 2016.

Either there is a lack of communication, or Starwood was ambushed by the new owner.

A 60 day notice is not sufficient, considering that holiday and peak season
bookings are quite significant, by now, especially for this popular property.

Further details on new ownership and purchase price:

http://www.miamiherald.com/2014/08/2...at-resort.html

http://www.bizjournals.com/southflor....html?page=all

It looks like the new owner will be making major changes.

For the vacant properties, Thayer will likely name a developer in the coming weeks to build three to five towers for a total of 1,500 rooms on open land, said Jack McCabe, who conducted the market feasibility study on the Westin Diplomat for Thayer. One parcel has already been approved for 372 hotel/condo units, he said.
The possibility of re-naming the Diplomat is also under consideration. It may not be long before all vestiges of the Diplomat are gone.

Last edited by mke9499; Aug 29, 2014 at 12:28 pm
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Old Aug 29, 2014, 3:31 pm
  #707  
 
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On the other website it's stated "Leaving Starwood at 11:59 PM on October 29, 2014".

http://www.starwoodhotels.com/westin...402#conditions

Last edited by LovetoTravel83; Aug 29, 2014 at 3:39 pm
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Old Aug 29, 2014, 3:40 pm
  #708  
 
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I hope the Lurkers chime in here to clarify. Can they really just throw everyone out the window who has a reservation after October? Starwood books further ahead than anyone (18 months), and many, many people have used their points to book reservations for the future. They can't be saying that any award booking you have now just doesn't exist.

I made MY reservation two days ago - two days! I had to transfer some points over from my husband's account - the transfer is not even complete yet (and won't be for several days). How can they not have known this would be happening?
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Old Aug 29, 2014, 3:42 pm
  #709  
 
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Originally Posted by Eujeanie
I hope the Lurkers chime in here to clarify. Can they really just throw everyone out the window who has a reservation after October? Starwood books further ahead than anyone (18 months), and many, many people have used their points to book reservations for the future. They can't be saying that any award booking you have now just doesn't exist.

I made MY reservation two days ago - two days! I had to transfer some points over from my husband's account - the transfer is not even complete yet (and won't be for several days). How can they not have known this would be happening?

And that notice is on the Dip's own website, still not on the spg one.
Don't worry. They will honor your reservation -- you just won't get any SPG benefits after October.
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Old Aug 29, 2014, 3:43 pm
  #710  
 
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Originally Posted by some dude
Don't worry. They will honor your reservation -- you just won't get any SPG benefits after October.
Hilton is going to let me check in and pay $110 a night (the c&P price with 6,000 pts)? I would really like to have that in writing.

Edit: And let's say they do (which would be fabulous)...let's say sometime between now and the time of the reservation we decide we have to cancel...will there be a mechanism in place to get those Spg points put back into our spg account, or will they just be lost?

Last edited by Eujeanie; Aug 29, 2014 at 4:01 pm
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Old Aug 29, 2014, 4:07 pm
  #711  
 
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Originally Posted by Eujeanie
Hilton is going to let me check in and pay $110 a night (the c&P price with 6,000 pts)? I would really like to have that in writing.

Edit: And let's say they do (which would be fabulous)...let's say sometime between now and the time of the reservation we decide we have to cancel...will there be a mechanism in place to get those Spg points put back into our spg account, or will they just be lost?
Email the hotel and ask if you'd like it in writing. I don't represent them, so I can't answer with authority, but that's how things are handled 99% of the time in these sorts of flag changes.

If you cancel, you should get your refund as long as the terms of your booking allow that. If you need to make a change after the flag change, you are out of luck, though.

PS: If the hotel gives you any problems, I would suggest you ask SPG to move you to the closest SPG beachfront property -- the St Regis Bal Harbor (a much, much nicer property). Remember, SPG wants to minimize damage here, and they don't want you to be pissed about the whole situation.
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Old Aug 29, 2014, 4:18 pm
  #712  
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Originally Posted by some dude
Don't worry. They will honor your reservation -- you just won't get any SPG benefits after October.
I don't know about that. I've seen it go both ways when a hotel has changed hands.
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Old Aug 29, 2014, 4:19 pm
  #713  
 
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I'll wait for the Lurkers to come back after the holiday weekend with some authoritative news. Same for not disturbing the hotel right now. I'll wait for the dust to settle a bit and then see what's what, it's just that it's so strange this happened 2 days after I made the reservation. Could turn out to be great, we'll see.

We like the Dip and I'm really not the Bal Harbour type. This will be just a 2-nt stay after a cruise from Port Everglades, plus flights in/out of FLL so I don't want to be trekking down to Miami, but I don't think there's anyway Starwood would do that - I'm sure the Sheraton Ft. Lauderdale or the W (or the Westin Ft. Laud) would be the default.

I just really love the Diplomat's pool because of the shady underside - no other hotel that I know of has that type of set-up.
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Old Aug 29, 2014, 5:43 pm
  #714  
 
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Although I never worked at a hotel that was reflagged, I did work with people who did. Additionally, I was at the Disney Reservations Center right after 9/11 when a resort was closed and tens of thousands of reservations were moved to other resorts. I don't claim to be an expert, but here are a few tips I picked up from working in hotels/central reservations:

  • Avoid Calling the Hotel this Weekend: Yes, your vacation is important...but, hotel employees are probably feeling very uneasy right now. Some of them may even be worried about losing their job. They probably won't have much useful information, either.
  • Starwood will have a Plan: Reflagging isn't something new. Starwood has done this all before. I guarantee they are working on ways to limit the damage to guests and other SPG hotels. However, those plans take time to finalize. Please be patient.
  • Someone will Contact You: Not all reservations have the same terms. That means the hotel can't send out a generic email to everyone. Again, patience is a virtue.
  • Wait Your Turn: The hotel will address problems based on the arrival date. Any calls/emails/faxes will likely be prioritized in this manner. If your reservation is in 2015, don't expect an instant response.
  • Don't Expect Miracles from other SPG Hotels: While nearby SPG hotels will happily take you in, don't expect them to match rates or provide special perks that cost them money. Those franchise hotels didn't cause this problem, so they shouldn't have to lose money to fix it. Any hotel that helps you out should be acknowledged as going "above and beyond" what is expected. Kindly respect that saying "I stayed at the Diplomat every year for 15 years" isn't likely to garner any special treatment at nearby SPG hotels.
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Old Aug 29, 2014, 6:37 pm
  #715  
 
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Good advice. I'm willing to be very patient. You catch more flies with honey and all that.
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Old Aug 29, 2014, 7:28 pm
  #716  
 
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Thanks for the insightful advice, writerguyfl.
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Old Aug 29, 2014, 9:43 pm
  #717  
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Originally Posted by writerguyfl
Although I never worked at a hotel that was reflagged, I did work with people who did. Additionally, I was at the Disney Reservations Center right after 9/11 when a resort was closed and tens of thousands of reservations were moved to other resorts. I don't claim to be an expert, but here are a few tips I picked up from working in hotels/central reservations:

  • Avoid Calling the Hotel this Weekend: Yes, your vacation is important...but, hotel employees are probably feeling very uneasy right now. Some of them may even be worried about losing their job. They probably won't have much useful information, either.
  • Starwood will have a Plan: Reflagging isn't something new. Starwood has done this all before. I guarantee they are working on ways to limit the damage to guests and other SPG hotels. However, those plans take time to finalize. Please be patient.
  • Someone will Contact You: Not all reservations have the same terms. That means the hotel can't send out a generic email to everyone. Again, patience is a virtue.
  • Wait Your Turn: The hotel will address problems based on the arrival date. Any calls/emails/faxes will likely be prioritized in this manner. If your reservation is in 2015, don't expect an instant response.
  • Don't Expect Miracles from other SPG Hotels: While nearby SPG hotels will happily take you in, don't expect them to match rates or provide special perks that cost them money. Those franchise hotels didn't cause this problem, so they shouldn't have to lose money to fix it. Any hotel that helps you out should be acknowledged as going "above and beyond" what is expected. Kindly respect that saying "I stayed at the Diplomat every year for 15 years" isn't likely to garner any special treatment at nearby SPG hotels.
Great advice writerguy! I expect absolutely no one to heed your advice. Just kidding.
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Old Aug 29, 2014, 11:50 pm
  #718  
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Originally Posted by fireworksboy
Great advice writerguy! I expect absolutely no one to heed your advice. Just kidding.
This is F/T afterall.^
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Old Aug 30, 2014, 12:53 am
  #719  
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So very sad. I absolutely love this property and have stayed there over a dozen times. I do know a lot of the staff there so that's good and I'll probably continue to go, but just sad to not see Star points accumulated.
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Old Aug 30, 2014, 6:11 am
  #720  
 
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Originally Posted by mke9499
I was completely surprised when I just logged in to the Diplomat's website and saw this message:

PLEASE NOTE:
The Westin Diplomat Resort & Spa, Hollywood, Florida will be leaving the Starwood system on October 27, 2014. Reservations for dates on or after October 27, 2014, will not be eligible for Starwood Preferred Guest membership benefits, award redemption or accrual.
A modified message appears today on the Diplomat's website.

PLEASE NOTE:
The Westin Diplomat Resort & Spa, Hollywood, Florida will be leaving the Starwood system on October 30, 2014. Reservations for dates on or after October 30, 2014, will not be eligible for Starwood Preferred Guest membership benefits, award redemption or accrual.
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