SPG Not taking responsibility for their mistake. Help!
 

My husband and I are SPG gold members and booked a trip using points to the Westin Los Cabos (we booked about 3 months ago). When we booked the trip, the agent told us that that property offers an all inclusive option, she mentioned that it was $80 a person per day and said we could contact the property to book this option.

Well, after multiple attempts to contact the property with no response, we finally heard back from them the other day and they said sorry, we no longer offer the all inclusive option. Upon getting this email, I called Starwood and asked if they could help us out. We booked under the premise of an all inclusive and this was an important factor for us on this trip. The agent I talked to at the time said that she was surprised that they didn't offer that option because, according to her system, it was still offered. She transferred me to another agent who said they would review our call and if they confirmed that they agent told us there was an all inclusive option then they would talk to the hotel and either get us the all inclusive or they would give us resort credit to make up for this.

Since this call, Starwoods tone has completely changed. They are taking no responsibility and are refusing to do anything for us. I have had multiple email exchanges with Starwood and gone as far up the supervisor chain as I think I can get and everyone is basically repeating the same things to me. They say that the agent did tell us there was an all inclusive option, but she didn't "guarantee this to you, she said you could book it with the hotel." They confirm that the property did offer this option when we booked, but since we booked a few months back, they aren't responsible for the property's change in policy. Starwood continues to hold fast to the line that, since the agent didn't actually book the all inclusive option, she just told us about it, they are not at all responsible. And somehow they aren't responsible for what goes on at their property? It's all so illogical to me I can not believe it.

Does anyone have any suggestions of anything else I can do? This whole thing is so infuriating and I've never experienced Starwood to be this difficult or unwilling to make things right before. Kinda makes me feel like things are going downhill since the merger.

An agent made a mistake in telling you that there was an option that didn't exist. You asked the hotel to book the option--and yet the hotel delayed and wouldn't give you any indication that there was such an option. The hotel didn't do anything wrong other than perhaps delay in telling you that the option doesn't exist any longer.

If you wanted the Westin only with the option, then cancel. No harm, no foul. But expecting to find solace in getting something to book that you hadn't yet booked and that wasn't available to book is a little crazy to me. You wanted there to be an unusual option at a hotel...and there isn't one. It's that simple to me. I'm with SPG on this.

This hotel offers meal-inclusive hotel bookings to various package tour/TA operators -- at least it was offering them a few months back.

Hotels offer special corporate and govt rates that aren't available to everyone, too. So even if the hotel offers special operators this all-inclusive option, that doesn't mean this customer is eligible for it. Regardless, the hotel did not indicate at any time that they could ever offer the all-inclusive option to this customer. The customer isn't eligible or they aren't offering it for whatever reason. It isn't advertised. The SPG agent was in error. That happens. The customer assumed much and and never did pay for any al-inclusive packafe, and now wants to assign blame entirely on SPG for something for which the customer has leaned they aren't eligible. The customer is along no more responsibility for assuming too much as the customer is blaming the wrong party. Case closed. If that's such a problem for the customer, the customer can cancel. Or go and enjoy a regular stay like everyone else.

actually its not that simple....according to the op, not only did spg confirm at the time of booking that this 'unusual option' was available but they confirmed it after the hotel refused as well....seems to me that the property decided to discontinue that option at some point & forgot to tell spg about it....

in any case, the correct goodwill approach in my opinion would be for the property or spg to offer the option to the op since they were told at the time of booking that it was available....however, they are not obligated to do so & if the op doesn't like that they she can cancel & stay somewhere else....

Why don't you just pay for food at the resort as you go? It will probably be around $80 anyway.

Otherwise what do you expect SPG to do? They can't reinstate a now non-existent all-
inclusive set up and it's not like you paid for something they aren't honoring.

Final option - just cancel and rebook elsewhere

Hopefully, the OP can cancel and re-book (at the same place or elsewhere) without penalty.

That has nothing to do with what I posted about this.

Your post mentions that the SPG agent was in error. When an SPG customer relies upon an SPG agent's representation in error to the detriment of that customer, then SPG should be responsible for fixing the situation for that customer -- that, or at least making sure the SPG customer can unwind from the contract upon which the customer detrimentally relied due to SPG's claim made in error. SPG has room for improvement in this regard.

This is not an "unusual option" for these resorts in Mexico. For the longest time all the resorts in Mexico offered the all-inclusive which included the Westin Los Cabos, Sheraton Hacienda, Westin Cancun, Westin PV and Sheraton PV.
To say that a couple would only spend $80.00 / day for two is absurd on food. We all know how much food/booze costs at resorts so I am assuming that is why they booked this place in the hopes to get the All-Inclusive. Breakfast hits you usually around 40$ for two just to start the day! Lunch and Dinner and depending on how many cocktails you have you would be well over $80.00. I like my cocktails when on vacation.
.....and yes things change so the best bet is to just cancel if SPG or the hotel does not want to attempt to at least meet you half way somehow?
I am assuming this might have to do with the change of the direction of this hotel which is more of a timeshare I believe?

If you read the OP's OP, she stated that it was $80 per person per day, not $80 for both of them.

For those saying cancel, the OP probably booked flights when they booked the hotel so canceling & trying to find another location might cost them more in airline fees, in addition to trying to find another hotel that is available w/ points.

I can understand the OP's frustration/disappointment. However, I doubt the problem has anything to do w/ the merger.

Cheers.

I too would be surprised if this had anything to do with SPG/Marriott merger.

I've seen SPG issues before where the Starwood agents make repeated representations in error that are relied upon by customers and yet neither Starwood nor the Starwood hotels do anything to fix it for the customers.

And I've seen this way more with Westin properties in SPG than with other Starwood properties, even when controlling for brand property counts within the Starwood fold.

You contradicted yourself when you said that you booked it under the premise of all-inclusive. You said that you tried to include this option after you made the booking. There's a big difference. Also, Starwood Gold is pretty meaningless in terms of leverage with the hotel.

I searched and didn't see anything where SPG is refusing to cancel the reservation and refund the points. Did I miss it?

SPG operates very few, if any, of the properties. They have a contract with the owner stipulating the rules they must follow to be a franchisee/participant. Forcing them to create a benefit they don't offer because an agent made a mistake isn't one of them, I suspect.

Starwood gave you bad information, but it seems it was made clear that you would need to make the arrangements with the actual property. Unless they are refusing to cancel your reservation and refund your points, it is what it is.

There's no contradiction. It sounded like the booking was made and maintained with the idea that the add-on meal-inclusive option would be possible even after making the initial booking.

We will have to disagree on that. Assuming that an offer is available for some undefined period after a booking can lead to disappointment.

On your first point, Starwood has management contracts with the hotel operator. These contracts are extremely detailed and require the operator and the employees at the hotel to follow defined brand standards. Some of these employees will indeed be on Starwood's payroll, others will be employed by a third-party service company. As far as the consumer is concerned, there is no meaningful distinction between this contractual arrangement and the understanding that it is Starwood managing the property.

The point you make about spending at resorts relative to the $80 fee is exactly why properties are moving away from all inclusive. They can make more money!

If I were the OP I would cancel and go somewhere else. I also would have made an original booking that guaranteed all inclusive if that is what I was looking for.