Go Back  FlyerTalk Forums > Miles&Points > Discontinued Programs/Partners > Starwood | Starwood Preferred Guest
Reload this Page >

Westin Grand Bahama Island Our Lucaya Resort left Starwood 6/30/09 (Master Thread)

Community
Wiki Posts
Search

Westin Grand Bahama Island Our Lucaya Resort left Starwood 6/30/09 (Master Thread)

 
Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old Feb 19, 2004, 4:39 pm
  #16  
 
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Washington, DC
Posts: 108
Westin Our Lucaya

I read many reviews of this hotel before I went...some good, some bad. Seems like people either love or hate this hotel. And now that I have stayed there, I can say with confidence that I will not be returning. It's not even that it was the most horrible stay ever, I just expect so much more out of a Starwood resort. It's not fair to slap the Sheraton and Westin names on a resort and charge $200 a night if you are going to provide an inconsistant low-quality experience.

So I thought I would list a few issues that I had. Some of these issues might seem petty to some people, but its the little things that make the difference between a good hotel and a great hotel....

-Front Desk check in....dreadfully slow at BEST. There is even a starwood preferred guest check in line...unmanned every time I went to the front desk.

-Towel Nazi's...if you think they had it hard with the Soup Nazi on Seinfeld, try getting a beach towel past 5:00PM. For some reason the "towel hut" shuts down at 5, yet the pool is technically open until 6...makes no sense to me or many of the other guests I talked with. Requests for towels to the few wandering staff members are met by unaccomodating grunts. Obtaining a bath towel from housekeeping for the pool will take another 30 minutes, which brings me to my next point...

-Housekeeping-good luck getting your room cleaned some days! I returned back to my room at 5:30PM to still find it untouched one day. We left the room early that day to go diving and never had a do not disturb sign up, usually when rooms are overlooked. My neighbor had her room cleaned, but said that a few days prior housekeeping had forgotten the whole end of the floor. And this is on the single SPG floor of the hotel!!! You also would have thought that my room would have been cleaned ASAP...nope, had to wait for housekeeping to finish their supper. They did not even start cleaning my room until 7:00!! The hotel offered to take the service charge off for the day (the nice $8/person/day extra they charge for all the resort "amenities"). A distinct frown on my face won me $25 off instead, wow!

-Food prices....yes, that $25 does not go very far. Food prices are ridiculous for average food at best. Willy Broadleaf was $35/person for a terrible buffet one night, they had nothing to offer but a terrible looking piece of some sort of meat at a carving station, some pasta dishes, a salad bar, and a variety of desserts. Not what I expect for $35. And you would think the staff would have presented my bottle of wine with a slight bit of class. Nope, opened the bottle without showing me and poured the glasses almost to the brim, convenient so they don't have to waste effort in repouring.

-Children run rampant throughout the hotel, unsupervised by their parents drunk off their asses due to the hotel's all-inclusive offerings. Don't plan on finding too much serenity.

-Looking for something to do at night and want to spend quality time in your room? Don't count on pay-per-view movies, none to be found here. And there is nothing else to do here at night except get drunk in the market square across the street or lose money in the casinos. Maybe they do this on purpose.

-Maybe you would like something to do in the rain here? Good luck finding something to do that is not outdoors. Maybe you can catch a movie in your room...oh wait....nope.

-No idea what the events/activities are that the hotel offers. Many resorts provide an itinerary to guests under their door each day saying what is going on at the resort that day. Good luck finding this sort of information, it was hard enough to get them to give me a map of the complex. Besides though, all activities are extra, the resort nickel and dimes you to death.

-The island itself is ugly, desolate, and straight up broke down. A venture into Freeport to see the infamous "International Bazzar" yeilded a trashy market area with dilapidated buildings, junk for sale, and few customers during one of the busiest times of year.

So, to sum it up....don't waste your money!!! There are so many better resorts out there that will prove to be a much more enjoyable experience. Although the hotel is nice enough, on a good beach, and had great pools, its just not a refined property. Maybe if Starwood takes the time to put the finishing touches on what has the potential to be a great resort and also trains the staff properly, this hotel will be acceptable. But at the prices they charge and the Category 4 rating, spend your dollars and points elsewhere for now.
wahoo99 is offline  
Old Feb 19, 2004, 11:04 pm
  #17  
 
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Bangkok, Thailand. No longer Palm Coast, FL though still exiled, again, from the Bay Area.
Programs: Only the good ones
Posts: 5,153
I stayed at the Westin last month, 1/31, for one night. (I thought the beach was supposed to be pink like the pictures on the internet. Maybe they took that sand away for the winter season.) Check in was a bit slow and a couple of people commented that they had a longer wait than they expected. I paid $80/night plus the PL fee for a total of $94, which I didn't think was too bad, until I saw the room. Nice view of the airconditioning plant on the roof outside my room. Needless to say, I asked for a different room. There were no ocean view rooms available for me (probably the PL rate,) and I was given a "marina" view, which is actually the street and shopping area view, on a higher floor so you can see the "marina."

I had rented a car, so since the weather was poor, rains, clouds, etc, I drove around the island. Saw some very nice places and some not so nice places.

Got back and walked on the sand, and put my feet in the ocean, I asked the front desk to warm it up before my next stay on 2/28. The food was a bit pricy, or maybe it was the drink. Or both. I thought it was odd for the bar to have a pina colada machine, putting out a frozen mix, into which a small shot of rum is poured, not blended or mixed in well. I stuck to the Long Island Ice Teas, as your know your getting your money's worth.

The bed was definitely heavenly. $80/nt on PL is a good value. For $200/nt, I'd pass.
rbAA is offline  
Old Feb 20, 2004, 7:03 am
  #18  
 
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Philadelphia, PA
Programs: US CP, Marriott Plat, SPG Plat
Posts: 199
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">
-Children run rampant throughout the hotel, unsupervised by their parents drunk off their asses due to the hotel's all-inclusive offerings. Don't plan on finding too much serenity.

-Looking for something to do at night and want to spend quality time in your room? Don't count on pay-per-view movies, none to be found here. And there is nothing else to do here at night except get drunk in the market square across the street or lose money in the casinos. Maybe they do this on purpose.
</font>
You just made my day. That was hilarious! Especially about the kids running rampant and their parent's drunk off their asses!

My favorite part about a vacation is screaming kids all over the place and ruining my peaceful day at the beach/pool.
PHL INTL TERMINAL is offline  
Old Feb 20, 2004, 8:20 am
  #19  
 
Join Date: Apr 2001
Programs: Emirates Gold, SQ Gold, Jet Airways Gold, BA Silver, Qatar Silver, Starwood Lifetime Gold
Posts: 1,167
Wahoo99, were you at the Sheraton or the Westin? The Westin is physically MUCH nicer than the Sheraton (which admittedly is not saying much, as the Sheraton is more like a large motel), and the Westin Villas are very nice indeed. The staff at the Sheraton seemed nicer though.
Sankaps is offline  
Old Feb 20, 2004, 2:48 pm
  #20  
 
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Washington, DC
Posts: 108
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by Sankaps:
Wahoo99, were you at the Sheraton or the Westin? The Westin is physically MUCH nicer than the Sheraton (which admittedly is not saying much, as the Sheraton is more like a large motel), and the Westin Villas are very nice indeed. The staff at the Sheraton seemed nicer though.</font>
I stayed at both. Sheraton for 2 nights and Westin for 1. I will admit, the Westin side is much nicer and fewer family groups. I specifically asked for a room in Lighthouse Point because it is the furthest building from the Sheraton/children. But both hotels are still part of the same complex with my same issues. Crappy service is universal.
wahoo99 is offline  
Old Feb 20, 2004, 5:46 pm
  #21  
 
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: From: PWM
Programs: United GS, Fairmont Platinum,SPG LTPlat, Hilton Diamond, MarriottGold..like the rest of the world
Posts: 4,401
I have a slightly different take on this property. Four of us met in GBI last fall (Sept) and really had a great time at the Westin Our Lucaya. We were warmly greeted at the front desk and, as Plat members, we had all been upgraded to top floor, two-room suites . The balconies were the largest I have EVER seen anyplace and the Bose wave machines were slick (we'd brought some great CDs).

We also thoroughly enjoyed both the staff and the quality of the Club Lounge offered to us. I travel non-stop in my job and I tell you, this was hands down a top drawer Lounge staffed by capable folks who were tremendously helpful, knowledgeable, and well spoken. This was a shock, frankly. So often, Club Lounges are so poorly executed, that we just skip out totally.

As for the surroundings (off-property), I'll agree with other posters that the island does not offer much to do. We took the advice of some locals (and a few tour books) and rented a car and drove all the way over to Paradise Cove to snorkle. Not a good idea. Poor snorkeling compared to what we'd done any number of other places and essentially somewhat unsafe due to layout of beach, etc.

We found many of the "big draws" on this island to be disappointing. Run down shops with high prices and marginal restaurants.

However, as long as we stayed on property, we were happy as clams. The Fitness facilities were phenomenal -- ultra modern and huge. I did not use the spa services, but some in my group did and were pleased. In all, I thought the offerings of both the Sheraton and the Westin were substantial.

I would probably not go back only because I found little to do there, not because of the hotel experience.

For those who might find it interesting, the GM of these hotels is Mr. Harris Chan who for many years was the GM of the dearly-departed Orchid at Mauna Lani on the Big Island of Hawaii. He runs a tight ship.
sbtinme is offline  
Old Feb 20, 2004, 6:28 pm
  #22  
Company Representative - Starwood
 
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Austin, Texas
Programs: Marriott Employee Level
Posts: 31,593
Mr. Chan was notifed last night of wahoo99's concerns. He replied to me that he will be reviewing them with his managers onsite.

I agree with sbtinme. Mr. Chan is a top notch GM. I am sure he will address these issues as he promised.

Sincerely,

William R. Sanders
Customer Service Coordinator
Starwood Preferred Services

[email protected]
Starwood Lurker is offline  
Old Feb 22, 2004, 10:12 pm
  #23  
 
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Washington, DC
Posts: 108
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by sbtinme:
I have a slightly different take on this property. Four of us met in GBI last fall (Sept) and really had a great time at the Westin Our Lucaya. We were warmly greeted at the front desk and, as Plat members, we had all been upgraded to top floor, two-room suites . The balconies were the largest I have EVER seen anyplace and the Bose wave machines were slick (we'd brought some great CDs).

We also thoroughly enjoyed both the staff and the quality of the Club Lounge offered to us. I travel non-stop in my job and I tell you, this was hands down a top drawer Lounge staffed by capable folks who were tremendously helpful, knowledgeable, and well spoken. This was a shock, frankly. So often, Club Lounges are so poorly executed, that we just skip out totally.

As for the surroundings (off-property), I'll agree with other posters that the island does not offer much to do. We took the advice of some locals (and a few tour books) and rented a car and drove all the way over to Paradise Cove to snorkle. Not a good idea. Poor snorkeling compared to what we'd done any number of other places and essentially somewhat unsafe due to layout of beach, etc.

We found many of the "big draws" on this island to be disappointing. Run down shops with high prices and marginal restaurants.

However, as long as we stayed on property, we were happy as clams. The Fitness facilities were phenomenal -- ultra modern and huge. I did not use the spa services, but some in my group did and were pleased. In all, I thought the offerings of both the Sheraton and the Westin were substantial.

I would probably not go back only because I found little to do there, not because of the hotel experience.

For those who might find it interesting, the GM of these hotels is Mr. Harris Chan who for many years was the GM of the dearly-departed Orchid at Mauna Lani on the Big Island of Hawaii. He runs a tight ship.
</font>
sbtinme, I can see why you might have enjoyed your experience more than mine if all you care about is a nice room and a good club lounge. But who is to say that a hotel's quality is based on how well they treat platinum members? It's a shame that many of the reviews I read on here are focused totally on the upgrade and amenities for elites aspect. If a hotel can't get the basics right but manage to somehow cater very well to the platinum members, then something is wrong with that picture. The vast majority of a hotel's revenue comes from the average Joe. His $200/night is just as green as the platinum's $200.

When I stay at a hotel I never stop short of evaluating the overall experience, beyond any SPG perks. I will not have status with Starwood forever, and I want to know which hotels are going to treat me well regardless of status. Every single guest that stays at a hotel and foots the bill is entitled to a quality experience, that is one reason to stick with a brand like Starwood. And when one stays at a "resort" like Our Lucaya, then you should be treated as a "resort" guest and not have to worry about the little details like getting your room cleaned or finding a fresh towel to go swimming. My review did not make any stink about upgrades or SPG treatment (front desk attendance aside), I just felt the property could do so much better on the little things. And it's the little things that often leave a bad taste in a guests mouth.

I am very pleased to see that my comments were forwarded on to the general manager of the hotel. I have confidence that Starwood will work to improve the overall quality of this property and it might provide a better experience to all guests in the future.
wahoo99 is offline  
Old Feb 23, 2004, 1:46 pm
  #24  
 
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: IAH
Programs: CO Plat. SPG Plat
Posts: 179
I have booked a stay (two rooms, party of 4) at the Westin Lucaya for Aug 2004, but am starting to be concerned - not just based on this post, but on others as well. Seems not all posts concerning this property are universally negative, but it seems fair to say that negative feedback is at least a trend. I'm not too picky about the rooms - don't require luxury. But rude inattentive service is inexcusable and something I won't tolerate on a rare vacation so it's on those lines I'm concerned. At Lucaya I will expect good, attentive service, clean rooms with normal amenities, good spa, nice fitness facility, and a great beach.


Anyone care to give a brief summarized comparison between Westin Lucaya and Westin St. John just so folks like me who've been to St. John but not Lucaya can have a basis for judgement?

Anyone want to briefly compare Grand Bahama to St. John in terms of solitude, beach, dining?

Feedback would be appreciated. Again, not a picky luxury demanding guest (and well behaved kids are great), but do expect professional standards and amenities.

Thanks much!
iah-plat is offline  
Old Feb 23, 2004, 3:15 pm
  #25  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: May 2003
Location: AA Plat / UA NOTHING / Alaska 75K / Hyatt Diamond / SPG LT Plat / Marriott Gold / Priority Club Plat / Hertz Pres
Posts: 24,710
I stayed at both GBI properties in Sept 03. My experience and ratings:
Hotels cleanliness 8
Customer service 7
Rooms 8
Pools 9
Beach 7
Food 8 but expensive
Club lounge 10
I can't speak for the casino as it just opened in December. The only issue I had was that they didn't guarantee my room view/bed type. Mr. Chan (GM) says he'll try to make it up to me on my next visit.
I wouldn't hesitate to go back.
fireworksboy is offline  
Old Feb 23, 2004, 8:19 pm
  #26  
 
Join Date: Nov 2002
Posts: 920
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">And when one stays at a "resort" like Our Lucaya, then you should be treated as a "resort" guest and not have to worry about the little details like getting your room cleaned or finding a fresh towel to go swimming. My review did not make any stink about upgrades or SPG treatment (front desk attendance aside), I just felt the property could do so much better on the little things. And it's the little things that often leave a bad taste in a guests mouth.[/B]</font>
However, to be fair, the gripe about the price of the food, the "loud" children, and the junky bazzar are not Starwood issues. The food prices there are competitive with other resorts, most kids these days are loud with poor parental control, and the bazzar is crappy because you are visiting a dirt poor area ( see Cancun, Cabo, Costa Rica, etc )that is propped up by the tourism trade.

But you do have solid beefs for the room cleaning and the towel situation. I agree that if they are going to jack you for a resort fee, then they should trip over you to get you a towel.

Ken in Phx
Ken in Phx is offline  
Old Mar 3, 2004, 7:53 am
  #27  
 
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Ashburn, VA
Posts: 178
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by iah-plat:
I have booked a stay (two rooms, party of 4) at the Westin Lucaya for Aug 2004, but am starting to be concerned - not just based on this post, but on others as well. Seems not all posts concerning this property are universally negative, but it seems fair to say that negative feedback is at least a trend. I'm not too picky about the rooms - don't require luxury. But rude inattentive service is inexcusable and something I won't tolerate on a rare vacation so it's on those lines I'm concerned. At Lucaya I will expect good, attentive service, clean rooms with normal amenities, good spa, nice fitness facility, and a great beach.


Anyone care to give a brief summarized comparison between Westin Lucaya and Westin St. John just so folks like me who've been to St. John but not Lucaya can have a basis for judgement?

Anyone want to briefly compare Grand Bahama to St. John in terms of solitude, beach, dining?

Feedback would be appreciated. Again, not a picky luxury demanding guest (and well behaved kids are great), but do expect professional standards and amenities.

Thanks much!
</font>
I have not been to GBI and was considering going until reading most of these posts. But I can give you input on Westin St John-BEAUTIFUL property. In my opinion it looks just like the pictures you see online. Of course, as with most Westins, they get you with costs (drinks, food, etc) but all in all a nice experience. Pool gets PACKED so you need to go early to get a seat. Liked the pool & the beach was pretty nice as well.

We had a nice room w/a partial ocean/pool/resort view which was nice considering we went through PL (but we were on our honeymoon).
Only complaint is the locked door between rooms rattled each time the 'neighbors' went in or out of their room.

St John itself is beautiful and sounds like there is more to do than on GBI.

Good luck.
lmlinder is offline  
Old Mar 3, 2004, 3:43 pm
  #28  
 
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: From: PWM
Programs: United GS, Fairmont Platinum,SPG LTPlat, Hilton Diamond, MarriottGold..like the rest of the world
Posts: 4,401
Well, I think there simply cannot be a solid comparison between the two locales since they are SO different. I have not yet stayed at the Westin StJ, but have visited StJ numerous times and enjoyed drinks and lunch at the Westin. St John's is an island paradise, IMO. It is largely a nature preserve with secluded sand coves and incredible vistas. It tends to be upscale in terms of its offerings to visitors (lodging,food).

GBI 'aint none of those things! But, in its own way, it is unique. The island does not tend to be upscale in much else besides the *wood properties, so I think many many visitors don't ever leave the confines of the Lucaya resort and they have a blast. No, dining is not cheap here, but nor is it cheap in most places like this. Not everyone wants to grab a cab every meal to go eat a $12.15 dinner.

Bottom line: if you visit GBI and stay at the Lucaya complex, you;ll have a most enjoyable time. Bring your wallet and enjoy the fabulous pools, the incredible gym, and the good food at some of the restaurants on site. It will be different than most of your other beach vacations since the range of good off site options to fill your days is less than most places I've been.
sbtinme is offline  
Old Jun 23, 2004, 4:56 am
  #29  
 
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Atlanta, GA, USA
Posts: 107
Westin Our Lucaya

Okay, now my sister is looking at The Westin at Our Lucaya Beach & Golf Resort. Does anyone have any experience staying here? Has anyone been to or seen a wedding done here? I think she is just ready to book it and be done with it.
Thanks for any opinions!
Julie
Gajules is offline  
Old Jun 23, 2004, 7:39 am
  #30  
 
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Atlanta, GA, USA
Posts: 107
No, I have not done a search. I will do it now.
Thanks
Julie
Gajules is offline  


Contact Us - Manage Preferences - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

This site is owned, operated, and maintained by MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Designated trademarks are the property of their respective owners.