FPHotelGuy

PS: I'd like to sincerely thank everyone for their welcoming me.

The conversation has been great and I'm happy to share my knowledge and learn at the same time.

itsaboutthejourney

While the info & insights you're provided has been amazing, I wonder do you ever get a day off?

FPHotelGuy

Not a chance, friend.

RAPC

From your comments so far, I think I'd rather stay at your property than many others in the system. When can you fit us in?

Really appreciated though - I think the more we understand about how your side of the business works, the easier it is to understand when we really are getting good service or in some cases, being fobbed off with bad information or under trained staff. Either way, it is definitely good to see behind the curtain ^

abk

question for you 4photelguy:
i booked two rooms at the westin crown center on line at spg.com. one was an award room and the other was paid using the aaa discount for a rate of $119.20. next i call the platinum conceirge and request connecting rooms for these two rooms. when i go back to check them at spg.com i see that the rate is now $329. i called spg and they called the hotel and fixed it telling me that it appears when they upgraded me they charged me the rate for the upgraded room ( odd because we did not receive an upgrade ). then my plans change and my wife is going to arrive before me and i want to make sure there are no problems with her check in so i call the conceirge and ask that they add a comment that mrs abk will be checking in first to both reservations. she checks in and i arrive latter. the next day i go to see about a platinum amenity and ask the guy what the rate for the paid room is and he tells me $329. he then studies the reservation and tells me everytime they add a comment or change something it reprices the room. took forever to straighten out. is this some quirk with that particular hotel because i have not experienced this type of thing before.

broadwayblue

I understand...but my point is if I walk into the hotel and ask what their best available rate is, and they quote me a number that is less than what I reserved at, I should be entitled to pay the newly quoted rate. I wasn't suggesting that they automatically adjust my rate down without my asking.

FPHotelGuy

I have no idea. I'd guess that when SPG called the hotel it didn't actually get fixed and the agent made up the thing about "everytime they add a comment or change something it reprices the room". I say that because I can't think of a situation where that would happen.

jetlagjunkie

No they don't have more than the corner rooms. So, for me to say suite is being generous. You are right in refering to it as a corner room. I did not use to care, but now the corner rooms have flat screens and it is nice to have to play BlueRay DVDs on my PS3.

EWR ATC Hold

So along this logic, if the airline or car rental or hotel price went up, you would gratiously accept a new bill from them? I think its a nice gesture of some airlines to do vouchers (although some limit them, others still impose their $100 change fee, and others just don't do it at all), but honestly I don't think they should have to.

KVS

You are certainly entitled to that, just like the hotel is entitled to charge you a cancellation/no-show penalty if you do so after the cancellation deadline for your original reservation.

soitgoes

But at 11pm with unsold rooms--isn't even a discounted rate better than $0 income for the room? Or do you think that the traveler who walks in at 11 is tired and will take whatever is available.

What about at 5:45pm, assuming there is a 6pm no penalty cancellation deadline?

kevinsac

But then, you have to provide us with an available towel bar! More often than not, I take a towel off the shelf, often attached to the wall at the back of the shower. The towel bar underneath has several clean towels already hanging from it. The towel bar over the toilet has several clean towels hanging from it. Am I expected to remove all those extra towels to find a place to hang my towel? If I hang it on the hook on the back of the door, the towel does not dry out properly, and probably still will be damp when I get back to the room that evening.

See? It's a problem from both sides.

FPHotelGuy

Absolutely. Like I said, i'd address it with the individual property, they more than likely just don't know it's a large concern for you.

wth

I guess, in a way, I have.

First the "towel situation" is only the symptom. The real problem, IMO, is staff not doing what they have been hired and trained to do, and management that either doesn't care enough or feels helpless in encouraging and motivating their staff to do so.

A customer can have a wonderful front desk experience, but it can be undermined and overcome by a poor housekeeping experience. From your response, it isn't clear that you completely appreciate or understand that.

In my experience, Housekeeping is a hotel's weakest link followed by room service/food service -- areas that you have admitted are taking a lower priority in many (most?) hotels. Believe me, it shows.

wth

I found kevinsac's observation as just common sense. If one has to bring that to a manager's attention it shows that management has made minimal effort to experience their hotel like a customer. I understand we all have different needs/wants, but do I have to explain to a hotel that a lack of a towel bar located near the sink for a hand towel is an inconvenience? Do you not have a towel bar near the sink in your bathroom at home?