Recently I had to book a trip to Chicago and I requested the client book me a ticket on United – my preferred carrier.  It is here where I know the agents at my home airport by name, here where I can get the best seats and board first.  My global services status is AWESOME!  My Red Carpet Club membership provides an oasis at the airport.  But unfortunately my client’s preferred carrier is American, and their flight to Chicago at similar times was $5 cheaper.  I offered to pay the $5, but NOOOO, they had to book it on American.

So what really made me nervous is not having any status on American and having to live like the ”infrequent” travelers do.  How would I deal with being shoved in a cramped seat in the back of the plane?  What would I do if I couldn’t fit my carry-on bags in the overhead bin because I had to board the plane last?  What would I do if I was running late to the airport and couldn’t use the elite check-in line?  All these questions plagued me for days leading up to……my call to the American Advantage desk.

I hadn’t flown American in several years – at least 4 years because at that time I got married and changed my name but failed to notify AA to update my (in)frequent flier account.  Why bother if I never fly them?  Actually, it may have been longer than that because the address they had on file for me was 8 years old.

So I called the advantage desk to ask about status matching.  I figured “who wouldn’t want a super-duper Global Services member” flying with them?  I have done status matching with hotels and it worked, why not with the airlines?   But before we could deal with this question, we had to deal with the fact that the name on my account did not match the name on my reservation.  To my delight the agent was able to change my account name on the fly!!  With everything else where I had to change my name, I had to fax in a copy of my marriage certificate and write a letter requesting the change.  Here I was able to do it over the phone.  Very convenient!!

We also had to change my 8 year old address.  No wonder I haven’t been bombarded with credit card offers and other junk from AA – they were sending it all to my ex-husband.  This too was a very simple change over the phone.

Another thing the agent informed me of was that I had lost 28,000 miles from my account a few months prior.  I bet my ex-husband knew that, but I didn’t.  So she offered me a program to reclaim those miles and get them back into my account – and it was only going to cost me the price of an airline ticket for flights over 750 miles each way.  Well I jumped on that program in a heartbeat!  The flight my client booked is 783 miles each way, and my client already paid for it, so YEAH!!  I will be getting my 28,000 miles back very soon!!

Finally I got to my status match question.  Much to my chagrin I was informed that AA does not do status matching, but they do have a program where I can pay $80 and earn 5000 points by flying within a certain amount of time, and I could earn gold status the quick way.   I thought – wow, gold status would be great!  But I wasn’t planning on flying AA ever again.  (I would have to be smarter about my travel requests next time so that they could only be filled by United.)

So after I declined to participate in this acceleration program, the agent thanked me for being a Gold member.  WHAT???  When did I become a Gold member?  Like I said, it had been many years since I had flown AA, so I certainly didn’t earn Gold status.  My ex probably knows all about this, but I must have been offered Gold status due to my status in other programs and I didn’t even know it.  I don’t know how long it will last, but having it now certainly alleviated much of my nervousness about this trip.

So I get to the airport and check in, but I notice that my boarding pass shows the Gold status, but yet it has me boarding in Group 3.  I went to the gate agent to ask and she was able to fix it so that I had priority boarding.  Then I asked about a seat change.  I am flying on a puddle-jumper jet with 1 seat (A) on the left side, and 2 (B,C) on the right.  My computer bag is somewhat large and doesn’t usually fit under the A seats so I asked to be moved to a B or C.  She had to wait until 15 minutes before departure, but she was able to get me a B with and open C – best seat in the house!!!  And I am not even a real Gold member.  I guess I am what you call False Gold!!!

So as I sit on the plane, I am wildly ecstatic about how events worked out to calm all my nervous fears, but I desperately miss that complementary upgrade to first class, or at the very least I miss economy plus seating with 5 extra inches of leg room.  One thing I am still nervous about……will my False Gold status run out at the end of this month (today), or will I have it for my return trip home 5 days from now.  Wish me luck!!!

On our arrival, we were impressed with the majestic building on the hill overlooking the ocean.  The upscale neighborhood that houses this hotel is full of extravagant homes on the water.   Driving up to the hotel I was looking at the house on the right saying WOW, then up further at the house on the left saying WOW…..it was like a WOW-FEST in the car.  When we pulled in the hotel driveway I could see some of the hotel rooms are actually right on the water overlooking the hotel’s marina.  How many hotels do you know that have their own marina?  Pretty impressive indeed!

We warmly welcomed by the bell staff and directed to the front desk.  Upon check-in I was told that they were able to honor my upgrade request to a suite with a fireplace (which made me ecstatic) and the bellman brought us to our room. 

Let me just pause to clarify Marriott’s policies here.  When you are a platinum member in Marriott Rewards, hotels are supposed to offer you the “best available room” regardless of the type of room booked.  I booked a regular room using my points.  I could have paid an additional $150/night on top of the points to guarantee the upgrade.  The price seemed in line with the differences in room rates shown on the website, but to spend that much money in addition to points seemed outrageous to me.  I hoped that by going in the off-peak that I could save $450 and still get a suite.

Back to the story….

So when we arrive at our room, the bellman pointed us in the direction of our bedroom, which was nicely decorated but a bit cramped.  The entry door opened into a small sitting room which had the fireplace, and the bathroom was off to the left.  The first thing I did was look out the window for the view, then my heart sank.  Our room had the bottom windows frosted to obscure the HVAC equipment that was on the roof right outside the window.  If you look way in the distance, you could see around the vent pipes and machinery to the bay, but it was all ugly for the first 20 feet out the window.

Now I was conflicted.  I was happy to have the complementary upgrade, but with the hotel being so empty, was this really the “best available” room?  I asked the bellman (who was still there bringing in our bags) if it would be possible to change the room.  He called the front desk and was told that we could have a room down the hall, also a suite with a fireplace.  So he went to get the new keys and we loaded our bags back on the cart and proceeded to the new room.

What a difference!  This room was on the ocean side of the hotel with a great view!  It was spacious and had a separate area with a dining table and chairs.  I literally did a cartwheel in the main room, that’s how much space there was.  (Yes this middle-aged former gymnast can still do cartwheels ).  So now I am consumed with questions…..why weren’t we given this room in the first place?  Why give us what was probably the worst suite with the worst view, when so many rooms were available?  Why are we not worthy to be offered the best available room?  While I was much happier with the new room, I could not get past the initial impression and these questions.  This was disappointment number 1.

Disappointment number 2 came very quickly after number 1.  My husband went out to the car for something and I asked him to inquire at the front desk about getting some slippers brought to the room.  Now I have stayed in Marriott Spa hotels before and they always offer robes and slippers.  The robes were in the closet, but no slippers.  My husband retrieved his item from the car and came back to the room with the news that the front desk was on the slipper hunt.  About 20 minutes later we received a call from the front desk saying that they couldn’t find any slippers in the hotel for us.  What?  This is a spa hotel, isn’t it?  And I was told by the person who recommended this place that they provide slippers, so why didn’t we have them?  Did the Wentworth decide to cut them for cost reasons?  Were they just out of them and more should be coming?  More consuming questions.

Number 3 happened very quickly again…..it was like a rapid fire of disappointments aimed right at me.  As a platinum member we were given access to the concierge lounge.  After the news regarding the slippers we decided to check out the lounge.  We went into a dark, room and found a staffer who informed us that the lounge would not be open this week.  We were welcome to go there anytime for cold soft drinks, but there would be no coffee/tea or food served in the lounge that week.  OK, that was strike 3 and we had only been there an hour.

Of course my husband couldn’t understand why this was such a big deal to me.  Before we met, he was a Comfort Inn, Hampton Inn kind of guy, and since he rarely travels, he’s still that kind of guy at heart.  He was thrilled with all the things the hotel did offer, and didn’t miss these “little” things because he wasn’t used to having them in the first place.  I adore my husband and thank God everyday for him – he helps me to remember what is TRULY important in life.

Since the lounge was closed, we should have been offered breakfast vouchers for the restaurant, so on our way out we stopped by the front desk and asked about the vouchers which were given to us right away.  Of course this raises another nagging question – why did we have to ask?  Shouldn’t these have just been offered per standard Marriott policy?  Was this just an oversight or were we not good enough to be offered the vouchers?

Aside from all this disappointment in the first hour of our stay, we were able to enjoy ourselves on our getaway.  We had dinner in the restaurant that night which was quite nice.  They offered a special for a 3 course meal for $30, so we decided to try that.  For the appetizer, entrée’, and dessert courses we were able to choose 1 item from the 3 selections, and even though the selection was limited we both were able to find something that enjoyed.  The quality and quantity of food was good, and we were even able to get our desserts “to go” and bring them back to our room to enjoy later.

We had breakfast the next morning in the same restaurant.  Our voucher included the breakfast buffet, coffee/tea, and juice.  The buffet was quite nice with eggs cooked to order, 6 or 7 kinds of fresh fruit, a Belgian waffle station with a choice of fruit toppings, a bread selection that included bagels, various sliced breads, muffins, croissant, and Danish.  There was also smoked salmon and other sliced meats, and assorted cereals.  The chefs (different each day) prepared my eggs just the way I like them after getting past some initial confusion as to what a “real” egg is.  I like my eggs scrambled with various vegetables and the chefs like to make me an omelet with “liquid egg product”.  So when I asked for real eggs the first day, the chef looked puzzled and held up something resembling a milk carton and said “these are real eggs”.  I explained that what I meant by “REAL” was the egg that was still in its shell.  Once we cleared up the confusion everything was great.   For the next 2 mornings I enjoyed my “real” eggs exactly how I like them.

Since the initial disappointments, everything was going fine until the 3^rd day when I decided to treat myself to a pedicure at the spa.  I have had several before, and several at Marriott Spa hotels, so I definitely had some expectations in my mind.  The pedicures here were on the expensive side – almost $100 for a 75 minute treatment (after tip, which by the way they charge you for up front).  When I arrived for my appointment, I was taken to the relaxation room (another term for waiting room) and told to wait for my appointment.  I wasn’t told where the locker room was, or given a key.  Since I was wearing my street clothes I thought getting a pedicure while wearing my jeans would not be a good idea, so I found the locker room and 1 open locker with a robe and sandals.  I didn’t have any valuables so I wasn’t too bothered by not having a key to the locker. 

I was retrieved from the relaxation room and brought into the nail spa where I was asked to sit in the chair and soak my feet.  Then I was asked to pick a color for the polish.  Now if you like the color RED, or any variant of it, you would probably be happy here.  I don’t happen to like RED, I am more of a PURPLE girl myself.  They had ONE purple color choice which was very pale.  All the other colors were reds, with a couple of blackish colors thrown in.  I have a hard time with such an expensive treatment and they don’t even have a decent color selection.  I could get a $25 pedicure at a local salon and they have 3-4 times as many colors to choose from.

I was asked if I wanted anything to drink and I asked for some herbal tea.  “Sorry, we only have regular and decaf”.  WHAT?  How can a spa not have herbal tea?  I thought it was a staple.  She did offer to go to the restaurant to see what they had, and she did come back with some chamomile tea, but why isn’t this a standard offering in the spa – especially when it’s available down the hall in the restaurant?

As I was going through the treatment, the technician never asked how long/short to keep the nails, whether I wanted them squared or rounded.  I will take the blame for not thinking of it at the time, but I could have mentioned something about how I like my nails to look.  It wasn’t until she started to put the polish on that I noticed they were much shorter than I liked, and not very evenly trimmed.  The first polish she put on was one of the reds I chose, but after seeing it on the first toe, I really didn’t like it on so I mentioned that I had my own polish in the room.  She urged me to get mine, which I did, and she started painting with that.  When she was finished, I looked at my toes and I really wasn’t happy, but I felt it was too late to do anything so I left and went upstairs.  When I showed my husband, he commented that the polish didn’t even cover the whole nail.  There was a sizeable gap between the cuticle and the polish and he said that it looked as if my nails had grown out a couple of weeks.  HUH?  If that was the case, they would look really ridiculous in a couple of weeks, so he urged me to go back and have it fixed.

The technician was nice about the whole thing.  I explained my concerns with the gap in the polish and she tried to fix it by filling in the gap.  The problem was that she was adding multiple coats of polish and when it is too thick it chips very quickly.  She was also rushing to try and finish me so she could be on time for her next appointment.  By this time I am really feeling stressed because I hate to make anyone uncomfortable, but there was nothing comfortable about this situation.  Another technician related the story of a customer she had last week who wasn’t happy and wasn’t very nice about it.  I told her that I didn’t want to be that person and I felt horrible that I wasn’t happy.  I understand that these technicians work hard everyday with people’s gross feet and I appreciate their service, but at the same time I just spent $100 on something that I was really not happy with.  If I didn’t say anything then I knew I would have a very negative reaction everyday for the next month each time I saw my feet.

I offered to come back after the next appointment so that it wasn’t a rush job.  The first technician asked the other if she would do the polish because maybe she could do it better.  I went back a couple hours later and had my toes repainted by the other technician.  This time the paint job was a bit better, but the fundamental problem was with the shortness and shape of the nail.  There was nothing at that point that could be done to fix that.

After the 75 minute pedicure that took 4 hours, I was so stressed that my jaw started to lock up.  I occasionally have TMJ issues, but nothing like this.  I couldn’t touch my cheek the muscles were so sore and tight, and I could barely open my mouth to eat my dinner that night.  So my “relaxing” spa treatment caused me much physical and emotional discomfort.  I don’t think I will be back there.

The final disappointment came later that day when I stopped by the front desk to request a late checkout.  The normal checkout time for this hotel is 11am.  Platinum members are usually able to request a checkout as late as 4pm.  My request was for 2pm and I was told that the best they could give me is 1pm.  Now I could see if I were checking out on a Friday before a big weekend crowd arrived, but I was checking out on a Wednesday.  The hotel was hardly busy and I would think they could have sucked it up to give me the extra hour I requested.

I don’t want this to seem like a whining report.  There are several things I liked about this hotel.  The primary thing was the location.  Ocean view, close to parks, golf (not that we did this in January), and downtown – all within a few minutes drive.  The sunrise coming over the ocean was breathtaking!  I love that they offer FREE high speed Internet:  wired in the room and wireless in the common areas.  If your room is above the lobby, you have free wireless in your room as well.  We were close enough that we could get a decent signal and both my husband and I could surf at the same time.  The décor was tasteful and provided the New England charm that I like.  The bathroom had a separate shower stall and air jet tub, double sink and a door to separate the toilet from the rest of the bathroom.  The fireplace was gas, very nice and created much ambience as well as heat. The staff was friendly and displayed that “spirit to serve”.   Even with the pedicure debacle the staff did their best to make it right.

The things I didn’t like – already mentioned previously: initially being offered the worst suite in the hotel, no slippers, concierge lounge closed, spa experience, price.  Another thing that was noticeable; while the décor was attractive it was starting to look worn and shabby.  The carpeting throughout the hotel and in the room definitely had some wear and staining.  The wallpaper had a multitude of scuff marks was starting to peel at the seams.  Housekeeping did a decent job of cleaning, but in 2 out of the 3 days forgot to replace the toilet paper and towels.  Also, there really needed to be a magnifying mirror in the bathroom.

If I had gone at a different time, this review may have had a different result.  I can’t say that I would or would not recommend this hotel.  I also can’t say that I would or would not return for a 2^nd visit.  I think my indifference says it all.

Ratings: (out of 10)

General Impression:                             8.80

Room/Amenities:                                 7.84

Bathroom:                                            7.85

Concierge Lounge:                                5.20

Restaurants/Food Service:                    9.25

Optional Services:                                8.13

Overall Rating:                                     8.09

Do you have a Director of Wow in your organization? How about a Wizard of Whatever?

While attending a convention recently in Oklahoma City, I had the good fortune of staying at a hotel that boasted those two employees along with a number of other creatively titled staff members.

My travel companions and I arrived at the Renaissance Convention Center Hotel & Spa to find a lobby packed to the seams with conventioneers waiting to check in.

As we approached the front desk, I glanced at the clerk’s official nametag. I looked again, this time more closely. Instead of “front desk clerk,” it read Director of First Impressions. We commented on the appropriateness of the title as she looked up our reservations in her computer.

When the adjoining rooms we’d requested weren’t available, she quickly introduced us to her boss, the Director of Wow – yes, that was the official title on her nametag – who apologized and gave us vouchers for a free breakfast buffet the next morning. Mind you, we hadn’t complained – the request wasn’t of much importance to us – but the Director of First Impressions anticipated our possible displeasure and took action to forestall disappointment.

In another area of the lobby, the Wizard of Whatever, a.k.a. the concierge, was busy helping guests with their questions, directing them to nearby restaurants and such. Another Director of First Impressions walked up and down the line passing out cups of hot chocolate to the conventioneers, many of whom had been on the road or in an airport for hours and were tired and impatient.

This emphasis on customer service was impressive.

General Manager Jeffrey Oliasami says he came up with the idea of re-titling jobs after reading John DiJulius’ book “What’s the Secret To Providing a World-Class Customer Service Experience”.

“The book says you’ve got to make sure those who work in the customer area understand what their job is. Our primary job is to impress guests, so we took it from there,” Oliasami says.

His employees’ titles come from their individual job descriptions, Oliasami says. “We’re here to make a good first impression. We want to wow our guests. It’s a total shift in mindset.”

Employees who come in direct contact with guests, such as desk clerks, valets and receptionists, are called Directors of First Impressions. The front desk manager is the Director of Wow. The front office manager is called the Chief Experience Officer, or CXO. “He has to make sure the experience of each guest is at 100 percent,” Oliasami says.

The Director of Customer Loyalty ensures guests in the Marriott Rewards program know they are appreciated. The Wizard of Whatever does whatever the guest asks. “If they need tickets to an event, he finds them; if they want to know the best place to eat, he helps them out,” Oliasami says.

The bellman is now an Experience Guide. Even the housekeeping department’s titles have changed. Members of the cleaning staff are Daymakers. The support staffers who deliver towels, sheets and other supplies are the Just Do It team, “because when something needs to be done, they just do it.” Oliasami says.

The new titles have made employees more aware of their impact on customers, Oliasami says. “It’s created a whole new way of looking at customer service. If you get employees to believe what their true job is, they can do it.”

Oliasami, who has worked for the Marriott hotel system for more than 25 years, informally calls himself “the coach,” but has kept his official title because guests still want to speak to a general manager at times.

He came to the Renaissance 18 months ago with the express goal to improve customer service. He implemented the new nomenclature about four months ago, and it is still a work in progress.

“Our employees are involved. They are coming up with titles. It’s created a lot of excitement among the staff,” Oliasami says.

The reaction of guests has been positive as well. “They laugh. Sometimes they say, “Wow, that’s different, but it makes sense,’ ” he says.

Oliasami’s hotel is the only one in the Marriott chain – and as far as he can tell the only one in the nation – using such titles. “The way I look at this new idea is that we are giving every associate with guest contact a title with a promise of guest satisfaction,” he says.

It seems the approach is more than just a promise.

After I arrived home from my stay at the Renaissance, I discovered I’d left a favorite item in the room. I thought it unlikely I’d ever see it again, but called the hotel anyway.

Within 15 minutes, a message was left on my voice mail that my possession was safe. I wasn’t able to answer the phone immediately but saw on caller I.D. that over the next hour, the employee had called twice more. I finally had a chance to return her call. “I’m sorry to keep calling you,” she said, “but I wanted to confirm your address before I got off work tonight so we could ship your package out first thing in the morning.”

I was wowed.

My past several stays at Courtyards have been less than stellar to say the least.  There is one in particular that I used to frequent on the west coast that seemed to have a problem every time I stayed there.  One time, I checked in and went to my room only to find the door to my room was open.  I suspiciously went inside checking in the closet, under the bed, and in the tub for a possible predator.  Thankfully there wasn’t one, so as I went to close and lock the door I discovered why it was open in the first place.  The deadbolt lock was sticking out and wouldn’t retract into the door so it could be closed.  Now you would think someone prior to my arrival would notice something like this – wouldn’t you?  Since my body clock was on 1am at this point, I was not too happy.  I was promptly moved to a different, better room, but why did I have to go through the hassle in the first place?

The next time at the same hotel, there was a problem with the thermostat and the tub drain.  It was a very sleepless night because the A/C unit sounded like a diesel truck, and I could not turn it off.  I kept turning the thermostat to “OFF”, but it wasn’t controlling the unit properly.  So to top it off in the morning I noticed the water rising above my ankles when I was in the shower.  I reported both problems to the front desk in the morning and when I returned to my room that evening, it was obvious that the A/C unit was fixed, and that they had worked on the tub drain.  The reason the tub drain was noticeable was because there was a thick, black, gritty residue in the bottom of the tub that would not rinse away with water.  I tried to use a wash cloth to push the residue down the drain, but it just left black smudges on the bottom of the tub.  Not knowing what this chemical was, I was not willing to stand in it to take a shower the next day, so I reported the problem to the front desk who offered to change my room.  When I got to my new room, the thermostat had the same problem as the first room.  I kept keys to both rooms, so I slept in the original room and showered in the new room the next morning.

Anyway, these types of experiences definitely put a bad taste in my mouth about this specific hotel, but there are other reasons why I don’t care for the chain anymore.

1. When there is a problem in the evening, it seems that the ONLY employee in the hotel is the person working the front desk.  They can’t fix maintenance or housekeeping issues, all they can do is change your room (if the hotel is not sold out).  And they can’t even leave the front desk to bring you your new key, so you have to make the hike down to pick it up.
2. In most of these hotels there is only 1 elevator on 1 side of the building.  If they put you in the 2^nd or 3^rd floor and your room happens to be on the other side, you have quite a hefty walk schlepping your luggage to get to your room.
3. I don’t like the bathroom layout.  The bathroom has the tub and toilet, then the sink is outside that room.  I can see the obvious advantages when there are multiple people staying in the room, but for me, 99.9% of the time I am alone, and  that layout provides very little counter space for toiletries, especially when they put the coffee maker and mugs on it as well. 
4. The lighting tends to be very dim – everywhere.  It’s hard to see details of your face in the mirror behind the sink, and the other lights in the guestrooms provide barely adequate light when they all are turned on simultaneously.  The lobby and the restaurant are not bright and inviting either.  The word “vibrant” is not a word I would use when describing the décor or the atmosphere at this brand.
5. The hot food on the breakfast buffet is not the best quality.  The scrambled eggs definitely taste like “liquid egg product” that comes in the same type of carton milk comes in. The bacon is paper thin and crumbly that sometimes I can’t even pick it up without it disintegrating.  I know I could place an order for eggs, but I never do because I can’t see what they are doing to my eggs in the kitchen.

So since it had been a while, I decide to try this chain again, this time in the Midwest.  The staff was very courteous.  It was obvious there was a trainee working the front desk so things took a bit longer, but there was no issue for me.  My request of a first floor room was honored, but the only one they had available was an accessible room.  That didn’t bother me, so I drove around, got to my room and the first thing that hit me was the temperature.  It was freezing in that room!  I noticed that the thermostat was off, so I promptly turned up the temperature.  After hearing some clicking noises and nothing else after 10 minutes of trying to fiddle with it, I called the front desk to report the problem and they said they would send maintenance.  15 minutes later, maintenance shows up, and after him fiddling for 10 more minutes, he decided he couldn’t fix it so I called the front desk for a new room.  The trainee offered me a room on the 2^nd floor and also offered to help bring my luggage up there.  I thanked her for her offer because I figured there would be an elevator nearby I said it was not necessary.  I forgot about the single elevator thing.  So she came by to bring my new keys and insisted on helping me with my luggage up the stairs because sure enough it was a hefty hike to the elevator and back. 

My new room was adequate, but that’s about it – dim and uninviting.  Breakfast was just as I had remembered – fake eggs and disintegrating bacon.  The lobby seemed lifeless except for the people checking out.  Even the exceptional staff couldn’t overcome the “blah” I feel when I stay in a Courtyard.

Sometimes it takes something going wrong to determine just how good the service is at a hotel.  Sometimes you get surprised as soon as you walk in the door.  Here are a few examples that have happened in the last few weeks:

Hilton Garden Inn – Naperville, IL. 

I requested a first-floor room because I hate waiting for the elevator.  My request was granted and when I checked in and got to my room, I immediately went over to the window to make sure it was closed and locked.  Being on the ground floor, having a window that doesn’t lock is an obvious safety concern.  I could not get my window to lock and stay shut, so I called the front desk. She sent the manager over and he could not get the window to lock either, so he gave me 3 options:

     1 – I could stay in that room and he would get something to block the window from being opened

     2 – I could move to the room next door

     3 – he could give me a suite on the 3^rd floor

Hmmmm…..tough decision here…..I think I will take the suite.

It was no big deal to move because I hadn’t unpacked anything yet.  He went and retrieved keys to my new room and personally escorted me to the suite – and what a nice suite it was.  1 and a half baths, huge living room that I could have done cartwheels in (maybe backflips too, but I am a bit too old for that now), big bedroom with the full bath that had a Jacuzzi tub and separate shower stall.   I’m impressed. 

Given that the manager did not have to upgrade me, I think it is an example of his desire to offer the best possible service to keep the  guests coming back….and come back I did – the very next week.

So a week later I check in and this time I requested a room on the 2^nd floor.  My request was granted and I made my way to my room.  Not enough space to do cartwheels, but a nice, standard room nonetheless.  I didn’t have any problems until the next morning.  I turned on the shower and the water never got hot.  I kept waiting, but it never happened.  I was not in a position to call the front desk and wait until the problem was resolved, so I took a cool shower and packed up because I was checking out.  On my way past the front desk I mentioned I had no hot water and asked if it was just my room or a bigger problem.  The assistant manager told me it was a bigger problem that was being investigated, and for my trouble she offered to buy me breakfast.  Wow!  I didn’t even have to fight her – she just offered it.  Well I was running late and couldn’t take the time for the breakfast, but I mentioned that I had another reservation in a couple of weeks and she offered to give me breakfast at that time.  I then told her that I actually had 2 reservations separated by a couple of days during that week and she said she would give me breakfast BOTH days!   Again, she didn’t have to offer breakfast for that morning, she certainly didn’t have to offer it for a future stay, and she really did not have to offer it for 2 future stays, but in doing so she showed that my business is important, and being important makes me want to stay there again.

Marriott Wardman Park – Washington DC

I was “wowed” as soon as I set foot in this hotel.  This was my first time staying here and the sheer size of this hotel was a bit overwhelming.  This hotel claims to be the largest in the city, but to me that’s not a good thing.  It usually means that there is no time for personalized attention.  Well, I was happily proven wrong. 

Right from check-in, I was pleasantly surprised.  I happened to be staying here on points.  I made 2 reservations; one for Saturday night only, the other for Sunday – Wednesday.  I did this because I wasn’t sure of my travel plans and sometimes changing reward stays at the last minute can be problematic.  My goal was to stay in the same room for all 4 days.  I was informed that I had been given a standard room for the first night, and a suite for the other 3.  If I wanted to keep the same room, the obvious choice would have been to stay in the standard room the first night and all the rest.  But I would be giving up my suite for the 3 nights.   Courtenay at the front desk worked her magic and was able to get me the suite for all 4 nights!.  SWEET!! 

When I got to the room, it was so big that I could have done an entire floor exercise routine!  It had a huge dining area with table and chairs, next to the sitting area with a sofa, loveseat, and 2 chairs, foyer area with a desk and some antique reproduction pieces, large wet bar/counter with a refrigerator, the bedroom and the bathroom.   It also had a nice balcony that overlooked the grounds/garden area, which were beautiful this time of year.  But amidst this perfection there was a problem….the French doors to the balcony would not close or lock.  Since I was on the first floor again, it was an obvious security concern, so I called the main number and my request was promptly taken care of.  Between the first night and second, I had called the main number a few times to ask questions and to request a few things.  On a few occasions, Aretha picked up the phone.  She was the one who had maintenance fix the door. 

One thing I always request is a robe and slippers.  Marriott’s have seemed to stop offering slippers recently so I wasn’t surprised when I was told they didn’t have any.  The next day I called to ask about internet service pricing and Aretha answered again.  She asked if I needed anything I mentioned that I wanted slippers but was told that they don’t have them.  She said “let me see what I can do.”  Wouldn’t you know that not only did she give me free internet service, but she also found me some slippers!  I called her back and told her she was AWESOME!!  She has an “in” with housekeeping and told them to check their special stash and they came up with some slippers.

OK, so you are probably thinking “who cares about slippers?”  It’s a little thing but it’s huge at the same time.  To go out of her way to find them for me when the standard response is “we don’t have them” is HUGE.  The same with the internet.  I had access to free internet in the concierge lounge, but in the room there is a fee.  She wanted to make life as comfortable for me as possible and just extended the free access to my room.  All these things tell me that my business is important, and if I feel important then I will be back.

So because of these recent experiences, which were at different hotel chains in different parts of the country, I am a believer that high quality service and attention to detail are coming back into fashion.  I have been waiting for this for quite some time.  Let’s see how long it will last.

Currently Marriott is running their MegaBonus promotion.  It runs from Sept 15, 2009 through January 15, 2010.  In that 4 month span, loyal members can earn up to 50,000 bonus points for staying 25 paid nights at any of the Marriott-family hotels.   Hilton announced a similar bonus program in October.  Starting the 7th of October, for every 4 stays at a Hilton-family hotel in the remainder of 2009, you earn 25,000 bonus points.  This can be awarded 3 times, for a total of 75,000 points for 12 stays.  Let’s examine the fine print to identify which deal comes out ahead.  For simplicity, we will compare the Hilton 8-stay option for 50,000 points with the Marriott 25 night option for the same amount of points.

1) Nights vs. Stays

The benefits/drawbacks really depend on the type of travel you do.  A “stay” is defined as any number of consecutive nights at one property.  For the person who is in a different city every night, the “stay” equals 1 night.  But if you are in the same place for a week, your stay is 5 nights.  The Hilton deal wins here if you are able to make your stays and nights equal, meaning 1 night equals 1 stay.  If you are staying in one city for a week, you can change hotels during the week within the Hilton family to accumulate stays to achieve the bonus faster, but the obvious hassle of unpacking/repacking, new bed, new room, may make this deal less attractive.

On the other hand, if you are staying one month (25 nights) in the same hotel, you can earn the Marriott bonus all in 1 stay.   You would still need 7 more stays with Hilton because your 25 consecutive nights in the same hotel only counts as 1 stay.   If you are staying 5 nights each week with a break in between, with Marriott you can earn your 50,000 points in 5 stays, but you would need 3 more stays for Hilton.  Travelers will be mixed on this category, so it is impossible to give one side the advantage over the other.

2) TTE:  time-to-earn

On the surface, the Marriott promotion wins in this category by giving members a full 4 months to earn the bonus.  Hilton allows just under 3 months.  BUT the advantage depends on the type of travel you do.  If your nights = stays, then you must stay 8 nights in 85 days to earn the 50,000 point bonus.  For Marriott, its 25 nights in 122 days.  By calculating a simple ratio, for Hilton one must stay one night every 10.625 days.  For Marriott, one must stay one night every 4.88 days.  So even though Marriott gives you more time to earn the bonus, the number of nights required really offsets the benefit of the extra time.

If your Hilton stays are 2 nights each, then the ratio is 1 stay (2 nights) every 5.33 days.  The numbers don’t look as good, but there is still a slight advantage over Marriott.

3) Cost per point

Here we look at the amount of money you have to spend in order to earn the bonus points.  Of course it all depends on location and which class of hotel you like to spend your time.  In the lower-end brands like Hampton Inn and Fairfield Inn, prices could range from $80/night to $150/night.  For the full-service brands like Marriott, Renaissance, and Hilton, depending on the area you could spend $150/night all the way up to $350/night.  Obviously these numbers vary greatly in different parts of the world.  So let’s assume in any given metropolitan area we could find a hotel from either family in the same class for the same price.  And let’s also assume that the stay costs $150/night.  For Marriott, the 25 nights at $150/night, the 50,000 bonus points will cost $3750.  At Hilton, with 1 night per stay, the cost for 50,000 points is $1200.  If its 2 nights per stay, cost is $2400.   At 3 nights per stay, cost is $3600.  So even if your stays are 3 nights each, the cost for the bonus is still better with Hilton.

4) Points redemption

So after you earn those 50,000 points, what will that get you?  In this category the advantage definitely goes to Marriott.  For example, in the DC metro area where full-service hotels can cost over $300/night, 50,000 points can get you 2 nights at a Marriott.  (Some Marriott’s can cost 30,000 points per night, depending on location)  With Hilton, the minimum points for 1 night is 30,000 and can be as high as 40,000 depending on the area.  So if you get the bonus, you will have enough points for 1 night with a few left over, but not enough for 2 full nights.  If we look at the next step down:  Courtyard and Hilton Garden Inn, you can get 2 full nights at the Courtyard and (depending on location) have 10,000 points left over, which can get you 1 additional night in a less expensive area or even a lower class hotel.  With HGI, the surprising thing I found in DC is that some are in a higher category than the full service Hilton.  So the minimum points for HGI is 30,000 and can be as high as 35,000.  In fact, out of Hilton, HGI, Hampton, or Homewood brands in DC, I did not find one that was less than 30,000 points per night.

5) Number of Tiers

What I mean by number of tiers is – can you stay a percentage of the maximum and receive a percentage of the bonus?  The Hilton program has 3 tiers:  for each set of 4 stays, you get 25,000 points. You can double or triple the first tier and receive double or triple the points.  Marriott’s program has 2 tiers, and they are not linear.  For the first 20 nights, you receive 35,000 points.  Then for an additional 5 nights, you receive 15,000 more points for a total of 50,000.  But there isn’t a lower tier where if you stayed 10 nights or 15 nights that you would get some lower point amount.  So if you stay 19 nights, you get no points.  In my opinion the advantage goes to Hilton.  Having the lower, more achievable tier enables more members to obtain a bonus.

6) Terms and Conditions

As with any program, you need to read the fine print to make sure there are no issues.  Each program has a couple of potential “gotcha’s” that should be identified.  One of Marriott’s conditions is that your stay be paid with a Visa card in order to count toward this promotion.  For many people this is not an issue, however some business travelers are forced to use a company card that might not be visa.  These folks can’t participate in this promotion.

For both Hilton and Marriott, there is a condition is that certain rates are excluded.  These are identified in a list on their website, and generally include any rate that is booked through a 3rd party such as Priceline, Expedia, Hotels.com, etc.  Many business travelers may not see this as a problem either, but some will.

It is my opinion that each of these conditions will cause a problem for some.  How many for each is hard to say.  But since Marriott has an extra condition that excludes one from earning the bonus, the advantage here goes to Hilton.

Conclusion

If you compare the 2 programs in these 6 categories, I would have to give the win to Hilton due to the advantage in 4/6 categories.  Marriott only wins 1 category and the remaining 1 I consider a tie.  Hilton has an overwhelming victory if your travel is such that a stay equates to 1 night.  If it isn’t, there is the added inconvenience of multiplying your stays by changing hotels every night.  Some might say that the bonus isn’t worth the hassle, and for some it probably isn’t.  But for me, I am going for both bonuses!

(updated 10/27/09)

Is it just me, or is business travel really becoming more and more painful?  With my 150K flown miles and 100+ hotel nights so far this year, I am finding it increasingly dissatisfying to have to ask for every little thing.  No place has made this more obvious to me than the Westin SFO.

I only remember staying at one Westin before.  It was in the 2003/2004 time frame and it was in mid-town Manhattan.  I remember a well-appointed lobby and decent guest rooms.  Now, I have platinum status at Starwood hotels, which includes Westin. (see Status Matching article)  I was excited when I was able to get a good rate (under $100/night) at the SFO hotel and wanted to check it out.  Because my flights to the east coast are usually very early, I like to stay at an airport property the night before my flight.

Based on my previous Westin experience, my expectations were pretty high.  I reviewed the hotel website and it is presented quite well.  The only problem with the website is that the “hidden charges” are not really explained. I could find no mention of a parking fee, although I had a feeling there might be one since the Marriott and Sheraton in the same vicinity charge for parking, but the website did not specifically call it out.

Since becoming platinum at Starwood, I have been treated very well at several properties:  complimentary room upgrades, lounge access, complimentary internet.  At check-in for this property, I was not offered anything.  I was put on a SPG (Starwood Preferred Guest) floor, but I have no idea what that means.  How is it different from any other floor? If there are differences, they are not obvious.

I asked about lounge access.  As a frequent traveler, this is the single most important privilege to me.  I like the self-serve breakfast where I can get something quick and get my coffee to go.  I like the appetizers in the evening because a lot of times this constitutes my dinner.  I was told by the front desk clerk that this property has no executive lounge.  I was quite shocked!  She said that there was one at one time, but it was discontinued to create more guest rooms.  So that means guests like me must spend extra money on dinner and breakfast.  All of a sudden the good rate for the room wasn’t so good anymore.

STRIKE 1.

I asked about internet access.  I still don’t understand why the “partial service” hotels like Four Points, Courtyard, HGI, etc. can offer this for free, but the “full service” brands charge an exorbitant amount for this service.  At this hotel, there was the 24 hour option for $15.95, and the 2 hour option for $4.95.  This offering is more expensive for the 24 hour rate at the competitive hotels in the area, but I haven’t seen the 2 hour rate offered anywhere else, so I think that is a good addition.  At my previous stay at the Sheraton a few months before, I was offered complimentary internet due to my platinum status.  Here, no such luck.

STRIKE 2

I asked about my room and if it had been upgraded.  I was told that there were no more bay view rooms or suites available.  I have seen upgrades appear on my reservations at other properties up to a week before I arrive – why not here?

OK, so this is STRIKE 3 and I haven’t even gotten to my room yet.

On my journey to my room, I exited the elevator to find really drab carpeting with what looked like decades of stains – and this is on the SPG floor.  I really hate to see what it looks like for the “not so special” guests.  The hallway was a bit dark, luckily my room was not far down.  Basically there was nothing homey or inviting or the least bit interesting about the décor in the hallways on the SPG floor.

STRIKE 4 – still not in my room yet.

Get to my room, open the door – not bad, but again, nothing special either.  The décor was functional, but dark and drab.  The room itself seemed ample, but the bathroom and closet configuration was a bit difficult.  I looked in my closet – no robe and slippers.  Don’t most of the hotels that have “executive” levels provide these things?  I inquired at the front desk about getting a robe and slippers and was told that housekeeping would bring them up shortly.  Well shortly, someone did bring up a robe, but no slippers.  I was told that they were out of slippers at this time.  I really like having slippers for my feet on the cold bathroom floor.  Good thing I brought my own from the MARRIOTT (when available)!

STRIKE 5!

The bathroom was a bit small, but useable.  The most interesting thing in the whole hotel was the soap that was green and shaped like a leaf.  The shower had 2 heads, an upper and a lower.  There was a sign explaining the “heavenly” setup and how you can shut one of the shower heads off.  I thought this was a nice feature until I actually tried to use the shower.  For one thing, they protrude into the shower area quite far, and they are about at head height (for an average person of 5’6” or so).  At the back of the shower area is the towel rack, which also protrudes into the shower space.  Between these two things, there is barely enough room to bend over and wash your feet!  Also, since the shower heads are so low, a taller person would have to duck to wash their hair.  Out of the 2 shower heads, you can only turn off the upper one – which in my opinion is a useless feature since the lower shower head is way too low.

STRIKE 6.

Other than that, it was a great hotel!!

I do have to give a base hit to the front desk agent who tried to temper my disappointment with comp’ing my internet and parking.  I think she is a great asset to the hotel, too bad she doesn’t have much to work with.  I rated this hotel a 6.3 out of 10.  I was only there for 1 night, so I did not get to experience all the features, but anything under a 7.0 is a failing grade in my book.  Instead I would recommend the Sheraton Gateway SFO (7.52 rating) with complementary internet (for platinum guests) and an executive lounge.