When you first enter the Westin Nova Scotia and approached the desk to check in... or inquire about something... you see this beautiful mirror behind on the wall. It reads "this is how it should feel".... this intrigued me.... I must remember that I thought... how it should feel? what do they mean exactly? do they mean I should feel stressed out and harried as I do now that I am finally here and now I have to get up to my room and get organized and hustle... ? No, surely not... they must mean that I should feel delighted... at peace... excited about a place that is an escape from home... an elegant warm inviting environment that shall take me away physically, emotionally and spiritually from the busyness and laundry of my home. I filed the message away and thought I must remember to pull it out again later... must remember... "this is how it should feel".... .... .... .... .... must remember.So I stayed for two nights at the Westin for an AGM and a convention this past weekend. First off, when you called, you were told that they were fully booked. Which I get... as I am a procrastinator. But having been told this by the Mariott in June for a National Conference I was attending... I had then learned that hotels always have a block of rooms (well that is big hotels that have booking available on-line) set aside for on-line customers. So I knew right away I could get a room on-line... and lo and behold! Voila!
Now I really take exception to this. While as a procrastinator, I benefitted and now have the knowledge to apply to all future hotel bookings.... I disagree with telling a customer that "we are fully booked" when they are not. I interpret this as lying, as presenting false information... you get my point. How about saying "We are fully booked for you non-tech savvy people but if you go on-line we still have a block of rooms available"? or perhaps "We are fully booked for the archaic telephone-in customer" or something like this. This is not a complaint I have with the Westin... it is with all big on-line booking hotels actually.
Although, since no one really reads my blog... my venting will make me feel better about this secretive sneaky "fully booked" phone spiel and the procrastinator in me shall have hotel room fast tracks for as long as it takes for the rest of the world to catch up.
As I have digressed, I shall return to my weekend:
So the convention printed material said that you had to book a hotel room by January 15th to get the convention rate... but that while it would not be guaranteed after that date... to still mention it. So when I checked in on Friday, I mentioned that I booked online and I would like to get the convention rate as there was a place to put in a coupon or special code but nowhere to reference the convention. So this incredibly attractive, very personable, polite young man typed several keystrokes and looked at the computer screen and said --- and I quote --- "I will take care of that now for you". How would you interpret this? I would interpret this as... the keystrokes meant he was checking it out... and the "I will take care of that" meant he was doing it.... so I was delighted... tickled pink so to speak.
I went up to my room (Room 540 for February 8th and 9th, leaving on the 10th) and here is what I saw... well actually, first I saw the physical bad things of the room then I saw the room service menu and the internet note but can't seem to get these pics in the order I want dammit! LOL
This is a picture of the thermostat that I had to set at high fan and all the way to cool on Friday night as the room was too hot and therefore uncomfortable. This did the trick and I was able to sleep in comfort, temperature-wise.
Although since I stayed 2 nights... it did not work Saturday night and me, my hubby and my two kids... who joined us Saturday afternoon... slept in a far too hot room Saturday night.... even though I had left it on "high fan" and "cool" since I arrived. Nothing like waking up after a hot night... you feel all icky and your head throbs and you all sound stuffed up.
Throughout the room there were references to "heavenly"... in the gorgeous folder on the desk, which had the room service menu in it, there was "heavenly" brochure to order the "heavenly" sheets and pillows.... the showerhead even said "heavenly The Westin" and I must admit the pillows, the sheets, and the shower were indeed "heavenly" but the atmosphere was not remotely heavenly.
It does not give the actual temperature though... which is always a piss-off as you want to know what temperature it is when you are freezing or sweltering.
This is the revolting plug in an otherwise lovely bathroom that was necessary for me to plug my flat iron into it... very rusty and gross looking.... how much is a plug cover anyway????
These are some holes in the wall above the thermostat and under the smoke detector.... nice eh?
This is the room service menu.... we ordered room service the evening the kids stayed with us... I almost died of shock!!! it says... $2.50 delivery charge!!!!!!!!!!!!! Jesus H. Christ!!!! r u kidding me????? for someone to carry our food, of which you are making a good profit on, up to our room and remember there are elevators to access our room on the 5th floor, you are going to charge us an additonal $2.50 before tax and gratutity of course right? I recently stayed at the Inn on the Lake (an indulgent night by myself my co-workers gave me for my 40th) and I order supper and a daiquiri and then LATER ordered dessert and another drink... well I stressed to the kids that at the Westin we would not get dessert cuz we would be dinged another $2.50 and also we debated telling the lady on the phone that we would be going downstairs to get our meals (on principle) and haul them up to our room ourselves.... but I held myself back... and when she arrived with the big tray... I was glad of the decision.
My supper was divine!!! absolutely delicious! worth every penny of the room service bill. See... I can give praise where praise is due!
oh and by the by... there were water bottles on top of the tv stand and the price tag on them was........ .... ... drum roll..... ..... $4.95!!!! No we did not buy them or anything in the mini bar either.
this would be the note on the desk stating the various internet prices.... I paid $9.99 for one day to check my emails, research a couple articles and to spend 5 minutes facebooking.... Every single hotel that my laptop has visited in the past 4 years since I got it... has had FREE internet for guests!!!! I forget the other options but they were both more then $9.99 / day so I went with only 1 day of the 2 I was there and selected the cheapest option. 
This would be the dresser in my room... and below a better picture... notice the lack of a handle! nice.... remember.... "this is how it should feel".
The room had two double beds... with exquisite white bed covers and sumptuous pillows... the beds were elegant looking, inviting and immediately gave you a sense of refreshing and cooling.... and sort of an "ahhhhhhh" feeling. As a mom, my immediate next thought was oh my god! these must get tons of stains in them... as room service bore out on Saturday night with ketchup stains... there really was no table for the four of us to eat our meal at so the kids sat on the floor (and as you can imagine from episodes of CSI going through my head with regards to the sanitary state of hotel carpets) and hubby and I ate on the beds. I am the one who spilled two drops of ketchup and freaked when it happened.
There were two pictures over one bed and this was what was over the other bed. nice...... .... ... soooo did someone steal it? did it fall down and break? is it behind the headboard? what the heck? remember.... "this is how it should feel".
a close up for you to appreciate the gouge.
and this is the most attractive gouge out of the closet door... I was most unimpressed with it immediately upon arrival as the closet is right there when u walk in.... but my 8 year old... the next day... with an active imagination said... "what happened there mom? that looks scary" what could I say... could I say... "well honey, you know how mommy tells you to take care of your things and your room as others will see and recieve the message that you are a responsible caring person who appreciates how others feel? and perhaps the Westin does not want to convey that message?" or should I just say "don't worry about it?" Happily, saying "let's change for the pool" distracted her. and the pool.... was nice... the hot tub by the pool... nice... but the decor and ambience at the pool was lacking... the walls are blank... and blah and austere.... not really inspiring at all... and seeing others working out while you are swimming is not fun either... and they can see us... and they had these cool lockers... that you can program 4 digit lock codes in ... but of course... my luck... I got a broken one.
The elevator to the pool... a specific one... was broken... so we walked down 5 floors to the pool (maybe more as it was in the basement). The kids found the stairs scary (often stairs with spaces between them freak kids out and some adults too eh) and I will admit I was quite pissed re: this hike but did not vent as my hatred of stairs in general was probably exacerbating my reaction. Then after our swim, as we did not want to go up the same stairs, and the elevator was still broken, we had to traipse through the hotel lobby and go up the main elevators thus enabling my fellow convention delegates the opportunity to see me in all my wet, dishevelled chlorinated glory.
The restaurant, Elements was awesome!!! felt great and warm and was also delicious! the staff there were superb! ate there once by myself and then once with hubby and two kids. The decor and ambience were lovely, the service impeccable! A-1 marks for Elements!
The meal I had at the luncheon for the convention was also excellent! The ballrooms were lovely, the chairs comfy so the convention ammenities seemed great from my perspective!
When I went to check out, I was dismayed to find I did not have the convention rate. While I had not booked by the 15th of January, the gentleman who assisted me on check-in had seemed amenable to my query and responded positively to it so I am certain that anyone else would have expected it as did I. So I asked. I was told that that was Jonathan (told by Jason) and that he had then checked with him and Jason had said no it was not possible. I told Jason I had not recieved any word of this. He said "Johnathan did not call you?" and I said "Nooo" (believe me if that handsome man had called me I would remember it!) (further sidebar: Jason was quite handsome as well). Jason immediately changed the rate. I mentioned the missing picture and asked if that was common and we chatted briefly. I then made a point to say I was impressed with him knowing what room I was in (he had read the room number upside down without me noticing and then said my name which seemed both professional and warm).
Soooooo.... the food experiences were great, the convention was fabulous as were the ammenities for it I believe, the people service was exceptional: from Johnathan, to Jason, to the lady who brought up our room service, to the man who unlocked the bathroom as it had locked itself when I shut the door, to the guy who passed us a towel at the pool and the exceptional staff at Elements who not only were responsive and warm to me but were wonderful with my kids.
Peeve / Disgusted Summary:
- the physical attributes of my room: the missing picture, the broken dresser handle, the rusty plug outlet, the gouge in the closet, the holes in the wall.
- The mechanical failings: the overheating of the room, the pool elevator, the bathroom door locking and the locker at the pool.
- Communications: The lack of a phone call to advise me of the room rate not being given: I would have been fine with this as my print material advise me of a date... but not hearing back was dropping the ball.
- And lastly, in addition to the gouging in the closet door is the gouging of my wallet. The internet not being free and the charge to deliver room service is just blatant currency-sucking. The Westin makes a healthy profit (I believe but have not read their financial statements) without having to charge for these two things. The majority of hotel consumers require internet. And room service prices are geared for profit without a DELIVERY CHARGE. I mean honestly........
My dialogue with Jason upon leaving included a discussion re: the rates. He explained that online booking is a set rate that is non-negotiable (my word, not his) and that it is discounted already from the regular rate. "Whaaaa?" I said... mouth gaping, "Are you kidding me?" I said in awe. "how much would that room have been regularly?" He responded with "about $169" ... ... .... I was shocked.
I must not get out much. I had treated myself and my hubby by building some romance time in on Friday night and having convenience of being near the convention events. I had also treated the kids by letting them have an adventure at a hotel and swimming Saturday night (Nanny had had them on Friday night). We did not take any vacation last summer so I felt ok with treating.
what do you think of my Westin stay? I want to know, really I do. And remember!!! "This is how it should feel........"
________________________________________________________________
The day the kids and I left the Westin, they wanted to swim more so we headed to the pool at Quality Inn & Suites on Parkland, near where we live. We have been swimming there for years and loving it. It is $4 / person for as long as you want. They have a waterslide and a hot tub. It is awesome! So we got there and paid and then.... while in the pool... a lot of people cleared out and suddenly we had the pool to ourselves. A guy came in and said "the pool is cleaned from 2:30 - 4:00. There is a note on the door". whoa! that is a new one. Did not see the note. So... in the pursuit of exemplary customer service.... I go to the desk and explain that we are sorry we were still in the pool but we did not see the note and when did this begin and also would it be too much to ask that we were told that upon paying. The desk guy agreed 150% and advised that the next time I am in and he is on the desk, we can have a free swim. That is great service. Even better would be to jot my name down and whether or not he is there, my swim would be free. I also shared that the pool had freezing spots throughout today which I had never experienced. Freezing cold water was shooting out of the jets. "We are filling it up more" he said. "Very sorry".
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
So then we were starving, so we headed to the Wendy's in Bayer's Lake. We, of course, checked the bags before driving away. My neice was missing her fries, my hubby's salad was missing croutons, my niece was also missing dressing for her Caesar. My daughter was missing fries and a toy in the kids pack bag. Honestly! We caught three out of the five missing items and the worst was that my other daughter had a toy in hers and the response was... "that was the last toy". So the clerk (do you call them that?) stared at me through the window while I patiently explained that if there is more then one kids meal per vehicle and you are down to the last toy, parents everywhere would prefer two things to happen: 1) tell the parent you are out of toys 2) do not give one child a toy as a war may break out. She stared vacantly at me like "uhhh.... uhhhh... uhhhh... whaaaa?" The expression either indicated she didn't get it or she did not give a crap. Not sure which. So it was at that point I asked for a manager. I was not going to mention the 2 missing fries etc.... just was trying to stop toy wars in the future for all parents going there... and the manager... a young woman whose shirt was a different color.... looked seriously frazzled and said "oh ok" and also anxiously looked at me like "plllllllleeeeeeease drive away now or I will have a breakdown" so I did. When hubby discovered no croutons and neice discovered no caesar dressing at home.... we took solace in the fact that we caught 3 out of the 5 errors and what the hell do we dare expect anyhoo?
Then I realized that I had pursued cutomer service repeatedly the whole day....
No comments:
Post a Comment