Andrea Reynolds, Civility Activist
www.AndreaReynolds.com

Mr. Ed Baten, General Manager

W Hotel New York

541 Lexington Ave.

New York, NY 10022

December 20, 2005 (mailed Dec. 27, 2005)

Update, Feb. 8, 2006:
W Hotel New York's Prince Sanders very generously is enrolling this guest in their Starwood Hotels Preferred Customer Program (free to join) and providing enough points to cover 5 nights in any of their US hotels or somewhat fewer in their affiliated European hotels which are more expensive. A refund of the $30 bar bill and a letter of apology is on its way to this guest.

Update, March 10, 2006:
My client advises me she has received nothing from W Hotel in New York so far. It's been a month! No letter of apology, no confirmation of the extra nights, and no refund.
I called Prince Sanders at the W Hotel, New York, yesterday to inquire about the status of his 3 promises. He said he sent an email to the guest on Feb. 8 (not received), and will look into the situation and email me and the guest. Nothing has been received so far.

Update April 30, 2006:
Received letter from Ms. Anderson, Rooms Control Manager confirming W Hotel's apology and desire to WOW my client. Client case closed with desired results.
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Dear Mr. Baten,

I am familiar with your hotel as a result of TV advertising for the W Hotel in Chicago on the Oprah Winfrey Show, so I know yours also must have an excellent reputation for customer service. As well, the Starwood Hotels and Resorts web site shows more attention to customer satisfaction and pleasure than I have seen any hotel offer.

That's why it was unsettling to me to hear from a young woman who had an unpleasant experience at your hotel on her honeymoon. She has asked for my assistance in making her dissatisfaction known to you. I am asking that you look into this matter on her behalf, using the information I provide in this letter and that you find a way to make the situation right for this deserving newlywed couple. I can suggest some reasonable and appropriate ways to compensate them for the lack of graciousness they experienced (below).

I have spent considerable time gathering information from her about her experience and her booking at your hotel and I am convinced that she and her new husband didn't receive anywhere near the level of service they deserved and you normally provide. This may have been an isolated incident, but one about which I'm sure you would prefer to be made aware.

Here are the facts as I have received them, and I have the documentation:

The couple, Ms. I_____ C________ and Mr. A______ M_____, stayed 5 nights at your hotel, November 14-18, 2005 in a double room at a total cost of 1560 Euros paid January 2005 to their travel agent, Beacon Travel WorldChoice in County Cork Ireland. At today's exchange rate that's about US $1870 or US $374 per night. Your highest rate for a Queen bed room during this week prior to Christmas is currently $324 per night, $50 less than they paid per night. I don't know what the room rate was - nor the exchange rate - a month ago in mid-November, but I'm fairly certain it wasn't New York's "high season" nor American Thanksgiving.

Because they paid in full 10 months ahead, at the very least they should have had a 50% discount ($935) for booking more than 21 days in advance... as your web site states.

They relayed these complaints to me:

1. They had an unfriendly and unhelpful encounter with the reception agent on their arrival and check-in.

2. Their room was tiny, with one bed and little room to dress.

3. On one of the days their room was not cleaned and no fresh towels were provided so they could shower after a long day of New York sightseeing.

4. They were charged $30 for drinks in the hotel bar where they had no drinks.

5. In fact they had no food or drinks at the hotel.

6. They contacted the hotel concierge to register their disappointment, but now, a month later they still have not received a reply, neither an apology nor an acknowledgment.

7. Their room safe had no key so they couldn't safely store their valuables.

8. They did not receive a statement or receipt for their room when they checked out of the hotel on November 19, 2005. (They did receive a bar bill for the non-existent drinks.)

Additional information: it was their first trip to the United States and to New York. Did I mention it was their honeymoon? It would have been such a lovely gesture had your staff thought to upgrade their room, not necessarily to the honeymoon suite; but for a 4 star hotel at the rate of $374 per night, something better could have been offered.

May I suggest sending this couple a letter of apology from you AND a 50% refund OR a complimentary replacement stay, with no expiration date, for 5 consecutive nights in a far more luxurious room than they were given, at another W Hotel other than those in New York? (They prefer not to return to New York.)

Please reply to:
Ms. I______ C______
_____________ 
_____________
County Cork, Ireland
 
...and, if you would, send me a copy of any correspondence:

Andrea Reynolds
359 Geneva Street, Suite 401
St. Catharines Ontario L2N 2G5
Canada

I appreciate your prompt attention to this request and we look forward to hearing from you at your earliest convenience,

Andrea Reynolds