Read the full saga:
- Marriott Bonvoy Confirmed Suite Upgrade Downgrade
- I’d Like To Speak With The Marriott Manager!
- I’m Speechless: My Awful Marriott Check-In Experience
- My Four-Hour Stay At Marriott’s Aegon Mykonos
- Aegon Mykonos Responds To My TripAdvisor Review With Lies
- I Received An Apology From The Aegon Mykonos…
It’s time for an update on my saga with the Aegon Mykonos, a Marriott Autograph Collection property — I wrote about how the hotel refused to honor suite night awards, along with the hotel’s complete unwillingness to do anything to remedy the situation.
I have an update, and I couldn’t have anticipated how poorly this would play out. In this post I’ll share my check-in experience, and in the next post I’ll share what happened after that, which made me feel so unwelcome and borderline unsafe that I decided to leave the property before even spending a night (and I’d recommend anyone who has a reservation here seek accommodation elsewhere).
In this post:
A few important things to acknowledge
Before I share my check-in experience, I think it’s important to mention a few things:
- This is obviously very much a “first world problem,” and there are so many worse things going on in the world; I share this in the context of a blog about travel and loyalty programs
- I share my objective experiences with hotels on this blog, and note both the good and the bad of my hotel stays; no hotel stay is perfect, and there’s always room for improvement, and I think it’s constructive to note those things
- However, I’m not a hotel complainer, because I’d rather just have a good attitude and make the best of hotel stays; I couldn’t tell you the last time I requested compensation from a Marriott property, but I think it has been years
- That being said, at some point enough is enough, and when a hotel refuses to even acknowledge that a mistake was made, there’s a point at which you have to stand up for yourself
My talk with the Aegon Mykonos manager
I had asked for the Aegon Mykonos general manager to reach out to me before my stay, though the response was that he would meet me at check-in. I was first checked in by the guest experience agent, the same guy I had been in contact with through the Marriott chat feature. Then the general manager greeted me a few minutes later.
I first explained the situation to the general manager — I had a confirmed upgrade using suite night awards, and those weren’t being honored. I was primarily staying at this property because I could get these to confirm — otherwise I would have stayed elsewhere.
I even tried to be understanding:
- I acknowledged that sometimes glitches happen, that Marriott corporate may have some responsibility here, and that they probably couldn’t make one of these suites appear out of thin air if they were in fact all occupied (for whatever reason)
- However, the hotel took no accountability and wouldn’t do anything to make it right; whether it was Marriott’s fault or the hotel’s fault shouldn’t matter as a guest, and my primary issue was the hotel simply trying to sweep this problem under the rug
The general manager immediately became defensive. Even though I was told he had been briefed on the situation, he apparently hadn’t seen the email confirmation I received from Marriott about the suite being confirmed. He asked to see it, scrolled, and then once again reinforced that this was Marriott’s fault.
They countered my confirmation email by showing me “proof” that the hotel rejected the suite night award request on May 27 (which I’m not even convinced was real, since it was a bizarre printout that looked modified). I explained that didn’t even make sense, because that was a week before check-in, and suite night awards only clear at most five days before check-in. Suite night awards can’t be denied before the window for them being confirmed. That’s not how that works. Unfortunately it all went downhill from there.
I explained how disappointing it was that no one had even apologized to us, and that it was inconvenient to be downgraded and have to switch rooms after two nights. His response? “This problem is a big inconvenience for us as well.” Oh, I’m so sorry as the general manager of a hotel you have to be inconvenienced with customer service issues!
At this point he asked what I wanted the hotel to do. I explained that I thought it would be appropriate to receive some points back as compensation. His response? “You are staying here complimentary, and you want points?”
Are you serious?! “Sorry, you realize I spend a lot of money at Marriotts and on credit cards to earn points, right? They’re not free, there’s a direct opportunity cost to using them. And you do get reimbursed from Marriott for my ‘complimentary’ stay, no?” He kept emphasizing that we were staying complimentary, and therefore essentially inferred that expecting anything was unreasonable (by the way, our third and fourth night were booked as cash rates).
“How about we give you a junior suite for the first two nights and then we’ll upgrade you to the other suite for the last two nights?” I literally already had the upgrade confirmed (and the hotel agreed to it) for the third and fourth nights, so that isn’t anything.
At this point the stakes were upped — “how about we offer you 1,000 points at check-in?” Like, you mean, the standard Platinum welcome amenity points? Are you serious?
“We can offer you 750 points for your first and second night to make up for this.” I said “that’s literally $5 worth of points per night.”
I suggested that a more substantial number of points was appropriate, to which the response was “due to GDPR we can’t access your points.” “Right, but you can issue points as compensation, no?” He then once again started blaming Marriott, reinforcing that the hotel had no responsibility here.
He said he had reached out to Marriott. “Great, what did they say?” “They haven’t responded.” “So that doesn’t really do much for me, does it?”
I explained that I didn’t know one way or another if this was in fact Marriott’s fault, but I did mention to him that the hotel has been selling suites in a building that’s allegedly completely closed, and they pulled the inventory the night before our stay after I confronted the hotel about this. That doesn’t exactly give me faith that the hotel is doing a good job managing inventory, and makes me believe the fault may at least partly lie with the hotel rather than just Marriott corporate.
He completely denied that this was the case. I told him that I swear on my life that was the case, and that I had even chatted with the guest experience agent about this. He tried to backpedal, and claimed we discussed it, but he never checked inventory. Right. The general manager doubled down that this was impossible. Fortunately I had taken a screenshot at the time. Of course he had nothing to say then.
The two of them just kept repeating themselves, claimed they had no responsibility for any of this, that it was all Marriott’s fault. They kept emphasizing that they’d upgrade us to the suite that we already had confirmed for the third and fourth night, and that they’d tell Marriott to refund our suite night awards for the first and second night (how generous!), but they wouldn’t budge beyond 750 points (which I value at $5).
I expressed my dismay at their unprofessionalism, and said “we’re unhappy with,” to which his response was “we strive for customer satisfaction.” Right.
At that point we just asked to be checked into a room. We weren’t getting anywhere, and at that point I figured I was better pursuing a resolution through other avenues. We didn’t end up actually staying in that room, though, due to what happened later that evening.
Bottom line
Suffice to say that my first proactive interaction with a Marriott general manager in years went… not well. I wasn’t necessarily expecting the most polished service on earth, but I would have hoped for better than the “not my problem” response I got from this general manager.
He put the blame squarely on Marriott, and seemed to think that this issue was between Marriott and me, rather than between Marriott and the hotel (or heck, even between Marriott, the hotel, and me). He also thought I was being unreasonable for expecting anything because I was staying “complimentary,” as he put it. I just can’t believe that this is how a hotel general manager would act.
I would have settled for a sincere apology, an acknowledgement of how this wasn’t my responsibility and was an inconvenience for me, and maybe a comped meal. But I’m not going to settle for a non-apology, no accountability or concern from the hotel, and 750 points.
But yeah, unfortunately the above was the more professional of the two interactions I had while on property. Stay tuned, I’ll share the second thing that happened on property in a bit…
It is my experience that Marriott has reduced customer service at their properties to a “generic” level. Staff are often inattentive, rude, and unconcerned with the needs of guests, even to the point of making their customers feel like ad hoc employees. Complaints are met with indifference. Upgrades are a myth. Since the pandemic, I have had much better experiences with Hyatt and Four Seasons brands. I recommend you burn your points with Marriott and...
It is my experience that Marriott has reduced customer service at their properties to a “generic” level. Staff are often inattentive, rude, and unconcerned with the needs of guests, even to the point of making their customers feel like ad hoc employees. Complaints are met with indifference. Upgrades are a myth. Since the pandemic, I have had much better experiences with Hyatt and Four Seasons brands. I recommend you burn your points with Marriott and move on to another brand. Don’t expect Marriott to change, as they eschew customer feedback.
Thats a Greek attitude. Very rude and ignoring most of the time. ,, i am boss I can do anything,,....
I am done with them Marriot and as well as my team. It doesn;t make sense getting your members this upset over something so small and stupid.
I stayed at the Sheraton Marina in San Diego and my assistant made the reservations. Apparently, she did it on booking.com and didnt put my member number in. Due to this, no points. I have spent countless time on the phone tryin to get credit for JUST THE...
I am done with them Marriot and as well as my team. It doesn;t make sense getting your members this upset over something so small and stupid.
I stayed at the Sheraton Marina in San Diego and my assistant made the reservations. Apparently, she did it on booking.com and didnt put my member number in. Due to this, no points. I have spent countless time on the phone tryin to get credit for JUST THE POINTS.(Enough that i could have paid for another 2 weeks of rooms if they were paying me my rate) I have my bill, it was me and charged on my credit card. They wont fix it because it went through a 3rd party. NOTE: I EVEN TRIED TO FIX IT WHILE STAYING AND THEY SAID THEY COULDNT BUT JUST CALL BONVOY.
It doesn't make any sense getting someone this upset over something you should be able to easily fix. I know you don;t care, but i will ensure you lose all business associate with me. I'll be platinum member with Hyatt by the end of the year, and take as many people with me as possible.
If the system is truly stopping you, how hard would it be to say "We are sorry sir. I see you spend 3x more time with us than you spend at home. We also have your receipt. We'd be happy to give you your points for the 4 days and we are sorry we wasted so much of your time promising to fix this. Please enjoy your next stay, which I see is booked already for this Monday-Friday and AGAIN the following week." (That crap is getting canceled at the last minute) :)
I might not be 1/2 as mad if you didn't waste so much of my time and start it off with empty promises. To funny you destory your reputation with the people that matter most over 4 days of points. I made that last week and will make it again this week and so on. If i cant trust you are there to help me when something is messed up then youre worthless to me. I'll take my business to someone who appreciates it. Hell, i could get 10 times that amount of points by opening a credit card, charging it to a different credit card and so on. How retarded is that?
Stand up and make a command decision when you see a loyal customer trying to fix something that is legit.
What I don't get is your Suite Night Award approved you for a 1 bedroom Executive Suite... but your screenshot is for the Presidential. Are they the same thing? The room category titles don't even match?
Wow. What a baby. And you are right. This is definitely a first World problem. Stay at Super 8 next time.
Can’t believe I’m commenting on this drivel but this travel dairy entry is nauseating.
First off, you need to get over yourself. Your loyalty status to a company is not a lifetime achievement award and you don’t get to pick the exact suite you want (presidential w/ private pool …yea we really feel bad for you!). People like you act as if you’re the only guest with “status” gracing a particular venue or property....
Can’t believe I’m commenting on this drivel but this travel dairy entry is nauseating.
First off, you need to get over yourself. Your loyalty status to a company is not a lifetime achievement award and you don’t get to pick the exact suite you want (presidential w/ private pool …yea we really feel bad for you!). People like you act as if you’re the only guest with “status” gracing a particular venue or property. You should have been compensated more for the disorganization and miscommunications but other than that this is a pathetic; whiny rant. Get a different hobby cause the writing/blogging thing is not working for you.
Said the general manager of the Aegon.....Really, who wants to stay at a hotel where the management has this kind of attitude?
I worked at a Marriott for 6 years in the restaurant. The GM attitude was customer isnt always right but must always leave happy. Do whatever you have to do to make that happen. We were allowed to comp 1 table a week for no reason, just for being loyal customers. If you had 8 top and complained about 500 worth of food you just ate you got comped no questions asked. Not surprisingly the...
I worked at a Marriott for 6 years in the restaurant. The GM attitude was customer isnt always right but must always leave happy. Do whatever you have to do to make that happen. We were allowed to comp 1 table a week for no reason, just for being loyal customers. If you had 8 top and complained about 500 worth of food you just ate you got comped no questions asked. Not surprisingly the hotel did so well the GM and sales staff that kept us full all year got promoted to other Marriotts. New management was so poor within 2 years Marriott stripped us of their flag. You just never know when you will encounter incompetence
Let me tell you why myself and family never stay at or use ANYTHING branded Marriott. My Dad who passed away about four years ago had several weeks at Marriott golf timeshares and had a Marriott branded chase credit card. As the executor of the estate I called the number on the back of his card and explained the situation and asked what the process was to settle and close the account. The person that...
Let me tell you why myself and family never stay at or use ANYTHING branded Marriott. My Dad who passed away about four years ago had several weeks at Marriott golf timeshares and had a Marriott branded chase credit card. As the executor of the estate I called the number on the back of his card and explained the situation and asked what the process was to settle and close the account. The person that I first dealt with was quite professional and said they had a special dept that handled this and she would transfer me to them. Well it sure was SPECIAL and they do seem to hire “special people” to do this job, as I had briefly recounted what was going on the “gentleman” exclaimed “ WE WILL GO AFTER THE TOTAL AMOUNT OWED”. It was the whole of 750.00. I’m sure Marriott would say it’s Chases problem...well I say it’s also Marriotts problem as their name is big on the card. Chase was of course paid....but they were last on the list.
amen, I am done with them to. They don't even look at fixing small issues with customers they see are loyal and stay with them almost weekly.
I have been staying at Marriott properties when they only had 26 hotels throughout their system. I am now at lifetime Titanium Elite status and l believe that I have some standing ln this conversation.
It's clear history that when both Mr Marriott senior and Bill Marriott were running the company, there was a true sense of pride in the company. As Mr Marriott would always say, "It's my name over the door". Guest...
I have been staying at Marriott properties when they only had 26 hotels throughout their system. I am now at lifetime Titanium Elite status and l believe that I have some standing ln this conversation.
It's clear history that when both Mr Marriott senior and Bill Marriott were running the company, there was a true sense of pride in the company. As Mr Marriott would always say, "It's my name over the door". Guest satisfaction and a quality stay was THE standard. Nothing less. Ever
Mr Marriott no longer runs his company. It's managed by people who care only about the profit in their pockets and the banks and franchisees who support them. Guests no longer have a direct connection to Marriott.
Loyalty to the guests and all the hard working people who called Marriott "family" is gone.
So quit complaining about what Marriott has turned into, find another company that has the values, services and loyalty you want and go to them now.
Marriott General Managers always fix stuff for me but Greece plays in a completely different league. Lying and cheating is so outrageous I don’t know why people even bother spending huge amounts in that underdeveloped country. I wrote to [email protected] to put pressure on the GM and it worked but then his employees wrote me how of a big favor they’re doing me upgrading me to a suite. Ridiculous!
Sounds just like Hilton Daytona, they advertise different levels of rooms for a concert. I booked a Silver suite that includes king bed, pull out queen couch, balcony, upfront viewing for concert, appetizers and drinks for 4 people. Arrived and recieved 1 queen bed (for 4 people), balcony was 6 inches wide and you couldnt stand on it. Front desk customer service changed our room to the other side of hotel, farther away from viewing...
Sounds just like Hilton Daytona, they advertise different levels of rooms for a concert. I booked a Silver suite that includes king bed, pull out queen couch, balcony, upfront viewing for concert, appetizers and drinks for 4 people. Arrived and recieved 1 queen bed (for 4 people), balcony was 6 inches wide and you couldnt stand on it. Front desk customer service changed our room to the other side of hotel, farther away from viewing concert. Totally false advertisement by 3rd party for Hilton.
Hotels don't get reimbursed well for free night stays. Hotels actually get ripped off by franchise.
You’re being a Karen with this saga. Trust me dude, that GM ain’t the only one in this industry that loses zero sleep over whiny guests after what we’ve worked through the last 16 months. Take the keys or don’t, but keep it movin either way.
Suite night award upgrades are worthless. I have yet to receive an upgrade to a Suite because of them. It’s always an excuse…the property does not participate…upgrade to a different room category(still not a suite). As titanium for life, you get upgrades anyway. One property recently used my suite night award for a room category upgrade and still charged me an extra $150/nite for suite
Marriott is not an Organization that it once used to be. I can share a similar story.
I was recently visiting my son’s medical school graduation (May 20th 2021 to May 23rd 2021) in St. Louis and knowing that it will be a busy weekend with all the graduation ceremonies, I reserved my two rooms at Le Meredian (category 5) Hotel downtown St. Louis 5 to 6 months in advance. When I arrived at...
Marriott is not an Organization that it once used to be. I can share a similar story.
I was recently visiting my son’s medical school graduation (May 20th 2021 to May 23rd 2021) in St. Louis and knowing that it will be a busy weekend with all the graduation ceremonies, I reserved my two rooms at Le Meredian (category 5) Hotel downtown St. Louis 5 to 6 months in advance. When I arrived at the hotel the sign for Le Meridian was there but the hotel was closed. When I called Marriott to inquire, I was told that this hotel was a Omni hotel previously and is under renovations to be open as Le Meridian in the near future. I provided them with the confirmation # and the associates working the reservation could not believe that I was able to make this reservations on the Marriott mobile App.
I was not offered any restitution for inconveniencing my entire family. Instead of starting the weekend with a celebration for acknowledging my son for his 8 years of hard work, we were eating Pizza in the closed LeMeredian’s parking lot for dinner and on the phone with Marriott trying to find a place to stay. After a couple of hours of conversation, their resolution to this whole incident was to book us a couple of rooms in Fairfield Hotel (category 3) down the street and my account was charged 180,000 points for two bedrooms for 3 nights and I was told that for my inconvenience I will get my points used for LeMeridian reservation back into my account, which I did get back.
I do all my business traveling with Marriott and I have a couple of vacation properties with them but I will be switching to Hilton for most of my business travel and will not purchase any more vacation properties with Marriott.
I understand your concerns and disappointment with the Hotel. My experiences with Marriott hasn't been resolved either. I WILL NEVER STAY AGAIN!!!
30 year Marriott customer. Premier this and that. My experiences at Marriott franchise properties continues to disappoint. The exception: the Mayflower in DC.
You can see the focus has changed along with the decor. My solution is to look across the spectrum of opportunities and generally try to find privately owned properties where the owners actually care.
Marriott. No longer Marriott. Now it’s just a big marketing machine.
I see a few whiners and wieners here, including the author. Really the best solution is to say nothing and never return to a Marriott property again if you are this distressed. That many paragraphs for what was admittedly called by the author a “first world problem” is more shocking than receiving a free stay and complaining about it. Do something nice, give someone who can’t afford it the points to use. Maybe the poor...
I see a few whiners and wieners here, including the author. Really the best solution is to say nothing and never return to a Marriott property again if you are this distressed. That many paragraphs for what was admittedly called by the author a “first world problem” is more shocking than receiving a free stay and complaining about it. Do something nice, give someone who can’t afford it the points to use. Maybe the poor couple for their 50th anniversary, the first child in the family to attend college, the stage 4 cancer patient with a last wish to go somewhere nice.
He was correct at the top of his article: Its a first world problem.
But, I am a Diamond guest.
https://youtu.be/WCqm4H3m3Ew
Having a few issues with different brands just recently.
I recently had an awful experience with a Marriott property in Pennsylvania. The property was awful especially for the rate we paid and we weren't allowed to use any type of discounts; not our family discount, employee discount, AAA and or military, all of them were totally blocked out and no explanation was provided. The hotel was undergoing renovations, unbeknownst to us, it was never disclosed on the website or by the front desk clerk,...
I recently had an awful experience with a Marriott property in Pennsylvania. The property was awful especially for the rate we paid and we weren't allowed to use any type of discounts; not our family discount, employee discount, AAA and or military, all of them were totally blocked out and no explanation was provided. The hotel was undergoing renovations, unbeknownst to us, it was never disclosed on the website or by the front desk clerk, had I known prior to checkin, I may have chosen another hotel. Additionally, because of the renovations, no upgrades were provided. The website communications breakfast, but none was available due to the restaurant renovations. Not to mention the elevator went out and we had to walk down three flights of stairs with my elderly handicap mother. That was an awful experience, that was potentially hazardous. No help was offered by the staff, to assist us after they saw we were struggling to get down the stairs. My family made several trips back and forth, just to get our luggage while I assisted her. The property was awful and I don't know when I may stay at a Marriott again.
Very informative and helpful.
Thanks.
Same thing with Wyndham properties.
Manager is just spitting truths, since why would a hotel care much about awards stays if they can have paying customers at full rate?
Marriott just has no leverage over these properties and way too many minute rules and details for people to deal with.
Think I will just take Greece out of a place to vacation. Sick and tired of lazy nasty managers in general. If a travel or who blogs for a living regarding travel can’t get simple courtesy, the rest of us have no hope
@ Karen Silady -- For what it's worth, I also think it's all about choosing the right place. I've stayed at some fantastic hotels in Greece with exceptional service. I loved the hotel we stayed at before Aegon, and the hotel we're currently staying at. If you pick the right hotels (which I clearly didn't do here), service in Greece can be very good, in my experience.
Forget the compensation, they didn't even bother to apologize?
So, I currently work at a Marriott autograph collection hotel and can confirm suite night upgrades are based on availability. Literally 50% of the hotel is requesting the same thing so it goes based on your level and availability. The amount of things I see wrong in this post because you just don't know what you are referring to is crazy.
@ An Marriott Employee -- Right, they're based on availability, and that's why they're often rejected. But once they're confirmed they're confirmed. Marriott literally describes these as "confirmable upgrades." If your understanding is different, then you're... wrong, unfortunately.
This is how Marriott treats its customers I know first hand because I worked for Marriott until COVID. You would be shocked to hear about the way they treat their employees. Very toxic management at the hotel levels. They have no ethical values and only care about their profit. They do not care about their customers or their employees...it is all marketing lies.
I’m not the least bit surprised at whatever you have written, Ben. Marriott is no longer what it used to be. I don’t know whether it is due to the COVID-19 crisis or after the merger with SPG, but the level of customer services is appalling. Trying to call them is a nightmare and responses are not the best by any chance. Loyalty means nothing any more.
I’m not the least bit surprised at whatever you have written, Ben. Marriott is no longer what it used to be. I don't know whether it is due to the COVID-19 crisis or after the merger with SPG, but the level of customer services is appalling. Trying to call them is a nightmare and responses are not the best by any chance. Loyalty means nothing any more.
In this situation, would it have been feasible to contact Marriott (corporate rewards program) and ask them to help resolve this issue? I don't stay much at Marriott, but I can't see IHG, Choice or Wyndham acting like this or tolerating this kind of service.
@ BNB -- Well I only found out I had been downgraded the night before I checked in, since I was never contacted about it proactively. I wanted to give the hotel the chance to resolve the issue before involving corporate (since that's only fair), so that's why I asked the general manager to contact me. Little did I think the general manager would have this kind of an attitude.
So I’m reading all these comments and seeing one thing in common, people are looking for free stuff. Anything the hotel has to pay for pisses off the management when people demand them for free. Globalists must realize that these are businesses, and can only continue to operate if customers pay.
Bad as your experience was, it was still better than the disaster experience I had with Hilton. I will sleep on the street before I will stay in any Hilton or Hilton affiliate again.
After working in hotels for 30+ years, my expectations are always very low. As long as my room is clean and comfortable, I’m normally happy. I know there’s always nicer empty rooms, but they always seem to give the worst views. Hotel employees are very unhappy with their jobs and always try to screw people. Most don’t know how to operate the computers to make changes.
Can you please explain the "borderline unsafe" comment that was made near the opening of this lengthy narrative? I'm trying to separate sincere concern from undue histrionics from the start of the author. I'm not here to argue legitimacy of your other arguments. It sounds like you did get jobed over. But borderline unsafe?
I am a white person, and I can see why African-Americans would call this white privilege. poor people don't even have enough to eat, and I'm reading this stupid meaningless crap. But I guess that's the mindset of the me me me generation.
Well said....
1
star
For years now , Me and my family Love staying at the Marriott when we go on vacation until this year. My checking in experience was unwelcome. I cancel my reservations on the spot. Marriott gets a 1 star from. They have to do better.
I've traveled to 1-2 month jobs in other cities and was treated way worse.the company got a discount from the hotel and they never let you forget it when dealing with hotel staff.even though we worked 11-12 hour days and. Didn't get to sleep till midnite or later housekeeping would bang on the door at 7-8 am.no amount of complaining to manager would help.the restaurant was just as bad 3 different times I was served...
I've traveled to 1-2 month jobs in other cities and was treated way worse.the company got a discount from the hotel and they never let you forget it when dealing with hotel staff.even though we worked 11-12 hour days and. Didn't get to sleep till midnite or later housekeeping would bang on the door at 7-8 am.no amount of complaining to manager would help.the restaurant was just as bad 3 different times I was served eggs with black hairs on them.one weekend per month we had off.i opted to pay for my room myself the company only paid for days we worked.they sent. Security to my room and accused me of stowing away in the room.i told the m if paid and to check w/ the desk.i. Was then threatened with the police being called.told them call them I have a receipt here somewhere all you're gonna get is embarrassed and possibly sued if you bother me again.never came back again next morning not even a apology.theres way worse hotel experiences than the Marriot trust me.
Folks, who ever writes these articles and complains needs to get a grip on reality. We are in the middle of pandemic.
Where is the grace in this article?
Restaurants, hotels are losing lots of money with no revenue for over a year since pandemic hit. Many have to take a loan to start back up.
Service industry is short staffed due to Democrat extension of payout benefits and employees are not returning.
Stop thinking...
Folks, who ever writes these articles and complains needs to get a grip on reality. We are in the middle of pandemic.
Where is the grace in this article?
Restaurants, hotels are losing lots of money with no revenue for over a year since pandemic hit. Many have to take a loan to start back up.
Service industry is short staffed due to Democrat extension of payout benefits and employees are not returning.
Stop thinking of yourself, times have changed and stop comparing your marriott benefits to before.
Be glad you have a place to rent.
I had the worse experience at The Westin Alexandria Old Town in Alexandria, VA. I asked for an upgrade from a deluxe room. I am disabled and a feather allergen. Which is also on my folio. I arrived there asked for an upgrade I was told the hotel is fully booked. I had called hotel 40 minutes before my arrival. I was told the r should be no problem getting an upgrade. I also screenshot...
I had the worse experience at The Westin Alexandria Old Town in Alexandria, VA. I asked for an upgrade from a deluxe room. I am disabled and a feather allergen. Which is also on my folio. I arrived there asked for an upgrade I was told the hotel is fully booked. I had called hotel 40 minutes before my arrival. I was told the r should be no problem getting an upgrade. I also screenshot my info page on my app.
I am told at counter since I had a traditional room they can only upgrade me to a deluxe. I corrected them by saying I had a Deluxe room confirmed. Next upgrade is a Jr. suite
They tell me on their computer it shows traditional reserved. The clerk pulled a fast one so now on my app it says traditional. So now I show them my screenshot. Where a deluxe was confirmed. I informed this is not my first rodeo. I had this happen before and took note to always screen shot my confirmations. Now again I am told they have no type of suites available. They have all been booked. I was tired, frustrated and said "fine , just give me key to my original room" now I asked to make sure it's near an elevator due to my disability and feather free room. I am told they have no rooms with double beds near elevator, I really wanted to leave and just go to another hotel but since my girlfriend was with me and I knew she needed to lie down so I took my key. Well we ended up at the very end of hall
With of course feather pillows and comforter.
There are also no handicap accessible rooms with two beds anywhere in hotel. I was informed by the GM of this hotel. Never ever again will I go there.
First world problems.
I miss SPG
I have been a loyal Marriott customer for twenty-plus years but it's a challenge to keep calling myself that.
@Lucky, FWIW you have the attention of Marriott per the Bonvoy Insiders Facebook group they run. Thank you for speaking up. As a Titanium member, I'm growing tired of the inconsistency and troubling manner in which they they are treating their most loyal and valuable customers. Please keep us updated!
Any commentary from the Insiders or Lurkers or whatever they are on there?
Just one selfish Entitled person who thinks everything’s turning around her or him I was sad when I read this you can only sleep in one bed if this is the worst thing that happened to you in the life you’re one spoiled person and you are blessed and count your blessings every day
As someone in hotels for a few years and now at the corporate level, some of this is understandable but MOST is abhorrent. As a Director of Finance, I empower my team to give the guest the happiest experience. Whoever’s fault it was does NOT matter, it’s pleasing the guest and ensuring a hospitable experience. Even if he couldn’t give away the house to you, the GM could’ve comped a night or two for your...
As someone in hotels for a few years and now at the corporate level, some of this is understandable but MOST is abhorrent. As a Director of Finance, I empower my team to give the guest the happiest experience. Whoever’s fault it was does NOT matter, it’s pleasing the guest and ensuring a hospitable experience. Even if he couldn’t give away the house to you, the GM could’ve comped a night or two for your many inconveniences. It is true that the hotel has to accept upgrades and Marriott brand can’t just give it to you. However his handling was a disgrace and he doesn’t deserve his title as GM or the bonus he receives at the end of the year. I’m sorry your experience was atrocious but stay away from Marriott and Hilton’s. Their experiences will always be similar as they are franchisers now a days and not operators. And also their brand power isn’t that big outside of the US.
Very similar situation in Tampa. We were verbally assaulted by a pool cleaner for bringing a drink to the pool from our room in a plastic container. Complete jerks. Desk told me that he was a contractor. This occured at 0730 on a Monday morning.
I have an experienced with Marriot last May of this year I stayed for one night and I saw a bed bug beat me. And I have to changed my own bedsheets passed 2:00pm because all the housekeeper are all went home. And somebody knocked on my door and it was one of the housekeepers and I said will please changed my bedsheets and she responded I am sorry we cannot because you are still...
I have an experienced with Marriot last May of this year I stayed for one night and I saw a bed bug beat me. And I have to changed my own bedsheets passed 2:00pm because all the housekeeper are all went home. And somebody knocked on my door and it was one of the housekeepers and I said will please changed my bedsheets and she responded I am sorry we cannot because you are still in and when I complained to the front desk next morning they told me she should tell me to. One out of the room and she will changed it, but she didn’t. So I ended changing my own bedsheets , oh my goodness their comforter were as old at least ten years old and they don’t wash their pillows covers and their pillows are old as five years no washing of the pillows also. I am so lucky I had my Lysol spray and I did sprayed all of them and imagine my bed was king size with a flat sheet for twin size bed. I was just shocked and unbelievable that my stayed there I complained to the general manager of that they said Marriot Special suites, I said NOT!!!!! I complained downstairs to the supervisor of the hotel to give me a discount but refuses to give it to me and his name is Jack Roger but he did not give me any discount because what I said before the housekeeper should let me out but I told him I didn’t know that and she didn’t tell me also, so I complained again about the bedbugs he said again if they found any when the ECOLAB the one they are contracted with all the sanitation there hotel, I will give you a discount but I did not say anything to him and I just keep it to myself and I hung up the phone. God knows what he did to me was not right at all.
Just cancelled my 6 nights stay in sept.
So silly they couldn't just throw you some extra bonus points - I previously worked at a Starwood property and there were simple codes you could just add to a reservation to give bonus points: an award night's worth of points in just a few key strokes. I imagine Marriott's system operates in a similar fashion. This option is so much cheaper to the hotel than alternatives - and most guests are thrilled to receive it.
This is not surprise to me. This has happened to me at Sheraton Waikiki. I was confirmed with a Ohana Suite on my app, with no explanation; I was bumped into regular room. There wasn’t even a apology from the management what soever. I understand that if the suite was given to paying customer. Hey, it’s a business. I travel frequently, and get upgraded frequently without even request. Even since Sheraton became Marriott, I hardly...
This is not surprise to me. This has happened to me at Sheraton Waikiki. I was confirmed with a Ohana Suite on my app, with no explanation; I was bumped into regular room. There wasn’t even a apology from the management what soever. I understand that if the suite was given to paying customer. Hey, it’s a business. I travel frequently, and get upgraded frequently without even request. Even since Sheraton became Marriott, I hardly get upgraded, and even with these suite certificates; they mean nothing to the hotels. Status also does seem to matter to them. Marriot Bonvoy is a terrible program. I should probably switch back to Hilton Honors again as my prefer hotel chain.
This doesn’t surprise me at all ... my recent experience at a Towneplace Suites was to be told that they “don’t usually do that,”’with literally EVERY benefit. They over charged me by charging me my points AND my card for one night (then refused to refund either), and then sent me on a wild goose chase for a refund, all while blaming corporate Marriott. I mentioned instant point redemption, and I was told that was...
This doesn’t surprise me at all ... my recent experience at a Towneplace Suites was to be told that they “don’t usually do that,”’with literally EVERY benefit. They over charged me by charging me my points AND my card for one night (then refused to refund either), and then sent me on a wild goose chase for a refund, all while blaming corporate Marriott. I mentioned instant point redemption, and I was told that was only for Titanium and Ambassador status. I showed him on my phone where it says platinum members get it as well (incidentally, so do gold). When I tried to use my points again, I was told I would have to check OUT of my suite and into a regular room because “points don’t cover that rate.” I told them never mind (this is after I FINALLY - after two weeks - got my points refunded). It also flooded where I was staying. The road was literally blocked by a police, and was declared a state of emergency. I was told by the front desk they would refund me for the nights I couldn’t get in ... it ended up being four nights, and I got credit for one. They said because they were open, they weren’t under any obligation to refund me or find me a new accommodations. Literally every other hotel, every gas station and every store on the road was closed. And again, the state police had up blockades and were turning people around, but they said I could have walked the two miles (through waist deep water with a five year old) to get to the hotel ... I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been lied to by the GM. The only reason I’m still staying there is our house isn’t done and it’s about $40 cheaper per night than the next cheapest place (except for the truly awful motels), although with all of the double charges and overcharges, that savings may very well be negated by now. Literally every single problem that’s occurred they have blamed on corporate Marriott. I spent hours on the phone to get my points refunded, only to find out it was up to the GM, and everything that had happened was only resolvable “at the hotel level.” It’s been awful. Oh, and room service will lightly knock once and then barge into your room. I absolutely have to have the bolt on the door because more than once, they’ve just walked right on into the room.
Do you actually make a living writing things like this? Yikes!
I've only stayed at the Marriott once and never will again. It was in Sacramento, in July, for $130 a night. Not only was the coffee pot broken (I could have managed that), but so was their A/C! In Sacramento, in July, the a/c needs to work, especially for the price. Horrible hotel.
I AVOID MARRIOTT AT ALL COSTS! Specially true after their Bonvoyed launch and decimination of Categories of Travel pkg certificates and numerous devaluation of points!
I haven't given them a single cent since then! Their Gold l/Platinum status is a joke.
Marriott mediocre hotels cost 50K pts!
With all due respect, Ben, if you cannot get satisfaction and you have the platform to voice your displeasure, you might really think whether you want to promote any of their cards or programs and not be compensated for it. You just might find other bloggers like Gary Leff who recognizes the same problems will join you.
I don't like people who use their platforms for personal gain but when other people say the...
With all due respect, Ben, if you cannot get satisfaction and you have the platform to voice your displeasure, you might really think whether you want to promote any of their cards or programs and not be compensated for it. You just might find other bloggers like Gary Leff who recognizes the same problems will join you.
I don't like people who use their platforms for personal gain but when other people say the same thing over and over again, maybe its time you use your platform to force change or distance yourself from products and services that do not provide a level of quality that you can support.
I wish you well
Your logic is pretty flawed, I have to say. You admitted that, the mistake could have been made by the Marriott corporate and not the Aegon Mykonos, yet you expected to get some compensation from the hotel and not the Marriott. If they reimburse you with points for the inconveniences that is going to directly effect their revenue and business. Why didn't you try to get a compensation from the Marriott Guest Experience Service instead...
Your logic is pretty flawed, I have to say. You admitted that, the mistake could have been made by the Marriott corporate and not the Aegon Mykonos, yet you expected to get some compensation from the hotel and not the Marriott. If they reimburse you with points for the inconveniences that is going to directly effect their revenue and business. Why didn't you try to get a compensation from the Marriott Guest Experience Service instead of bothering a property with something they could not be blamed for (especially after a year like the last one)?
The other thing: you were told you couldnt get the suite night award honoured because those rooms were occupied "FOR WHATEVER REASON". I have come across this truly repugnant mentality many times in my career
(mostly from selfmade "very important" Platinum and Titanium guests) and the reason is very prosaic: the people who are actually staying in those rooms paid for the rooms. Grow up and try to make the most out of the bad situations and stop being a stick in the mudd.
I am sorry that I am one of your stupid readers. It is difficult for me to comprehend what happened. It could be because I have an informal Marriott boycott and no longer keep up with the Bonvoy program.
It sounds like a suite award was redeemed but only a junior suite was offered?
If so, at a minimum, the guest should be offered to cancel the reservation, refund of the difference in points needed...
I am sorry that I am one of your stupid readers. It is difficult for me to comprehend what happened. It could be because I have an informal Marriott boycott and no longer keep up with the Bonvoy program.
It sounds like a suite award was redeemed but only a junior suite was offered?
If so, at a minimum, the guest should be offered to cancel the reservation, refund of the difference in points needed for the award, refund of the difference in what the hotel gets for a suite versus a junior suite, or something similar.
My better half always says to me, "If you want a suite book a suite."
I have been disappointed by suite rewards so many times that hope Marriott gets rid of them all together. Mistakes happen, let it go! Or have a heart attack and die over it. Beginning to sound a little like white previledge.
Sounds like a bad experience, of course.
I'm an Ambassador Marriott member with over 2300 lifetime nights. Thank goodness I have not experience this, yet.
I've stayed at the King George (Luxury Collection) in Athens. Later this year, we are staying at the Grand Bretagne, Domes Zeen, Vedema and Santa Marina all in Greece. If you have stayed at any of these on this trip, please report back.
It is an example of Arne Sorenson of happy and glorious memory's failure. He focused on quantity, not quality. As a result, Marriott has hundreds of properties that have no business being Marriott or carrying the name of one of the brands. Unfortunately, I don't see how Marriott fixes this because the franchisees that manage their own hotel or use a third-party manager are saving lots of money by not using Marriott to manage. That's...
It is an example of Arne Sorenson of happy and glorious memory's failure. He focused on quantity, not quality. As a result, Marriott has hundreds of properties that have no business being Marriott or carrying the name of one of the brands. Unfortunately, I don't see how Marriott fixes this because the franchisees that manage their own hotel or use a third-party manager are saving lots of money by not using Marriott to manage. That's the only real fix. De-flag the worst properties and then manage everything else. Marriott is no longer a hotel company. Hotel companies own or manage their hotels. Marriott is a marketing company and hotel booking platform. The guests are the product and the customer are hotels.
I stayed at the Grand Hyatt Singapore in July 2019, where we had bought some club passes. We had just gotten off of a redeye from Tokyo and just checked in, and they let us use the club as our room was getting ready. I was travelling with my mother, who is physically disabled and uses a motorized scooter. Thankfully, she is able to walk quite a bit, but not for long periods of time....
I stayed at the Grand Hyatt Singapore in July 2019, where we had bought some club passes. We had just gotten off of a redeye from Tokyo and just checked in, and they let us use the club as our room was getting ready. I was travelling with my mother, who is physically disabled and uses a motorized scooter. Thankfully, she is able to walk quite a bit, but not for long periods of time. The club however was on a floor above the last elevator landing, and required climbing two (steep) flights of stairs. We had never seen this at a major hotel before. She was able to climb it, but we brought this to the club staffs attention (as in, literally just to the entrance attendant). In my opinion, it originally seemed like he brushed it off. Later that day, the GM contacted us (whom we never said anything to). She offered us free breakfast at the high end ground floor restaurant for all four days of our stay, which is way better than the already above average selection at the club (which retails for about $75 per person - and we had 4 people). In addition, she offered us free dinner at a personalized all inclusive restaurant/lounge in the hotel, which costs over $200 per person. We (gladly) accepted for two nights. They had an incredible high end buffet assortment and multi course meal service, with a chef cooking station in front of you. And there were only a couple of other guests at a time. Best hotel compensation we ever received!!!
Meanwhile, the GM or at least the architect probably committed ritualistic suicide for this. In the US, you could have found a lawyer to sue for millions under the Americans with Disability Act. Just imagine had the old lady fell and paralyzed what's left of her body.
Whoa, this is bad. Real bad.
Congratulations, you’ve been Bonvoyed! Seriously, Marriott is the absolute worst, not only to their guest but employees as well. As others mentioned, Stop promoting them and their various products.
@FNT-Delta-Diamond Great observation, you put words to what I've been feeling for years. I'm a leftover Lifetime Platinum from SPG and initially wanted to give Marriott a chance to work the kinks out. Now, I'm just burning through my points with no plans to stay at Marriott properties in the future. There's just less and less to look forward to in their race to the bottom. I can't remember the last time I used on of their cards, their points are close to worthless.
Before Marriott and Starwood merged, a major issue resulted in 5,000 or 10,000 points from the general manager. Now, the points are increasingly worthless and comparable service recoveries require 40,000 or 50,000 points. I'm at a hotel that gave me a dirty room, apologized and then failed to clean it when they said would they do it, then cleaned it but gave me a stained sheet. I ended up getting 60,000 points, the amount required for a free night at this property.
Such a A$$HOLE frustrated customer, he stays for free or complementary and wants to reap off the place bargaining for more benefits...if everyone was like him the LODGEING INDUSTRY would COLLAPSE!
No, he didn't stay for free.
This hotel is managed by SWOT Hospitality Management Company. https://swot.gr/
The CEO is Panos Constantinidis and his email is [email protected]
so proud of you, ben, for sticking up for yourself!! i am so disappointed in marriott in equal measure for this, but am enjoying reading about this maddening saga. love how they keep invoking the GDPR for no reason??
i feel like they are getting defensive in part because you clearly know more about marriott and hotels than they do LOL
what happened after that made you leave the property?
I had a similar experience but I immediately called Marriott and they remedied it and also compensated with points.
Hi All:
I had an experience with Marriott’s Aloft property in Bangkok that is worth sharing.
I booked a room where I specifically stated (on the phone while still in United States) that our daughter was accompanying us and therefore we needed an extra bed. Reservation confirmed without a hitch. Great! No, not really.
Upon checking in, I was informed that there will be an additional charge for my daughter. At this...
Hi All:
I had an experience with Marriott’s Aloft property in Bangkok that is worth sharing.
I booked a room where I specifically stated (on the phone while still in United States) that our daughter was accompanying us and therefore we needed an extra bed. Reservation confirmed without a hitch. Great! No, not really.
Upon checking in, I was informed that there will be an additional charge for my daughter. At this point, I argued but not much, since we were checking in and not out.
I emailed Marriott corporate and explained the circumstances, to which an email reply came saying they will reimburse the additional charges. Great, right? Nope.
We checked out, paying the additional amount via my Amex, and was satisfied with the email that had come through.
Few days later, another email came saying they will not reimburse any additional charges? Why? No answer! No explanation!
How can you tell a customer that he will be reimbursed and then recant the statement without an explanation.
Marriott did not come through for us. I had to dispute the charges via Amex, showed them the email and THEY credited my account, not Marriott.
So much for customer care!
Sonny
Lesson learned. Don’t stay at Aloft in Bangkok. Tons of higher brands in the Marriott umbrella that will give you great service. Don’t expect Aloft to be JW. $35 / nt crowd at Aloft
LOL this is just how Greek people are
I couldn't agree more with all the negative comments posted about Marriott. For years, I was a highly satisfied SPG member and very unhappy when Marriott took it over. Their 3 for 1 swap on rewards points was a big loss in value. Hotels like Swan and Dolphin at Disney World went from 10,00 - 12,000 SPG points/night stays to 50,000 - 60,000 with Marriott. (IF you can even score one.) Those 2 hotels were...
I couldn't agree more with all the negative comments posted about Marriott. For years, I was a highly satisfied SPG member and very unhappy when Marriott took it over. Their 3 for 1 swap on rewards points was a big loss in value. Hotels like Swan and Dolphin at Disney World went from 10,00 - 12,000 SPG points/night stays to 50,000 - 60,000 with Marriott. (IF you can even score one.) Those 2 hotels were also affordable when paying rather than using award nights (esp. for Florida residents), but not since Marriott took over. I now choose Disney owned resorts instead. My limited experiences with Marriott in Europe have taught me to stick with Hilton, far more member friendly.
I can certainly empathize we had an experience with Loft, a Marriott property at the Philadelphia Airport the beginning of May.
We stayed at Loft the week before to catch a flight out the next morning. We explained upon check-in that we had a reservation for our return the following wee but we wouldn't be checking in until 1 or 1:30 in the morning since our flight was not due to arrive until midnight...
I can certainly empathize we had an experience with Loft, a Marriott property at the Philadelphia Airport the beginning of May.
We stayed at Loft the week before to catch a flight out the next morning. We explained upon check-in that we had a reservation for our return the following wee but we wouldn't be checking in until 1 or 1:30 in the morning since our flight was not due to arrive until midnight and we still had to clear customs upon arrival. The front desk clerk was very friendly, said she saw the reservation, indicated that this was not uncommon and we witnessed her putting notes to put a hold on the rooms (we had booked 2 rooms) due to a late arrival. She even indicated our approximate arrival time.
Upon arriving the following week at 1:15 am, we encountered a large biker gang partying in the parking lot, taking up most of the parking spaces. We already didn't feel safe. When we entered the hotel, there was no one behind the desk. There was a young man in the side lobby conversing with someone and eating pizza. We asked if there was someone to check us in and he came around to the desk and said that there were no rooms. He didn't identify himself nor did he have a name badge on nor was he dressed appropriately, being dressed in a gym suit with his pants hanging half way down. We told him we had a reservation but his response was "I don't care, I came on at 9:00 and we have no rooms". Imagine that. He didn't care. I suggested perhaps the reason for no rooms was that they were sold out and our reservation was part of being sold out. He said he didn't have any rooms and didn't care that we had a reservation because there were no rooms. I suggested he find rooms while my wife attempted to present him with a copy of the reservation. He wouldn't even look at it. I demanded to see the manager. He refused to get one or get someone on the phone. I told him that they screwed up and it was up to them to find us rooms. He told me he didn't have to do anything for us and we were on our own.
My wife got on the phone with Marriott Corporate. They saw our reservation, along with the notes. Mind you, he never once looked at his system. In the meantime, he turned away 2 more guests who didn't have a reservation. Shortly after that, another man came in with 2 scantily clad women. He asked if there were rooms. The clerk didn't answer him. I told him we were told no. He made no attempt to leave, looked at the clerk, they exchanged some words to the side and he just kept hanging around. The clerk told corporate that he saw the reservation but had no rooms and wasn't going to do anything about it.
He handed the phone back to my wife at which time I informed him that we were elite members had he bothered to check, I have been a Marriott customer and traveler for 30 years and it's customary for the hotel to find rooms for guests if they screwed up. I informed him this is the first time in 30 years that this service is not being offered. He again informed me he didn't have to do anything and he wouldn't and then told me to leave the premises because he felt uncomfortable with me there. Mind you, this guy is almost twice my size and he's uncomfortable? My wife was told by corporate that they had 1 room at the Marriott in downtown Philly. We needed 2 and we sure didn't feel safe driving there at nearly 2 in the morning. The clerk asked us to leave. We left and my wife was still on the phone with corporate when we were leaving. She was then told that the hotel would probably charge our card for the 2 rooms and they were within their right to do so since we had 5he reservation but did not stay. We then had to drive 4 hours home after being on a plane for 8 hours.
The next day, our card was charged. My wife called the hotel and asked for the manager. It turns out it was the same woman who checked us in the week before. My wife explained the situation in detail,, including all who came in and asked for rooms while we were there.. She apologized and said she would review the security tapes. She informed my wife that a huge bikers group had come into town and taken up all of the rooms in the area. She offered to refund the card and she would "see what she could do about getting us some points". The card was credited but still no points. By the way, when we left, the three questionable "guests" that came in looking for rooms were still there.
I have a real bad taste in my mouth for Marriott right now and it will be a long time before I will consider them in our future travel plans. It seems as though Marriott corporation caters more to questionable characters and franchisees.
You're my least favorite type of guest. The type that is diamond/elite/king of the world that every guest agent dreads when they see your reservation on the screen. The guest that has employees have to go to the back and cry before getting back to work with a giant welcoming smile on their face. Sometimes there are errors and sometimes upgrades just aren't available. There are dozens of reasons why, and you just have to...
You're my least favorite type of guest. The type that is diamond/elite/king of the world that every guest agent dreads when they see your reservation on the screen. The guest that has employees have to go to the back and cry before getting back to work with a giant welcoming smile on their face. Sometimes there are errors and sometimes upgrades just aren't available. There are dozens of reasons why, and you just have to accept that. If you want a big fancy room, stop paying for the cheapest room and expect an upgrade. Just book the big fancy room. Times are hard for hotels and everyone is overworked and tired. It's very soul crushing. Give it a break. I'm sure someone will strew flowers at your feet at the next property. People at hotels want to provide great hospitality, but folks like you make it so hard.
Darcy Rose hit the nail on the head. “Points” guests can often demand the world yet do nothing to grow the business (e.g. spend real dollars).
You somehow missed the point that Marriott confirmed the "big fancy room" via SNAs, an earned benefit for being "loyal" to Marriott. SMH.
I too have experienced sub par treatment at a Marriott. Specifically it was the waterway Marriott in The Woodlands, Texas. As a Marriott rewards participant, I was mortified.
The first night of the visit we had dined in the hotel and consumed a nice bottle of wine during the meal. We then stepped outside to the garden area where a nice fire pit was available to enjoy. There was no bar service outside, and...
I too have experienced sub par treatment at a Marriott. Specifically it was the waterway Marriott in The Woodlands, Texas. As a Marriott rewards participant, I was mortified.
The first night of the visit we had dined in the hotel and consumed a nice bottle of wine during the meal. We then stepped outside to the garden area where a nice fire pit was available to enjoy. There was no bar service outside, and we brought bottled water to enjoy. Security then informed us we could not do that. When we responded that we were hotel guests, he got very nasty. Claimed we had to go inside and order/pay for water from the bar. He then pulled my arm to remove me from my seat ( I am 67). He stated we were no longer allowed to be in the outside seating area. We subsequently checked out A day early. The GM stated rules are rules when we did an early check out the next day.
It is forever confusing that you fail to ever involve Ford’s Marriott STARS/Luminous Global Sales contacts when you fight these battles with Marriott. They are the ones who can hold the properties’ feet to the flames. Having such high expectations for the Bonvoy side of Marriott Customer Service to fight these battles for you is only going to let you down.
I’m really not surprised at all that the hotel treated you this way. The...
It is forever confusing that you fail to ever involve Ford’s Marriott STARS/Luminous Global Sales contacts when you fight these battles with Marriott. They are the ones who can hold the properties’ feet to the flames. Having such high expectations for the Bonvoy side of Marriott Customer Service to fight these battles for you is only going to let you down.
I’m really not surprised at all that the hotel treated you this way. The industry has been decimated by the pandemic, especially in Europe, and you’re surprised they want BAR guests in the suites rather than getting pennies on the dollar from Marriott on redemptions? His response was callous, but realistic. He should never have treated you with such disdain, but his message is reflective of a hotel industry that has made little money over the last year and laid off tens of thousands of people.
I find suite night awards to be more of a disincentive to use Marriott than an incentive. Post Starwood, I always had SNAs that expired every year, and it made me feel screwed over. When I tried to use them they wouldn't go though even though suites showed as available for booking. Then there was a policy change when Marriott wouldn't let you use SNAs for prepay (i.e. the lowest cost) reservations but didn't publicize...
I find suite night awards to be more of a disincentive to use Marriott than an incentive. Post Starwood, I always had SNAs that expired every year, and it made me feel screwed over. When I tried to use them they wouldn't go though even though suites showed as available for booking. Then there was a policy change when Marriott wouldn't let you use SNAs for prepay (i.e. the lowest cost) reservations but didn't publicize it. When I finally decided to put an effort into redeeming them and trying to force it to work it just resulted in wasted time on the phone and more frustration.
I used to stay at Marriott enough that I had an ambassador and I'm lifetime titanium. But I don't even keep up with my Marriott points anymore. I'll book Marriott if I need late checkout, but otherwise I book based on cost and availability. It was probably inevitable but for anything longer than a day or two and I do vrbo or airbnb.
I haven't found a *brand* that I like more than Marriott, they're kind of all hit and miss. I have my favorite hotels, and many of them are old Starwood hotels that I became familiar with in the past. But increasingly I have my favorite vrbos/airbnbs.
Ben, I'm glad you pushed the issue. I don't like confrontation either, but I feel like when you do it you're doing it for all of us.
Hyatt is the new Starwood! Give it a shot, Globalist is great.
I hope your mom is ok! I feel bad for her for experiencing all this!
What happened to good old-fashioned customer service it's all about the money you get these young millennials running places and they must get bonuses on how much money they save Marriott should step up and do the right thing
I agree with some of the other posts, this is typical Marriott. Its very sad. I think my Titanium or Ambassador status only gets acknowledged a handful of times. I usually have to ASK for the breakfast. And forget upgrades. Suite Night awards usually get rejected. Even though the rooms seems to be available for booking. You shouldn't have to fight for your Loyalty Perks! I've had GMs completely blow me off before too, even...
I agree with some of the other posts, this is typical Marriott. Its very sad. I think my Titanium or Ambassador status only gets acknowledged a handful of times. I usually have to ASK for the breakfast. And forget upgrades. Suite Night awards usually get rejected. Even though the rooms seems to be available for booking. You shouldn't have to fight for your Loyalty Perks! I've had GMs completely blow me off before too, even after staying at the particular property long term. Its nuts
Trust me, Ambassador is treated the same. There is no acknowledgment or anything special. As a Lifetime Globalist though Hyatt bends over backwards. Unfortunately though Marriott has the footprint and as such I am forced to stay with them in a lot of markets. Marriott knows this and it's why they don't care.
With having had a similar experience with a Marriott Courtyard on the Wharf in San Francisco about 10 years back, this is why we switched to Hilton. If you travel often, it’s not worth being treated like this. Never had a bad experience yet with Hilton! Go diamond with Hilton, they know how to treat a guest!!!
This is typical with Marriott and especially Autograph Collection hotels. These hotels only want to be on Marriotts website for eyeballs and thats it. In my consulting days I'd learn the good properties with nice local staff and always go there.
I’ve been to that exact hotel in Mykonos and found the front office manager quite nice, however this was back in 2019. Never met the GM and the hotel is quite small. Honestly we would not stay at this hotel again. It was far from everything and just not great. We stayed a couple nights at the Santa Marina Resort and we were blown away! Absolutely beautiful and the location is great. Sorry to hear about your experience at the Aegon Mykonos Marriott. Sounds horrible.
I've had similar experiences in Spain. It's the European hospitality industry in a nutshell: You're expected to be thankful they agreed to take your money and not inconvenince them in any way.
This is the reason I have moved all my business whenever possible to Hilton. I continue to be amazed at how each manager and corporate go the extra mile to please me as a Diamond member. Make the change.
Marriott isnt the only problem these days. It is clear Avis, Hertz, United, various restaurants and many of other travel related organizations have lost it with their services and truly what they need to pay attention to. So is this the new normal? I really hope not.
It's called Profitably.
Wow, what a pile of entitled drivel.
Vague weasel statements of "no accountability" or "get defensive" don't jibe with the things that you yourself report that the manager said. Clearly I don't think that Marriott (because in my view this is down to Marriott's odious practices) didn't do a great job here, but you too seem unable to grasp the position of the hotel manager.
You obviously have spent so much time getting bribey...
Wow, what a pile of entitled drivel.
Vague weasel statements of "no accountability" or "get defensive" don't jibe with the things that you yourself report that the manager said. Clearly I don't think that Marriott (because in my view this is down to Marriott's odious practices) didn't do a great job here, but you too seem unable to grasp the position of the hotel manager.
You obviously have spent so much time getting bribey back-handers in the form of points that you think that some dude in Greece who's trying to run a commercial hotel operation should not only put you up for free, but he should upgrade you to one of the better rooms in his hotel for free and are ready to throw an online temper tantrum when you don't get everything you want. Unbelievable!
You know when I traveled through Kazakhstan it was obvious that the customs officials there thought that getting a bribe was reasonable too - that doesn't mean it was.
What would I do? Well I would go spend my time enjoying and learning about Mykonos not arguing with hotel mangers! Mykonos is a place of enormous history and beauty and you decided to squander your limited time there. There is life outside your hotel room.
After that if I had the self awareness to realize how entitled I was I might then pick two cities on the globe at least 3000 miles apart and try to travel over-land from one to another with no points and a budget of not more than US$ 25 per day. Travel can be broadening - and you seriously need some of that.
Totally disagree David. This is supposed to be a special trip that he used 4 of his 5 suite upgrades for. He picked the hotel specifically for the suites. The suites were confirmed. He's a titanium Marriott member which means he should be treated better than the majority of the people staying at the hotel whether or not it's on points. He has the choice to stay at any hotel in the world, but he...
Totally disagree David. This is supposed to be a special trip that he used 4 of his 5 suite upgrades for. He picked the hotel specifically for the suites. The suites were confirmed. He's a titanium Marriott member which means he should be treated better than the majority of the people staying at the hotel whether or not it's on points. He has the choice to stay at any hotel in the world, but he chose to stay 75 nights at Marriott. When I'm on a work trip, I honestly don't care, but if I'm on vacation, I expect to not have to deal with this level of incompetency.
Here's a surprise. I treat everyone as kindly, and with as much empathy as possible. However, it's always the titanium elite who have to make rude, snippy and demeaning comments. When I'm at work I prefer to not deal with this level of entitlement and yet that is my entire job. It's a tough realization but at the end of the day you business types are a commodity. And even the points you accumulated through...
Here's a surprise. I treat everyone as kindly, and with as much empathy as possible. However, it's always the titanium elite who have to make rude, snippy and demeaning comments. When I'm at work I prefer to not deal with this level of entitlement and yet that is my entire job. It's a tough realization but at the end of the day you business types are a commodity. And even the points you accumulated through your business expense account doesn't make it acceptable to act like a petty tyrant. Hotel staff aren't your servants.
I've been following your story, and I am blown away at how poorly every step has been treated! I do all of my business stays in Marriott properties, and do my best to never complain. Last night at a property in the Twin Cities, the lights in the kitchen and breakfast nook didn't work. The front desk team was new and didn't understand when I asked to be put in a different room because I...
I've been following your story, and I am blown away at how poorly every step has been treated! I do all of my business stays in Marriott properties, and do my best to never complain. Last night at a property in the Twin Cities, the lights in the kitchen and breakfast nook didn't work. The front desk team was new and didn't understand when I asked to be put in a different room because I didn't want to eat dinner in the dark. They sent someone to confirm the lights were out, and then the person who showed up to replace a bulb to get by for the night was actually the GM. I explained the whole story, and he instantly asked if I wanted a new room, and he'd comp me 20K points for the inconvenience; I didn't have to push anything. That's how you do it!
Well, it was probably a combo of professionalism and Minnesota Nice with the GM....
I’m not sure this is so much a Marriott issue as it is a Greek customer service issue. As a native Greek, I have many time experienced the utter disregard for customer service that Greeks tend to have. Usually, the hostile customer service attitude is reserved for fellow Greeks, but I can see that it can also be inflicted on foreign tourists as well. In any case, this experience comes as no surprise to me.
When confronted/challenged on an issue or problem, many Greeks will reply : PARAKATO...
What a dumpster fire of a hotel GM. Definitely put them on blast and report to Marriott.
I am not surprised! Autograph collections are boutique properties and can chose to deny Marriott rules and policies at any time they chose. One more thing is the customer service in general in Europe is definitely lacking overall. You can't compare it with the customer service in the US properties. It's just a cultural thing too...
My husband is a Titanium member with Marriott and stayed 280 nights in a Marriott in a year...
I am not surprised! Autograph collections are boutique properties and can chose to deny Marriott rules and policies at any time they chose. One more thing is the customer service in general in Europe is definitely lacking overall. You can't compare it with the customer service in the US properties. It's just a cultural thing too...
My husband is a Titanium member with Marriott and stayed 280 nights in a Marriott in a year (pre-pandemic). There was a property in Europe who kept saying you are staying for free.. when we used points. So I am absolutely not surprised!
I differ about your view customer service
It’s a matter of needs, expectations and taste
Most European customers would be puzzled in a restaurant when the waiter keeps asking ‘are you guys doing ok’, and horrified to hear ‘are you still working on your food’ from the busser in some great restaurant in L.A.
Also as many North Americans would be pissed for having bad wifi or no USB outlet in the room with the most stunning view of the grand canal.
Have you had any luck speaking with Marriott Corporate? I’d be curious for that info. Please continue to post on this issue, as it’s highly helpful to a business traveler like me who has choice (loving Hyatt lately!)
Had something similar happen but in a very different context at the Ritz Carlton Bali a couple years ago, on a paid stay. All 4 types of their suites including the lowest junior suite and highest "Ritz Carlton Pool Suite" were listed at the same rate so I took the RC Pool Suite for several nights and received my confirmation email with the selected suite type in it.
On check in the staff insisted...
Had something similar happen but in a very different context at the Ritz Carlton Bali a couple years ago, on a paid stay. All 4 types of their suites including the lowest junior suite and highest "Ritz Carlton Pool Suite" were listed at the same rate so I took the RC Pool Suite for several nights and received my confirmation email with the selected suite type in it.
On check in the staff insisted that I booked the lowest Junior Suite at the rate booked and acted as if I was lying even after showing my email proof. After over 2 hours of going back and forth with managers and lot of arguing they finally gave in and gave the suite I booked. I think other countries vary a lot in what is deemed appropriate customer service.
Never stay at marriot. Most of their property GM are arrogant and marriott keep them moving around to control bad review .
Thanks Lucky for sharing your experiences here whether they are small or large problems. I think for a destination hotel like this one it's important to share your experience for those are looking to maybe shell out a lot of money or points for an aspirational trip to somewhere like Mykonos. I know my wife and I have been interested in checking out Greece for some time, so this helps us know to stay away...
Thanks Lucky for sharing your experiences here whether they are small or large problems. I think for a destination hotel like this one it's important to share your experience for those are looking to maybe shell out a lot of money or points for an aspirational trip to somewhere like Mykonos. I know my wife and I have been interested in checking out Greece for some time, so this helps us know to stay away from this hotel! Have you tried any of the recent added SLH Hyatt hotels in Mykonos and Santorini?
Sorry you had to go through this, Lucky. But it makes for compelling reading.
This happened to me at the Holiday Inn Vanuatu. But their customer service handled it much smoother (albeit with some prodding). We had booked a night on points and then I emailed the GM about paying cash to upgrade to one of their overwater villas. It was all confirmed in advance. When we arrived we were checked in and assigned a room that at first appeared like an overwater, but it was actually more like...
This happened to me at the Holiday Inn Vanuatu. But their customer service handled it much smoother (albeit with some prodding). We had booked a night on points and then I emailed the GM about paying cash to upgrade to one of their overwater villas. It was all confirmed in advance. When we arrived we were checked in and assigned a room that at first appeared like an overwater, but it was actually more like waterside. (They have a few of these). I went back to the lobby and asked to be moved to an actual overwater room and showed her the email I had confirming it. She apologized and realized the mistake. And told me she had just given out the last one for the night (if I had caught this at check in we would’ve been good, but I hadn’t). She apologized again, asked if we would liked to be moved back to the main building in a regular room to which I said, “no. Everything is unpacked. The only way we’re moving is if it’s an upgrade not a downgrade. I would like a full refund of the cash portion.” She said she wouldn’t be able to do that, and I told her, “We’re both in agreement that this is not the room I paid for, yes?” “Yes.” “So then at a MINIMUM I think it’s fair to reimburse me the upgrade charge since you were not able to secure it - we’re only here for the night and were looking forward to it, so moving us to a smaller room would only be salt on the wound.” She agreed and reimbursed the cash rate. This was awhile ago and I don’t remember if she threw some points my way too or gave us food vouchers or something.
No defending the GM here, but I doubt the hotel is full enough for them to get reimbursed the full amount by Marriott for the award stay, so their cash compensation is likely way, way below the listed rate. They are trying to sell the suites for the listed rate to people they believe can pay (Americans).
Someone already posted a glowing, fake review right above Ben/Lucky's on TripAdvisor. It was initially posted using a Greek name, and then the person changed their TripAdvisor name to Ben S. Clearly fake, and likely property affiliated. I've reported it.
Ben, your comments are spot on. Same here when I try to make the best out of benefits, awards as hotel customer-i gave up, perks are slimming and don’t justify choosing a specific chain vs. personal preference (which i always value more, since European hotels still do tend have each distinctive features and individual charm, even when belonging to chains)
Let’s try and remind ourselves that an American award traveler is seen (rightfully?) as...
Ben, your comments are spot on. Same here when I try to make the best out of benefits, awards as hotel customer-i gave up, perks are slimming and don’t justify choosing a specific chain vs. personal preference (which i always value more, since European hotels still do tend have each distinctive features and individual charm, even when belonging to chains)
Let’s try and remind ourselves that an American award traveler is seen (rightfully?) as the least revenue generating party. Especially if such customer gets to (or claims right to) occupy the most premium suite this tends to annoy the hell out of the hotel manager. Also because that stereotypical customer (not talking about you, LoL) knows exactly what he wants, what he can get for free, and will fight (again, rightfully) to the last drop of the free water bottle and for the final breadcrumb of the free breakfast. I have witnessed endless (and pointless) fights in 6-star hotels by such stereotypical customers (with a wealth of their own, but sounding like beggars to the front desks) for what would sound as petty details to most onlookers. I still would side with the guest, but felt for the manager...
Add the underlying bias and stereotypes about Americans abroad (not entirely unjustified) and temper your surprise and shock. I suspect in this time when cash is king for certain industries, times are changing and that is not great news for the award traveller....
I’d agree with much of what you saying being the perspective of the hotel owner/manager. That said, being Marriott affiliated drives a lot of cash and points bookings their way in a crowded market like Mykonos.
Accepting points bookings - including lower reimbursement rates when not full - are as much part of the agreement as accepting high cash rates through the Marriott platform.
If they don’t like it, they have the option to end their contract and go independent.
Wow... thanks for sharing. I’m booked at this hotel for a 1 week stay in late June. Going to cancel today. This hotel should be removed from the program.
It’s a shame because I have had amazing suite upgrade experiences using SNA at high end properties.
It's very interesting. I feel at the high high end service in Europe is fantastic and at least as good as/even better than anything you'll find in the US in terms of attention to detail, knowledge, quality. But the middle to long tail of encounters are a million miles off. I think that's what you're experiencing here.
I recently stayed at the St.Regis Cairo as a Titanium last week....right in the middle of my breakfast, I had the assistant GM come up to me and tell me because I booked with points, they are taking away my free breakfast. Huh? Literally halfway through putting food in my mouth! I reemed out the GM for the lack of professionalism, interrupting my breakfast and treating me differently because I used points. At first, she...
I recently stayed at the St.Regis Cairo as a Titanium last week....right in the middle of my breakfast, I had the assistant GM come up to me and tell me because I booked with points, they are taking away my free breakfast. Huh? Literally halfway through putting food in my mouth! I reemed out the GM for the lack of professionalism, interrupting my breakfast and treating me differently because I used points. At first, she was defensive, and since it was a newer hotel didnt understand the program well....but because of blogs like this, I knew my rights as a Titanium and after she confirmed it, she apologized profusely.
She should be fired.
Another Marriott issue! I am starting to feel that way with Hilton! I’m Diamond and this year they barely acknowledge your status and now I’m off to Hyatt! Plus they give Mlife status which is useful for me since I’m from Vegas!
As Hilton Diamond I always am left begging for the most basics and my questions are met with the raising eyebrows, when not with the eye rolling. No point being off to any other program, they’re all the me in the long run, just choose what you like more.
It’s not all roses at Hyatt these days. Most of the full service hotels have figured out that comping someone 500 points is a lot cheaper than 2 breakfast, so I consider that a non benefit for Globalists.
Get a life. Any problems you encounter can generally be resolved by contacting Marriott Customer Service. If you're a member at any level you should know this. As a member myself I have experienced challenges in the past but once following up with the hotel management or customer service issues have been resolved either by way on points or other compensation.
Disagree. If the hotel is selling rooms for a compound that is currently closed, it's shady business. Very likely they've just reopened and don't fully understand how to manage their inventory on the Marriott system... it shouldn't be a guest issue.
The cliffhanger!! Can't wait for the next episode :D ! But more seriously, I'm sorry you had to go through this especially on a trip with your family. I agree with others that service in Greece isn't known to be the most stellar, but here it goes way beyond that and the hotel clearly played some dirty games.
What a tragedy. Marriott Hotels needs to get this right. They have grown too big for their own good.
In the broader picture and specifically to Greece, Mykonos as well as other Greek islands such as Santorini, Rhodes, Corfu, etc. have devolved into mass tourism destinations. Yeah, probably unique until 15-20 years ago, but good luck finding a native Greek who will spend anytime on these islands. On a Seabourn cruise 2 years ago, didn't get off the ship during stops in Mykonos & Santorini as they're over done, over rated and overpriced for...
In the broader picture and specifically to Greece, Mykonos as well as other Greek islands such as Santorini, Rhodes, Corfu, etc. have devolved into mass tourism destinations. Yeah, probably unique until 15-20 years ago, but good luck finding a native Greek who will spend anytime on these islands. On a Seabourn cruise 2 years ago, didn't get off the ship during stops in Mykonos & Santorini as they're over done, over rated and overpriced for what you get.
Several other islands, (less known), in the Aegean and Ionian seas are much better alternatives and sparsely visited by assorted Eurotrash, British budgeteers, Russian hoards and starry-eyed Americans.
BTW, if you do go to Greece: mid April to late May and 2nd week of September thru mid October.
We know you are trying to enjoy a holiday with your family so I'm sorry it's going this way.
At the same time I've got my popcorn ready and very much enjoying ever minute of this.
Stunned by the manager's response. Hadn't expected this at all.
That said, please hurry up with the 2nd part. This is like a two-part Season Finale of LOST and the cliffhanger is killing me.
Bonvoy’d!
You know that people are actually dying this very second in the world due to COVID 19 and that it is certainly not over- did that not teach you anything ?
O go away bro
Lucky, we should have an unhelpful marker on comments. This adds nothing to the conversation. Its a luxury focused travel blog. If you want 100% of everything you do to be based on COVID, go watch CNN!
It sure does suck when Prospero's luxury bubble gets burst by pesky global issues.
hey josh,
did you see 'bird box'?
It's Greece! Not exactly known for their can-do attitude and amazing customer service.
A common reply by Greeks when confronted with an issue or problem they can't resolve or address, is : PARAKATO.
Loosely translated : next, move on, what else.
You have to remember, to the hotel you are staying free. They get paid a lot less for your nights. And there is a good chance that you will spend zero or much mess on food. Now that you are unhappy about the suites, that is even more certain.
Yes we are treated as well of a guest than paying customers, we are a lower revenue stream.
And just like you believe that you got...
You have to remember, to the hotel you are staying free. They get paid a lot less for your nights. And there is a good chance that you will spend zero or much mess on food. Now that you are unhappy about the suites, that is even more certain.
Yes we are treated as well of a guest than paying customers, we are a lower revenue stream.
And just like you believe that you got your points for all your other paid stays. The hotel is in the same boat, it has to give up cheap rooms to be part of the program.
While not getting your suite sucks, it seems that you sealed that gate already by asking the gm to meet you.
Your approach is ‘this is mine, give it or pay me’.
I have always taken a more humble approach and hence have stayed in penthouse suites without any upgrade certificates and have kept multiple GMs, including ones on the Greek isles as people I can reach out to in my future travels, even at other hotels where their friends are the gm.
Sorry Mike, your contribution was definitely not helpful.
It would be nice if the new commenting system incorporated a NotHelpful link (down voting as well as upvoting).
Actually, Mike is spot on correct. How many comments here about “liable, move your business elsewhere” , etc. spend significant revenue during their free stays?
He's actually totally right my dude.
Ben, ask Ford to contact his national rep for the Luminous tier of Marriott Luxury Brands.
I totally agree with you — this interaction with the General Manager doesn't even approach a poor level of customer service. It shouldn't have mattered whether Marriott corporate or the local hotel "owned" the problem. As a GM, he should have resolved your problem, then taken it up with Marriott, keeping you as a guest entirely insulated from management-level...
Ben, ask Ford to contact his national rep for the Luminous tier of Marriott Luxury Brands.
I totally agree with you — this interaction with the General Manager doesn't even approach a poor level of customer service. It shouldn't have mattered whether Marriott corporate or the local hotel "owned" the problem. As a GM, he should have resolved your problem, then taken it up with Marriott, keeping you as a guest entirely insulated from management-level frustrations.
And, no, it was not a "complimentary" stay. You paid for it with points that you earned through Marriott stays.
This is Greece for you. It’s standard no f’s given customer service everywhere. They don’t view customer service as Americans do. Most times these hotels are locally owned and partner with Marriott. They don’t like Marriotts rules though. We had the same issue in Greece (not Marriott property) and were denied a room altogether once. Probably because we weren’t white as others checking in had no issue. If we hadnt used a Greek travel agent...
This is Greece for you. It’s standard no f’s given customer service everywhere. They don’t view customer service as Americans do. Most times these hotels are locally owned and partner with Marriott. They don’t like Marriotts rules though. We had the same issue in Greece (not Marriott property) and were denied a room altogether once. Probably because we weren’t white as others checking in had no issue. If we hadnt used a Greek travel agent that threatened to remove that property from her recommended list, we would have nowhere to stay as it was peak season on the island.
Ben - I think you found out what being a Norma guy feels like. I think all too often you are spoiled with them knowing who you are at many places. This is par for the course for most people with Marriott.
They knew who he was here and treated him worse for it.
Looks like you got Bonvoyed
Have you reached out to the titanium desk? I’m shocked they wouldn’t do more. With Hilton the other day, they said I couldn’t use my weekend certificate at a property... I said it’s standard award room and I’ve never had this problem. I asked to be transferred to the diamond desk. They booked it immediately and gave me 5k points. Literally didn’t ask for anything and it was maybe a 3 minute inconvenience. I know...
Have you reached out to the titanium desk? I’m shocked they wouldn’t do more. With Hilton the other day, they said I couldn’t use my weekend certificate at a property... I said it’s standard award room and I’ve never had this problem. I asked to be transferred to the diamond desk. They booked it immediately and gave me 5k points. Literally didn’t ask for anything and it was maybe a 3 minute inconvenience. I know 5k points aren’t worth much but just the fact they were so proactive was impressive. I’m so over Marriott at this point (former titanium member). Hilton treats diamonds better and people get it just for having a credit card.
Interesting. I thought our new usernames were going to be unique in this chat forum. Apparently not!
Andrew...this is Marriott. They really DGAF.
Pretty simple solution, transfer all your points to airlines, stop peddling Marriott credit cards... don’t do business with companies who try to screw you.
So, what happened later that evening?
Check the Tripadvisor review...
Ben's TA review has been superseded by a likely fake review coincidentally on the same day by a "Ben.S" with 3 contributions who says they stayed with points and had a terrific time in the junior suite!
...and that Ben S review was earlier posted with a Greek username, which the poster just changed.
I’ve reported it to TripAdvisor as likely property-affiliated or otherwise fake, and suggest you do the same.
Posted with a Greek username and their real name was preserved on the earlier two reviews.
This is the problem with award travel in general. You are treated by providers like you are getting something for free and are therefore a second class guest, passenger, etc. You would think they would put two and two together and realize that travelers using points are in fact the most frequent travelers of all
Travels using points they got from their employer footing their business travel expense account;)
I agree with KT. This is borderline libel. The customer service experience you went through sounds terrible but there was no threat to safety described in your post. You should not accuse them of this without providing any context at all.
I am a regional Director of Sales for Marriott and would love love love to speak to you on this whole debacle! And yes I have zero shame in doing so. All they are doing and told you is BULLSHIT!
Haha
Pls contact me
Yes, I also don't understand the safety issue. More than lack of service I just have read a conversation where the GM just talked of cliches and the customer was an annoying marriot procedure & process consultant. I think the GM stood the conversation for quite a long time....
How rude. This sounds like such a poorly run horrible hotel where they don't care about customers. Thanks Ben for the heads up I will never stay here and tell others I know to stay away!
You want to "record him squirming"?
I think you might be a customer that deserves to be downgraded, plus punch in the face to boot.
One thing is bad service, another is to claim to fear for your safety as you claim.
And while you may have been unsafe, it’s also in bad taste to make these claims without giving the full story immediately to back up these claims.
(In the same article making your claim — not a cliffhanger for clicks.)
These guys obviously don’t deserve a customer service award but a “prominent blogger fears for his safety” kind of article could very well be career ending (or getting fired) for someone.
Justified? Perhaps. But the whole story should be given, immediately.
He was literally shaking
Have you reached Bonvoy at all and explained the matter? The vast majority of cases I had to use them led me to very positive results after a few days, try that!
If there's one thing Marriott is CONSISTENT at, it's hit-or-miss customer service. Leaning heavily towards the miss.
This is better than a Game of Thrones episodes. Go Lucky!!!! I'm dying to read what happened that evening.
You are experiencing typical Marriott, they see their hotels as the client not the guests that stay in them.
This hotels (and GM's) know they can get away with doing nothing as Marriott will not hold them to account. Obviously good GM's still run great hotels, but where a hotel doesn't care Marriott allows them to get away with basically screwing the guests.
Raise a complaint with Marriott corporate, they will send the complaint...
You are experiencing typical Marriott, they see their hotels as the client not the guests that stay in them.
This hotels (and GM's) know they can get away with doing nothing as Marriott will not hold them to account. Obviously good GM's still run great hotels, but where a hotel doesn't care Marriott allows them to get away with basically screwing the guests.
Raise a complaint with Marriott corporate, they will send the complaint to the hotel, the GM will say they spoke to you, made an offer of compensation and you refused and left. Marriott will then close the case, if your lucky the Marriott CS will take pity on you and issue you a few points depending on their ceiling limit on points issuing. Oh and if your really really lucky you will get your SNA's back, but only if they can figure out how to do it!
I stay a lot with Marriott but only at properties I know have great management, otherwise I know actively avoid, used to stay best part of 200 nights with Starwood, its been falling off a cliff edge ever since Marriott took over.
Gary Leff is pretty much the only blogger who seems to understand that Marriott's real customer is the franchisee (and to a lesser extent, the third-party management companies that typically operate a franchisee's property), not the guests. Rather, guests are the product Marriott sells to franchisees. Outside of the small minority of properties directly managed by Marriott, Marriott International is not a hotel company anymore. It is a booking platform and marketing company for hotels.
Gary Leff is pretty much the only blogger who seems to understand that Marriott's real customer is the franchisee (and to a lesser extent, the third-party management companies that typically operate a franchisee's property), not the guests. Rather, guests are the product Marriott sells to franchisees. Outside of the small minority of properties directly managed by Marriott, Marriott International is not a hotel company anymore. It is a booking platform and marketing company for hotels.
FYI. The compensation for being downgraded from the category of room you booked, which you had confirmed with the suite certificate, is "comparable accommodation" at another hotel, $200 cash and 90,000 points per 4.3.a(iii) of the Bonvoy terms and conditions.
Ben should present this info to the GM and record him squirming.
Different cultures, different definitions of customer service. Sounds like they took one training class from Marriott corporate on we will make it right, but don't really understand what that means.
This is the problem. The vast majority of all Marriott hotels across all Marriott brands are NOT managed (let alone owned!) by Marriott. Most properties are managed by either the franchisee or a third-party management company retained by the franchisee. As a result, it's impossible to ensure quality and consistency, especially at limited-service hotels in North America. While this is clearly a bad property -- I suspect Marriott looks the other way because it is...
This is the problem. The vast majority of all Marriott hotels across all Marriott brands are NOT managed (let alone owned!) by Marriott. Most properties are managed by either the franchisee or a third-party management company retained by the franchisee. As a result, it's impossible to ensure quality and consistency, especially at limited-service hotels in North America. While this is clearly a bad property -- I suspect Marriott looks the other way because it is desperate to have a property in this market -- the minority of properties directly managed by Marriott are typically much, much better. In my experience, some of the worst properties outside the United States tend to be beach resort markets Mexico or other countries where Marriott was desperate to plant its flag and partnered with existing local hotels or operators, who don't care about Marriott. A good example is the JW Marriott in Los Cabos or the YTL hotels in parts of Southeast Asia.
FNT - Exact same situation at Hilton. Hyatt manages more of their properties but are seeing an increase in third party management too. Almost all collection brand hotels (like the Autograph here) are managed independently.
I agree. I work at a Westin in South Jersey and it is franchised. But even then we are up to par with our service or atleast try to be. How this GM responded wasnt the best. We try to give all of our Platinums, Titaniums, and Ambassadors the utmost best service possible. In fact any Member at that...Im sorry you had such a lousy experience :(
Agreed this isnt Marriott's problem its the european culture, they dont value customer service or hard-work like we do in the states. Im sorry but i feel like this is just to be expected in most if not all european countries these days. This would have happened with this manager and staff regardless of which chain this hotel was operating under.
Stay in the states then pal. Good for you, good for us :)
"Good for us"? Ok, sure.
What a bullshit comment. It is a different mentality here, I agree. But it is less with honoring your hard work and more with ones own responsibilities. In Europe the principle is clear that also a customer as a basic responsibility, thats for example why we don‘t need to write that a coffee is hot on a cup or warn you that there might be stones in an olive. And thats the same in hospitality...
What a bullshit comment. It is a different mentality here, I agree. But it is less with honoring your hard work and more with ones own responsibilities. In Europe the principle is clear that also a customer as a basic responsibility, thats for example why we don‘t need to write that a coffee is hot on a cup or warn you that there might be stones in an olive. And thats the same in hospitality the bar is simply a bit higher on were the hotels responsibilities start. Thats why you only get a simple apology sometimes.
All aside this situation would habe been better handled in anyEuropean Hotel for sure. And as I travel primarily in Europe with Marriott and had a lot of issues.
Disgusting take my dude. Maybe the problem lies with you and your expectations. Hotel staff are NOT your servants.
this seems really unfair to paint with such a broad brushstroke 'european' service. really, I couldn't disagree more. however, in Greece in general and Mykonos in particular, your attitude is justified in a market that needs to make all of it's income in a bit over four months.
with that said, a trip to Santorini or Mykonos after the eighties or early nineties is chasing a long ago lost dream. it has only been...
this seems really unfair to paint with such a broad brushstroke 'european' service. really, I couldn't disagree more. however, in Greece in general and Mykonos in particular, your attitude is justified in a market that needs to make all of it's income in a bit over four months.
with that said, a trip to Santorini or Mykonos after the eighties or early nineties is chasing a long ago lost dream. it has only been a place for the rubes and unimaginative for decades.
further, going to the cyclades at cap ferrat prices just proves the old adage about one born every minute.
anyhoo...
There is a reason why I avoid Marriott and Bonvoy like the the plague.