Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.

Review: The Westin Peachtree Plaza does not deserve to be branded a Westin hotel. Wakeilo Towns does not deserve to be an employee of a reputable, national hotel chain.Wakeilo is the most condescending and disrespectful concierge I have ever worked with. He fails to understand the premises behind customer service. He blatantly ignores guests' requests and fails to respond to phone calls. He has an uncaring and unhelpful attitude that poses as a barrier to guest satisfaction. He seems bothered to help a guest, when in fact this is his job.Upon contact with the hotel's local management, [redacted] Executive Assistant to the General Manager & Hotel Manager, was of little help to resolve this complaint. [redacted] merely asked for more details, without a sincere apology to the guest. [redacted], Director of Front Office, was also unable to resolve this complaint to the guest's satisfaction. When the guest contacted [redacted] from the Consumer Affairs, Executive Division of Starwood Hotels & Resorts, she was also unable to resolve this complaint to the guest's satisfaction: "Without the additional information we will be unable to move forward." What does this statement mean? It means that the managers do not care about this complaint. Although this complaint was also copied and sent to [redacted] General Manager, and [redacted] Hotel Manager, these two senior managers failed to even follow- up or bother to respond to this guest complaint. This shows how little the Westin Peachtree Plaza Hotel is concerned about this complaint against one of their employees.

Desired Settlement: DesiredSettlementID: Other (requires explanation)

Significant compensation by way of Starpoints or free night certificates that are good for 3 free nights at ANY Starwood Property worldwide, with no expiration date and no limit on which hotel I choose and no limitations on the hotel category.

Business

Response:

Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2013/05/09) */

Contact Name and Title: [redacted]

Contact Phone: XXX-XXX-XXXX

Contact Email: [redacted]@StarwoodHotels.com

Dear Mr. [redacted] and to whom it may concern,

As per our communications by email I am sorry that you are disappointed with our response however without additional specific information we must respectfully decline your request for goodwill or consideration in this matter.

Please refer to my communcation which was shared and your responses to our requests as follows:

Original Message Follows: ------------------------

Hi All,

Although I have no more information to provide, I am waiting for your response.

Sincerely,

________________________________________

From: [redacted]@hotmail.com

To: [redacted]@starwoodhotels.com; [redacted]@westin.com; [redacted]@westin.com

CC: [redacted]@westin.com; [redacted]@westin.com; [redacted]@starwoodhotels.com; [redacted]@starwoodhotels.com; [redacted]@cbsatlanta.com

Subject: RE: Your concerns /REDACT3131[redacted]@StarwoodHotels.com3134REDACT

Date: Sun, 5 May 2013 18:33:XX -XXXX

Hi All,

I know that you are trying to ask for additional information. But what benefits are there for me to supply you with the extra information? I have basically stated all of the information that is pertinent to this concern in previous email correspondences.

To facilitate the resolution to this complaint, I have filed a formal complaint against the Westin Peachtree Plaza Hotel with the Revdex.com. The lack of concern about this complaint is ridiculous.

Please "reply to all" for any future correspondences.

Sincerely,

________________________________________

Subject: RE: Your concerns /REDACT3131[redacted]@StarwoodHotels.com3134REDACT

Date: Sun, 5 May 2013 14:24:XX -XXXX

From: [redacted]@starwoodhotels.com

To: [redacted]@hotmail.com

CC: [redacted]@westin.com

Dear Mr. [redacted],

Thank you for your communication. I know you have also been so kind as to share with [redacted], whom I have copied here for your convenience. Please do consider us your main points of contact.

I am sorry if my apology below did not feel sincere in any way. We really need to gain your help to be able to share more and help us find the right answers. In terms of resolution we would need to get further information from you; we are really very sorry that you have obviously had a difficult experience and really do thank you for bringing it to our attention. Without guests like you it is very difficult to understand a guest experience, so that we can help we would need to know specifics with respect to when you interacted with Wakeilo. Can you please let us know as much specific information as possible? We would need stay dates and which guestroom you stayed in (we have internal tracking mechanisms within our systems) Did you bring your concerns to the attention of any of the management at the time they occurred? We hope to be able to pull information from many sources but need much information before we could take any action with Wakeilo or yourself.

Once we have been able to do our research we will determine internally what actions would be taken with Wakeilo; as I'm sure you can appreciate we cannot take direct action until we have the details; it would be very unfair of us to take only one side of a situation and not look at it holistically. We believe in doing the right thing by both our guests but also by our employees and cannot accuse him of such neglect of our guests without further details.

Mr. [redacted], please do share further information with us or extend a phone number where you may be reached and we will reach out to you. Without the additional information we will be unable to move forward.

Warm regards and wishes for a wonderful rest of weekend!

Jess

CONSUMER AFFAIRS, EXECUTIVE DIVISION

T XXX-XXX-XXXX

STARWOOD PREFERRED GUEST EXECUTIVE OFFICE

T XXX-XXX-XXXX

FAX XXX-XXX-XXXX

From: [redacted] mailto:[redacted]@hotmail.com

Sent: 03 May 2013 20:54

To: WP, Consumer Affairs

Subject: RE: Your concerns

Hello Jessica:

The reservation was under a different name. Thus far, I have not heard a formal apology nor heard any measures on how to resolve this issue.

Wakeilo Towns was more than disrespectful to me: he was blatantly rude, unfriendly, and unhelpful. Simple requests and questions turned into agonizing and painful interactions. All of my interactions were negative. He is not responsible. and he fails to promptly follow- up with a guest. He also is very lazy and does not want to bother to answer a guest's question, comply with a guest's request, or do some research (that he SHOULD know). How difficult is it to provide MARTA directions? How hard is it to tell me when a museum is open? It is not difficult nor out of the ordinary for me to ask for a restaurant suggestion. Wakeilo does not exhibit the vast knowledge of Atlanta that one would expect of a concierge. He does not even bother to build rapport with the guest and does not seem to care or even bother if a guest is at all happy with his services. I doubt that customer service or guest satisfaction is a word that is even in his dictionary.

I am utterly upset and angry with his demeanor and very disappointed that Westin will hire and retain such an incompetent, irresponsible, lazy, unhelpful, rude, and disrespectful employee, allowing him to sit at the concierge desk in the lobby of a huge hotel (where guests can see and interact with him day in and out). I personally do not find my disappointment with him the least surprising. I have seen similar experiences and challenges of poor employee interactions (not necessarily concierge, but sometimes managerial staff, telephone operators, front desk staff, restaurant staff, etc) throughout other Westin and Starwood hotels. Speaking of which, the Westin in DC needs some help to avoid being on the "never stay" list.

This is supposed to be the hospitality industry for crying out loud! Yet, why are some hotel employees so disrespectful and rude to hotel guests who are paying to stay here? As a guest, I can easily promise myself NEVER to choose to stay at the Westin Peachtree Plaza again in my life and instead go to many wonderful hotels throughout Atlanta that offer far better service! What is so unique about the Westin that I **have** to stay here? I can just as easily avoid Starwood Hotels & Resorts all together and go to Omni at CNN Center, Grand Hyatt Buckhead, Intercontinental Buckhead, Four Seasons Atlanta, etc... just to name a few... it just makes me wonder! Uhmm... the Hyatt Regency Suites in Marietta looks kind of appealing! I don't **have** to stay downtown. I would much rather travel downtown and stay in the suburbs if I can have a better hotel experience and not have to put up with someone like Wakeilo Towns! Life would be so much happier. Why spoil an otherwise amazing visit to Atlanta? For the record, the Westin Peachtree Plaza will be XXXXXx better without Wakeilo. Why keep him on staff? By the way, he shouldn't go to another hotel either-- to avoid that hotel being added to the "never stay" list also.

Sincerely,

________________________________________

Subject: Your concerns

Date: Fri, 3 May 2013 13:43:XX -XXXX

From: [redacted]@starwoodhotels.com

To: [redacted]@hotmail.com

Dear Mr. [redacted],

Thank you for reaching out to our senior leadership team about your experience. Please accept our apologies for the situation you describe in your email.

We would very much like to research the information you have so kindly provided; if there is a telephone number which I might reach you on or other information you might be able to give we would be most thankful. We were unable to locate a reservation under your name and perhaps you could share if there was one created under a different name.

Once again, Mr. [redacted], thank you for your time and we look forward to hearing back from you at your earliest convenience.

Warm regards,

Jess

CONSUMER AFFAIRS, EXECUTIVE DIVISION

T XXX-XXX-XXXX

STARWOOD PREFERRED GUEST EXECUTIVE OFFICE

T XXX-XXX-XXXX

FAX XXX-XXX-XXXX

STARWOOD HOTELS & RESORTS

ONE STARPOINT

STAMFORD, CT XXXXX

2013XXXXXXXX

Consumer Response /* (3000, 7, 2013/05/14) */

(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT ACCEPT the response from the business.)

I do not accept the company's response. However, I do not want to continue pursuing this Revdex.com complaint.

Review: I was on a business trip for my employer, [redacted] as a customer of the [redacted] from April 7th, 2015 through April 10th 2015. When I arrived at the hotel, I provided the clerk a copy of the State Colleges Tax Exempt form for their records. When [redacted] received the billing information, the [redacted] charged State Sales Tax on the college’s corporate credit card. When I contacted the hotel to have the charges reversed, the hotel refused. The college has insisted that I pay the state taxes in the amount of $60.54Desired Settlement: Refund of the state tax fees which should not have been charged based on the documentation that I provided at the time of check-in.

Business

Response:

Dear Mr. [redacted],

Review: I stayed at this hotel in August and went to the restaurant connected, [redacted]. At the restaurant we paid for our meal with cash and used a coupon we received from the hotel which had our room # on it. Like all restaurants, you do not receive a receipt or "proof of payment" when you pay cash. So obviously the waitress pocketed our money and then submitted a claim to the hotel, which the hotel billed my credit card for! The hotel chooses to take the restaurants word over mine and refuses to reimburse me because the restaurants books balanced that day. Well of course they did, but if I had paid for my meal with a debit or credit card, the waitress wouldn't have pocketed the money because there would have been a paper trail. I have contacted the [redacted] at least 6 times over this matter and got as far as the general manager who still refuses to help.Desired Settlement: I would like my credit card refunded! [redacted] is the General Manager at the hotel. His phone number is [redacted] Thank you!

Business

Response:

Dear [redacted],

Review: Recently I noticed over 20,000 points missing from my SPG account. The only activity was about 2,000 points for a stay in March of 2015. When I contacted SPG representatives via chat & email, they informed me that I had let the account expire and they closed it due to inactivity. However, they must have reopened the account without notification to me upon check-in, email or writing. I was never informed the account was closed and reopened. It is my understanding that Starwood changed the rules of the program and reduced the amount of time required for qualifying activity to keep the account from 18 months to 12 months (and for some members they offer a 6 month grace period). My last stay was slightly less than 18 months apart, so I was caught in the trap as the rules changed over time. set with the rule changes. My concern is that Starwood does not make such important expiration terms known in their advertising or marketing as do many of the other programs (making the rules clear). For example, I could not find it in the Frequently Asked Questions section of the SPG program online or in any of the marketing materials. "As a courtesy", they offered to return 1/2 my points. It kind of felt like being mugged and getting money back at the same time. Other programs are not "sneaky" like this and even send out notices that points will expire and under what terms.Desired Settlement: I am simply asking Starwood for all the points to be returned as I want to remain a loyal customer. Otherwise, I will no longer be able to recommend Starwood to family, friends or want to stay there for meetings as I would not want others to have the same experience.

Business

Response:

From: SPG Executive Office, 00AUS Sent: 26 June 2015 16:00To: [redacted] Subject: Your Starwood Preferred Guest account

Review: From: [redacted].net (mailto:[redacted].net)

Sent: Sunday, January 05, 2014 10:33 AM

To: Revdex.com Info; [email protected]

Cc: [redacted].com

Subject: Business Complaint

Please find included and attached information related to a business complaint. For the past few weeks, we've repeatedly tried to submit this information through the Revdex.com on-line complaint processing system. However, it has either been not functioning and/or crashes when we attempt final submission.

The business is...

Revdex.com of Central Florida, Inc.

1600 S. Grant St.

Longwood, FL 32750

###-###-####

Our complaint is as follows...

We stayed at the Hilton Grand Vacations lodge in Park City, Utah, in conjunction with a sales promotion. As part of the promotion, we were promised, and received, a certificate for a one-night stay, up to $200 in value, at a Hilton hotel.

Subsequent to attending the promotion, we made a reservation, via the Hilton reservations website, at a Hilton hotel in Missouri, and paid $191.98 for a one-night stay at the Hilton Garden Inn - Springfield. Following the directions on the certificate, we mailed it and a copy of our receipt for reimbursement processing. In response, we received a postcard rejecting reimbursement. The postcard contained little in the way of explanation, noting simply that "This offer is valid for one night stay at the Hilton Hotel only."

We are unclear as to the basis of the rejection of our claim. However, the wording of the postcard and internet research of timeshare scams suggests that it is based in chicanery associated with the use of the word "Hotel" vs. "hotel". We were very specifically and repeatedly told, at the promotion and in our scheduling of our attendance at it, that we would simply receive a one-night stay at any Hilton hotel.

Our desired resolution is...

We would like to received the promised reimbursement for our documented one-night stay at a Hilton hotel.

Documentation is attached. Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Sheila Stanley

[redacted] CO 80220

###-###-####Desired Settlement: Unspecified

Business

Response:

To whom it may concern:

It is regrettable to learn of difficulties with any promotion at Hilton Hotels. Hilton Hotels are not part of or affiliated with Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide in any way, and as such, we are regrettably unable to review or address this matter.

Thank you for your patience and understanding, and hope that you stay with us for a more positive experience in the near future.

Best Regards,

Review: I BOOK A RESERVATION THROUGH BOOKING.COM AND DECIDED TO CANCEL THE RESERVATION BECAUSE OF PERSONAL REASONS WITH MY WIFE FOR THE 4TH OF JAN.I BOOKED ON THE 27TH OF DECEMBER AND CANCEL ON THE 31ST. IT STATED IN THERE POLICY THAT AS LONG AS I CANCEL ON 3RD AT NOON I WOULD BE REFUNDED MY WHOLE AMOUNT. I HAVE BEEN CALLING ALL MORNING AND SPOKE TO THREE DIFFERENT CLERKS AND THEY ALL SAID THAT THE MANAGER WAS OUT OF THE OFFICE. I FINALLY LEFT A MESSAGE ON HIS LINE AND HIS NAME IS STEVEN KELLY AND HE CALLED ME BACK AND LEFT A MESSAGE SAYING THEY CAN'T REFUND MY MONEY REALLY. I FEEL VIOLATED AND TAKEN ADVANTAGE I CAN HERE THE STAFF ON THE PHONE IN THE BACKROUND MAKING A MOCKERY AND FUN OF ME SAYING IM NOT GETTING NO REFUND THEY WHERE VERY UNPROFESSIONAL I JUST WANT MY MONEY REFUNDED BACK ON MY CARD.Desired Settlement: I WANT A CALL BACK SAYING MY MONEY WAS REFUNDED BACK ON MY CARD AND APOLOGY.

Business

Response:

From: Davie, Jeremy On Behalf Of WP, Consumer Affairs

Sent: Tuesday, January 07, 2014 11:44 AM

To: '[redacted]otmail.com'

Cc: 'l[redacted]com'; '[redacted]com'; [redacted].com'

Subject: Your connection with the Revdex.com

Review: I am the current owner of Dance League LLC. We are involved in a contract with the Westin Lombard. We negotiated a rate and date for our company to use their ballrooms and a contract was sent to us to sign by Westin Lombard. Westin reneged 2 week later after we had advertised and started selling tickets to our event. No notice was given. No phone call was made only a very short email the day after labor day. Our attempts to contact anyone at the hotel has gone unanswered. It shocks us the degree of unprofessionalism that has been displayed. Not even the manager of the hotel has contacted us. This event could cost us 100K plus in lost revenue. It is of great importance to us to rectify the situation.Desired Settlement: DesiredSettlementID: Other (requires explanation)

We are very much interested in having our event at the contracted time and place. We have signed our contract and are willing to keep our end up. We would like to see that Westin Lombard keep their contractual obligation.

Business

Response:

Contact Name and Title: Zachary Austin

Contact Phone: ###-###-####

Contact Email: [redacted]@starwoodhotels.com

The hotel is aware of the challenges with this contract, and have been working directly with [redacted] who has been organizing this event on behalf of this group.

To clarify, the Westin Lombard has not reneged on any contract with respect to this event; it has been confirmed that an error was made on the part of [redacted]s company, who was to submit a revised and signed contract to the hotel, which never happened. As a result, the hotel did contract with another company for the space, as they had not heard from [redacted] and did not receive a copy of any signed contract. In turn, [redacted] did leave on vacation and assumed everything was set for the contract, and the company continued to pursue advertising on the event without having verified this information with the hotel.

Regardless of the above, the hotel has been working with [redacted] and her company to find alternative arrangements, and will continue to try and do so. However, it is not possible to require that another group cancel or modify their contract when they have provided the necessary and correct information to hold their event.

Thank you for your understanding, and we would suggest that you follow up further with the company responsible for making arrangements with the hotel to better understand the actions they have taken and services they have offered, who can in turn communicate with the Westin to try and find a solution that works.

Consumer

Response:

Review: 9718424

I am rejecting this response because:

Review: While staying at the Westin hotel at Peachtree Plaza, I experienced terrible customer service. We were staying there for a business trip and after only an hour of checking in two iPads were stolen out of our room while we were out to dinner. The security staff accused us to lying to them and offered us no help. We filed a police report and were told by the officer that helped us that he was just there to discuss an other incident like this with an other hotel guest. No one from the hotel ever contacted us even though we were assured on a number of occasions that a manager would. After seeing the security report, we found out that someone entered our room 5 times while we were gone that evening. There were at least 4 other thefts that we know about, all during the duration of our trip. We were ridiculed by the hotel staff and treated horrifically. There still has not been any communication with us. I hope that this will be looked into, because I felt my privacy was violated.

Product_Or_Service: Hotel room

Account_Number: XXXXXXXXX

Desired Settlement: DesiredSettlementID: Refund

My roommate and I would like for our iPads to be replaced by the hotel and for our room fee to be refunded. I have never experienced anything like this in my life. It is beyond reproach.

Business

Response:

Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2013/08/20) */

Contact Name and Title: [redacted] Begley

Contact Phone: XXX-XXX-XXXX

Contact Email: [redacted]@starwoodhotels.com

Dear Ms. [redacted],

Thank you for taking the time to connect with the Consumer Affairs, Executive Division for Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. On behalf of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, please accept our apology for your recent experience with The Westin Peachtree Plaza, Atlanta.

I was sorry to read of your missing iPads, I can appreciate your frustration that this happened while traveling. In reviewing the customer service file, [redacted]f opened regarding this alleged theft, it has been noted that [redacted] Director of Security, at The Westin Peachtree Plaza, Atlanta has connected with you both. Our notes show that Graham has offered himself as a contact at the hotel and also gave you their insurance information, including contact information, claim number and process that must be followed. If you have further concerns, we, respectfully, invite you to connect with[redacted] as he as offered himself as your contact.

We are very sorry this incident has marred your stay and view of The Westin Peachtree Plaza, Atlanta and that they stay wasn't one of renewal for you and [redacted]f. We are aware that your opinion of our service has been affected by the handling of your concerns and can only hope that in time, you may reconsider your position and choose to stay with us again.

Ms. [redacted], we appreciate you taking the time to share your experience with us. Your comments and patronage are invaluable in helping us identify opportunities for improvement. Input like yours is helping us shape the ideal customer service experience for the future.

Best Regards,

[redacted] Begley

CONSUMER AFFAIRS, EXECUTIVE DIVISION

T XXX-XXX-XXXX F XXX-XXX-XXXX

STARWOOD PREFERRED GUEST EXECUTIVE OFFICE

T XXX-XXX-XXXX

FAX XXX-XXX-XXXX

STARWOOD HOTELS & RESORTS

ONE STARPOINT

STAMFORD, CONNECTICUT XXXXX

Consumer Response /* (3000, 7, 2013/08/22) */

(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT ACCEPT the response from the business.)

We have dealt with the insurance company mentioned and nothing has happened. The agent does not contact us back and our settlement has gone no where. We feel as though we are just being placated by the idea of the isurance company solving our issue. As far as Graham being our contact, he never spoke to us after we sought him out. For all we know he never read our report. He told us that he would be in contact with us once he was able to look at our case. We have never heard from him. I do not appreciate being toyed with in this way. Your settlement is unacceptable.

Business Response /* (4000, 9, 2013/08/27) */

Dear Ms. [redacted],

We are sorry to have read you found our reply unacceptable. In reviewing your and [redacted]f's file and in speaking with [redacted] Director of Security, at The Westin Peachtree Plaza, Atlanta, I understand that [redacted] Assistant Director, Catering and Event Management, has been attempting to connect with you to have a person conversation about your concerns.

In view of your continued disappointment, Ms. [redacted], your concerns have been reviewed. Although we appreciate your sentiments, respectfully, we encourage you to reach out to Javier or Graham to discuss your concerns further.

They can be reached at:

The Westin Peachtree Plaza, Atlanta

Phone: XXX-XXX-XXXX

Fax: XXX-XXX-XXXX

Thank you again for taking the time to share your feedback.

Best Regards,

Richard Begley

CONSUMER AFFAIRS, EXECUTIVE DIVISION

T XXX-XXX-XXXX F XXX-XXX-XXXX

STARWOOD PREFERRED GUEST EXECUTIVE OFFICE

T XXX-XXX-XXXX

FAX XXX-XXX-XXXX

STARWOOD HOTELS & RESORTS

ONE STARPOINT

STAMFORD, CONNECTICUT XXXXX

Review: We decided to attend the 90 minute preview of this resort in [redacted] a few years ago. While there, we had decided to go forward with it, but due to computer issues your company was having we were unable. You all let us "try it out" where we paid $100 a month for 12 months. We came the next year and was put in the wrong room. We had 3 children in a "shotgun" looking room. We were forced to stay the night there, but Management did put us in the correct room the next day. They told us that what we paid for was the 'Shotgun" room. We advised them we were never showed this room. We then found out that our Sales Rep the year before had mislead us and given us false info and was fired. We stayed a whole week and fell in love with the [redacted] Resort. My wife and I loved it and so did our children. The next year, we went back we had issues yet again. When we called to book our room and where told that there was no availability. We called several months in advance, but was instructed by Salesman to call as close to the week as we can that we want to go. After weeks of waiting for someone to cancel, we finally got in. Now, here we are again, we called to book our week vacation and we are being told that there is no availability the ENITRE summer. We have spoken to several managers and were told there was nothing anyone could do for us. We spent over $3000 last year for this vacation and are now being told that we cannot take a vacation at the [redacted] resort. We are unable to travel to Florida or any other resorts due to a medical situation. This is absolutely ridiculous that we spent so much money on something and cant even take a vacation and enjoy it. This is definitely not how you do business and treat the consumer that is paying your bills. We are so dissatisfied at this point.Desired Settlement: I want to be able to come to Myrtle Beach Resort any time in June or July for a week with my family this year.

Business

Response:

Review: My wife & I stayed at the [redacted] and attended a sales presentation. The reward was 6500 "StarPoints" a 20% discount on food during our stay, and a Photo Book. The discount was sporadic and we've yet to receive the Photo Book, and most importantly we've received no StarPoints. I've now spent several HOURS being forwarded to different individuals, given international numbers to call, been disconnected several times, all by a company that purportedly is an industry leader with a 5 Star / 4 Diamond rating. I've never been so disappointed nor passed around from various service representatives for a measly 6500 points. Now it's the principle of an industry that many view and I've now experienced as a sleazy, manipulative and deceitful operation by Starwood and the [redacted]. I still have the gift receipt dated 6-4-2014.Desired Settlement: If Starwood expects to maintain their grossly embellished "Leader in the Industry" stellar rating, I'd suggest they follow up with immediately crediting my Starwood account the 6500 points, plus additional points for the time I've wasted in merely trying to receive what I was promised.

Business

Response:

Dear Revdex.com:

This email comes in follow up to the correspondence filed with you by Mr. XXXXXX regarding his vacation experience at [redacted]. Please be advised that we were recently in communication with Mr. XXXX and addressed his concerns.

Upon further review with Sales Management, we have confirmed that Mr. XXXXX 6,500 Tour Incentive Starpoints have been successfully processed and deposited into his SPG# [redacted]. We certainly apologize for the delay in processing. As we want all of Mr. XXXXXX experiences to foster only favorable impressions, arrangements were made to deposit an additional 4,00 Starpoints into his SPG account for his future use. We did this in appreciation of Mr. XXXXX valuable feedback and as a sincere gesture of goodwill. Mr. XXXX may anticipate receipt of the 4,00 Starpoints within 3-5 business days.

In regards to the photo book referenced in Mr. XXXXX communication, we have asked Mr. XXXX to specify if he ordered photos online via [redacted] or via the onsite photo shop. Upon receipt of Mr. XXXX response with an order number, we can proceed with tracking Mr. XXXXXX order accordingly.

Thank you for allowing us an opportunity to respond to XXXXX correspondence. If you have any further questions regarding this matter, you may reach me at [redacted] or via email at [redacted].

Respectfully,

cONSUMER Affairs SPECIALIST

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.

Sincerely,

Review: Booked $200+ per night stay at spg.com and not being told ineligible for reward points. After stay being denied to received credit for the stay.

Booked stay at Sheraton Key West for 11/28-11/29 for $159 + tax rate. At the checkin being asked upon selecting elite reward gift, I chosen the reward points, nothing mentioned about the rate is ineligible for the reward. After checkout, I have found out there is no reward point being awarded. CAlling around the customer services, only being told after, rate is not eligible for the reward.

My issues with the sale practice is following:

1. I have choice to book that hotel and room with my reward point at the time. I booked through the rate only because I want to earn the reward for the promotion they are running. If I were made aware of ineligible rate, I would not spend 200+ at the night. It is mis-representation of the rate and limitation. Also apparently the employee at checkin did not know this. They did not warn me at the check in and instead asked me to choose the reward gift.

2. Whole spg reward program counting free reward night to stay credit and give reward gift for elite member like myself, I can not even think about the reason I paid 200+ per night but not eligible for stay credit.Desired Settlement: I would accept, refund my rate and using my reward point for the stay instead. that defends my right as consumer to make conscious decision after knowing all the facts.

or

credit my stay with the rate I am on along with all bonus point as that is my original intention.

Business

Response:

This guest was contacted and a discussion was had based on their reservation and overall check in experience. The guest now understands the terms and conditions of the Starwood Preferred Guest program.

Review: Last year, for my brothers funeral, we stayed at the [redacted], [redacted], [redacted]. The laundry room was out of service. We were given a dirty room and was refused cleaning service. The manager there said she would give me a two night free stay to make up for the horrible experience. She handed it over to the clerk, he said that it was all taken care of, just go to the "spg" website and my free stay would be in there. I tried to "use' my free stay yesterday and to my dismay was told that it was never given to me. I made a few phone calls and was told that I needed to get in touch with [redacted] (listed above) and discuss it with them. I was told by the night clerk that the original manager was no longer there, but that the "new" manager would call me back first thing this morning and he would take care of me. Again, to my dismay, NO phone call.Desired Settlement: I would really like to receive my "2 free nights stay", maybe more for this huge inconvenience. It cost me time and money today, not being able to use what was promised to me.

Business

Response:

From: WP, Consumer Affairs Sent: 20 November 2015 18:19To: [redacted] Subject: Your recent experience with the [redacted] Hotel & Suites

Review: Three friends and I stayed at the [redacted] in [redacted] on February 20-22. We are all female 33 years old, mothers, wives, and teachers. When we woke up Saturday morning we discovered $500 missing from our room. Security came up and did a lock check. Then came back with manager on duty. Neither one apologized or asked if we were ok. They both denied that anybody had been in our room and even blamed one of us from stealing from each other. We were devastated. We wanted to see this report. They refused to show us. We filed a report with the police and were instructed to call all credit card companies. In the meantime one of our husbands called and spoke with manager on duty. She was overly nice to him and acted concerned with our feelings and wondered if she should, "have something sent up to our room."Seven hours later we still had not gotten an apology, anything sent to the room, eaten, or even asked how we were feeling. I called manager on duty and asked to be switched rooms. We would have switched hotels but nobody had the extra money. The next day I called corporate. I was PROMISED that the hotel would make this right. I got a call today from the insurance company. Since the report shows no one was in our room and we didn't use the safe, they are doing nothing. The hotel then closed the file with not another word to any of us. I called corporate back and pretty much got no where. I understand this can HAPPEN ANYWHERE but it's how it's handled that sets the hotel apart from others. We CHOSE the [redacted]. But we will NOT CHOOSE it again. And, EVERY ONE we speak with is urged not to either. Someone needs to step up and realize that following protocol doesn't always work. We are humans who were robbed, blamed, and devastated! We weren't asking for much...just to be believed and taken seriously!I hope this NEVER happens to anyone again!

Product_Or_Service: Hotel roomDesired Settlement: DesiredSettlementID: Refund

At this point I think refunding our room stay would settle this. It's far less than what was stolen from us!

Business

Response:

This guest was contacted. I apologized and empathized. Although I could not replace the items that were reported, I agreed a gesture could be extended and did so through her Starwood account. She was understanding and appreciative.

Review: Stayed at [redacted] NJ on 10/28 & 10/29. No receipt of services was provided as their printer was down. An emailed receipt was promised. I came to learn the hotel changed from [redacted] (Starwood) to Hilton on 10/31. Since then, in an attempt to obtain a printed receipt for business expense purposes, I have spoken with: 3 diff. operators at Customer Care, sent countless emails, provided 2 email addresses, a fax #, as well as a home address for UPS mailing in order to obtain this receipt. In response I have received hold times,emails that the folio has been sent via email (never received at either email address) and additional emails telling me to wait 5 days for a response. It has been 4 weeks! I had been given the name (via Hilton Honors) that a Ms. D[redacted] was handling financial end of the [redacted] transition. While I have cited her name in my communications, I have never heard from her or anyone from Starwood regarding this easily corrected but ongoing issue..All I am asking for is a receipt for my stay at a one of their properties. The fact that they simply refuse to provide one, or continue to tell me "5 days" for an ongoing 4 weeks is quite disturbing for a "hospitality" company.Desired Settlement: I require a printed receipt of my stay at one of their properties. I would also like a name and number of a representative from Starwood until they are able to accomplish what seems to be a highly difficult task.

Business

Response:

From: Davie, Jeremy On Behalf Of WP, Consumer Affairs

Sent: Tuesday, November 19, 2013 11:34 AM

To: [redacted].COM'

Subject: Your connection with the Revdex.com

Review: We were not informed of the ongoing construction at the resort until we arrived. Requests to be moved further away from the noise were denied. Below are the contents of an email sent to Paulina Stadnik. Basically SPG and Westin are pointing fingers at each other with no one resolving the issue. "I have now received responses from each of you regarding the above referenced file numbers. You both agree that I should have been told about the construction taking place at the Westin and you are both placing the blame with the other. I can assure you that I would never have elected to stay at the Westin if I had been told about the construction. Due to a prior negative experience with a hotel under construction, I avoided booking with another hotel just recently for the same reason. Upon checking in, I immediately requested a room further away from the construction. The individual at the front desk was rather rude and said because the Westin was booked solid, that would not be possible. However, I observed a large number of people checking in and out everyday. It is not reasonable to me that something on a lower floor never became available during my 10 day stay. I have a hypothesis on why a little later in this note. On three separate occasions we tried to use the room during the afternoon to relax and take a nap. Each time we were driven out of the room by the constant noise. It was so loud I thought they working on the room next to us. I also heard other guests complaining about the noise. Essentially we were not able to use the room from 9 - 5, or a third of our stay there. There was also a second time the front desk was rude. I understand that late check out is based on availability. On 7/20, I asked if late check out was available. Instead of "Nothing is available.", I received a 5 minute dissertation on what "If available" means and another reminder that the hotel was sold out. Availability. This seems to be the term that member hotels use to get out of honoring the benefits offered by Starwood for being a 'preferred guest'. I am also elite, but that does not seem to carry any weight either. I have used SPG sparingly in the past because each time I have booked with points I have had issues. A few years back, my family was actually turned away from the hotel we had reservations with because booking with points was based on availability and there were no rooms available. Personally, I believe we were not moved to a lower room at the Westin because we had booked with points. Instead of being treated as a 'preferred' guest, we were treated as second class guests. I suggest changing SPG's name to Starwood Preferred Guest If Available. I am very disappointed that I am now in the middle of a finger pointing contest. I have many years of business experience and would never drag a customer through my internal issues. I would take care of the customer and resolve my internal issues 'internally'. I believe my initial request of returning the 62,000 points I had to purchase is both fair and reasonable considering the room was not useable for a third of time we were there. Again, I would have never booked there had I known. Please resolve your issues internally and let me know if you are going to honor my request."

Desired Settlement: DesiredSettlementID: Other (requires explanation)

The return of 62,000 points purchased to complete the reservation with Westin. This represents approximately one third of the points required for the 10 day stay. Because of the noise, we were not able to use the room from 9 - 5 each day, or a third of the time we were there.

Business

Response:

Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2013/08/18) */

Contact Name and Title: [redacted] Austin

Contact Phone: XXX-XXX-XXXX

Contact Email: [redacted]@starwoodhotels.com

Our Customer Service Team did connect with the hotel, and they did agree to provide a gesture of goodwill in the amount of 62,000 Starpoints as requested. However, there was a error with the request, so the Starpoints were not deposited.

The Starpoints have now been requested, and will be returned within 5-7 business days. We apologize for the delay, and thank you for your patience and understanding.

Review: I booked a night at The [redacted] in [redacted] at [redacted]. I booked this room during my [redacted] in [redacted] at first for one night and decided to add a second night before leaving for my honeymoon. My initial reservation was made on April 8, 2015. I called back to add a second night and was provided a lower rate from a third-party website by the customer service agent. I confirmed with him that I would be staying in the same room as I did not want to move to a different room. Before leaving I called the hotel again to confirm the room and was told by the front desk that I would have to move rooms because of the difference in rates for the second night. I requested to speak with the manager and he said it was nothing he could do. I asked to speak to his manager. Instead, he transferred me to the "national customer service" where they were able to review the call and kept me in my same room. I initially was told that I would get both nights at the same lower rate. That did not happen. Subsequently, I enjoyed my stay but upon checking out I noticed that I was billed $200.00. I called the hotel and was told this was for the deposit and that it would be refunded in 7 to 10 days. I continued to call multiple times. Finally, I was told by the same manager that I was billed for smoking in the room. I DO NOT SMOKE. For my bachelor party, my friends bought several expensive cigars, we went to a cigar bar and hookah bar. I slept in my clothes in the bed and left the cigars on the tables in the room. My wedding night I used candles and innocents to create a romantic scene. I DID NOT SMOKE in the room. I disputed this charge but the same manager said it was nothing he could do.Desired Settlement: Based on the time frame to resolve this issues, the incorrect agents from the front desk that told me I would be refunded, the conflict with the manager that said I would not be refunded I would like a refund for the two nights and the alleged smoking charges to be refunded to my bank account or sent via a check. I will also like a letter of apology for accusing me of smoking. This allegation was criminal as it questioned my character. The total is 207 + 159+200=566.

Business

Response:

Dear Mr. [redacted],

Thank you for taking the time to connect with the Executive Consumer Affairs office for Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc., via the Revdex.com. Please accept our apology for your recent experience with The [redacted].

Firstly congratulations to you and your spouse on your wedding. We wish you both much happiness and a long life together.

We were disappointed to read of your booking experience when adding the second night to your stay. It is not the instinctive service we are proud to offer at [redacted]. We were happy to read the room type issue was resolved, but the sequent billing issue is regrettable. In regard to the smoking fee, we do have a clear air policy at [redacted]. As you stated you did burn candles and incense in the room, this can also cause the levy of such a fee as special procedures are required to ensure the room is returned to our clean air standard. We would expect this to be explained to you, if this is the case. That said, we have connected with [redacted], General Manager, at The [redacted] to request he review your feedback and arrange a personal contact to discuss your feedback further.

Mr. [redacted], let us take this opportunity to welcome you to Starwood Preferred Guest and we look forward to welcoming you for many distinctive stays in the future.

Best Regards,

EXECUTIVE CONSUMER AFFAIRS

GUEST EXPERIENCE INTELLIGENCE

T [redacted] F [redacted]

STARWOOD HOTELS & RESORTS

ONE STARPOINT

REFERENCE# [redacted]

Consumer

Response:

Good evening,

Review: I was stuck in an elevator at [redacted] Hotel for over 2 hours this past Saturday, June 7, 2014. I am extremely upset about how the Hotel responded to the situation. Rather that showing concern over our well being and compensating us for the trouble this cause for us, they insinuated that it was our fault. The elevator malfunction due to the elevator exceeded its maximum weight. But no one gets on the elevator and mentally calculates the weight of each person on the elevator, or police it to tell others they cannot get on it. The elevator did not have a light or buzzer signal to let people know the maximum weight has been exceeded. And a sign on the elevator does not measure the weight in the elevator. Therefore, placing the blame on the people in the elevator lack professionalism and tack. The emergency elevator call attendant was also extremely rude and unprofessional. She was condescending and showed no concern for our wellbeing. As a matter of fact, each time we called her for an update, she would tell us it was our fault and then hang up on us. The Hotel Administration continue that lack of concern by making the decision to keep us trapped in the elevator for the extended length of time. There was no one there to see if we were okay when we did got out, or express any concern over our wellbeing. We actually had to request the water bottles that was handed to us when we got out, and had to request for someone to contact us regarding the situation.When we finally were contacted, The [redacted] fail to recognize that the issue is not on why the elevator malfunction, but the way in which situation was handled. Rather we had a room at the hotel or not, we were customers at the [redacted] Restaurant and customer service should always take precedent.Desired Settlement: DesiredSettlementID: Other (requires explanation)

Formal apology from the hotel along with compensation for our trouble in regards to services that provide. We were out on money for vip reservation and bottle service and cost of a limo service rented for the night.

Business

Response:

Dear [redacted],

Review: My husband and I recently stayed at the aloft hotel in rosemont, IL by ohare airport for my 30th birthday. We picked it because of the location but also because from the outside it seemed like a nice hotel. This was out first time staying at one of the aloft hotels. It was VERY dirty everywhere in the hotel. The hallways were not vacummed, the cushions on the benches were messed up, there was a half eaten burger laying in the middle of the hall, there were footprints stains on the rug, big dark stains on the carpet in the bedroom, our toilet wouldn't flush unless you held down the handle, but the worst was the puke that was left in elevator. I expected a lot more from this hotel. The staff was all very friendly and nice but I would not go back solely because of the filth that was all over this hotel.Desired Settlement: Id like either a full refund of my stay or a free night stay at one of the aloft hotels, I don think that's to much to ask.

Business

Response:

Dear Ms. Kooima,

Review: We stayed at Westin Paris Vendome from August 1 to August 3, 2013. My wife found out that her cleansing foam was disappeared. A cleaning crew threw away her stuff in the bathroom. We called and complained about the missing stuff. The assistant manager promised us 5000 starpoint since she is not able to get any cleansing foam my wife needed. On August 14, we chatted with a SPG customer representative since the 5000 point that the assistant manager promised us was not in our account yet. The customer representative kindly tried to get a hold of the assistant manager in Westin Paris and promise us again that within 72 hours you will get the 5000 points. On August 17, we couldn't see the points in our account yet. We chatted with another SPG customer representative, Sylvia M. She said it will take another 7 to 10 business days to process and investigate our file. She exactly said."U understand you have contact us 3 times, however as I am nt at the hotel I must document the file, and reopen it and have the hotel re-address the issue" We've already contacted and last CSR promised us that within 72 hours he will get us 5000 points. then why do we need to open another file and why do we have to wait for another 7 to 10 days. We finished the chat. Since we were very upset for all unkept promises, we called again. The CSR who got our call immediately transfer us to someone else, after listening to our explanations. We talked with Ryan in Corporate Service. We explained all over again. And then he exactly said. "If you keep calling us, your case will keep delayed. Cause we need to re-open everytime you call us." What does it mean? He meant we should not contact SPG customer service? What kind of Customer service tells their customer "don't keep calling us." We kept calling you because you didn't keep your promises. If you kept the promises, I didn't have to call you and I don't have to spend whole Saturday morning to deal with unfriendly customer representative.

Desired Settlement: DesiredSettlementID: Not applicable

N/A

Business

Response:

Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2013/08/22) */

Contact Name and Title: Richard Begley - CAED

Contact Phone: XXX-XXX-XXXX

Contact Email: [redacted]@starwoodhotels.com

Dear Mr. [redacted],

My name is Richard Begley; I am with the Consumer Affairs Executive Division of Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide, Inc. One of my key responsibilities is monitoring and supporting Revdex.com complaints. Your complaint and customer service file have been brought to my attention. Please accept our apology for your recent experience with The Westin Paris - Vendôme and subsequent follow up.

We want your stay and experience with Westin to be personal and instinctive; in reading your comments from Revdex.com and your customer service file, this clearly was not your experience. As a distinctive Gold Preferred Starwood Preferred Guest membership, we should be recognizing that and in this case advising of the benefits available to you during your stay. In reviewing the hotel notes, it appears your status upgrade did not make it to their computer system before your check in. We do apologize for the inconvenience this caused during check in. I am very sorry for housekeeping removing your wife's cleansing foam, please extend my sincerely apology to her for this service error.

In regard to the Starpoints you were promised and the subsequent follow up, I have reviewed all the written communications you have had with our e-Communications Specialists and would like to apologize that your request was not handled more efficiently and without further follow up. We will ensure these are reviewed with the associates involved and coached as a training opportunity. I was happy to see the 5,000 Starpoints have been added for your access as of August 17, 2013. I will also follow up with Ryan's leadership team in regard to your conversation with him.

Mr. [redacted], while I cannot change what has happened in the past, I hope we can move forward together and welcome you back for many more future stays. I would like to offer my personal services for your next stay. Once you have that booked, please contact me with your reservation number, at least 48 hours in advance, and I will work with the hotel to ensure a 'white glove' treatment during your stay.

Mr. [redacted], we appreciate you taking the time to share your experience with us. Your comments and patronage are invaluable in helping us identify opportunities for improvement. Input like yours is helping us shape the ideal customer service experience for the future.

Best Regards,

Richard Begley

CONSUMER AFFAIRS, EXECUTIVE DIVISION

T XXX-XXX-XXXX F XXX-XXX-XXXX

STARWOOD PREFERRED GUEST EXECUTIVE OFFICE

T XXX-XXX-XXXX

FAX XXX-XXX-XXXX

STARWOOD HOTELS & RESORTS

ONE STARPOINT

STAMFORD, CONNECTICUT XXXXX

Review: Booked a vacation through Delta Vacations, staying at the Westin Playa Conchal, in Costa Rica. Delta and Starwood are presently advertising a cross-promotion, earning bonus points and miles for stays and flights. By booking a Delta flight, and a Starwood stay, through a Delta agency, I believed I would be maximizing the points and miles for this expensive vacation (c. $12,000). This was based on advertising on their Web sites: "SkyMiles Medallion and SPG elite members can earn more rewards when you fly and more rewards when you stay." (Delta) "SkyMiles Diamond, Platinum, Gold and Silver Medallion members earn 1 mile for every dollar spent on eligible room rates at over 1,100 Starwood hotels and resorts globally. Plus, SkyMiles Diamond and Platinum Medallion members receive additional SPG benefits at Starwood hotels and resorts 4 p.m. late checkout, access to the SPG elite check-in line, complimentary in-room Internet access and an upgrade to an enhanced room at check-in, when available." (SPG) Further, from the SPG site: "Take advantage of the best of both worlds starting March 1, 2013, SPG and SkyMiles are taking elite travel to new heights with a revolutionary new benefit: Crossover Rewards. Earn Starpoints and get extra benefits when you fly with Delta; earn miles and enjoy added hotel benefits when you stay with SPG. This changes everything." "Crossover Rewards benefits are in addition to the current Starpoints and miles earned as a member of each program, making elite benefits even richer."My vacation ended 6/30. Delta promptly credited my account for the flilght miles. Starwood credited me only for additional charges to my room, refusing to credit either points or stay nights for the 20 room nights booked through their cross-promotional partner, indicating they are a third party provider, and stays booked through them are not eligible for points. This is incredibly deceptive, given their advertising.

Product_Or_Service: Hotel Stay, All-Inclusive (6/20-30/13, 2 rooms)

Desired Settlement: DesiredSettlementID: Other (requires explanation)

I would like full credit for the nights stayed in both rooms (2 rooms, 10 nights = 20 room nights), and full Starpoints credit for the room/stay charges. I'd also like an apology for having to go to such lengths to receive credit for a promotion being heavily advertised on-line.

Business

Response:

Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2013/07/11) */

Contact Name and Title: [redacted] Austin

Contact Phone: XXX-XXX-XXXX

Contact Email: [redacted]@starwoodhotels.com

Mr. [redacted] has previously contacted our E-Communications team, and was promptly sent the following response clarifying why the Starpoints were not posted:

"

Dear Mr. [redacted],

 

Thank you for your prompt response. I hope this email finds you well.

 

Per your inquiry, I reviewed the FAQs and Terms & Conditions of the Crossover Rewards program and found the following: "If you are registered for Crossover Rewards and are an SPG Platinum or Gold elite member, Starpoints that you earn for eligible Delta flights will post to your SPG Member account within 4-6 weeks after the eligible Delta flight is completed." The same amount of time also applies to stays at SPG participating locations and miles being deposited into your Delta SkyMiles account. Regrettably third party reservation is not eligible for Starpoints. Please view the Terms & Conditions of the Starwood Preferred Guest Program, Section 1.4, for more details.

 

Subject to compliance with all Best Rate Guarantee Terms & Conditions, if you find a lower published available room rate, on a non-Starwood website, for the exact same:

Starwood location

Room Type

Dates

Number of Guests

prior to, or no later than 24 hours, after making a reservation on a Starwood-branded website, and at least 24 hours (48 hours for non-English Starwood websites) before the standard check-in time at the applicable Starwood hotel, Starwood Hotels & Resorts will honor the competitor's rate, along with your choice of one Best Rate Guarantee reward of either an additional 10% off the competing rate, or 2,000 Starpoints.

 

I apologize should you not agree with the terms and conditions of the SPG program. However, they were put in place for a reason and must be upheld for all of our guests, regardless of SPG status, in order to maintain the integrity of the program.

 

Should you require additional assistance Mr. [redacted], simply reply to this email. If you prefer, you may chat with us online or we can call you. I hope this explanation helps.

 

Please fill out our customer service feedback survey and let me know if the customer service you received today met your expectations.

Best Regards,

[redacted] O' [redacted] Specialist, eCommunications Department Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide"

It is regrettable that Mr. [redacted] is not satisfied with the outcome, though respectfully, we cannot modify the Terms and Conditions of the program as he has requested, as these rules are applied fairly and consistently to all Starwood Preferred Guests who participate in the program. As such, we do respectfully decline to post additional starpoints or stay credit as requested, though we do sincerely apologize that this situation has impacted his impression of the level of service which we provide.

Consumer Response /* (3000, 11, 2013/08/15) */

Ms. [redacted]:

Thank you for updating me on the status of my complaint against Starwood Resorts. I did receive an email from their team, following a Facebook posting, and did not realize that was also their response to this complaint. Nothing was stated to that effect.

In that email, Starwood offered me a small amount of points as compensation for my trip. I told them this offer was unacceptable, and declined it as a settlement.

Their position was that their terms and conditions state that "certain" third party Web sites are ineligible for Starwood points.

I booked my vacation by phone, with Delta Vacations, at a time Starwood was heavily advertising a cross-promotion with Delta. There was no opportunity for me to view their Terms and Conditions on their Web site, nor was there any indication that Delta was an excluded partner. Having reviewed them now, there is no listing of which sites qualify, and which do not.

In short, there is no way possible for a consumer to know if their stay will qualify or not, short of booking directly through their Web site. This is deliberately misleading, and unfair to consumers.

Assuming that about $10,000 of this vacation cost was in resort fees (room, taxes, all-inclusive, etc), I should have received a minimum of 20,000 points for my stay, credit for 20 night stays (2 rooms @ 10 night each), plus the crossover rewards. Their offer of 2500 points was grotesquely out of line with the amount at issue.

Their unfair advertising does not indicate a requirement to book solely through their Web site. Yet, if a consumer books their trip through any other method (phone, Web, in-person with travel agent), they have no way of knowing if their stay will qualify for rewards. Only after the stay is completed does the consumer find out the stay did not qualify for compensation.

It appears Starwood awards them solely at their discretion as to whether a site qualifies, without informing the consumer at the time of booking, which would seem to be an unfair consumer practice.

I request full Starpoints credit for my stay, along with the relevant Crossover Rewards, and the 20 nights credit on my account.

I would also like to see Starwood clarify their Terms and Conditions, by listing an inclusive list of non-qualifying Web sites, and displaying it prominently on their site, and in their Crossover Rewards advertising. Alternatively, their confirmation of booking should include a prominent statement that points will not be awarded for this stay. This would enable a consumer to cancel the booking, prior to incurring the charges.

Finally, I'd like an apology for the incredibly poor customer service shown in this matter, and some level of compensation for my time in attempting to influence them to correct their ambiguous advertising.

Regards,

Tim [redacted]

SAE

Penske Logistics

XXXXX Mercantile Drive

Dearborn, MI XXXXX

Office - 313.583.1511

Mobile - 734.231.2583

[redacted]@penske.com

Business Response /* (4000, 13, 2013/08/22) */

Dear Mr. [redacted],

Thank you for your continued communications regarding this matter, and it is truly regrettable that you feel the way you do.

The information regarding the Starwood Preferred Guest Program and eligibility for rates is available on our websites, and we do provide the information to our guests upon request regarding eligibility of their rates. We absolutely do encourage guests to book directly through us so we can ensure they receive the correct information regarding our program and so that we can be responsible for providing the information they need. When guests choose to book elsewhere, this does become challenging, as they are now responsible for not only their reservations through a third party company, but for independently verifying any relevant details through SPG as well.

Respectfully, and as mentioned previously through all communications, we treat all members fairly and equally by applying the rules for Starwood Preferred Guest consistently to all our guests, and expect them to abide by the terms of our program to receive the rewards and benefits as members. I do see that an offer of 2500 Starpoints was extended to you, which is not intended in any way to compensate you or supply the Starpoints you would have earned for your stay, as your stay was not eligible. This is intended as a gesture of goodwill for the disappointment you have expressed as a Starwood Preferred Guest member, and for the challenges with this experience. I understand that you have chosen to decline this gesture, but I will ensure this offer will remain on file should you choose to accept in the future. It is our hope that with a better understanding of the process, your next experience will be much more positive and far less challenging with respect to eligibility. I must also respectfully decline your request for additional gestures for the time you have spent pursuing this matter, as our team has responded in a timely manner at every opportunity to advise you of the correct policies, though it is unfortunate that your decision to continue pursuing this matter regardless of our responses has created additional frustration and ill-will. I would not wish to provide any false hope that by continuing to pursue this matter further our response will change, so I do hope this is something that you consider should you choose to respond further, though I am happy to continue to document your feedback and perspective further as you communicate with us.

Please be assured that we fully appreciate the points you have raised and would, once again, like to offer our sincere apologies for the disappointment you have expressed. However, with respect, we cannot agree with your position that there is any shortcoming with the information we advise our guests in advance. We are aware that your opinion of our service has been affected by the handling of your concerns and do hope that in time, you may reconsider your position and choose to stay with us again for more positive experiences.

Thank you for your understanding.

Best Regards,

Zachary Austin

CONSUMER AFFAIRS, EXECUTIVE DIVISION

STARWOOD PREFERRED GUEST EXECUTIVE OFFICE

CAED -T XXX-XXX-XXXX

SPG EXEC - T XXX-XXX-XXXX

FAX XXX-XXX-XXXX

STARWOOD HOTELS & RESORTS

ONE STARPOINT

STAMFORD, CT XXXXX