Jana

Let me start by stressing the fact that despite the problems we had we liked the island very much ! We have received a lot of help from members of this board while planing our trip and are very greatful for that. We've spent eight days mostly in St. John with day trips to St. Thomas and Tortola.<BR>However, due to certain individuals we left with a bitter aftertaste and will never again stay at Westin as long as their manager Amy Widdel is employed there. Nor will we ever again use BUDGET on St. Thomas. It's not the problems that arose during our stay there -- it's how they were handled by those in charge that left us shocked and speechless at times.<BR><BR>Here it goes and I’d like to apologize for the length in advance.<BR>Car situation: We had car reservation at Budget on St. Thomas. Upon arriving there, we were told they were overbooked and did not have a car for us !!!!!!! I couldn't believe it ! They offered to make reservations for us with another rental company. However, they were not able for find similar rates ! The clerk at Budget phoned her boss to see if Budget would cover the difference bet. our rate and the rates the other companies were charging, but the "boss" said "no". We were really disappointed with Budget.<BR><BR>After the above mentioned horrible incident at BUDGET, we decided to tour St. Thomas a little. We had purchased the $65.00 per person tickets from Westin entitling us (supposedly) to unlimited ferry rides between our hotel and Charlotte Amalie. The last Westin ferry was supposed to pick up passengers at 7:30 p.m. from Crown Bay (which is a +/- 10 minutes away from downtown via taxi).<BR><BR>We have arrived at the ferry stop at about 7:10 p.m. or so. Waited until 7:30 p.m. and no ferry in sight. Then, lucky us it stared to rain and got very, very dark !!! And the ferry stop was in the middle of nowhere – no place to hide. (It rained a couple of times earlier in the day, but when it did we were downtown and were able to hide – we also tried to buy umbrellas, but had no luck since it was the Carnival and most of the stores were closed and the ones that were open did not have umbrellas…..) <BR>

Jana

Since it was only the three of us at the ferry stop, around 7:45 p.m. we stared to wonder and I have decided to call Westin. A receptionist who I happened to talk with confirmed the existence of a 7:30 p.m. ferry from Crown Bay and was surprised they did not pick us up. Then she put me on hold and told me that she will radio the ferry and tell them to come and get us since she knew they were at the airport picking up new guests. After a few minutes, she came back on and told me to return to the stop and that the ferry is coming, but she was not able to give me the exact time when….<BR><BR>It was 8:10 p.m. (and still raining) when a man suddenly appeared from the dark and asked if we were waiting for the Westin ferry, then he introduced himself as the owner/manager of a nearby bar and said the Westin called and asked him to find us and tell us to take the public ferry back to the hotel since the ferry is NOT coming and that the hotel will reimburse us for the trip. We could not believe it ! But what else could we do. The Westin ferry stop was at Crown Bay. The public ferry was in Red Hook, which is about 30 minutes and $30.00 away by taxi. When we went to the taxi stop, there were three taxi drivers engaged in a conversation – must have been interesting. When we told them we wanted to go to Red Hook, they briefly stopped, looked at us and then, without a word in our direction, continued the conversation !!!! <BR><BR>Words cannot describe how I felt at that moment. I wanted to leave at that point, but my uncle decided to ask them again and one driver finally responded; however upon finding out exactly where we wanted to go he was not happy because it was “so far” !!! In the end, he did take us to Red Hook – but while driving through Charlotte Amalie’s downtown, he would slow down each time he would see people who looked like tourists and asked if they wanted to go to Red Hook……When we left the downtown area, he then started to have a conversation with us and seemed actually pleasant. Upon arrival in Red Hook at 9:10 p.m. we found out that the St. John ferry leaves on the hour ! Fifty minutes of waiting were ahead of us ! <BR>Lucky us (if “lucky” is the word) – there was a bar a few blocks from the ferry. <BR>

Jana

Upon finally arriving at the hotel, the front desk person, Amy something – who also claimed to be the manager on duty -- told us that the hotel will, of course, reimburse us for the taxi fare from Crown Bay to Red Hook, for the public ferry to St. John and for the taxi from Cruz Bay to the Westin. She did not bother to volunteer with an explanation as to what happened and why the ferry did not come. I was pretty upset at that point and decided to ask her. When pressed, she said they had a MECHANICAL PROBLEM and could not come….Funny, because the person we called from Crown Bay said the ferry was at the airport<BR>picking up people…. She then credited our account and considered the problem solved. <BR><BR>Not once did she say that she was sorry nor did she apologize on behalf of the ferry or hotel or whoever. When I continued to express my dissatisfaction with the whole incident, she asked me to take a look at my Westin ferry ticket. Then, in anger, she pulled one out from her drawer and showed me a small-print note, stating that Westin was not responsible for “MOTHER NATURE” and told me that if I read that I would know. I was speechless for a moment. Couldn’t believe what she was saying and couldn’t believe her arrogant, bitchy attitude under the circumstances. I told her to bring a dictionary and we both will read the definition of “mother nature”. Either Amy--the manager on duty-- was an idiot or she thought we were. <BR><BR>Besides some on and off typical tropical rain there was nothing going on. What “mother nature” ????? What I was waiting for was a simple “I’m sorry / I apologize” of some sort to make us feel better. She clearly did not think it was necessary. I reminded her again about our long wait (in the rain at times) for the ferry which never arrived (but which managed to pick up guests from the airport), about our long trip to Red Hook, about another long wait for the public ferry, about getting from the ferry to the hotel and then, at the end of our “adventurous” day having an unsympathetic manager on duty handle our situation the way she did. I told her that our time means a lot to us (it’s our vacation !!!!) and that a simple reimbursement for the taxis and ferry will not make me happy. Then, without a word, she pulled out TWO complimentary breakfast buffet tickets (there were THREE of us….) and without a word of apology gave them to us. At that point, we pretty much “had it” and decided to finish our business with Amy Widdel – Westin’s front desk’s manger on duty. <BR><BR>Message: I wanted to post everything under one post but it would not "take it" -- it's clearly too long. For those interested, this was not our only "happy" encounter with Amy. There was more at check-out.....I will try to post that report in a couple of days.<BR><BR>

Jana

Episode II. Glen: Thanks for your words of support.<BR>Someone on this board wrote how great of a deal they got at Westin using Priceline.com (around $70.00/80.00/night). I have never used them, but decided to give it a try. And, wow, I got an unbelievable $75.00 rate !!!!<BR>Priceline.com charged my credit card the full amount, meaning my hotel room was PAID IN FULL ! Few days before leaving for St. John, I have confirmed my reservation directly with the hotel and made water taxi reservations. Everything seemed fine and we were looking forward to our trip. <BR><BR>And here comes the surprise: upon check-out I was presented with an additional +/- $500.00 bill !!!! And Amy was the one handling the check-out. How and/or why I don’t know (and neither did she), the hotel was charging me $115.00 per night + tax instead of the $75.00 which I got at Priceline. She said she did not know what I was talking about, that Westin’s deal with Priceline is $115.00 and that’s what I have to pay !!!!<BR>In addition to the totally different rate, Westin’s computer was showing my prepayment to be about $70.00 less than what it actually was !!!!!<BR>I told her “no way”. She demaned PROOF of my prepayment and that $75.00 was my rate. I showed her my confirmation letter from Priceline which showed the per night amount as well as the total amount they charged me for my 9 day stay. She looked at it and said that my confirmation letter from Priceline is a “mistake” !!!!!!!<BR><BR> ( to be continued )<BR>

Glen

Jana,<BR><BR>Come on, the suspense of this adventure/mystery is killing me. You can't leave us hanging like this. This better than any book I could ever buy.<BR><BR>As a collegue of mine says... "you can't make this stuff up"

Jana

My official confirmation letter from Priceline was a “mistake” according to Amy, the manger ! As I’ve mentioned somewhere above, throughout the whole ordeal, Amy the manger, was really obnoxious, not at all helpful and rude as can be. While “working” on my problem she would check-out other guests….instead of calling for an additional front desk clerk to help (and there were others who could help). When I told her in definite terms that I will NOT pay the additional out of the blue amount for the room because this is NOT how much my credit card was charged and this is NOT the amount I agreed on with Priceline, she asked me if I have a copy of my credit card statement !!!!!!!!! What ???? Does anyone bring copies of their credit card statements (from a few months ago) to a tropical island ? How ridiculous ! To get this over with, I told Amy that I will call my credit card company and have them confirm the amount charged by Priceline. Upon reaching a representative from my credit card co. and confirming the amount myself, I asked him to hold for a few moments and tell the same to Amy. Amy was about 3 to 4 feet away from me all the time, and when I told her that I have a credit card rep. on the line that I’d like her to talk to, she pretended she did not hear me !!!!!! After the 3rd “reminder” that someone who can clarify the whole mess is holding for her, she looked at me and slowly said “Just a moment”. I’ve apologized to the rep and asked him to hold for a bit longer. When she finally got to the phone, her first words were “ This is Amy. How can I help you ? ” !!!!! My God ! She clearly is a mental case – I don’t know how else to describe her. The nice man on the other side of the line, explained to her the charges and she hung up. Then, without a word, started to do something on her computer and printed out a corrected check-out statement and asked me if I was “satisfied” ! ! ! <BR>I told her that I was and left barely having enough time to catch the ferry out to the airport. <BR><BR>Again, no “I’m sorry”, no apologies of any sort, nothing. No “come and see us again” like she’s made a point of telling all others who checked-out while I was standing there. On the other hand, if she did ask me to “come and see us again” it would be pretty funny. Amy doesn’t have any sense of humor either….<BR>We looked forward to our trip to St. John for a long time and upon arrival<BR>we fell in love with the pretty island; met a lot of nice people and experienced some breathtaking, unforgettable, picture perfect places. Loved the donkeys, wild goats, and chickens. Loved the atmosphere and character of the island. Talked about returning soon. <BR>But Amy, the manager, managed to spoil two of our days there including our last few moments on the island. “Thank you, Amy” if you get to read this. You have made us feel very uncomfortable and unwelcome at Westin. <BR>This was our vacation and encountering someone like Amy left us with a very bitter aftertaste. As I have stated before, it is NOT what happened that I am complaining about, because mistakes do happen even with the best of intentions. It is the way the problems are taken care of; the way problems are resolved that makes the whole difference. If someone on this board asks, which happens quite often “ What was the worst thing about St. John ? “ My answer will be Amy Widdel, the manager at Westin “. <BR><BR><BR><BR>

cdt

I guess this helps explain why you can get rooms at the Westin for just $75.<BR>

Susan

When we stayed at the Westin, we were surprised by an add on charge of $12 for use of the beach chairs, towels and other amenities. We did not use Priceline but didn't pay rack rates either - but then who does? Seems that the Westin chain is big on the unadvertised add-on's.

heather

hey jana.. i certainly hope you write a letter to the head of westin hotels, or the main manager at the st. john one, (i'm sure there is someone higher than amy). this deserves series repercusions. sorry it tainted your trip, but thanks for the warning. h

Scott

I wouldn't of hesitated to go above her head while I was still there. Manager on duty is one thing, but I guarantee I would of found the GM to help resolve my problems. Obviously, dealing with Amy got you nowhere. It is so unfortunate that people have to experience such ridiculousness from a huge name like the Westin. But this isn't the first time I have read about bad service at this particular Westin. It'll be a cold day in hell before I chance booking with them!! Hopefully they figure out how many future customers they will lose because of poor service. Shame on you Westin!!

xxx

Makes you wonder if Any Widdel is the common denominator for the others that have had bad experiences there. She should not only be reprimanded but terminated as well. Westin should do themeslves and everyone else a favor by leting her go.

Anon

I agree with Heather. I would DEFINITELY write a letter to as many of the "higher ups" in the Westin chain that I could find the names and titles of, starting with the General Manager of the Westin, St. John. It sounds as if Ms. Widdel accomodated you in the end but all of the tense encounters with her were enough to ruin your vacation. How awful! Make sure you write letters and if there are any unauthorized charges on your credit card, protest them through your credit card company.

Jana

Thanks everyone. <BR><BR>Yes, this weekend I will definitely write to someone higher than Amy.<BR><BR>And I would not be surprised if my credit card was charged something other than what we have agreed on in the end. I have not received my statement yet, but (now) I have decided to call my cc company tomorrow and find out. I don't know how much my report has/will help, but it sure feels good to share my story with everyone and receive everyone's support and understanding.

sherry

everyone is right! write a letter to the upper manangement about amy. it only takes one persons bad attitude to ruin things, and amy sounds like that person! we hope your next trip is better and not with westin.

Charlie

Jana I've copied this entire posting and forwarded it to Westin's & Starwood's customer relations dept.It will give someone something to read.

liz

FYI....very similar happenings at the Grand Hotel Intercontinental in Paris at $480 per night...had to switch hotels in the middle of the night because of an all night party being held in the room below ours that the so-called manager couldn't do anything about....complained complained but a lousy apology does not compensate...lesson learned: avoid big chain hotels other than the Marriott where they are very very well trained.

Patty

It's not a matter of one big chain vs. another (I'm sure Marriott has it's share of problems) but rather a lousy employee who is lacking in customer service skills. Definitely write to the GM of the Westin as others have suggested and cc a copy to the corporate office of Westin/Starwood. Sorry you had to endure such treatment and I'm glad you didn't let it affect your impressions of St. John in general.

Jack

Jana,<BR>Thanks for the information. I just made my reservations for July at Caneel Bay! If the Westin wants to do you right they ought to refund the entire cost of your stay! Good luck to you.

from

Author: Charlie ([email protected])<BR>Date: 05/14/2002, 06:14 pm<BR>Message: Jana for some mysterious reason your post about the Westin will not accept any new messages.This is a reply from the Westin that you may want to follow up on.......<BR><BR>Dear Jana, <BR><BR>We will be happy to open a Corporate Services File on your behalf. Please return your original message with the dates of your stay, guest's name and confirmation number so that we may assist you. <BR><BR>Thank you for your interest in Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide. We look forward to receiving your reply. <BR><BR>Best regards,<BR><BR>Kelly Riley <BR>Specialist, E-Communications Department<BR>Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide<BR><BR>www.starwood.com<BR><BR>Starwood Preferred Guest, winner of 12 prestigious 2001 Freddie Awards. Including Best Customer Service, Best Website, and Program of the Year for the 3rd consecutive year.<BR><BR>TRACKING NUMBER: A00001044297-00002924505<BR><BR><BR><BR><BR><BR>

Jana

Thanks again, Charlie. <BR><BR>I will follow up.<BR><BR>I'm really surprised with Starwood’s fast response! They may actually care about guest satisfaction.<BR><BR>I will keep everyone posted as the "news develops". <BR><BR>PS I’m NOT on a mission here to get Amy fired (although when all of this was happening I would have been happy to see something like that take place).<BR>Amy definitely should be reprimanded and should go through some major customer service training and attitude adjustment sessions.... <BR><BR>