St. Louis Trip Report
Jul 19th, 2003, 08:59 AM
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St. Louis Trip Report
Even though our corporate office tried to make us comfortable our week in STL. Some people have all the BAD luck...it really could have been worse, I guess.
Scenario...bring together new mgmt personnel from all over the country and train them.
So... arrive at airport the standard 2 hours early...did not have to take shoes off, by the way...board plane...right wing has problem...sit on plane, at gate for 45 min. while several people stand under wing talking. No air, full plane 95 degrees outside, you get the picture. Finally leave, flight bumpy but uneventful.
Arrive and friend picks up at airport...find Sheraton Westport PLaza Hotel...hey goody I am on the 10th floor, room very nice...unpack, go eat, no problem.
monday...meet others in for training at corp office...shuttle to hotel...and it begins...
Go to dinner at NINO'S...the hostess is wearing a tubetop for a skirt and her 4 yr olds shirt, with attitude she seats us, we order, food arrives and is actually slammed down on the table in front of us. The well done steak is still moooing etc. We wondered why the place was empty.
Tuesday...getting to know the other trainees so having good time...want to shop that night. Galleria mall was great...we were all excited about eating at the Cheesecake Factory...the waitress is very young and we order. There are four of us at the table. Orders are placed. Waitress brings 2 waters and 2 of the drinks and gives these to 2 of us at the table, the others get nada. Time passes. Food arrives for 2 at table, same waitress asks the other 2 if we ordered anything? Did we order at same time? One of those with food has no drink, still. Waitress is asked for food and drink and she replies..."it hasn't come out?" We also ask for the missing drinks, she brings me, mine and while putting it on table pours another drink in the lap of one of the others...we inform her our shuttle will arrive shortly and we need our food, which she is amazed we still don't have. Then we ask for the last drink...she gets it and gives it to the wrong table. Manager is called after we still have no food, no drink and haven't seen waitress in 20 minutes. Manager is amazed as well, tells us our meal will be free and we will also get free cheesecake. Food and drink finally arrive, 10 minutes before shuttle is due, and waitress asks if we want a box or our we gonna try and eat it? We ask for boxes and free cheesecake, this takes long enough for us to finish our food, when the carry out boxes arrive they are big enough for a hotdog. No free cheesecake either. We inquire about this, she askes what kind. Our shuttle is in the parking lot so we get up to leave, this waitress, with now a radar that can find us anywhere informs us we cannot leave without paying our bill, she blocks the door and will not let us out...the manager had told us our meal was free. But we have to wait on the free cheesecake which is not ready....10 more minutes later we are off...have laughed so hard our sides hurt. what did we tip the waitress? We left a note stating.."Don't treat your customers like this ever again." Which only the busboys saw. I'm sure.
Wedsnesday AM, someone has puked in the hotel elevator and no one in the hotel wants to clean it up. This is the only elevator making it to the 10th floor. And...several members of the group have bugs in their rooms. Rooms are sprayed with Raid
Wednesday night ride, the shuttle to airport and the take Metro link to the Arch... the guys experience an attempted mugging. Great meal at Landry's in Union Station. Rent a van to take the 9 of us back to hotel, driver drives 45 on interstate for 28 miles. Arrive at hotel, room was left open by person with the raid can. Laid in bed and notice bug on ceiling, trying to balance on bed and kill it...got him though!!The kleenex stayed under bathroom sink for 2 days.
Thursday...Find out there was a fire at the Arch and somehow feel because we were there, we jinxed it. Hotel is the center of party on the plaza, thought we were gonna get away with no mis adventures for the day until the bikers decide around midnight to rev up their bikes to leave, not once but twice! Thought a plane was crashing into hotel.
Friday...awake to storms, tornado watchs, what a day to fly...pack, leave luggage at hotel since flight is early evening. Training session ends we say good byes, leave for airport for those who have an earlier flight. Shuttle breaksdown 4 blocks from hotel...the rest period I was supposed to get ended in 10 minutes as it was then time to load the shuttle and get to airport only to find flight delayed. Get luggage off at home baggage claim, it had been cut open for inspection, and ruined.
I hope I do not need another business/training trip for awhile. Highlight was... met alot of great people I would love to see again.
But please....don't make me go back to St. Louis.
Scenario...bring together new mgmt personnel from all over the country and train them.
So... arrive at airport the standard 2 hours early...did not have to take shoes off, by the way...board plane...right wing has problem...sit on plane, at gate for 45 min. while several people stand under wing talking. No air, full plane 95 degrees outside, you get the picture. Finally leave, flight bumpy but uneventful.
Arrive and friend picks up at airport...find Sheraton Westport PLaza Hotel...hey goody I am on the 10th floor, room very nice...unpack, go eat, no problem.
monday...meet others in for training at corp office...shuttle to hotel...and it begins...
Go to dinner at NINO'S...the hostess is wearing a tubetop for a skirt and her 4 yr olds shirt, with attitude she seats us, we order, food arrives and is actually slammed down on the table in front of us. The well done steak is still moooing etc. We wondered why the place was empty.
Tuesday...getting to know the other trainees so having good time...want to shop that night. Galleria mall was great...we were all excited about eating at the Cheesecake Factory...the waitress is very young and we order. There are four of us at the table. Orders are placed. Waitress brings 2 waters and 2 of the drinks and gives these to 2 of us at the table, the others get nada. Time passes. Food arrives for 2 at table, same waitress asks the other 2 if we ordered anything? Did we order at same time? One of those with food has no drink, still. Waitress is asked for food and drink and she replies..."it hasn't come out?" We also ask for the missing drinks, she brings me, mine and while putting it on table pours another drink in the lap of one of the others...we inform her our shuttle will arrive shortly and we need our food, which she is amazed we still don't have. Then we ask for the last drink...she gets it and gives it to the wrong table. Manager is called after we still have no food, no drink and haven't seen waitress in 20 minutes. Manager is amazed as well, tells us our meal will be free and we will also get free cheesecake. Food and drink finally arrive, 10 minutes before shuttle is due, and waitress asks if we want a box or our we gonna try and eat it? We ask for boxes and free cheesecake, this takes long enough for us to finish our food, when the carry out boxes arrive they are big enough for a hotdog. No free cheesecake either. We inquire about this, she askes what kind. Our shuttle is in the parking lot so we get up to leave, this waitress, with now a radar that can find us anywhere informs us we cannot leave without paying our bill, she blocks the door and will not let us out...the manager had told us our meal was free. But we have to wait on the free cheesecake which is not ready....10 more minutes later we are off...have laughed so hard our sides hurt. what did we tip the waitress? We left a note stating.."Don't treat your customers like this ever again." Which only the busboys saw. I'm sure.
Wedsnesday AM, someone has puked in the hotel elevator and no one in the hotel wants to clean it up. This is the only elevator making it to the 10th floor. And...several members of the group have bugs in their rooms. Rooms are sprayed with Raid
Wednesday night ride, the shuttle to airport and the take Metro link to the Arch... the guys experience an attempted mugging. Great meal at Landry's in Union Station. Rent a van to take the 9 of us back to hotel, driver drives 45 on interstate for 28 miles. Arrive at hotel, room was left open by person with the raid can. Laid in bed and notice bug on ceiling, trying to balance on bed and kill it...got him though!!The kleenex stayed under bathroom sink for 2 days.
Thursday...Find out there was a fire at the Arch and somehow feel because we were there, we jinxed it. Hotel is the center of party on the plaza, thought we were gonna get away with no mis adventures for the day until the bikers decide around midnight to rev up their bikes to leave, not once but twice! Thought a plane was crashing into hotel.
Friday...awake to storms, tornado watchs, what a day to fly...pack, leave luggage at hotel since flight is early evening. Training session ends we say good byes, leave for airport for those who have an earlier flight. Shuttle breaksdown 4 blocks from hotel...the rest period I was supposed to get ended in 10 minutes as it was then time to load the shuttle and get to airport only to find flight delayed. Get luggage off at home baggage claim, it had been cut open for inspection, and ruined.
I hope I do not need another business/training trip for awhile. Highlight was... met alot of great people I would love to see again.
But please....don't make me go back to St. Louis.
Jul 20th, 2003, 06:52 AM
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Thanks for your sympathies but actually, all of the mishaps made the trip fun. I was with a great group of people who all seemed to take everything in stride. After all you can go with the flow or be upset, which will not change the circumstances. All in all, I would rather have these memories than have stated we were so bored etc etc etc. AND...I know at least 50 ways to get to our corp office from the Sheraton...but I'd probably still get lost.
Jul 20th, 2003, 06:54 AM
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I just remembered the shuttle driver driving as close to a car fire as possible so we could "feel the heat" and he could see what was up!! The car was blazing on an off ramp of some hiway and we all just hoped no one was in the car.
Jul 20th, 2003, 10:44 AM
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Arkansasnurse I want to travel with you! You know how to laugh at a bad situation and still get some enjoyment out of it. Too many people would be cranky about such a run of luck.
Better luck next time.
Better luck next time.
Jul 22nd, 2003, 07:55 PM
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I wonder what prompted your post? Would you like to warn future travelers to St.Louis thst it is a bad idea? Perhaps the corporate planner did not do their job efficiently...
Hmmmmm, most of it was restuarant blunders. I hope that does not sway your opinion about a city in its entirety.
Better luck next time, happy trails.
Hmmmmm, most of it was restuarant blunders. I hope that does not sway your opinion about a city in its entirety.
Better luck next time, happy trails.
Jul 24th, 2003, 01:16 PM
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Please do report the hotel experience to Starwood. They *will* ride franchised hotels to remedy problems, but they need to be made aware of what is going on.
When it comes to Starwoods, my experience has been that the hotels that are actually operated by Starwood have perfect service, but the franchised properties are often a little ragged around the edges.
Starwood is very responsive to complaints, though, so speak up!
When it comes to Starwoods, my experience has been that the hotels that are actually operated by Starwood have perfect service, but the franchised properties are often a little ragged around the edges.
Starwood is very responsive to complaints, though, so speak up!
Jul 24th, 2003, 02:36 PM
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Posted the experience because it was almost unbelievable, why does anyone post a trip report? Yes also to warn visitors. We laughed, why oh why, can't you.
Don't blame STL or the corp planner, who really did her job and well. She was appalled on what we all went thru, we all just laughed. I'm sorry you didn't enjoy it, I guess you had to be there.
Never heard of Starwoods.
Don't blame STL or the corp planner, who really did her job and well. She was appalled on what we all went thru, we all just laughed. I'm sorry you didn't enjoy it, I guess you had to be there.
Never heard of Starwoods.
Jul 25th, 2003, 11:58 AM
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ARKANSASNURSE, I agree: You sound like you'd be a hoot to travel with!! I laughed-- this sounds like a distillation of every bad travel experience I've ever had. And if you don't laugh, your head will explode!
Jul 26th, 2003, 06:43 AM
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So that must be why when I plan a trip people ask me if they can go! In the environment I work in (a prison) you learn to laugh at adversity, or your head does explode. It took me many years to get this way and it wasn't a smooth road!! I ask my self, will this matter next week? year? will it be a good story? If the answers are no.no. yes....we laugh, and make the best of it.
