GUWonder

Book flights around this and then see what Starwood does. (Not a general recommendation, but something some of us are willing to do. )

Scott218

I wonder if you can change the name of the person with the reservation. I missed out of the price drop and would definitely like to take over somebody else's reservation.

trekkie

I find it disturbing that the suggestion of my set number being in the system would disqualify me as when i booked it, i left out the set number but the system automatically assigned it when i put in my spg number. I think the hotel will honour the rate as they claim not be participant of the spg programme. I suspect that if they wish to stinge or be difficult, they will deny all spg in-hotel benefits and assign rooms from worst upwards, ie treating the reservations like priceline type only worse. Maybe making sure the bill includes all the necessary and legal taxes and including more if possible. The taxes are possible revenue avenue if the hotel is not completely fair in its collection.

Starwood Lurker

For those of you who were able to book this mistaken rate at Le Parker Meridien New York, you will be hearing directly from the hotel before the weekend. The communique should be perfectly clear, including the proper call to action, as required.

Best regards,

William R. Sanders
Online Guest Feedback Coordinator
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide

[email protected]

GrizShel

Thank you Starwood Lurker (William) for the heads up and all of your great input for Starwood on Flyertalk.

Of course, I do hope they will have good news for us this week.

GUWonder

Does this sound like Starwood yet again backing out of a hotel deal made on its own website? I would hope not, but let's see. c. 9-10 days (or more) after bookings are made is quite some time.

YYZC2

Why yes, yes it does.

skywalkerLAX

Considering I had to complete air travel ticketing already they better honor the rate !

How is the legal situation in this case ?

GUWonder

If you relied upon the hotel booking to make plans to your material detriment, Starwood and/or the hotel has to make you whole. In cases where Starwood and/or the hotel back out of a confirmed booking, they are hoping that the counterparties to the arrangement are not willing to invest the resources to pursue the matter. If pursued, they will pay to cover your non-refundable costs or, where the non-refundable costs are high, just honor the booking. A game of chicken -- to see who swerves first -- is what this seems like.

busygirl

Folks, let's be positive. Remember at the end of the year when the Westin Seattle had a $44 rate and the GM wrote a post to Flyertalk congratulating those who were able to snag the deal before they corrected it? And she wrote that they were still HONORING it? She is a class act. I've since stayed at her hotel, even though I wasn't able to snag the $44 rate.

It's the ying/yang of good business.

Let's hope NY is as class an act as their counterparts on the west coast!

skywalkerLAX

Knock on wood

trekkie

While the official word from spg is that communications would be forthcoming this weekend, i feel very strongly, the reservations should stand on a few grounds.

1) SPG has clearly marketed and backed that all reservations made on spg.com and affliated websites are guaranteed.
2) the rate isn't that low. December is considered winter and even though considering christmas season, i would be solely cross and might consider goign through the t& c to see if any legal action can occur. I have non-refundable plans as well.
3) Due to the guarantee, if the hotel backs out now, it would be setting a precedent that reservations made on spg.com are not guaranteed until confirmed and honoured at check-in which would complicate matters and make it more like marriot issues.
4) The hotel may choose to vary the t& c such that to make it non-refundable and non-changeable but those conditions were already there on spg.com bookings.
5) the hotel may not be a participant in the spg programme but is legally obliged to abide by the reservation procedures and protocol. FYI, SPG/starwood call centres do bill the individual hotels for every confirmation numbered reservation. Thats why hotels hate it when central reservation modify individual reservations as its internal revenue loss to the hotels.
Right william???

lakwelone

I think if they were going to cancel the reservations in its entirety, they would have done so long ago. Similar to the Le Meridien Khoa Lak situation, I think they will honor at a higher rate, but still a significant discount from rack.

ehud

This just arrived in my mailbox

Dear Mr. xxx



We are in receipt of your reservations with the following details:


XXXX


The rate amount on these reservations was due to a system error. We understand that this is a disappointment but we are prepared to offer the following rate instead. We will be happy to honor a rate of $79 +tax per night between the dates of 12/20/2007 and 12/25/2007. For the other dates of your reservation, we can offer a discounted rate of $395+tax per night.



This offer will only apply to one room per night, and you must personally be the registered guest, and utilize the credit card that was supplied when the reservation was made.

Please note that as your reservation was made under a corporate rate program, proof of affiliation with this corporation will be required upon check-in. Failure to present a valid company ID will mean that you will be charged the rate available on that day.



Although these reservations were made on a Starwood Hotels & Resorts website, the hotel is independently owned and operated. We ask that you please communicate with Le Parker Meridien directly regarding this matter.



Please let us know by 9/15/07 how you would like to proceed regarding this reservation. If we do not hear from you by that date, we will assume that you will not be staying with us.

We are sorry for this inconvenience.



Best regards



Anne Marie Lachmeyer

Reservations Manager

Le Parker Meridien



212-708-7363

merrickdb

I received the same notice as ehud. A rather poor response given one of my reservations was beginning 24 December and I had three rooms beginning 28 December. All rooms were at a rate of $71.10. So the hotel is offering me a higher rate than I booked for one night (Christmas Eve) in one room? I had booked four rooms for family members to join me (reserved under my name since it was easier than making separate reservations, and the Starwood website allows multiple rooms to be reserved under a single name), and booked days when I'd actually be in the United States. Offering me different days, a single room, and a higher rates is a rather poor attempt at reneging on a confirmed reservation. It's also interesting that rate was bumped up to the rate without a corporate discount, yet the email notes,

"Please note that as your reservation was made under a corporate rate program, proof of affiliation with this corporation will be required upon check-in. Failure to present a valid company ID will mean that you will be charged the rate available on that day."

I don't like to be difficult, but I'll stick with my original, confirmed reservation.