BlindPilot

I'm checking in today for a 4-night stay W Hotel San Diego), can I expect anything as a mere Gold? I can cry on command, if that would help.

BlindPilot

I'm currently on my last night of a 4-night stay at this property and I am extremely disappointed with the experience. Day 1, my phone and one nightlamp wasn't working. It took them 2 hours to decide to move me to another room. Day 2, I entered my room at 5pm, only to find that they have yet to make my room. It took them another hour to get someone to do it and another 1/2 hour to get it ready. Day 3, Same as day 2. I looked for the Gm but he/she wasn't there. A front desk manager (Kyle) tried a good faith effort to compensate for the inconvenience by upgrading me to a Fantastic Suite today (4th day) for an upgrade fee of $100 (which I accepted) and was told that I he'll make sure to get it ready at 10:00 am this morning. Additonally, he said he'll give me 12,000 points.

Before leaving the hotel this morning, I stopped by the front desk to and looked for the manager that made the promised, but he wasn't there. I reminded who ever was there about the promised of getting me in the suite at 10am. I was told that they can only guarantee a 3pm check-in to that room.

I was running late for a meeting so I ignored it for the meantime. I'll be back at the hotel around noon. I can probably expect to not have the room available. Do I make a big stink of it? How would you guys approach this issue?

tfong007

This is not a good hotel. They have bad housekeeping service, rooms are noisy(thin walls/thin doors), lousy with upgrades(out of 10 stays I got upgraded to one of the middle suites once). The room service food stinks. The hotel is next to the county jail. Once they gave me a plat amenity gift that consisted of a box of expired/moldy chocolates. There are many better SPG options in San Diego.

BlindPilot

Just an update..... Like I was saying, I was promised an early move (10 am) to the Fantastic Suite on Day 4. So, after my morning meeting, I called the hotel at 11am to inform them that I'm on my way there and I was told that the room isn't available and normal check in time is 3pm. I, again, explained the situation and asked what happened to the promised made my Kyle, the manager? This manager I was speaking with (Gabriella) said that cleaning staff arrives at 10am and no way,and therefore, it is impossible for it to get ready by 10am. I no longer want to argue and I simply asked if they can rush it as I'm on the way to the hotel and just wanted to get a nap as I had very little sleep the previous nights. She agreed and was told that it will be ready by 11:30.

I arrived at the hotel and hanged out at the lobby to do some web browsing to get my daily FT fix and waited until 11:30. 11:30 came and went and my room wasn't ready. At around 11:45am, I looked for Gabriella and was told that she's on her way down. Waited for 30 minutes at one of the lobby couches when a front desk employee informed me that Gabriella was pulled into a meeting and that she can't see me. I was told that my room is almost done, but not quite. They'll let me know, she said. This is already 12:15 or so. Finally, at 12:30 or so, the room is ready. Yippee!!

So frustrating. And makes me question if I made the right decision switching allegiance from Marriott to SPG.

I now even doubt if I'll get the 12,000 points I was promised. I may even be a sucker for agrreing to pay the $100 upgrade.

Not a pleasant experience, to say the least.

kevinsac

Obviously, as at any property, YMMV. With my experiences, I wish I could more often afford to make my SD reservations at the W.

bbbb

If it were me I would file a complaint with SPG when this stay ends. You got the run around big time from management and I would be very unhappy after all that you reported. In the end I would be asking for a lot more then the 12,000 points offered. I call BS on the fact that all of house keeping starts at 10am . I have stayed here a few times and never one upgrade. This hotel is not even a choice when I stay in SD.



Good luck!

KENNECTED

I don't believe you can question the switch, after one (or a few stays). This hotel has had bad reports for a while.

I would like to suggest, getting the promise of 12,000 points in writing, on the properties letterhead from Kyle before checking out. If he isn't available you need to get to the GM of this property and have him write it. This way you have proof, incase the points do not post.

I wouldn't wait to call starwood to lodge a complaint - and stick to the facts - about the service levels of this property.

Personally, the, "cleaning staff arrives at 10am" line is hard to believe.

car_guy1

So I had a three day stint at the W San Diego last week over the 4th. It was my first time at this property. I usually stay at the West at Horton Plaza. Anyway, I got upgraded to a "cool corner room" which was pretty nice and spacious. But the thing wrong was the shower. It has the typical W "rain" type shower head. In order to get any hot water the pressure was so hard than when it hit various private parts it hurt, badly. So I had some protecting to do, no big deal right? So on the last day, the last shower in the firehose, I get the shampoo in, and all cold water is lost. None what so ever. The timing couldn't have been worse. I had to rinse in the sink. I told front desk manager, he offered 10k points and free upgrade to a suite on the next visit without me even asking for anything. I'll go back based on customer service alone.

Elena

Just had a 2 night stay at W San Diego. Upgraded to cool corner room and received the amenity chocolates. Late checkout was not a problem.

My main annoyance is I left some papers for the front desk to fax. As I was in a rush I asked to pick them up later in the day. The fax was never sent and when I asked for the papers back they did not know where they were and still have not located them. I find this to be completely unaccpetable. I didn't remember the name if the front desk employee who was supposed to fax them but there was only one so I doubt it's that hard for them to figure out.

Had a late dinner at Rice which was empty although I found the food to be very tasty. The wine list however was unimpressive.

After my stay I switched hotels and tried the Hilton Gaslamp, Hardrock, and the Ivy. If I needed Starwood stays I would return to the W since it is my favorite *brand and I doubt the other Starwoods would be any nicer but otherwise I wouldn't hesitate to go elsewhere.

awc4

I wonder if we were all in the same Cool Corner Room, as I was in Room 1214 and was shocked when I didn't have hot water in the morning with the showerhead. The hot water for the tub was lukewarm, but cold water was coming out of the shower when I turned it all the way to the end. When I called the front desk about this, they questioned me multiple times before sending an engineer up after about 20 minutes. The engineer tried to fix it, but to no avail. When I went down to the front desk, they told me that they would be able to switch me to another room later. As I was in town for a conference that my company was hosting, I couldn't get back until about 8pm, at which point there were no Cool Corner Rooms to move to (I had assumed that they would hold one of the rooms, but I was wrong). I agreed to move to a Wonderful Room (which had hot water) and I was given a "free breakfast" as a makegood. As I was checking out early next morning for a 6:25 flight out of SAN, I was told that they would put my order in for a 5am breakfast delivery. At 5:15, I called the front desk and the woman was very apologetic about the fact that they had not placed my order and brought it promptly to me at 5:25, so I had about 5 minutes to eat it and rush to the airport. I wanted to like this hotel, as I will be back in SAN at least twice a year now for this conference, but I guess I will now try some other places much closer to the Convention Center.

anchor79

any recent updates with this property? I am planning to take my friend down for her 21st bday using 50PRG in april. So I will most likely ended up with a cool corner room on the weekend (sat?)? or i should move my reservation to other property in the area (like US grant ) for same amount of points?

socalplat

anchor79,

I'm from SD and it sounds like for a 21st, you would want to be closer to the Gaslamp. That's where all the restaurants, bars and clubs are located. Between 4th and 6th. From Broadway south to about Market St. I would recommend the Westin Horton Plaza. Rooms are pretty nice and plats always get upgraded to suites. The bonus is you are only steps away from the Gaslamp. The W is about 6-7 blocks away.

The W is a great place to be when it's warmer. You can enjoy the outside bar (sand included).

ThePriceIsWrong

I just stayed there 2 weeks ago, got a Fantastic Suite at a rate of $700 +$50 for my two guests. A bit disapoointed, the Fantastic Suite is really just two rooms with the middle doors open. One room is converted ino a living room but is essentially the same thing. Could just as well get two rooms and it would be cheaper. Checked in at 5pm and our room wasnt ready when we arrived. Also, there were no sheets on the fold out bed and after calling down for the sheets they never showed up. In the morning when we woke up they were laying outside the door.

Loved the hotel, the staff was great. Put the Whatever/Whenever to the test by calling before I left for my flight and asking that they pick up a laptop charger for me and it was there when I arrived. Just expected a bit more for my $800 a night.

FernO

I was by the W San Diego last night and they are performing major renovations of the lobby area. You now check in where RICE was /is located and they have a small bar there. The beach bar is still open on the 2nd floor.
Hopefully, the front end reservation and lounge area will be back better than ever. Also, the Acura car service is there until the end of the year. They will take you to Coronado Island, Gaslamp, La Jolla, etc from what I understand.

anchor79

Just Checked...all the cool corner room sold out already for my date of arrival. They said the best they have is the penthouse level wonderful room...what're the major difference between the regular and the penthhouse? which room (numbers) are the better rooms in your opinion?