http://www.elliott.org/blog/four-poi...canceled-room/

I wonder what the real story is here. I just don't trust Elliott.

1. who cares about the blogger

2. Had the blogger filed a corporate customer service file, it wouldve been resolved

3.you dont know what type of room rate the blogger had

4. I've missed a reservation due to complications. The property manager called me personally to tell me he would refund me the charges immediately ^

Obviously an unfair generalization of the entire 4P and Sheraton brands based on a singular incident, an incident that may have plenty of unknown.

"Update: Apparently Starwood does care. I was just contacted by an “Online Guest Feedback Coordinator” for Starwood who seems to have picked this up from a relatively ignorant post on FlyerTalk. Stay tuned."

Apparently Starwood Lurker read this very post and contacted Christopher Elliot regarding the matter. Way to go, William! In fact, there's a link leading right back to this post.

But just as Christopher might have been unfair to generalize Starwood and Four Points based on one incident, likewise it would be unfair to call him out as biased or uninformed. Just remember that the general audience for his blogs tends to be casual travelers who do not know the in-and-outs as well the average FlyerTalk reader. When someone on this forum makes a complaint about poor service or similar issues, I know for a fact that other FT'ers will demand the nitty gritty details laid out in the post so they can dissect the matter. (Despite my posting history, I've been following the FT Starwood forum for the past two years.) I get a sense that since Elliott blogs appears on CNN.com and other media outlets that there's probably a lot of correspondence and small details behind the scenes that is not detailed in the blog.

Pretty well accepted here to take anything Elliott writes about with a large grain(think boulder size)of salt=or better yet just ignore.
He blathers on about the injustices of airline/hotel elite programs-without disclossing his rank with these programs.
He gives bad/incorrect/misleading information out with regularity.
He is a known FT basher,even though he was once a member.

What posting history?

Welcome to FlyerTalk, Drop_Bear! Hope to see your posting frequency increase at least a little!

Did Elliott's post previously say "ignorant" where it now says "amusing"? Classy!

Pointless entry in a pointless blog.
It's not fair to anyone to make such hasty generalizations.

It now says "amusing and somewhat ignorant post on FlyerTalk" He also said "Also, to the FlyerTalkers out there clicking on this blog … I love you, too!" Is that a sarcastic remark to those who have a low opinion of him. Mr. Elliot, please sign up on FT where you can debate your side as you are often quoted on FT.

Why not call the customer service? That's what I do when I need help.

He is a registered member.
And I am sure he spends ample time on Flyertalk.

I have a sneaky suspicion - and I could be wrong - that, that particular post, was posted here to drive traffic to the Elliott.org site.

As the almighty BlissWorld stated, "who cares"?????

Puh-leaze! Who cares! We have better dramas/novellas to discuss here.

Now where is that delete thread button?

I agree, but I also find that Elliott's blog entry reads almost exactly like a lot of posts on FT!

Many FTers are just as quick to leap to conclusions based on a single unfortunate incident.

I've not bothered to journey to Eliot's site to read the tale of his misfortune. Over half a century of staying in hotels, being the banker for a couple, running holding meetings, workshops and conferences in them (38 years worth), I've experienced, seen, heard and been told of a veritable plethora of tales of woe and anguish. Back before I knew better, young and naive enough to believe that hotel keepers were a better sort than used car dealers, repo men and bill collectors, I, like most, simply went with the flow, accepting the often tall tales I was being told by front desks. Long before finding FT, I learned to always ask for the MOD, no matter the hour, especially after bedtime, and that hotels like funeral homes largely depended upon the fact that unhappy patrons simply were not going to vent in such solemn, high class surroundings.

But recently, reading the Starwood threads, the terrible and unforgivable tale of "Honey Money", followed soon after with the quaint tale of a pre-welcoming email from a IAH inn closed by Ike, I was reminded that two of my worst hotel tales involved Starwood properties.

The first, a decade ago, involved a fancy new Sheraton where I had scheduled a 2 day meeting for 100+ among the contracted requirements for which, big and bold and irrefutable on paper, was a "Hospitality Suite", which after discovering that the days in question were otherwise in demand, the hotel attempted to snatch back to house some high status guest, offering the alternative of a stark and featureless ground floor meeting room, no windows, and the usual hard chairs. No compensation, side offers, etc., It cost the hotel the meeting with it's own F&B, about 250 room nights of revenue, and whatever the guests would have spent in the restaurants.

A bad command decision by that hotel, especially since the occasion so angered me as to avoid Starwoods for nearly a decade, for meetings and for my own personal and business use.

A couple of years back, at the urging of some local hosts, I relented, scheduling a big "do", 750 room nights, $50K in associated F&B and other association expenses, etc..
Massive flooding for weeks before the event cut registrations and attendance by 15% or so, and meanwhile the hotel's reservation setup was more than a month before the event rejecting callers claiming the "Block" was full, combining to hold down projections about 25%. At the same time, the rains had caused serious damage to the hotel, taking some meeting space out of service and the hotel had for whatever reason provided two prime function spaces to other events, leaving me to hold a keynote function with entertainment, etc., in what had been a shopping mall, all piped and draped to hide the storefronts, and the acoustics of a shopping mall.

Then the hotel had the brazen effrontery to attempt to collect an attrition fee, via emailed letter sent 3 days after our departure. My email response was in the classic naval tradition of brief messages..."'F' You! Strong letter follows." Cooler heads prevailed when the hotel was informed of the seemingly hitherto unknown - to the hotel - portion of contract law known as "Specific Performance". Amusingly, the regional association involved hasa state affiliate which a year later approached the hotel proposing to hold a conference (scheduled then for September, 2008, as hotels suck from a vacuum of too few guests, empty rooms and low revenue). The group was rejected, went across the street and was apparently quite happy with the change. Just how soon will they want to return to the afore-mentioned Sheraton.

Each of these four occasions represent in final analysis management failures, either on site or in the oversight group. I've experienced problems with other hotels and chains, but my two Starwood stories, added to the two recent threads here, don't do much for my future perspective. I'm retiring, so Starwood doesn't have to worry about the association which I ran for a couple of decades, but on my own account, still doing a bit of consulting and some pleasure travel, I'm not a fan.

I sincerely appreciate the efforts of Starwood Lurker on FT. I wish a couple of other hotel groups would take a more active part, but I suspect that in neither of my tales of woe could he have been helpful.

Enough said. Even as a loyal Starwood PG, I would never have any important functions at the Sheraton. Though Starwood is trying hard to give Sheraton a facelift, I personally don't forsee any changes coming.

If I wanted to impress my guests, there are other hotels that come to mind. Namely, W, St Regis, Luxury Collection, and the Westin.