I'm pretty livid after what happened this morning. Looking for advice on the best channel to complain, and what would be considered reasonable.

I'm in the middle of a 12 night award stay at the W French Quarter (New Orleans), booked about a year ago at the cat 4 rate, 10K/nt = 100K for the stay. The hotel is now cat 5. It's Jazzfest, so rates are high and availability is very tight citywide.

The hotel is undergoing renovations, for the first 5 days of the stay, there was construction noise outside our window, annoying but bearable. This morning, though, the construction moved into a new phase, and we were awakened by jackhammers (literally) from the room right below ours. My noise meter app showed the sound in our room was a steady 60 db, with 70 db peaks. And this isn't a steady drone like an aircraft engine, it's a far more annoying staccato. The hotel manager confirmed that the construction hours are 9a-6p daily, 10a-6p weekends, and what we experienced this morning would likely continue during those hours through our checkout date.

It's unfathomable to me that a hotel could consider rooms with that level of construction noise to be usable, specially a higher end brand like a W. And I'm pretty tolerant, in decades of traveling, probably close to 1000 hotel nights, this is the first time I've ever checked out early due to the conditions at a hotel.

With no other acceptable rooms to offer us, the hotel manager on duty offered to move us to the W N.O. a few blocks away. We don't travel light for a 2 week festival trip, but we decided to endure the hassle of packing and moving, since the noise was not bearable. We checked out and were told our room would be waiting at the other W. But when we arrived there, we were told that they could only accommodate us for 2 nights, and we'd have to move back to the W FQ on Friday. Escalating to the manager on duty did not help, nor did a call to corporate customer service. They were prepared to "walk" us mid-stay a second time, rather than walk some other guest who had not yet checked in.

We then spoke again to the W FQ manager, who was able to get us a room at the Sheraton, nearby, a lesser hotel (it's currently cat 3), but available thru our checkout of Tuesday without needing another move. So we're here now. From the time I first complained to the desk at the W FQ this morning until we finally got into our room at the Sheraton was 4 hours.

The manager at the W FQ offered 12K points. I think that would have been appropriate for the noise this morning and the hassle of one hotel move. But the complete breakdown of customer service of moving us to a hotel with no room available, and the extra time and effort and stress of the second move deserves more, I think.

So, who should I complain to? Phone, email, letter? And what would be a reasonable offer?

 

I think a good starting point would be to check the normal prices and categories, both last year when your reservation was made and now, for both Ws and the Sheraton. If you've been moved to a cheaper property, you should certainly get a refund, in this case presumably in the points "currency." Did the Sheraton give you an upgrade or any perks beyond a standard room? (I would assume that this Sheraton has the typical domestic lounge.)

Is there any evidence that no quiet rooms were available for you because you had booked on last year's points rate? Do you have SPG status?

 

I'm currently a preferred/credit card member. I was Gold when I booked the trip, and though I dropped in February, the W FQ did still welcome me as a Gold member when I checked in. I don't believe my status or lack thereof affected the move, I do believe they didn't have enough vacant, unaffected rooms for all their guests. The hotel was sold out, and the construction is loud enough that lots of rooms are affected. I was not the only one at the front desk complaining.

Rather than just move the reservation, they seem to have pulled the points from my account for the new stay. It was 40K for 6 nights instead of 35K, the award shows as "SPG3/SPECIALTY UPGRD", I was not informed about that, but this is the least of my concerns. It seems like a standard room to me, though it does have a view. I'm expecting 50K to be credited back for the 6 unused nights at the W FQ, so I'll be 10K better for the lesser hotel. So that part is taken care of, I'm more concerned about
- getting awakened by jackhammers
- getting moved to another hotel, only to find out they cannot accommodate me
- wasting 4 hours getting moved twice
- I'm also out about $25 in cab fares and bellman tips

ETA: rooms at these hotels usually run $250-450 during Jazzfest. The room I got at the Sheraton would have been $289 for a cash stay.

 

So during one of the busiest times in NO the hotel offered a remedy and it took 4 whole hours of your life?

Even with remedy offered you still want compensation?

Gotta love America at times. Why don't you hire a lawyer just in case.

FYI...9am-6pm is standard for construction.

 

12000 points is very good compensation. take it and enjoy the rest of your stay in New Orleans.

 

I can't find the post right now, but if you do a search in this forum there are points of contact e.g., email and phone numbers as well as the same information on the spg.com site for customer support. I would document with whom you spoke, etc. It's unfortunate this happened and I can empathize with how frustrated you must be when you can't enjoy your trip.

 

I honestly think you should think about it for a minute. You have a new hotel room, were given 12K points as compensation, have a nice/clean hotel room during an extremely busy time in New Orleans, were bothered by construction that happened during very normal hours of the day...and go outside and enjoy your time in New Orleans. Don't let it ruin your trip. Enjoy the city and the jazz fest and be thankful that at least you have a place to sleep and 12K points to boot!

 

12k is more then fair... construction, while annoying, happens.

enjoy your vacation! NOLA is a great place!

 

But why the hotel would be doing construction work during one of the busiest times in New Orleans? Just doesn't make any sense.

Bet that the OP used the 5th night free?

OP needs to calculate how much the difference is in points using the hotel categories that were in use when he booked the W. Ask for the difference back and then 10K to 20K for the inconvenience.

 

I think that's a very good solution.

Mike

 

My opinion: the only other thing I'd ask for is that the Sheraton stay be charged at 35k, not 40k. Especially if you aren't in some sort of junior suite or "deluxe room" and never asked for any type of upgrade. It doesn't sound like you actually received an upgrade anyway.

I'd be livid about the four hours. That to me is more important than anything, but spending a bunch more time trying to haggle more Starpoints than the 12k probably would end up being counterproductive.

I doubt I'd even mention the few bucks spent on cabs and bellmen. I mean, I'd be irritated about that too but it's a small nit compared to the bigger picture.

 

+2, though I'd ask for at least 25K for the aggravation and inconvenience, given that the hotel even booked the OP into a room that clearly would become intolerable. I'm pitching the request a bit high on the theory that the hotel might, if it's a all responsible (which is a big "if") might come back with a reasonable offer not quite at that level.

 

agreed to aiming high - also given the move to the Sheraton is a definite step down.

Been visiting NOLA a couple times a year for last 4 years and availed myself of the various SPG options (2 Ws, Westin + Sheraton). After this last trip decided this would be the last at the Sheraton. There's a reason its now a Cat 3 - and beyond the rooms getting tired the service has noticeably slipped.

 

We were at the Westin Canal Place last weekend (first weekend of Jazz Fest). Monday morning from midnight to 6AM no water as they had to make a repair. It happens. We got three bottles of water as compensation

Cheers.

 

had similar situation with Marriorr Champs Elysees (as a benchmark how other chains do it) - had construction noise due to them renovating the facade. Asked duty manager to find out what the source of the noise was - and was politely offered to refund 50% of the points requried for the stay (as far as I remember it was something like 90k points).
Was staying at Westin KL when they had huge construction in front of the building (1 night stay) received 10k points as compensation.
AX