With technology, comes change. This site, which had always been a way to keep family and friends up to date on the (mundane) goings on in my life, is largely becoming irrelevant as services like Facebook and Flickr allow me to reach a broader group of people.
So - for now - this site will remain up, but I probably won’t be updating it often. To “catch up” with Jim visit:
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Flickr (photos)
I’m a Starwood Preferred Guest and usually love staying at Westin’s. This trip was not the case.
First - one star for being in a convenient location.
If I could deduct that star for my inability to log on to my Starwood account and post this there where I feel it would have done the most good. But after three password resets - SPG.com just wont let me log in…perhaps they KNOW what’s to come.
Things the hotel CAN’T control:
1. Ridiculous street traffic noise. I have stayed in New York and San Francisco and have not had this much street noise. Cars, trucks - heck, even bikes seem like they are coming through my room.
2. The trolley. The main hub of the trolley is one block away. Train whistles and bells, the clackity clack of trains on the track all seem like they are passing directly outside my window…and I was on the OPPOSITE side of the hotel.
3. The airport. Planes take off over the Pacific, which means they rev the jet engines at the eastern end of the runway which is about 2 miles away from the hotel. I literally felt the bed shake as each plane took off - starting about 6:15 a.m.
I chalk all that up to being in a downtown location - I should have brought ear plugs. No harm - no foul, will just stay elsewhere next time.
What they SHOULD have controlled:
I am here on business. When I got to my room last night after my event there was a lovely note on my pillow thanking me for my stay and advising me that the electric company had scheduled a power outage from 1:00 am - 3:30 am.
The letter goes on to say - “make sure you place your wake up call through service express” (how sweet - they don’t want me to miss my wake-up call because the power will be out and their alarm clock will be useless)
What the letter DIDN’T say:
1. A power outage means that your smoke alarm will beep every 30 seconds because we haven’t changed the backup battery in three or four years.
2. A power outage means that there will be no elevator service - so please be patient as we send every Guest up the metal stairs just outside your room. May we suggest a pillow over your head to dampen the clanging that will reverberate through your brain? We realize it’s 2:30 in the morning and everyone is returning from the bars in Gaslamp Quarter…but gosh we mean well!
3. A power outage means no electric door locks, no light if needing to use the restroom, oh - and we apologize that your room will become a sauna as there will be no air conditioning.
4. We had enough notice to write you this sweet letter - perhaps we should have notified you BEFORE YOU ARRIVED so you could have made alternate plans. -or-
DAMN that San Diego Gas and Electric for telling us at 5pm this afternoon - please allow us to inform you as you check in so we can walk you to another Starwood property.
There is no excuse for bad customer service. I understand that a power company has to get work done - but a hotel of Starwood caliber should be able to think through the potential pitfalls and make their Guests comfortable - or at least give them the option of going somewhere else.
New photos from my trip to Napa and San Francisco are online at Flickr.
