I am a meeting planner and was very excited to stay at the new Westin during a large conference my company was hosting. My team and I work late hours and quickly determined the hotel restaurant, bar, and room service staff to be in need of a major overhaul.
All of the offered menus seemed to try too hard to be special and unique, but they were not able to pull it off. First, this hotel must learn how to do the basics and once they master those, then try to be different. The sliders on the Birch Bar menu were dry and one night as a group of us dined close to our other friend’s table we were all given a different message from the same server about what was available and what was not available. It is very unfortunate for a hotel to ever “86” hamburgers from their menu! Throughout the week we found the only way to get decent service in the Birch Bar was to tap our waitress on the shoulder and give her our orders either verbally or written down for her convenience.
We found room service to be an absolute nightmare. Our standard delivery time was 90 minutes or more, but on one occasion when I placed and order and was told it would take “approximately 60 minutes” I was on the phone and placed on hold with the Service Express agent at least 20 minutes as she fumbled through taking my order. I ordered the steak salad from the room service menu and was extremely disappointed when it arrived and it was a plate of chopped tomatoes and red onions with little blue cheese and a chewy piece of steak. I expected a salad and did not feel the menu description accurately informed me of the overpriced “meal.” Also, I tried to order a half bottle of Shiraz with my meal and found it frustrating there was not a wine menu included with my room service menu so I had to rely on the Service Express agent to tell me what was available. She missed big and a full bottle of Point Noir was delivered with my meal.
Our final experience with the hotel that sent me over the edge was when I went to get my car from the hotel valet parking. The ticket stated a 20 minute wait so I decided to wait outside and get some fresh air. After 30 minutes and no car I became concerned but understood they were busy. After 60 minutes I went to ask about my car and was given the run around by one of the valet employees. When I demanded to know where my car was I was told they didn’t know and they thought it had been towed. My question is how does a car get towed from hotel valet?!? I demanded they get my car back immediately and informed them they would be responsible for any damage that my have been an effect of the towing. I was then sent inside and offered something to drink and to eat. It made the wait easier, but the situation not forgivable. As I sat there the Manager on Duty that afternoon in the hotel approached me and when I began to express my frustration regarding the towing situation he informed me the parking and the hotel are separate. He seemed to not understand his hotel contracted the parking service and his guest entrust their cars to their care when they stay at his hotel so as far as I was concerned it is in fact one and the same.
After 2.5 hours my car was brought back to the hotel undamaged and I was on my way home. Before I left I met a very nice lady with a bigger problem than my own, her car had been stolen from valet!
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