Has the HSW gone downhill in Elite Treatment?

[mella2007]

Re: How do Hilton treat you as an Elite?

Status: Gold
Property: HSW
Date: 21/22 March
Booked: 1 x King Guest Room
Received: Twin Guest Room
Rate: $240

Worst Hilton stay in 3 years of any Hilton hotel worldwide. Where do I start? (and some of you know the story already so I'll keep it brief)
*No King Bed in entire hotel available, so Mr Mella and I "dormed" it up in a Twin Room
*Rude Duty Manager who told me hotel status doesn't mean anything and my fault for booking so late
*Wouldn't call HOTP for me to check their availability until I pushed the point
*Room door needed whole body to push it open and close it
*No water, no nothing
*Insulted at check out when handing over my CC that "is that your husbands" with a laugh...when 1. He was not mentioned in the booking 2. He wasn't with me at that time and an apology by the guy at the desk when he knew he stepped over the line with his comment.

Last stay for me at this hotel Rooms are looking shabby, corridors tired and staff look unhappy to be working there. Email sent to the GM, so awaiting his response, and also to let him know that there are many unhappy customers choosing to move their hotel business elsewhere.

 

[Fifa]

Property: HSW

Worst Hilton stay in 3 years of any Hilton hotel worldwide.

I hope I have a better experience than you tomorrow night :shock:.
I'm feeling the love here at HOTP.

 

[serfty]

Re: How do Hilton treat you as an Elite?

...

Last stay for me at this hotel Rooms are looking shabby, corridors tired and staff look unhappy to be working there. Email sent to the GM, so awaiting his response, and also to let him know that there are many unhappy customers choosing to move their hotel business elsewhere.

An email to the GM may or may not elicit an effective response.

Be aware that if you submit a complaint through Hilton Worldwide Customer care, the management of the HSW will be pinged a fee, whether resolved to your satisfaction or not.

Hilton HHonors Hotel Loyalty Program Support | Hilton HHonors

http://secure.hilton.com/en/hi/feedback/guest_assistance.jhtml

 

[jetlagger]

Re: How do Hilton treat you as an Elite?

Status: Gold
Property: HSW
Date: 21/22 March
Booked: 1 x King Guest Room
Received: Twin Guest Room
Rate: $240

Worst Hilton stay in 3 years of any Hilton hotel worldwide. Where do I start? (and some of you know the story already so I'll keep it brief)
*No King Bed in entire hotel available, so Mr Mella and I "dormed" it up in a Twin Room
*Rude Duty Manager who told me hotel status doesn't mean anything and my fault for booking so late
*Wouldn't call HOTP for me to check their availability until I pushed the point
*Room door needed whole body to push it open and close it
*No water, no nothing
*Insulted at check out when handing over my CC that "is that your husbands" with a laugh...when 1. He was not mentioned in the booking 2. He wasn't with me at that time and an apology by the guy at the desk when he knew he stepped over the line with his comment.

Last stay for me at this hotel Rooms are looking shabby, corridors tired and staff look unhappy to be working there. Email sent to the GM, so awaiting his response, and also to let him know that there are many unhappy customers choosing to move their hotel business elsewhere.

For the reasons outlined, that stay certainly doesn't sound overly impressive.
Let us know if & how the GM responds to your email.

 

[Moopere]

Re: How do Hilton treat you as an Elite?

It doesn't seem to be an uncommon experience at the previously excellent HSW. Seems to me like a lot of the staff are unhappy.

 

[jetlagger]

Re: How do Hilton treat you as an Elite?

It doesn't seem to be an uncommon experience at the previously excellent HSW. Seems to me like a lot of the staff are unhappy.

The most important factor in any hotel is the service, guests remember service levels so much more than any physical attributes of the property.. So in the case mentioned.. If the staff are not happy.. then..
Just wondering why the staff would be unhappy?
IME I usually find Hilton service staff & management to be generally quite professional, though considered that, there is some room for fine tuning on some of the service levels at some properties as they often lack consistency.
Just my thoughts..

 

[straitman]

Re: How do Hilton treat you as an Elite?

If anyone has any specific stories/complaints/worries about HSW could they forward them to me ASAP morning as I am meeting with GM and Guest Relations Manager & Executive Assistant to General Manager & Director of Business Development on Monday morning.

 

[jetlagger]

Re: How do Hilton treat you as an Elite?

If anyone has any specific stories/complaints/worries about HSW could they forward them to me ASAP morning as I am meeting with GM and Guest Relations Manager & Executive Assistant to General Manager & Director of Business Development on Monday morning.

The meeting ratio appears a little unbalanced, though a fantastic liaison activity.
Well done, in advance.

 

[robbie1984]

Re: How do Hilton treat you as an Elite?

If anyone has any specific stories/complaints/worries about HSW could they forward them to me ASAP morning as I am meeting with GM and Guest Relations Manager & Executive Assistant to General Manager & Director of Business Development on Monday morning.

It's the small things generally speaking. No note, water, upgrade etc. Being charged for internet and having to argue to have it removed as a Diamond.

 

[vitagen]

Re: How do Hilton treat you as an Elite?

Wow your experience is wildly different from my last stay at HSW which was excellent. Although that was about 6 months ago. Whats changed?

 

[Ewing]

Re: How do Hilton treat you as an Elite?

Well I only really have three things to complain about on my most recent stay at HSW:

(3 nights, at the start of the month):

1) No upgrade. Received as I booked.

2) No water.

3) Door latch wasn't working properly. Multiple times we returned to our room after housekeeping had been there to find the door unlocked, and not requiring a key to enter. This was after reporting it on the first night!

My next two planned trips to Melbourne are booked at HOTP instead. A shame as I really liked HSW.

 

[sinophile888]

Re: How do Hilton treat you as an Elite?

I'm glad I have booked into HOTP for my next Hilton stay in Melbourne. I have never been a great fan of HSW after two underwhelming stays a couple of years ago.

 

[Moopere]

Re: How do Hilton treat you as an Elite?

My last stay was in February. The gripes I had were pretty much status recognition:

- No upgrade (suites were available ... but I guess Golds just don't qualify .. )
- Didn't get lounge access either ... other hotels, when they genuinely can't upgrade me tend to give out lounge access ... but, I realise I'm gold and don't qualify for this.
- No Note, no fruit, no nothing
- Had to explain what a turndown was, which I then received, but no little chockies or anything else.

Overall, just didn't feel the love. When this hotel was at its best it was gushing ... and I went as often as I could and highly recommended colleagues do the same. I guess we've overloaded the team now and standards are dropping. HOTP next time for me. They had a bad spell for a while there, but things are on the up it seems.

 

[Mollycram]

Re: How do Hilton treat you as an Elite?

Comments re my stays this year at HSW are:

- no upgrade (despite this being a booking in early Jan when the hotel was virtually empty)
- room was not cleaned until after 6pm....this was after I had gone down at 3pm and requested it
- no water
- no card from GM or any goodies (had received nuts, wine, bubbles, choc coated strawberries in the past)
- no conditioner
- no turndown
- housekeeping removed personal champagne flutes - clearly marked Tattinger and completely different shape to hotel stock
- doors hanging off centre and therefore difficult to open/close.

Just a lot of small things that taint the stay at what used to be a fantastic hotel. I used to call it my home away from home but am not staying there as often now due to it not feeling special anymore....

 

[serfty]

I have been doing some research and they can indeed vary your room type!

When you make a booking online, the reservation confirmation will include a line like:

Your room type preferences have been submitted with your reservation, and are subject to hotel availability.

So they don't have to honor what you booked if they don't have it.

If they put you in a room that sells for less, they should adjust the rate downward to that of the room they give you. Although, by that time the room rate is probably higher anyway.

I am sure they would have tried to honor the type but it's certainly not good PR when something like this happens.

As far the the HSW service for elites goes, I guess there has been a flood of Velocity SMed Golds and Diamonds for the last year or so and they may be "adjusting" service levels to that required and little more.

 

[ric_melb]

Stayed at HSW 22/23 March.

As a Gold received upgrade from King Guestroom to King Executive.
Received Executive Lounge access.
Two bottles of water in the room.
Room was clean, stocked with amenities, and everything in working order.
Turn down service with chocolates offered.

I do get the impression from the busy lounge on Friday evening that there are large numbers of status guests, and maybe their guests, staying from time to time.
The standard of the canapes seemed to be less than on my last stay.
Front desk staff were polite and friendly.

I think it is good that Bill will be meeting with the GM, and can put forward a variety of views from us. And will be good to get feedback.
It is possible that some members have expectations that are in excess of their status, however I think we are entitled to all have our own perspective on this.
On the other hand some members have received treatment that should not occur in any hotel, no matter whether they have status or not.

It would seem to me that a note from the GM is no longer given, and frankly this does not worry me. Seems reasonable from an ecological viewpoint.
From memory water is a Hilton standard, but I would not expect fruit platters etc to be common.

 

[drross]

Re: How do Hilton treat you as an Elite?

If anyone has any specific stories/complaints/worries about HSW could they forward them to me ASAP morning as I am meeting with GM and Guest Relations Manager & Executive Assistant to General Manager & Director of Business Development on Monday morning.

thanks Bill. No water, always have to ring and request. Anyone can enter lounge....door often open and no need to use room key to access lounge. Ross

 

[trippin_the_rift]

Re: How do Hilton treat you as an Elite?

I was at HSW last week and it was as awesome as ever. Booked double room got 2bd suite, got 4 ppl into the lounge without any probs.

100% upgrade rate there in over 10 stays in the past year.

 

[Moopere]

As far the the HSW service for elites goes, I guess there has been a flood of Velocity SMed Golds and Diamonds for the last year or so and they may be "adjusting" service levels to that required and little more.

Mmm, yes, I have thought about this as well, and its been mentioned more then once. Seems a reasonable reason for the dropping levels of 'love' for status customers. However, and its a biggy in my view, I don't get this treatment when I'm in Asia. As a gold staying at Hilton properties in Asia they fall over themselves to make sure you're looked after and all the perks + some are given. A lot of these hotels, and I'm thinking BKK as a good example, are flooded daily with status customers.

 

[hummel]

Mmm, yes, I have thought about this as well, and its been mentioned more then once. Seems a reasonable reason for the dropping levels of 'love' for status customers. However, and its a biggy in my view, I don't get this treatment when I'm in Asia. As a gold staying at Hilton properties in Asia they fall over themselves to make sure you're looked after and all the perks + some are given. A lot of these hotels, and I'm thinking BKK as a good example, are flooded daily with status customers.

Same experience with me, Hilton La Defense in Paris couldn't do enough for me as a HH Gold.