kathleena
<font color=FF99FF>Because everyone needs a Fairy
- Joined
- Jan 27, 2001
- Messages
- 2,216
I tried really hard not to create a flaming title here (like horror or disaster)! I dont like those thread titles myself, but have to say that its tempting after having had the first hand experience.
Let me preface this by saying that I do not believe one bad experience colors all. Nor do I believe that one thing wrong in a resort makes the whole resort bad. Mistakes happen and none of us want to be the one they happen to. Obviously OKW is a lovely resort with good CMs and lots of wonderful qualities.
I am reporting this here because there have been several reports recently of this type of room NOT ready experience, some of which have been questioned as being staged or otherwise blown out of proportion. Some have had their integrity questioned because they were new members with low posts. I know I have read some of the prior reports myself and wondered just how bad it was. But now I know and I will never wonder again.
And I already have the letter to DVC and to OKW written and ready to send with my comments about the check-in, the room situation, the non-smoking request and with praise for our Bell Services CM, Robert.
Checked in Wed night, 11/30. Arrived at the desk at 9:35 and stood as the next person in line for 15-20 minutes. There was only one person on the desk and she was on the phone for another guest at the desk. Meantime, three CMs came and went from the back room (one of them three times), never looking at, acknowledging or otherwise saying a word to me or the growing line of guests behind me. You would think that someone would say that someone else would be out in a few minutes, or perhaps that they themselves would open up another station once there was 5 of us in line, but no. We all waited.
Finally made it to the desk. As I had a non-smoking for medical reasons request, I specifically asked if the room was non-smoking when she told me the number. She said yes it was. I will mention that English was not her first language, perhaps she misunderstood me, perhaps not. Near the end of my check in, a second person (not one of the three previously) finally came out and opened another station.
Bell Services drove us over to the building, Room #4110. I inserted the key in the door and opened it to all of the lights on, an unmade bed, towels all over and a seriously dying rose stuck in an orange juice carton. And of course, there was an ashtray full of cigarette butts and the room reeked of smoke, because it was a smoking building!
No pictures of the room necessary all I saw from the doorway was enough to burn it into my memory. I understand why so many other guests who have posted here have been so horrified by this especially if it was their first visit because the disappointment was very high. I just cant describe the feeling of disbelief and then frustration upon opening that door.
At first I was ready to say that it was a case of housekeeping making the room up and then the guest coming back and going back into the room. But then the dying rose revealed the truth that the room was never done. It wasnt just brought in after a room was cleaned, it had been there several days. This was not a case of a bad guest, this was definitely a case of a housekeeping mistake.
The Bell Services CM was wonderful and immediately went in the room and arranged a move to another room. And why would a medical non-smoking request even be placed in a smoking room if there was even one non-smoking room available? Or maybe they took the room from another guest who wasnt checked in yet and now they will have to wait for 4110 to be cleaned? He drove us back to the HH, insisted we stay in the van (new vans at OKW, BTW! Very nice!) while he goes to get our keys.
We then proceeded to the new room, which was in Building 38 and one of those awful studios with no windows. Plus it was 20 yards from the road and very noisy, so had to have the AC fan on all the time to drown out the noise from the buses, trucks and cars (although it took me two nights to figure that one out). However, I was happy to be in a non-smoking room and that it was a short trip. This room was clean, well stocked and the little towel animal cheered me up, as it was now 11:15pm and I was very tired!
I let myself calm down for a couple of days and called the Front Desk. I asked if there had been a change in procedure regarding booking Non-Smoking for Medical Reasons requests. She said no, that they are assigned in advance, but she would check mine to see what may have happened. She said mine did indeed say Non-Smoking for Medical Reasons, but that it wasnt specially marked to indicate it couldnt be changed! She said that MS has to specifically mark the Non-Smoking for Medical reasons so that it is set (she had a specific term, but I dont have my note). Otherwise it will only be a request and requests arent guaranteed and will therefore get the smoking room if that is all that is available. And I have to ask why should a guest have to remind MS to categorize the room properly?
Well, I think have rattled on enough. I will see what MS and perhaps the resort says about the extra special step to confirming your Non-Smoking for Medical Reasons request and setting it so it wont get changed.
And just maybe the Westin resorts will become the trailblazers and Disney wont be far behind.
Let me preface this by saying that I do not believe one bad experience colors all. Nor do I believe that one thing wrong in a resort makes the whole resort bad. Mistakes happen and none of us want to be the one they happen to. Obviously OKW is a lovely resort with good CMs and lots of wonderful qualities.
I am reporting this here because there have been several reports recently of this type of room NOT ready experience, some of which have been questioned as being staged or otherwise blown out of proportion. Some have had their integrity questioned because they were new members with low posts. I know I have read some of the prior reports myself and wondered just how bad it was. But now I know and I will never wonder again.
And I already have the letter to DVC and to OKW written and ready to send with my comments about the check-in, the room situation, the non-smoking request and with praise for our Bell Services CM, Robert.
Checked in Wed night, 11/30. Arrived at the desk at 9:35 and stood as the next person in line for 15-20 minutes. There was only one person on the desk and she was on the phone for another guest at the desk. Meantime, three CMs came and went from the back room (one of them three times), never looking at, acknowledging or otherwise saying a word to me or the growing line of guests behind me. You would think that someone would say that someone else would be out in a few minutes, or perhaps that they themselves would open up another station once there was 5 of us in line, but no. We all waited.
Finally made it to the desk. As I had a non-smoking for medical reasons request, I specifically asked if the room was non-smoking when she told me the number. She said yes it was. I will mention that English was not her first language, perhaps she misunderstood me, perhaps not. Near the end of my check in, a second person (not one of the three previously) finally came out and opened another station.
Bell Services drove us over to the building, Room #4110. I inserted the key in the door and opened it to all of the lights on, an unmade bed, towels all over and a seriously dying rose stuck in an orange juice carton. And of course, there was an ashtray full of cigarette butts and the room reeked of smoke, because it was a smoking building!
No pictures of the room necessary all I saw from the doorway was enough to burn it into my memory. I understand why so many other guests who have posted here have been so horrified by this especially if it was their first visit because the disappointment was very high. I just cant describe the feeling of disbelief and then frustration upon opening that door.
At first I was ready to say that it was a case of housekeeping making the room up and then the guest coming back and going back into the room. But then the dying rose revealed the truth that the room was never done. It wasnt just brought in after a room was cleaned, it had been there several days. This was not a case of a bad guest, this was definitely a case of a housekeeping mistake.
The Bell Services CM was wonderful and immediately went in the room and arranged a move to another room. And why would a medical non-smoking request even be placed in a smoking room if there was even one non-smoking room available? Or maybe they took the room from another guest who wasnt checked in yet and now they will have to wait for 4110 to be cleaned? He drove us back to the HH, insisted we stay in the van (new vans at OKW, BTW! Very nice!) while he goes to get our keys.
We then proceeded to the new room, which was in Building 38 and one of those awful studios with no windows. Plus it was 20 yards from the road and very noisy, so had to have the AC fan on all the time to drown out the noise from the buses, trucks and cars (although it took me two nights to figure that one out). However, I was happy to be in a non-smoking room and that it was a short trip. This room was clean, well stocked and the little towel animal cheered me up, as it was now 11:15pm and I was very tired!
I let myself calm down for a couple of days and called the Front Desk. I asked if there had been a change in procedure regarding booking Non-Smoking for Medical Reasons requests. She said no, that they are assigned in advance, but she would check mine to see what may have happened. She said mine did indeed say Non-Smoking for Medical Reasons, but that it wasnt specially marked to indicate it couldnt be changed! She said that MS has to specifically mark the Non-Smoking for Medical reasons so that it is set (she had a specific term, but I dont have my note). Otherwise it will only be a request and requests arent guaranteed and will therefore get the smoking room if that is all that is available. And I have to ask why should a guest have to remind MS to categorize the room properly?
Well, I think have rattled on enough. I will see what MS and perhaps the resort says about the extra special step to confirming your Non-Smoking for Medical Reasons request and setting it so it wont get changed.
And just maybe the Westin resorts will become the trailblazers and Disney wont be far behind.
Tubs arent standard? The room they walked me thru to sell me my points had a tub and it didnt wreak of smoke! 
) that one of the reasons the operating budget increased was the front desk enhancements like members not having to wait so long to be helped. 9:35 at night or not, you should not have had to wait so long if we're paying for more timely assistance (my phrase, not DVCs) from the front desk.
