Vladimir M
16 Jun 2024
Once, W was a brand denoting chic, decadent style, and exceptional service masked under a veil of effortless coolness. Now it seems those days have long passed. After Marriott's acquisition of Starwood, all of the above were simply replaced by corporate coldness and profiteering. If that was a slow decline, with numbers squeezing out lifestyle and experience, then what happened at the W in Ibiza is an example of arrogance, incompetence, and apathy. This was supposed to be a short break with my wife, getting some sun and visiting her friend for her birthday. Our plan was also to have the party visit us at the hotel, have an aperitif on the balcony, and enjoy the beach club. As a 6-year straight Ambassador Elite Member with Marriott (the highest tier possible, requiring 100 nights per year to maintain), I asked my ambassador for an upgrade to a suite with a large balcony (which were available) and confirmed arrangements. I initially booked a cash rate but then switched to points. Upon arrival at the hotel, the following disasters occurred: 1. We had to literally haggle for an upgrade. 2. We found out that, despite the mention on the website, the BonVoy app, and Instagram, the beach club was actually closed. All our plans were ruined. 3. Amenities in the room were just water, ham, and cheese. Long gone are the days when a guest staying 100 nights a year with a minimum spend of $20K would receive a bottle of champagne. 4. When we finally changed rooms, the hotel did not inspect the new room. The shower was not working properly, leading us to go to the birthday party (the whole point of choosing this location) unshowered and an hour late, as the hotel debated whether to fix it or give us a replacement room. 5. There was a fire alarm, which, once taken under control, continued to switch on every single light in the hotel until 3:30 am because the staff didn’t know how to reset the lights. They offered to knock EUR 100 off the bill. 6. The hotel sneaked in a “no show” charge of EUR 340 because I switched the reservation and it didn’t work properly. 7. The hotel double charged our card. At check-in, they requested a deposit for incidentals (as usual), but during a rushed checkout, they kept the deposit and charged the bill all over again, unnecessarily blocking over GBP 1000 for no reason. They basically stole the money. I have tried to resolve the issue through the ambassador, but the hotel has decided to simply ignore my requests for an explanation of why they are taking liberties with my credit card and sneaking in charges out of the blue. The hotel offered a measly 10K points as an “apology” for a disastrous stay. My worst in a W hotel ever. The ambassador has been quite helpless in providing assistance so far. This stay has opened my eyes to the degradation of service at Marriott. Before the merger, something like this would have been unthinkable and is making me seriously consider taking my business elsewhere. A definitive never-again f
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