LoyaltyLobby
  • News
  • Hotel Promos
    • Accor
    • Best Western
    • Radisson Rewards
    • Choice
    • Fairmont
    • Hilton
    • World of Hyatt
    • IHG Rewards
    • Marriott
    • Ritz-Carlton
    • Starwood
    • Wyndham Rewards
  • Reviews
  • Contact Us
  • Blog View
  •  
LoyaltyLobby
  • News
  • Hotel Promos
    • Accor
    • Best Western
    • Radisson Rewards
    • Choice
    • Fairmont
    • Hilton
    • World of Hyatt
    • IHG Rewards
    • Marriott
    • Ritz-Carlton
    • Starwood
    • Wyndham Rewards
  • Reviews
  • Contact Us
  • Blog View
  •  
LoyaltyLobby
No Result
View All Result
ADVERTISEMENT

Compensation Clinic: Sheraton Resort With Maintenance Issues, Shambolic In Room Dining Experience

by Sebastian Powell
May 2, 2021
Reading Time: 4 mins read
20

Our Compensation Clinic makes a stop at the Sheraton Samui Resort this week where I had a less than satisfactory stay back in April which I escalated to Marriott Customer Care.

Remember that you can always email us, send a message via Facebook or use Twitter and include photos too. We’ll try to cover a Compensation Clinic case here regularly.

When I pieced together my Koh Samui trip last month I wanted to take advantage of the Marriott promotion for double nights and double points which ended on April 27th so I decided to give the two hotels on Chaweng Beach – Vana Belle and Sheraton – a try.

ADVERTISEMENT

Both properties had a relatively good package deal they sold at local travel shows that was eligible for points and stay credit so I booked two nights at each of these hotels.

The Sheraton charged 5,750 Baht (~ $92 per night) for two nights including the short transfer from the Airport (I only needed one way since the Vana Belle was right next door) and a dinner at the restaurant.

Arriving at the property was relatively quick aside from the driver not being in the waiting area when the flight arrived as he had to disappear to the toilet for 10 minutes. Great timing.

Despite a pre-arranged hotel transfer the check-in procedure at the hotel took over half an hour and registration forms weren’t prepared either. After 30+ minutes I was asked to sign a blank form, no idea what they were doing all this time and considering the guests is a Bonvoy member (irrespective of status) that’s totally unacceptable.

The property itself consists of an array of old building structures and while visually not in terrible shape you definitely have the feel of it having fallen out of time. I dropped my belongings in the room and went for a walk along the beach to enjoy the last few hours of sunshine. Upon returning I noticed that after a like half an hour the room temperature wouldn’t go down.

The hotel sent technicians to poke around on the A/C after which they claimed it was fixed. Needless to say it wasn’t.

The next day a set of other mechanics noticed the A/C compressor was defective and the coolant leaked out, it would take half a day to fix it.

It wouldn’t get much better, the second night the lowest temperature was ~ 28 degrees. I decided to cancel the third night which I had booked on my free night certificate and instead added another paid night at the Vana Belle.

Another issue was the in room dining. First I ordered Club Sandwich and condiments which were promptly forgotten. The Sandwich itself wasn’t even toasted so I promptly returned it. The alternative – a cheeseburger – arrived very fittingly without any cheese on top. Incredible. Even more incredible that it actually made it’s way to the final bill after calling in to complain about it.

Breakfast on the first morning was actually quite good and plentiful, the second day it was moved to the small poolside restaurant and only a few a la carte items were available. Basically the selection shrank by 80%.

Oh yeah I forgot about the “dinner” that was included in the package. Well… it consisted of a piece of dry sliced chicken breast, gravy, mushy vegetables and potato puree. Less appetizing than hospital food. The dessert saved the meal.

I left at 10am the next morning to go to Vana Belle. Management was not on site at that time either which was a Monday morning, not sure what these guys are doing.

Following this experience I sent an email to Marriott Customer Care and left a low rated review on the after stay survey and public channels.

Eventually someone from the hotel got back to me and agreed to refund one of the two nights to my Bonvoy Amex:

They also asked me to delete my published review, a request I didn’t even respond to and which I forwarded to Marriott’s Area Vice President for South East Asia. He wasn’t impressed by the hotels approach to conduct business either.

The refund of one night is the bare minimum I expected. This was a complete waste of time and $92/night isn’t exactly a cheap price to stay at a badly run hotel when you can spend just a little more and for $150 you have the Vana Belle Luxury Collection or the Ritz Carlton. I rather spend the higher price and have a good experience. Both my stays in the same week at the aforementioned hotels were excellent.

This is a prime example why a brand name isn’t always a guarantee for quality if the property decides not to follow brand standards set by the company that provides the franchise.

Conclusion

Sometimes hotels have left their brand standards so far behind they they think any type of cutback and behavior is acceptable. Sometimes I wonder why some owners don’t just close the resort and invest a little into urgently needed renovations rather than staying open at all cost, trying to run a shoestring operation.

Many hotels are currently selling packages, most of them prepaid, for domestic trips in Thailand and other countries as well. Booking prepaid reservations always comes with a risk when things go wrong and the quality isn’t as expected. In this case I was able to at least cut my losses and cancel the connecting night award free of charge and recoup one night of my expenses.

Previous Post

More than 90 New Airlines Set To Take Into The Skies In 2021

Next Post

Airfare of the Day [Business Class] AIR FRANCE/KLM Stockholm to Singapore from 1,320€

Related Articles

Suite Saturdays: Lake Front Junior Suite @ The Ritz Carlton – Hotel de la Paix, Geneva

Suite Saturdays: Lake Front Junior Suite @ The Ritz Carlton – Hotel de la Paix, Geneva

Freddo Zabaleta
August 13, 2022

Welcome to our weekly video review on hotel suites and rooms around the world! This week’s edition features the Lake...

American Express Design Of New Marriott Bonvoy Premium Card “BEVY” Leaked

American Express Design Of New Marriott Bonvoy Premium Card “BEVY” Leaked

Sebastian Powell
August 13, 2022
3

A few months ago, Marriott registered several new trademarks pertaining to their credit card portfolio and this week, there was...

Ritz-Carlton Cancun Drops Its Flag Effective August 31, 2022

Kempinski Taking Over Ritz-Carlton Cancun On September 1, 2022

John Ollila
August 12, 2022
2

The European hotelier, Kempinski, announced on Wednesday that it would take over the current Ritz-Carlton Cancun on September 1, 2022....

Upgrade Your Travel IQ

Make the most of your travel with our free and daily newsletter with the latest hotel and airline news and promotions.

We do not sell or share email addresses.

ADVERTISEMENT

Trending

Japan (1): How I Ended Up Spending Six Months In Japan
Travel News

Japan Opens eVISA Applications For Citizens Of The US & Canada On August 18, 2022

August 10, 2022
Hilton Go Employee And Friends & Family Rate Plans
Hilton Honors

Hilton Go Employee And Friends & Family Rate Plans

July 25, 2021
Thailand Is Considering To Bring Back The 45-Day Visa Exemption Stamp
Thailand

Thailand Is Considering To Bring Back The 45-Day Visa Exemption Stamp

August 12, 2022
American Express Design Of New Marriott Bonvoy Premium Card “BEVY” Leaked
Marriott Bonvoy

American Express Design Of New Marriott Bonvoy Premium Card “BEVY” Leaked

August 13, 2022
IHG Confirmable Suite Upgrade Experience Case: InterContinental Paris Le Grand
IHG Rewards Club

IHG Confirmable Suite Upgrade Experience Case: InterContinental Paris Le Grand

August 12, 2022

Top Categories

  • IHG Rewards Club
  • Marriott Bonvoy
  • Hilton Honors
  • Accor ALL
  • Airfare Of The Day
  • Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG)
  • Hyatt – World of Hyatt
  • American Airlines – AAdvantage
  • Travel News
  • United Airlines – Mileage Plus
ADVERTISEMENT

All Categories

In Case You Missed It

Ritz-Carlton Reserve Now Marriott Bonvoy Participating

Marriott Bonus Points & Rates Update August 2022

August 7, 2022
It’s Back: Air France-KLM Flying Blue Buy Miles 100% Bonus Sale Through August 18, 2022

It’s Back: Air France-KLM Flying Blue Buy Miles 100% Bonus Sale Through August 18, 2022

August 7, 2022
IHG Running Continental Breakfast Only Trial At Some Holiday Inn Express Hotels

IHG Running Continental Breakfast Only Trial At Some Holiday Inn Express Hotels

August 9, 2022
Qantas Asks Senior Executives To Volunteer As Baggage Handlers To Combat Labor Shortage

Qantas Asks Senior Executives To Volunteer As Baggage Handlers To Combat Labor Shortage

August 9, 2022
Air Canada 4X Aeroplan Points To/From Bogota September 13 – March 31, 2023

Air Canada 4X Aeroplan Points To/From Bogota September 13 – March 31, 2023

August 12, 2022
ADVERTISEMENT

Since 2011, we have been helping millions of visitors like you untangle travel loyalty programs for free upgrades, flights and hotel nights.

Facebook Twitter Youtube Instagram

Site Navigation

  • About LoyaltyLobby
  • News
  • Reviews
  • Airfares
  • Contact Us

Hotel Promotions

  • Accor
  • Hilton
  • IHG Rewards
  • Marriott
  • World of Hyatt

Sign Up For Our Newsletter

Our free daily newsletter sends you the latest information on hotel and airline programs.

We do not share or sell email addresses.

Site & Contents ©2011-2022 LoyaltyLobby.com
Terms of Use & Privacy Policy

  • News
  • Hotel Promotions
    • Accor
    • Best Western
    • Choice
    • Fairmont
    • Hilton
    • IHG Rewards
    • Marriott
    • Radisson Rewards
    • Ritz-Carlton
    • Starwood
    • World of Hyatt
    • Wyndham Rewards
  • Reviews
  • Contact Us
  • Blog View
No Result
View All Result

© 2011–2021 LoyaltyLobby.com - Site & Contents