This year I decided to spend New Year’s at the Sheraton Krabi. The hotel is about 30-40 minutes from the Krabi Airport and set back from the main road running through the island – so you get the resort feeling all the time on property. The reception area is large and provides plenty of space for relaxing, gathering with friends, surfing the internet at Link @Sheraton, or enjoying a drink at the bar.

I stayed for 4 nights on a cash and points rate. The rate was $45 USD and 2800 points per night. This is a great deal considering rooms were running anywhere between $225 – 500+ per night for the NYE period. I was not, however, upgraded as a Platinum member and that probably had to do with the close to 100% occupancy and limited number of suites. They have 165 rooms 6 of which are suites – some of the suites have private plunge pools and the hotel is still undergoing renovations with not all guest rooms completed yet. You’ll notice from Deals We Like’s review that the hotel was under renovation in April 2012 as well.

The Rooms

During my stay, I had two different rooms in the same building – one that had been renovated. The first room had two double beds and a connecting door to one of the suites. The room was not huge, but was nice and provided as much space as I needed. I requested to be moved out of that room when the group in the suite kept me up ½ the night shouting, slamming doors, laughing and so forth. There’s not much soundproofing and a connecting door always makes it much worse IMO. Even though the hotel was almost completely full, they did find me a room in the same building without a connecting door. The room had a king size bed and even though it was the same size as the first room, felt much larger just due to the layout of the furniture and lack of a second bed.

The rooms that have been renovated have a neutral color theme with the blue chair/chaise lounge being replaced by a beige chair/chaise lounge. The wood desk and furniture is light and there is plenty of space to work. The lighting is very natural. The bathrooms have the same natural color theme and light wood fixtures.

Special thanks to Deals We Like for providing the bottom two pre-renovation photos.

The first room I was in had a beautiful view of the pool and beach and the second room had a nice view of the pond and resort. All rooms have a “view” so no one is stuck looking at the road, taxis or other structures around the resort. Few of the rooms have an actual view of the beach however. Building A is the only building with beach views and only the rooms on the far right of the building on the second or third floor would be able to see the beach. Those rooms would be 202-A (the original room I was in, but I don’t recommend it as it has a connecting door and if the neighbors are noisy, you’re in for a long night!) 201-A, a suite with a large deck (no pool), 302-A and 301-A. The second room I had was 211 and it was an end room on the second floor w/no connecting door. It was much, much more quiet than the first.

View from the second room

Restaurants

There are 3 restaurants and several bars at the hotel. You can also get food at the pool bar. Because the resort is isolated (more on that later) many people eat at the hotel for convenience. The food is okay – but nothing to rave about. There’s an Italian restaurant, an Indian restaurant, a Thai/International restaurant and bars. Breakfast is served in the Thai restaurant and is quite expensive if you get the buffet ($22 per person.) If you have Platinum status with Starwood, you get complimentary breakfast in the Sheraton Club and Gold members can select that option as their benefit. Unlike many of Starwood’s Thailand hotels, you can’t choose to have breakfast in the lounge or the restaurant – it’s lounge only if you don’t want to pay. The lounge is quite nice, but was extremely crowded at breakfast (and at cocktail hour for that matter.)

Pools & Resort Amenities

The hotel has two pools- an activity pool which was typically filled with families and children and a main pool. The main pool has a swim-up bar and they will also serve drinks around the main pool area. While we were at the hotel, the pools were jam packed with people during the afternoon. One day it rained and the pool cleared out. When it was finally only a light drizzle, I went out and found the pools completely empty. Great time to get prime pool chairs! In the evenings it was nice to sit by the activity pool, which was usually deserted, to read and watch the sun set.

Activity Pool

Main Pool

Other amenities at the hotel include a spa, activity room, water sports activity center and a variety of classes/activities run throughout the week. The hotel has 1 small shop on the grounds that sells expensive souvenirs. In front of the resort there are several small shops and a 7-11 convenience store which made it easy to pick up drinks and snacks at reasonable prices.

Sheraton Club

The Sheraton Club is located right off of the reception area and open for breakfast, light refreshments throughout the day and appetizers and cocktails in the evening. The lounge was always very crowded at breakfast and cocktail hour and frequently there was nowhere to sit. It was extremely nice to be able to pop in anytime throughout the day for complimentary coffee, tea or a soft drink. The breakfast buffet was small and usually picked over. The staff is extremely nice, but it was impossible for them to keep up with the number of people. The appetizers were not great but the cocktails were good!

Lounge Patio

Lounge Interior

Location

The hotel, as I mentioned, is about 30-40 minutes from the airport. When we arrived it was pouring rain and the drive took about 40 minutes. When we left, it was clear and it only took 30 minutes. Ao Nang is around 15-20 minutes ride from the hotel and is a touristy little town. There are tons of bars, restaurants and shops selling all kinds of souvenirs. The views are amazing. The hotel runs a shuttle to Ao Nang and Krabi Town but the times are very limited (3 outbound and 3 inbound trips a day) and costs 300 baht each way (up 100 baht from when Deals We Like visited – wonder if that’s the new pricing or was just in effect for the holidays, didn’t think to ask while I was there though.) A taxi cost 600 baht each way (also up from 500 when Deals We Like visited) and that could add up quickly if you headed into town a few times.

The town even has its own McDonalds and Starbucks.

Overall

The hotel is nice and the renovations look very good. The hotel location is a bit isolated and far from the towns. I think this is a great location for a family trip or if you want to spend a lot of time at the resort and on the beach. The beach, pools and spa are great at the Sheraton Krabi, another reason I think it’s a good family spot. I like the feel of Krabi much more than Phuket because it’s not as commercial (aside from McD’s and Starbucks) but I think Phuket is a lot easier to get around and there are more things to do in the towns. There are no good chain hotel options in Krabi Town or in Ao Nang so if you want to visit, you’ll have to pick one of the resorts a little further out. Overall, the Sheraton Krabi is a nice resort and I’d recommend it.

Many of my regular readers, friends and colleagues know that I spend a lot of time in Thailand and since I had a business project in Thailand this year it meant a whole lot of time in Thailand (like almost 16 weeks!)

I’m often asked for suggestions on which Starwood Hotels to stay in and so I thought I’d do a comparison since I’ve pretty much tried them all now. Here is an overview comparison (I’m awarding up to 5 points, 5 being perfect) and will provide detailed information below the chart. You can find my detailed reviews of most of these hotels here (the list is alphabetical by country)

My Recommendations

In Bangkok my recommendation is the Le Meridien Bangkok

In Phuket/Khao Lak my recommendation is the Westin Siray Bay if you’re not there for the beach or the Le Meridien Khao Lak if the beach is the most important part of the vacation. With the LM Khao Lak, just understand that they’re going through transition and service can be hit or miss (as of December 2012.)

In Koh Samui If money is not an object, then I would suggest the W, it’s a unique experience. Otherwise I suggest the Le Meridien Koh Samui unless you want to spend all your time on the beach, and then I suggest you don’t go to Koh Samui.

In Krabi the Sheraton Krabi is your only choice and it’s a good one if you’re looking for value or for a family vacation.

This post became corrupted. Please use this link to visit the updated post. Thank you

VGP

I decided to spend a few nights at the brand new – circa two weeks old – W Hotel Bangkok. I love W Hotels and since I’ve stayed at almost every Starwood property in Bangkok (haven’t been to the 4points yet) I just had to check this out.

I arrived after 5 nights in Khao Lak, Thailand at the Le Meridien. I was hot, sweaty, sunburned and covered in bug spray. I should have arrived at the hotel around 4pm, but due to a late flight and ridiculous traffic it was closer to 5pm when I arrived. The hotel was preparing for an event that night and the hotel driveway (not sure that’s the best word for it) was lit up and looking spectacular. I was greeted by two bellman who helped with my luggage and escorted me into the hotel. Once inside I was greeted by the Director of Rooms and the W Insider. After a quick check in the W Insider escorted me to my room on the 11^th floor.

Pictured below: The W Christmas Tree – so modern and cool – I had to take a photo since it won’t be around much longer!

As we arrived to the room, she said she had taken the liberty of setting up the room and turning on the a/c and hoped I didn’t mind. Nope, I didn’t mind at all and was thrilled the air was cool. As she started to explain the feature of the room, something caught my eye. It looked like there was a Starbucks Cool Lime Refresher sitting on the desk next to two mini-cupcakes. Was it a mirage? How in the world could the W Bangkok have known that I love and I mean LOVE the Cool Lime Refresher. It wasn’t a mirage, it was real. The W Insider ran over to Starbucks before I arrived and got me one! WOW. The hotel staff took care of every little detail down to ensuring I had my favorite drink on arrival. It was great and so were the cupcakes (there were also little candies and some shots of something I couldn’t quite identify, but tasted a little like a non-alcoholic mojito.) My Starwood Ambassador (a benefit you get after 100 nights) and the hotel had arranged for the special treats.

A about an hour after I got into my room there was a knock at the door. The Assistant General Manger wanted to introduce herself and welcome me to the hotel. She handed me a card and said she knew it was a little early, but wanted to wish me happy birthday. Inside the card was a lovely note and a Starbucks gift card. What a great extra touch.

While I was out at dinner they did turn-down service in my room and I returned to find yet another note welcoming me and wishing me a relaxing stay.

The Room

I was in a Wonderful Room that had huge rounded floor-to-ceiling glass windows with spectacular views of the city and the pool! The room is modern and trendy while functional and comfortable. There was a king-sized W bed adorned with two giant boxing glove pillows, a comfortable chair that swiveled so you could see the TV or the view, a very large working desk with tons of outlets and a really bright light.

The room had one of the most fun “mini-bars” I’ve ever seen. It was stocked full of classic candy in addition to traditional snacks and drinks.

The bathroom is separated from the room by an opaque purple wall and curtain. While you can see through to the bathtub, you can’t see into the shower at all and the gold curtain draws closed so that you can’t see into the toilet either. So you have a little more privacy than some Ws. The bathtub was awesome and the shower had both a waterfall shower head and traditional shower head. The water pressure is great in the shower too.

Everything in the room is controlled by this tablet. From the do not disturb ‘sign’ to the lights, A/C, alarm clock and more, everything you need is just one touch away.

The Restaurants

There are several places to eat in the hotel. The Kitchen Table is the hotel’s full service restaurant. I ate at the Kitchen Table on the night I arrived. The menu is very modern and creative, but if you’re not into spicy food, leaves you limited choices. I ended up ordering a pasta and seafood dish. The chef came out of the kitchen to discuss a food allergy I have (tomato!) and asked if he could change the sauce since the sauce on the menu used tomatoes. I appreciated that very much and told him to use whatever sauce he thought worked best. The dish was good, but isn’t something I’d rush back to order again. The hotel, and restaurant, having only been open two weeks will need to continue to work on service in the restaurant. While it wasn’t bad service, it was very slow.

The Kitchen Pantry is a take-away style counter where you can purchase a sandwich, snacks, desserts and drinks and eat them on communal style tables in front of the pantry or take back to your room or whatever. At the pool, you can order from a menu of lighter foods and full drink menu. The service at the pool is excellent and I had lunch there one day. The Khao Pad (chicken fried rice) was delicious – the best meal I had at the hotel, and the cheapest at the hotel (with sparkling water I paid about $12.) In the hotel lobby you’ll find the WooBar, the hotel’s full-service bar. It’s chic and stylish and serves up great drinks.

The hotel also offers 24-hour room service and the menu is expansive (I actually preferred the room service menu to the Kitchen Table menu.)

Amenities

As I mentioned above, the pool is great. Not only is the service really good, but you would really never know you’re sitting 6 floors up from one of the busiest streets in Bangkok. The pool area can become extremely hot especially because the sun reflects off all of the skyscrapers. I melted after about an hour out there and suggested that the hotel have cold towels (like the Le Meridien Bangkok or St Regis Bangkok) so guests can cool off a little. Next to the pool is the fitness center.

In front of the hotel is the old Russian Embassy, or the Heritage Building, which is being renovated and turned into suites, a restaurant and shops. It is set to open in March 2013 and I’m sure will be a great addition. I look forward to seeing what restaurant opens there.

The Whatever Whenever Team, the hotel concierges, are very willing to assist with any request – seriously, whatever whenever. I noticed the a panel next to the TV which would allow me to connect my computer or iPad to the TV. I didn’t have my cords with me, so I called Whatever Whenever and asked if they had any. About 5 minutes later there was a knock at my door and they had cords for me to borrow.

With the introduction of the W Hotel Bangkok the city is also being introduced to Bliss products. I’ve looked long and hard in Bangkok for Bliss products and this is the first time I’ve ever found them! I love the products so much that I actually gave some away on my blog earlier this week.

Location

The hotel is located close to Silom, but feels a little isolated and is surrounded by many office buildings. There is a BTS station about 1 block (or less) from the hotel which makes it easy to get around – if you like the BTS. Getting a taxi is a little challenging during rush hour and traffic around the hotel is a nightmare (of course, there’s nothing the hotel can do about that.) The other challenge is that because the hotel is so new, many taxi drivers aren’t familiar with it – so make sure you take a hotel address card with you (the bellman always have them on-hand) and even with an address card, make sure your driver knows where he’s going. I had one driver who took me to the JW Marriott insisting that was the hotel I wanted.

Overall

I really like the W Bangkok and they’re off to a great start. I look forward to seeing what the hotel does with the Heritage Building and would love to see a suite (suites in the main building open February 1 2013.) The W is a great addition to the Starwood brand for Bangkok and another fun choice.

Pictured below: signature wall in the elevator bay – it lights up in very neat patters which was hard to capture w/a camera.

Okay, so I’m not Oprah. There will be no trip to Australia for all my readers. There will be no car give-aways. There will be no iPad for everyone. Now that we have that out of the way, here’s what I am doing. Between now and the New Year I’ll be giving away some of my favorite travel things, or things related to my favorite travel things. Obviously I can’t give away a Starwood Hotel (how cool would having your own Starwood Hotel be??), but I can give away some of my favorite Starwood Hotel Amenities. Get the idea?

So here it goes. Give away #1

My favorite hotel brand: Starwood Hotels
Why is Starwood my favorite? They have the best loyalty program, in my opinion. I love their brands. I love their social media team. Oh, and I love my Starwood Ambassador. Want your very own Starwood Ambassador? Stick with Starwood and complete 100 or more night. Trust me, loyalty pays.

I looked back at 2012 and tried to think about which Starwood hotels were my favorites and this is my list, in order

1. St Regis New York
2. St Regis Bangkok
3. Le Meridien Bangkok
4. Le Meridien Piccadilly (London)
5. Le Meridien Kuala Lumpur
6. Westin Sydney (Australia)
7. Le Meridien Brussels

I also love some of the amenities Starwood hotels provide in their hotels. I fell in love with the Remede product line after my first experience using them at the Phoenician Scottsdale (Luxury Collection). They also had them in both St Regis’ I visited this year. I actually buy the shampoo, in bulk, and have it shipped to me now. The W hotels provides Bliss products. I love the hand lotion and the facial wash. I’ve also added both those items to my regular routine. Luckily I don’t have to have them shipped in bulk since I can pick them up in many major stores.

So here’s what I’m giving away: A Bliss Six-Pack travel kit. It includes: Bliss Fabulous Foaming Face Wash (love it!), Bliss Lemon & Sage Soapy Sap, Bliss Lemon & Sage body butter (love it!), Bliss Lemon & Sage shampoo & conditioner and a Bliss Lemon & Sage Soap Slab.

This contest is now over

How can you win this amazing prize? There are two ways

1. Leave a comment on this post telling me what your favorite Starwood Hotel is or what your favorite Starwood Hotel amenity is. Make sure you use your real first name and last initial. One comment per person please
2. Share this post via Twitter or Facebook. Be sure to include @VeryGoodPoints so I can track your tweet/share. Only 1 share/tweet will count, but feel free to share/tweet as many times as you want J

Rules:

• Enter by Tuesday, December 18^th at 10pm ET. The winner will be announced on Wednesday, December 19^th on this post. Check back to see if you won! But just in case you don’t, I’ll email the winner as well.
• The winner will be selected at random. You can enter twice (once by commenting on this post and once by tweeting/sharing this post.)
• Neither Starwood or Bliss is connected with this post in any way; the prize is directly from me.
• Void where prohibited by law.

Good luck!!

And the winner is….

Comment #68 – Congrats to Kristyn M!  Kristyn loves the THE WESTIN SAVANNAH HARBOR GOLF RESORT & SPA!

My first visit to the Le Meridien Bangkok was in December of 2010. I instantly fell in love with the modern, edgy and sophisticated hotel. I’m always worried that when I return to a hotel, years later, things won’t be as I remembered. Worry not, the Le Meridien Bangkok lives up to the memories.

Located on the outskirts of the city’s Silom district, the Le Meridien’s composed and contemporary interior is a stark contrast to the hectic scene on the street. Just steps from the hotel is the famous or infamous Patpong night market jam packed with stalls full of Goach hand bags Polio by Ralph Lauren (there are not typos, everything is a knock off and some are better knock offs than others!), fake Rolex, t-shirts with cliché images and sayings and so much more. The crowded street is alight with the neon glow of bars and club offering up scantily clad women much, much more. Once you’ve had enough of the market, you can retreat back to the comfort of the hotel.

The hotel entrance makes an immediate impact on guests boasting a larger than life James Dean look-alike portrait etched onto the doors.

The lobby is large and provides ample seating, a bar featuring Illy coffee and a great list of cocktails, computers for guest use and access to Bamboo Chic bar and Latest Recipe, the hotel’s restaurant. The hotel also features an outdoor pool and bar high atop the city along with a gym and spa.

At the Le Meridien Bangkok, hospitality is key. The staff is well trained and understands how to make a guest feel at home. From the first welcome you receive at the doors to the genuine care and concern from the front desk staff to the impeccable service from the hotel staff, the guest is priority one. You’re greeted with a welcome drink – mine was an iced mocha or iced frappe or something similar and it was delicious – and cold towels, a standard in Bangkok luxury hotels.

I had two different stays at the hotel – separated by a short weekend in Phuket – and both were exceptional. On the first stay I was upgraded to a suite that had a large bedroom, even larger bathroom (someone could have moved into the shower) and an equally big living room area. Floor to ceiling windows provide great views of the city. The bathroom had an oversized tub next to a sliding door that, when open, provided a view of the TV and city. The shower was a double shower – two shower traditional shower heads, two rainfall shower heads. The room had a great looking coffee maker – or maybe it was a cappuccino machine, I didn’t try it out and a drawer stocked full of teas.

The pool is small, but never seemed full. There’s a small bar and a good drink and snack menu. Compared to other hotel pool bars, the Le Meridien is not extremely overpriced. At the pool you’re again provided a cold towel, lavender scented facial spray and cold water to drink. Great service and nice amenities. Unlike the pool bar, the spa prices were a bit on the high side and they don’t offer manicure/pedicure services.

The breakfast at the Le Meridien is awesome (have I used that word too many times yet?) well, it is. The choices are endless and every day the buffet features one of the Jean-Georges signature breakfast items that are exclusive to Le Meridien’s world-wide. I loved the buckwheat crepe with feta and spinach and the oatmeal soufflé with fresh berries.

During my second stay – after a weekend in Phuket – I was upgraded to one of the Circular Suites. I was so excited because I really had wanted to see the suite. The room was similar to the suite I had on my first stay, but the king sized bed was – you guessed it, circular. There were also other circle touches around the room including decorative pillows. It was a fun experience for sure.

I would highly recommend the Le Meridien Bangkok to anyone – it’s a great hotel and a very good value for Bangkok. I will be back to the Le Meridien Bangkok very soon (January in fact) and I’m looking forward to another experience.

During the Thanksgiving Holiday I had the chance to stay at the W Midtown Atlanta. I was very pleasantly surprised upon checking in to learn that I had been upgraded to a Wonderful Suite. The suite was huge. A two room suite with dining area and living room area, a bedroom with king bed, a bathroom with vanity and dressing area and large bathroom with shower large enough for a small family.

I personally love the style and décor of the W hotels and loved the suite. The living room had a large couch, TV and Bose sound system.

In dining area there was a large table with seating for 6 people, a mini-bar and giant tic-tac-toe game board. The chandelier was probably my favorite part of the room.

The bedroom had floor to ceiling windows, a king bed and large screen TV. The bed at the W is extremely comfortable and I had 3 great nights of sleep there. I would actually consider buying the W bed when I am ready to replace my current bed.

The shower had a clear glass, floor to ceiling wall and was filled with Bliss bath products.

I loved the walls in the bathroom. They were a unique tile with textured pattern in a metallic color.

The service at the W was exceptional and the staff was willing to assist in any way they could. The W Midtown Atlanta participates in the Green Stay programs – you can turn down housekeeping service and receive 500 SPG points or a $5 coupon for the restaurants.

Inside of the W Midtown is a Bliss Spa – one of my favorite places on earth – and a real disaster for my bank account. Luckily on this visit I was able to stay away because I spent all the time with family and only really spent the nights at the hotel.

I would absolutely return to the W Midtown Atlanta whenever I’m in town visiting family. It’s a great hotel.

Yesterday I wrote about a situation where the Sheraton Krabi had sprung a mandatory fee on me without any notification of this fee during the booking process. I believed that the terms and conditions of the booking were clear, and there was no mandatory fee that should be charged. After first being turned down by the reservations manager I emailed the hotel manager asking that he reconsider. At the same time, I posted on my blog yesterday and heard from the Starwood social media team as well. They said they’d look into it.

Last night I got an email from the hotel manager

I am extremely happy that the hotel manager realized that the system did not include the gala dinner and therefore is not enforcing the mandatory fee of approx $200 USD per person. This was the best way the hotel could have handled the situation. I continue to be loyal to Starwood because in the end, they seem to always do the right thing in the end.

Don’t forget – today is #GivingTuesday – Starwood hotels is donating 10 points for every room booked during their CyberMonday sale (which ends Nov 30^th) for a total of 500,000 to Unicef. Support them and book today !

Have you heard about #GivingTuesday™? #GivingTuesday is a campaign to create a national day of giving at the start of the holiday season. It promotes and encourages activities that support nonprofit organizations. There are more than 2,000 #GivingTuesday partners with specific #GivingTuesday initiatives. When I started to write this blog, I figured I’d find many travel related business or companies supporting #GivingTuesday. After going through the list, I was quite surprised to only find three – and I had to stretch to include Skype.

None the less, I was very happy to see Starwood on the list of Large Corporations/Brands supporting #GivingTuesday. I will be booking at least a few rooms tomorrow to help support the effort. I added Skype to the list because they do make it possible for travelers to keep in touch with friends and family while on the road! I hope you’ll join me in supporting one of these travel related businesses or one of the many other businesses supporting #GivingTuesday.

Starwood Preferred Guest National, Large Corporation or Brand

How they are participating

In the spirit of the season, Starwood Hotels and Resorts and its award-winning Starwood Preferred Guest program has partnered with #GivingTuesday™, and will donate 10 Starpoints® to UNICEF for every Cyber Monday booking, up to 500,000 points.  Working to spread the word about #GivingTuesday, Starwood will promote the movement through public relations initiatives, corporate social media channels, email marketing, and a Twitter chat, hosted on November 26th, 2012 on the Hashtag #spglife.

Starwood Hotels of Chicago National, Large Corporation or Brand

How they are participating

Starwood Hotels & Resorts is the official hotel partner of Ronald McDonald House Charities of Chicagoland & Northwest Indiana and is committed to doing the right thing, going the extra step and playing as a team. This innovative social marketing partnership provides a space where purpose meets profit and serves as a platform for Starwood customers and employees to donate and create volunteer opportunities while providing exclusive access to offers and activities to families staying at the new House.

Skype National, Large Corporation or Brand

How they are participating

SUPPORT WORLD PEACE WITH PEACE ONE DAY AND SKYPE – RESULTS TO BE REVEALED ON #GIVINGTUESDAY

As part of Skype’s #GivingTuesday commitment, it has launched SkypeforPeace.org, a crowd-funding effort to support Peace One Day, an organization devoted to promoting non-violence in all its forms and creating a united and sustainable world. All funds raised through this initiative will be used to expand the Peace One Day Global Education Resource to more teachers around the world so they can teach their children the value of non-violent conflict resolution. Donations can be made here and Skype has pledged to match every dollar of the first $100,000 donated. Skype for Peace is Skype’s contribution to the Giving Tuesday movement in its role as a founding partner.

I haven’t yet arrived at the Sheraton Krabi for vacation and I’m already frustrated with the hotel. I booked two rooms at the Sheraton Krabi for New Year’s for 3 nights/4 days. I used a Cash and Points rate and read the terms and conditions very carefully upon booking because many other Starwood properties had notes about a mandatory on New Years’ Eve. One of the primary reasons for booking the Sheraton was that there was no mandatory dinner listed in the terms and conditions. I made the reservations on June 10^th, 2012 because I know how quickly hotels book up in Thailand for NYE.

You can imagine my surprise when I got an email on November 15^th 2012 from the hotel reservations manager informing me about a mandatory gala and the fee for that gala. The fee is not cheap either – it’s about $200 per person.

I emailed the hotel and expressed my feelings about the fee and informed them that I did not want to pay it since the fee was not included in the terms and conditions. I also provided them copies of the terms and conditions from the online reservations screen and a printed version from my reservations confirmation.

After emailing the hotel, I got a response from them and I was not very happy with that reply. In essence, they said “sorry, but you have to pay, we aren’t making exceptions.”

I’m not asking for an exception to be made, I’m asking them to stick to the terms and conditions of the booking. If there was to be a mandatory fee, it should have been stated in the T&Cs. I don’t think you should spring a $200/per person mandatory fee on your guests if it’s not stated somewhere on the website, in the reservations confirmation, or in the Terms & Conditions. I’ll continue to argue this with Starwood and the hotel, but now I’m in a position where there are no other hotels available in a reasonable price range and without minimum stays required.

I’ve completed 105 nights so far in 2012 and have 28 nights confirmed for the remainder of November and December 2012 – not counting the second rooms I have booked which would add another 8 nights according to the Starwood Preferred Guest T&Cs (you can earn stay credit for up to three rooms per night at the same hotel.) That would bring my total nights at Starwood in 2012 to 133 plus 8 for the extra rooms or 141 nights. I am clearly loyal to Starwood and have been for years. I’ve never had an issue like this before at a Starwood and I’m very disappointed that it’s happening now.

If I hear anything further from the hotel, or Starwood, I will let you know. What do you think? How would you handle the situation?

Update: 

I received an email tonight from the Hotel Manager at the Sheraton Krabi and he confirmed that due to an error in the booking system, and since I was not notified at the time of booking, he will waive the fee.  I am very happy that the hotel re-considered and has agreed to stand by the T&C as they were when booked.  I can now look forward to my NYE holiday.

Starwood will be hosting a Cyber Monday Sale offering discounted rates of up to 25% off at participating hotels and resorts in North America and Latin America.

You must book by November 30^th for stays between November 21^st 2012 and March 31, 2012. The site is up now, so you can start booking early! To check rates visit Starwood or quote rate code: CYBERLTO

Starwood has also announced a special promotion for Monday, November 26^th – Cyber Monday – with access to special “WOW” packages at 35 hotels and resorts in dream destinations. You can “Like” Starwood Hotel’s Travel Exclusive Page on Facebook for sneak previews.

In addition to the sale, Starwood will donate 10 starpoints for every room booked through CyberMonday sale up to 500,000 points to UNICEF.