I wonder which former airline executive moved over to the Westin....

So let me get this right:

I'm staying in a room someone is paying north of $250 for. I want to take crap out of a refrigerator to store minor things like insulin, and other medicines needing refrigeration.

You're going to charge me $25 for that privilege.

Bite me!

Repeat business? Not even the very first visit from me.

A curious thing about the hotel industry is that the mid-line hotels often have superior service to the high-end ones. For example, at a lot of high-end hotels (Embassy Suites, to name one), you pay $10 per day for Internet access, but at Marriott, it's free.

Money-grubbing SOBs! I have to eat gluten-free food on account of my gluten sensitivity (either that or eat gluten-full food and feel sick as a dog for the next day or two). When we were in NYC for the NY Comic Con last year, we stayed in the Newark Airport Hilton. They were very nice and accommodating about providing us with a free mini-fridge for my perishable GF food. Westin needs a lesson in how to create repeat customers!

Westin has done things like this for years. I stayed in one in Atlanta at a conference where we had to double up with room mates. My room mate was my boss. He ran up a tab on the convenience center and did not pay it when he checked out, so that I had to. Of course this was not Westin's fault, but they facilitated it.

Be careful of refrigerators and other storage devices. While staying at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, there was a nice wooden storage tray on the dresser. I used the tray to store my medicine, jewelry, and lotion. It turns out that there were sensors and the weight that I put on them triggered charges when I removed them.

So - what do you expect the Westin to do with their inventory?

Snickers bar... $7.00
'Cleaning/Restocking Fee'... $25.00
E-mailing Westin manager where to go and how to get there, then staying at the Motel 6 next time... Priceless

;-)

Hell, what they call "Internet service" at these hotels isn't really service at all, unless you call getting screwed out of $25 bucks for a weekend of not being able to get internet being "served". I got better access at the fleabag, mom-and-pop Motel 666's I stayed at on my trip cross-country with my dogs, and yep, it was free.
I will never again fall for that one, and Walmart is always just around the corner if I want a snack.

A few years ago I did volunteer work for a charity and traveled on occasion. I noticed that the higher end hotels not only gave less of a break to the charity regarding rates, but also always were the worst when it came to nickel and diming for things. I actually checked out of a Westin and went to a local economy hotel which had a pool, a safe, free internet, cable, and vending machines that were much more reasonably priced that the hotel fridge. And my room was only $89 as opposed to the discounted $225 for a room that was very similar.

Take this hint: Candlewood Suites.

I've stayed at one in Duluth, GA over Labor Day weekend since 2004. Great prices, clean rooms, wired Internet, full kitchen. No problems!

But if you cost that Westin hotel something by displacing their stuff, I expect you to pay.

I haven't traveled for vacation in a number of years, but when I did I just went for the cheapest hotels/motels. Quality matters a bit, but really all I need a hotel room for is a place to sleep. Amenities are nice but not a requirement.

While I understand how frustrating that is, hotels may end up eating costs if they offer in room snacks based on the honor system. I suspect this immediate charge method attempts to avoid those losses (I agree it is not a good one).

Charges for things like parking, internet etc etc often depend on where the hotel is. An Embassy Suites -- and just about any place else -- in an urban downtown will charge for everything. One further away from the city center will offer those items for free to everyone(usually). If you need a refrigerator then call to the front desk. They will usually put one in your room (I have never been told no and I had 200+ hotel days last year. A fee might apply for the frige though).

Do your homework. Check the amenities listed on the hotel website (even call the hotel directly due occasionally to wrong information on the website). Check online at tripadvisor for tips and customer experiences. Use kayak online and narrow your search by what amenities you need (and what price and exact location you need to be in).

With so much information available online, there is no reason to be surprised by what a hotel has to (or doesn't) offer.

The best hotel "chain" I have found is the Choice Hotels. Other than the Knight's Inns generally the bottom of the ladder and sucky, they all have generally been good.

My ex-gf and I hit a Quality Inn one time with a reservation for a non-smoking jacuzzi suite. We checked in and we could tell the room had been smoked in at some point.

When they hit me up for a survey, I commented on it. They refunded half the price without me even asking.

My ex-gf and I hit a Comfort Suites, and I had screwed up and booked for the next weekend -- again a jacuzzi suite. The clerk was out of jacuzzi rooms that weekend. She took the time to call other ones in the chain and had us in a room ten miles away at the same rate. I sent an e-mail to her manger commending her for her assistance.

I have never really been disappointed by any of them.

I agree, CHOICE hotels are the best bang for your buck. Only one bad experience in over 30 room stays (their online system accepted and charged me for a room night at a property that was no longer part of their chain and I never was able to get them to refund it - but I didn't try beyond a couple of emails and a phone call - I should have contested the credit card charge).

Despite that one bad experience I will also always choose Choice properties for an economical stay. Their staff is almost always super friendly too. Once I was traveling with my dog and the front desk clerk offered to babysit him while I went to dinner so I wouldn't have to leave him in my room. When I returned to get him he was sitting in the guys lap while he chatted on the phone and was happy as a clam.

For a "higher end" stay a Hyatt Place can be a great deal. Hyatt Place is the best for long term business stays too... Especially if you need to do meetings. They are more $ than a Choice, but have a sitting room area with a couch so easily sleep three and provide a meeting area/office space right in room. They have a desk, fridge, coffee maker and these darling lapdesks for putting your laptop on while laying in bed. If you enjoy TV they have really good sized flat screens you can angle for viewing in both sitting area and bedroom area.

Hyatt Place also has a darling little wine bar as part of the lobby check in area and a complimentary breakfast. Beautiful decor and friendly staff make it my choice over much more expensive properties everytime!

Homewood Suites is my first choice if there's one available. Snacks (and beer!) at night, hot breakfast in the morning, internet, all included in one reasonable price. I remember reserving one a few years ago, but they wouldn't give me the government rate (I was on government business). "Oh, that's too bad," I said. "Homewood's always been my first choice for business travel!" Apparently that was all I had to say, as the reservation lady relented and hooked me up.

A curious thing about the hotel industry is that the mid-line hotels often have superior service to the high-end ones. For example, at a lot of high-end hotels (Embassy Suites, to name one), you pay $10 per day for Internet access, but at Marriott, it's free.

This happens because a large percentage of the people staying in the high-end hotel are on business travel and get reimbursed. Therefore, the hotel can nickel-and-dime them, while they can't at the mid-range hotels because people paying out of pocket won't put up with it.

Thus, internet is free at a Mariott Courtyard or Residence Inn, but not in their premier chain.

Astra, that's it exactly. Too many business travelers are not very smart about what they're paying for (or they feel entitled to charge whatever the hell they want).