W HK has always been my hotel of choice. I can’t have enough of their Davines Momo (and the Bliss before). The room is spacious and enjoyable, and its amenities and design (not repairs and maintenance though) continue to defy time.
Unfortunately this time, my room’s DND button didn’t work, resulting in endless door knocks from the hotel’s service team, from forgetting to replenish the mini-bar, to servicing my room at whatever unearthly hours that suit them.
With regard to replenishing the mini-bar, I take exception as to me being handed the missing item to replace, rather than the service team taking responsibility to attend to the actual replacement. With this anomaly, out of concern, I started counting the bar items - first time ever in my hotel experience over 50 years! - and found another missing item. Miffed, I rang Service, waited for a fair few minutes, only to be told yes they ran out of that stock but had not noted nor deleted it from their minibar menu.
These incidents may appear menial and petty, yet they were the very small annoyances and disturbances that disrupted my otherwise enjoyable stay.
When asked where I could purchase the Chinese New Year goodies the hotel heavily advertised, the lady concierge greeting guests at the hotel lift lobby didn’t have a clue what they were! Sure, she didn’t speak the local language but this was no excuse on the part of the hotel management.
Bathroom taps leaked miserably, creating puddles at the basin areas when used. See pix.
What is concerning to me, however, is the lack of loyalty recognition from Marriott Bonvoy towards its members.
The room upgrade - if and when available, and the free drink under its loyalty programme and the Senior benefits have long been unavailable, even when explicitly requested, despite my being a life time gold (requirement 400 nights + 7 years Gold + status) for umpteenth years.
My booking this time, through Trip.com, drives the message home even louder and clearer. Without prompt and with just an online impersonal booking as a member of the lowest tier, Trip.com instantly provided me with a room upgrade and free drink. On top, the cost of the booking was a fraction cheaper.
I hasten to confirm that through this Trip.com booking, I did get a room upgrade with sea view and the free drinks.
At the end of the day, it is not really about the cost saving of a couple of hundred HK$ or so, not the free room upgrade, nor the free drink. It is all about members’ feel good feeling, the recognition for loyalty, the acknowledgment from the establishment. Definitely, definitely, not for the very sour taste in the mouth of this Marriott Bonvoy Life Time Gold.
