Making a reservation for the upcoming Emetrics Summit should be a simple process. Sheraton managed to make it a nightmare. The mess began on the Starwood Website where entering all the required info including the Promotion Code returns the following hard to read message:

Thinking that perhaps the Starwood site didn't have the promo-code rate but the Sheraton.com site would (that's the one the brochure suggested), I went there to give it another try. It quickly became obvious that I wound up on the same page and the deal was not going to be had online. Another available rate, with the friendly terms of pre-pay and no-refunds, was only $20 higher so I opted for that.

After finishing the complete reservation, reviewing the terms and details, and submitting my reservation, I was given this notice that I'd just wasted my time (click to enlarge)

OK, to the phones. There I am told that the promo rate is unavailable for 2 of the 3 nights of the conference, and the internet rate I was trying to book cannot be provided. Requesting a supervisor results in a few minutes of hold music and then a dead line. Calling back I got hung up on 2 more times, but this the simple result of a rep who admitted she didn't know how to use the phone system.

On the last attempt I made it to a 'reservations supervisor' who was equally incapable, unempowered, and/or not well-trained enough to simply take my reservation and provide the internet rate. Instead I was advised to book at a nearly 50% higher rate and then wait to talk to the hotel itself the next day. I declined this 'offer'.

I'm a Starwood Preferred Guest program member, but really haven't stayed there much in recent years. I'll probably wind up at the hotel where the event is, for simple convenience, but will go elsewhere in the future when I have the choice. Hopefully this little story helps to erode their image and appeal to many others, and prompt someone at Starwood to a) reprogram the website to tell you it's not accepting reservations before allowing people to spend time making reservations, and b) train and empower the telephone reps to properly pick up the slack when the site does go down.

Interestingly, I just heard today that there is another Word-of-Mouth conference coming up. I hope I have better luck getting reservations for that one...

Update: Sheraton Responds