A Deeply Humiliating Encounter at the Westin Park Central Hotel I am writing to express my profound disappointment and, frankly, outrage at an incident that occurred at the Westin Park Central Hotel. What I experienced was not merely a minor inconvenience, but a deeply humiliating and disrespectful act that has left me questioning the very principles of customer service and basic human decency that I expect from a reputable establishment like the Westin. It is important to preface this by stating that I am not one to make sweeping generalizations or accusations based on isolated incidents. I believe in giving the benefit of the doubt and understanding that mistakes can happen. However, the actions I witnessed and experienced on this particular day transcended the realm of simple error and ventured into territory that I can only describe as a deliberate and callous disregard for my personal dignity. The incident in question involved a simple, everyday scenario: the use of a luggage cart. I was actively utilizing the cart to transport my belongings, which included personal items such as clothing, my laptop, and other essential items. I was in the process of organizing these items when, without warning or explanation, an employee of the Westin Park Central Hotel attempted to remove my belongings from the cart. This was not a polite request to share the cart or a gentle inquiry about whether I was finished using it. Instead, it was a direct and forceful attempt to commandeer the cart and its contents. The intention, as it was made clear to me, was to give the cart and my belongings to another customer, a white individual, who, I might add, had already indicated they no longer required the cart. The audacity of this action was staggering. To have someone, in a public setting, attempt to physically remove my personal belongings from my possession was not only unprofessional but also deeply humiliating. I felt as though I was being treated as an inconvenience, an obstacle to be moved aside, rather than a paying guest deserving of respect. The sheer disregard for my personal space and the presumption that my belongings could be so casually handled and transferred to another individual was shocking. The fact that this was done in favor of a customer who had explicitly stated they no longer needed the cart only compounded the insult. It suggested a level of arbitrary decision-making that prioritized one individual over another, without any regard for the basic principles of fairness and respect. The emotional impact of this incident cannot be overstated. I felt targeted, disregarded, and utterly humiliated. It was a clear message that my presence and my belongings were deemed less important than those of another guest. This was not simply a matter of inconvenience; it was a matter of being treated as a second-class citizen within the very premises of a hotel that prides itself on providing exceptional service.
Beyond Race, a Matter of Fundamental Respect It is crucial to emphasize that while the other customer was white, and I am not, my objection to this incident is not rooted in a belief that this was solely a racially motivated act. I firmly believe that the issue at hand transcends race and speaks to a fundamental lack of respect for all customers. Regardless of the other customer's race, the attempt to take my belongings while I was actively using the cart was unacceptable and demonstrates a severe lack of respect for customers. The core issue lies in the employee's blatant disregard for my personal space and the presumption that my belongings could be arbitrarily taken and given to another individual. This incident has left me questioning the training and ethical standards of the staff at the Westin Park Central Hotel. It suggests a culture where employees feel empowered to make arbitrary decisions that prioritize some customers over others, without regard for basic principles of fairness and respect. I expect businesses, especially those in the hospitality industry, to treat all individuals with dignity and...
Read moreIn my 20 years of traveling with Mariott, this was a first, and let me tell you, when I say effing WILD, I mean insanity, especially at a Westin. I have come to believe that there is something SERIOUSLY WRONG and lacking in oversight and training from house-keeping.
I traveled to Dallas Westin Park Central in the morning and I was pleased to find out they had checked me into a high floor, executive double--Rm 1716, great (they charged me $50 extra). I get into the room and find that for the most part it's tidy, and go over to the TV console shelf where Mariott usually leaves free water bottles. I pick one up and take a big gulp and have a HORRIFIC realization that my tongue and throat start BURNING and that's when I smell lingering alcohol. The water bottle was FILLED with RUBBING ALCOHOL, I REPEAT, ISOPROPYL ALCOHOL, I run into the bathroom and I start vomiting into the toilet and frantically rinse my mouth out with water from the sink. When I call font desk, they send a lady who was a manager up to the room and then she also confirmed it was rubbing alcohol. She then proceeded to blame The Coca Cola company and went on a stuttering tangent about how they needed to contact coke and have them check the lot numbers...I mean...LOL...listen, Coke doesn't just go around filling up empty water bottles with ISOPROPYL ALCOHOL...maybe if their house keeping does a better job of checking whether or not water bottles in the rooms are fully new and closed with safety on granted THEY ARE the ones putting these on the shelves to begin with. At a nice hotel like this, I don't assume bottles are used, and I also don't go around sniffing water every time I drink it assuming it's something else. She then told me she would take care of the Folio for my already terrible experience. Fast forward to when I check out, I leave the next day early morning, I'm still having to pay for my entire stay, and I mention to the front desk about the situation, and they tell me they will take care of it. Finally I call them back and a gentleman picked up the phone and I told him what had happened and he had finally made the reimbursement. UPDATE: Plot Twist— they didn’t refund the full amount, I was still charged for the extra $50 early checkin. I have given up at this point, and they are lucky they aren’t getting hit with a law suit. I can’t even imagine if it was someone’s child who picked up the water bottle and started drinking rubbing alcohol..
Sham WOW there's MORE-- when I get to DFW 20 mins later, I realize that I accidentally also left a very nice sweater in my closet. I give the front desk a call they tell me they will let me know when housekeeping brings it to Lost and Found. Now I KNOW I left the sweater in the closet, because I looked at it before I got ready to leave, but then forgot to take it with me. Now a few days later, nothing to be found, which is also odd, granted housekeeping always should double check, replenish and clean the rooms. There is something really fishy going on with the housekeeping staff here, so BEWARE.
UPDATE: still no sweater to be found since management wrote the...
Read moreNot a bad hotel overall. A few things here and there could use a bit of updating to reach that typical “Westin” brand image. This used to be a Sheraton based on some of the details that were never updated completely it seems. The location is easy to find and a decent location being right off of LBJ and on a major artery Coit, giving you quick access to 75 as well. Parking is either valet or via the parking garage, supposedly there are some surface parking free of charge but I was unable to locate any that were available. Parking is 21 a day plus tax in the garage and even more if you opt for valet. The garage is a little tight and many of the trucks that park within are not considerate of their spacing. Check-in was fairly easy, however I wish they had more contactless options and as someone that rarely carries a physical credit card these days, it was a pain to locate one for the purposes of checking in. Unsure why that is still a thing in this day and age and why I’m able to do this at Hyatt, IHG, and Hilton properties but not Marriott. The lobby is large and inviting with various seating options as well as a bar area. Further in you will find the dining area and gift shop. The lifts are basic with only one of them somewhat providing a view as you go up. The pool area and exercise room was quite nice. The pool is somewhat small but still enjoyable and nicely lit. Plenty of seating options around and a few cabanas are available. There was also a fireplace that was not operational during my visit. The exercise room had a good assortment of cardio and weight equipment. To my surprise they had Nike + iPod compatible machines, but they were all set with the no longer available 27pin connector. My fifth floor room lacked a view but it was a good size and comfortable overall. The bathroom was a good size with a rain shower and wand. The toilet could use some updating however. The desk area was large enough to do some work on with a laptop if needed and there’s a large TV as well. There is a mini-fridge hidden in the desk, and there are various charging options to be found as well, usb and standard ac plug. The nightstand has additional chargers and a convenient shelf to rest your devices on without worrying about them necessarily falling off. Within in the nightstand you will find a safe to store valuable if you so desire. The bed was overall comfortable, but the definite disappointment was with the pillows. Had to stack up the pillows for any type of support and they were all extremely flat and led to me having a stiff neck. By the window there is a sofa that is decently comfortable with nesting side tables for your room service. Visiting the bar you will quickly realize that they are woefully understaffed in the kitchen and bar areas. The staff remained friendly despite being overwhelmed at times. There were several canceled flights and it appeared several airlines sent their rebookings here so the lobby became quite busy an...
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