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Deconstructing my honeymoon in Aruba

February 15, 2009

Question: My fiance and I booked our honeymoon at the Westin Aruba through a travel agent. At the time we made our reservations, we knew the hotel was undergoing some renovations in its lobby. I spoke with our agent, and e-mailed the hotel directly to find out if there would still be construction during our honeymoon several months later. I was emphatically told no, and even have an e-mail saying so from a Westin guest services manager.

Now, only a few weeks before the trip, I have been notified that the pool area of the hotel will be undergoing construction and will be unavailable to guests during our stay. The pool at a smaller, less expensive, hotel will be available for use. We have travel insurance, so we can get all of our money back, less the insurance fee of $258. But we’d still have to book another hotel at the last minute, at a much higher rate.

The Westin has apologized but has not offered any sort of discount or other compensation. Is there anything we can do, other than simply cancel our reservation? — Stefanie Rasimowicz, Princeton, N.J.

Answer: Westin should do more than apologize for the construction. After all, this is only the most important vacation of your life, and it ought to be perfect. Besides, it promised the construction would be done.

The hotel’s pool is one of its best amenities. It’s a free-form pool with three terraced spa tubs that extend 150 yards along the Caribbean. The hotel proudly displays pictures of the pool on its Website, but I could find no correspondingly prominent warnings that it would be unavailable.

No one is judging Westin for closing its pool. Hotels are in an almost constant state of renovation, and as anyone with a pool in the back yard can probably tell you, they require a lot of maintenance. The problem is that Westin wasn’t as upfront about the construction as they could be or as accommodating to your special needs.

Fortunately, you booked your honeymoon through a travel agent. A competent travel adviser should be able to fix a problem like this. After all, you’re paying the agent a booking fee in exchange for the expertise. The agent should, at least theoretically, be working for you.

I might have leaned on your travel agent a little more. When Westin’s “sorry” was unacceptable, your agent should have figured out a way of saving your honeymoon at no additional cost. Otherwise, you could have just booked your honeymoon online — which, by the way, I certainly do not recommend.

What else could Westin do? Under these circumstances, anything from upgrading your room to sending you to a comparable property without making you pay extra. Hotels often transfer guests — called “walking” in lodging industry parlance — to another property when they’re oversold.

I contacted Westin on your behalf. It offered you a $20 per day hotel credit and two drink tickets for the duration of your stay, as well as an upgrade to a suite. It also credited your rewards account with enough points for a one-night stay. A generous offer — but still, no pool. You canceled your reservation and rebooked at the Hyatt Regency Aruba Resort & Casino without having to pay more. Your honeymoon is saved.

By the way, as of Feb. 15, 2009, the pool was open again.

Christopher Elliott is the author of Scammed: How to Save Your Money and Find Better Service in a World of Schemes, Swindles, and Shady Deals. Critics have called it “eye-opening” and “inspiring” — it’ll “grab your attention and won’t let go.” Order your copy now on Amazon, Barnes & Noble or iTunes.

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15 comments

  • Denise

    Oh puh-LEASE, they’re honeymooning on an ISLAND and they’re complaining that the *pool* won’t be open?!?! Not only that, but they sound awfully elitist about the alternative of swimming at a “less expensive” hotel. What, does the more expensive hotel fill its pool with Perrier? Or maybe it’s the discomfort they feel from having to associate with people who are getting the same honeymoon destination for a fraction of the cost?

    And you, Chris, fed right into that entitlement whinging by emphasizing that this was “the most important vacation of their lives”. Sorry to disagree, but there will be plenty of other “most important” vacations to come… assuming that this is their first marriage, that they beat the 50% odds of getting divorced within 5 years, that they never go on a vacation with their children, or with their dying parents, or their spouse who is heading to Iraq, or any number of other situations! Snotty brides like this need to get with the program and realize that nothing in this world will be perfect (excepting maybe the sight of their 1st born child).

    Last time I thought about my list of must-haves for a honeymoon, a high-priced hotel pool was not on it — especially when walks on the beach are much more romantic. You can forget knooky in a secluded grove if all you’re swimming in is the pool. That upgraded suite, though, and the free drinks, plus the extra nights? Hell, even with the extra fees I would be on the horn with my travel agent rearranging my return date for those!

    The hotel guest services made a mistake. Whether intentional (they knew construction would be going on) or unintentional (gee, when was the last time that you saw a major construction project completed on time?), the hotel already had alternatives prepared for their guests. Several months ago the pool may not have been on the list for reconstruction, but money and priorities shift all the time in construction projects. Regardless of that, WEEKS before the trip the hotel took the responsibility to inform the travelers that the pool would be closed. BRAVO for the hotel! The fact that the hotel then bent over backwards to offer SPECIAL compensation to these whingers only to have them snub the hotel and go elsewhere only reinforces my already low opinion of these honeymooners.

    By the Way: Did the ingrates make sure to return those reward points to the hotel, or did they feel so put-upon that they kept them for the inconvenience of not getting their special-wecial way? If they didn’t return them, I bet the next complaint you’ll get is from them griping that the hotel took them back.

  • pipster

    Whew, Denise, you went on for a LOOOONG time about “whinging” and such, way more than necessary, and with an awful lot of hostility and anger. I suspect really sour grapes and… dare I say it? A lot of jealousy.

    If it were my honeymoon, or even just a weeklong vacation at a posh resort, you bet I’d want to be compensated for the loss of one of the major amenities. These folks were paying full price and they expected full service, is that not reasonable? Or did somehow the idea that it’s a honeymoon trigger such anger in you?

    Either way, good for them. Hotel construction is a pain in the @ss when you’re living through it (Travelocity even did a humorous TV campaign about just that); the noise, dust and loss of the pool would have had me scrambling too (and I bet you’d have been “whinging” a lot about it yourself if you were in that position).

  • R

    Wow, Denise, it’s good to know that you’re the last low maintenance bride left. Whatever your standards are, this couple is entitled to have the honeymoon of THEIR dreams, whatever that might be.

  • Jess

    We all know that brides can get very stressed before their weddings and that an unexpected glitch that seems catastrophic at the time would not be such an issue at any other point in her life. Her travel agent should have worked harder to make the client happy – isn’t that why one uses a TA in the first place? Ms. Rasimowicz was contacted several weeks before her vacation, told that there was going to be construction on the pool and was given the option of using a pool at a separate hotel. Obviously, that was a deal breaker for her (to each his/her own). Did anyone even check about pricing at other resorts in the area (such as the Hyatt Regency Aruba Resort & Casino) before just assuming that they would be more expensive and writing to the media?

    Yes, a honeymoon is special. However, the most important thing is that you are celebrating with your new spouse. Maybe if more couples put as much effort into their relationships as they did into the materialistic aspects of the wedding/honeymoon, their marriages would last longer. Ms. Rasimowicz needed to step back and take a deep breath before blowing this out of proportion. Really, it’s nice to be able to afford a glorious once-in-a-lifetime vacation right after your wedding, but no one can control everything in the world around them. I wish people would stop using the word “entitled” when it comes to luxuries like hotel amenities.

  • Kelly

    Sounds like Denise doesn’t go on vacations very often! Very bitter woman taking it out on others. I see an underlying problem……

  • Kevin

    Did anyone check to see where this other hotel was? The beauty about the Pool at your own Hotel is that you can just walk right out to it and use it whenever. Maybe this other pool was a little ways off?
    When my wife and I took our Honeymoon to Aruba, it was wonderful. Except for the fact that the entire place we were staying at was BOTH under construction AND renovation at the same time and we were not even informed of this until we got there…We made the most of it and had fun. Aruba is a tiny island, but there is a ton to do there.

  • Chicky

    My hubby and I were lucky enough to win a trip to Aruba, to an all-inclusive resort. It was beyond fantastic! We didn’t spend much time at the pool, even though it was a very nice one. When we went into the water, it was into that lovely, warm, jade Caribbean Sea. Pools are nice, especially heated ones, and if you’re in a place where the sea tends to be chilly, I’d say that’s a deal-breaker amenity, if you spend a lot of time in the pool. However, with the Caribbean at our door, we weren’t interested in the cholorinated, crowded pool.

    Having said that, being at a hotel where construction is ongoing is no fun, and I probably wouldn’t have booked the Westin, on the usual premise that construction is generally behind schedule and is never finished when the hotel says it will be (sort of like road construction). I never would have considered the Westin with even a possibility of construction. I think the Westin made a nice compensatory offer, but the couple is probably better off with the alternative.

    Since the couple booked through a TA, though, I don’t think this really should have escalated to a Chris-sized problem. The TA should have taken care of the situation to start with.

  • Mike

    Denise, I am sorry to say, but you are 100% wrong. I am a facility manager and as one I know more than months in advance when we will be doing construction. So unless a hurricane destroyed the pool area they would have had plenty of advance warning. It takes time to design something as elaborate as a pool like they have and it would also take some time for bids, specs, and other pre-contruction planning.

    Second, you ask about the snobbiness of not going to another pool. as someone else elaborated, part of the beauty of a pool in your own hotel is that you can go to it when you want and you can walk to it. Would you really travel to a pool at some hotel down the street and actually use it? As to using the pool vs the ocean, I can attest that I am much more comfortable in a pool vs the ocean. i have been like this ever since a visit to Ocean City, MD where we were swarmed by horseshoe crabs and jellyfish and I had a bad experience. Ever since then i have not been able to go into a non pool for fear that I may step on something or get hurt by something I cannot see.

    You also spoke of the “most imortant vacation” aspect. For someone who maybe doesn’t travel much, or for someone getting married, this could possibly be the vacation of a lifetime. You have no idea how much was saved for this trip or if it will ever occur again. is it too much to ask that someone actually gets what they pay for? It is not our place to determine for someone else how important their vacation might be.

    The hotel dropped the ball on this one and they failed to compensate Stefanie for the loss of one of the largest attractions to the hotel and they had mislead her about their construction schedule. No one is to blame here except the hotel and when a soon to be guest had a problem with their new construction, they should have made it right immediately.

  • Chris

    Denise,

    A bit harsh don’t you think?

    As Chris wrote “The hotel’s pool is one of its best amenities. It’s a free-form pool with three terraced spa tubs that extend 150 yards along the Caribbean. The hotel proudly displays pictures of the pool on its Website, but I could find no correspondingly prominent warnings that it would be unavailable.”

    I consider myself a low maintainence traveller. In other words, I will sometimes book a room at a hotel undergoing construction or renovation because they offer great deals. My personal favorite was when I booked a room at a ski-in, ski-out hotel in Vail undergoing renovation, paying only $79 a night using a “construction rate.” The room was gorgeous, and we didn’t hear any noise. Granted the spa and a restaurant were closed and 1/2 of the building was draped over, the package was a steal. I have found that contruction times generally occur during the day when I am out and about, and have never experienced any problems (even in the mornings).

    Having said that, I tend to side with Ms. Rasimowicz on this one. The pool is one of the featured amenities as Chris pointed out. Simply sending out a notice like the one Ms. Rasimowicz received seems inadequate. How would you feel if you booked a room at the Mandalay Bay Resort in Vegas in advance, then be told that the wave pool would be closed? or booked at Atlantis Resort on Paradise Resort and told the water park would be closed? or paying full rates at a Great Wolf Resort when the hotel’s waterpark is closed?

    At the very least, adequate compensation should be expected. Hotels usually discount rates significantly if there are major renovations on their property. Why should Ms. Rasimowicz be penalized by paying regular rates in advance when the hotel decided to start pool renovations between her booking and check-in?

    Personally, I probably would have accepted the Westin’s revised compensation. The fact that Ms Rasimowicz cancelled and rebooked at the Hyatt Regency makes me feel that she had a legitimate complaint (obviously the pool was important), rather than just being another whiner.

    Another Chris

  • Geoff

    Being a travel agent, I do not know every rennovation in the carribbean. Once this problem was addresses, I work through a wholesaler and would immediately change hotels to the Hyatt or Marriott. Yes, the pool is the hot spot of most resorts in the Carrbbean with the pool bars and jacuzzis. The Hyatt is a great hotel, the Westin might be a bit nicer. Upgraded to a suite on your honeymoon? WOW what a memory. If you are a beach person, it’s a better deal. 2 free drinks, $20.00 credits are worth diddly squat.

  • Carole

    Good grief, talk about whiny babies. Let me tell you about the honeymoon from h*ll. We booked it through a travel agent — it was a 5 day cruise in the Bahamas — our first cruise ever. Arrived on ship, found out our room had two cot-sized twin beds that were bolted to the floor. Catch my drift? Think **honeymoon** ! We couldn’t move them side by side. Then discovered we were with about 700 screaming, rowdy misbehaving teenagers who were on their senior class trip. We’re talking kids constantly running back and forth everywhere, extremely high state of excitement, bumping people, being quite the nuisance teens can be. The final straw was trying to sleep — we had been booked right under the kitchen area! Constant noise, thumps, bangs and other various clanging from about 5:00 a.m. until well past midnight (you remember those ghastly midnight buffets?). This was 30 years ago and we were too naive to complain to the travel agent. We did try to get another room but you can guess the result — booked up! It’s funny now but an expensive nightmare back then.

  • Michele

    Why is this person appealing to Chris in the first place? Shouldn’t these questions have been directed to the travel agent? Or is that the point of publishing this–to show that you should be dealing with your travel agent instead of sitting there saying ” I want my pool”? After all, what did the traveller expect to happen? The pool is not available regardless of who they appeal to. Were they hoping Chris could get them a bigger discount for the inconvenience? Not sure of their intentions and I don’t trust the motive.
    Having said that, yes, I think the pool being unavailable can be a big issue. Yes we have the ocean there, but what about a day of rough waves or wanting to lounge around poolside sipping a drink near the bar? Some places have swim-up bars that are great social hangouts. So the fact that it is a pool acrossed the street from an ocean shouldn’t lessen its importance.
    The article also alleges deception when the hotel personel said no construction. It was several months away from their arrival date. Perhaps the person they spoke to just didn’t know the pool was going to be renovated at the time. Or the timeline was pushed back after the call and email exchange. I think the hotel made reasonable attempts to let its customers know what was going on. They are not obligated to do or provide any more than that. I’ve been to Arube and that is a nice hotel, with or without a pool. The customer was given ample opportunity to decide if they really wanted to stay there. No special “points” or upgrades really were owed here.

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  • Meredith

    In Denise’s defense, I used to work for Westin’s parent company. The bride would have been transferred to a reservation call center when she asked for reservations and I know the system…

    The agent has no access to construction schedules unless it was entered into the computer. So as far as the Agent might have been aware, the construction would have been finished as promised. That is the fault of the Property.

  • Ronda

    wow this seems to be a bash denise page doesnt this? however you only have one honey moon (hopefully) in your life and if they want a pool they should get a pool. (mind you if your going on your honey moon for the pool… you might want to revisit the whole marriage thing)

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