Someone on the Experiential Forum listserv posted an interesting take on Westin's branding and selling just about everything in the place. She was turned off on a recent stay at a Westin by everything from the beds and bedding to the spa items to the rooms themselves having pricetags on them (the rooms as time-shares). "Beforehand, I was excited about staying at the Westin. Now I'm inclined to stay away from them," she said. "The net effect was a bit like vacationing in a shopping mall." She wasn't too thrilled with the level of service, either.
Obviously, a disconnect between quality expectations and reality are a big problem for any hotel, and not one that I've noticed at any Westin I've stayed at in recent years. But I can see her point about having everything for sale, all the time. Even though I lust for a Heavenly Bed, I'm not sure I'd want to have a pricetag on the mattress. What do you think?
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