I’ve never understood the hotel turndown service past the free chocolate, but recently the Starwood hotel chain (Westin, W, Sheraton, etc.) has taken this somewhat forgettable amenity from unnecessary to ob-no-x-ious.
This is apparently a recent and not only national but international change to their standard service offerings as I witnessed it in both NYC and Amsterdam.
The change in question? They turn on the radio for you. An otherwise forgettable action until you consider this that the Starwood radios are not only completely unintuitive but differ from hotel-to-hotel like snowflakes. Finding the “off” button can be an exercise in patience in not unplug the friggin’ thing from the wall.
Also, the selected channel is either the standard Starwood relaxing New Age music (the same playing when you turn on the TV) or soft rock. In NYC, they seem to enjoy the soft rock option. The following songs have been playing over the past month when entering my hotel room:
- Like a Prayer – Madonna
- The Dawson’s Creek Theme
- Desert Rose – Sting
- Rainy Days and Mondays – The Carpenters
- Iris – The Goo-Goo Dolls
Cringe-worthy. Now, if the Go! Team was playing instead of these it would be a much different story.
On top of that, if you get home in time to put your privacy sign up (i.e., on vacation) they leave a note under your door saying that they appreciate your privacy and if you want turn down service, just call. No problem, dude; if you want someone to come to your room, turn the radio to an unfortunate station, straighten your bed and leave a known cavity-causer just before bedtime, just give us a call.
