rshearer76
Google
I am a Bonvoy member, and this was an absolute disgrace.||Was taking my son to the Mavericks game the night of November 14, 2025 and unfortunately to cancel due to the government shutdown and flight cancelations. ||On November 12, I called the W Hotel directly and spoke with a front-desk staff member to cancel my stay. I was explicitly told that the cancellation was “fine,” that there was “no problem,” and that the reservation was canceled. I provided my name only—and I was not asked for a reservation number. The representative then gave me a cancellation confirmation number: S11W5442R12. I thanked him, and I had no reason to believe the matter was anything but resolved.||Despite this, two separate charges—$631.07 and $712.18—posted to my card. Both have now required formal disputes through my credit card issuer.||When I called on December 2 seeking clarification, the front-desk agent acknowledged that one of the charges resulted from the Hotel's own mistake and stated it would be reversed. Had I not taken the time to review my statement and initiative to call I would have been charged for both rooms. Without apologizing, she noted she would reverse the $712.18 charge, but she refused to correct the second charge, claiming it was tied to a “nonrefundable” room—ignoring entirely that (1) I explained the situation with the government shutdown I would not be flying into Dallas on 11/14 and successfully canceled the reservation with your employee’s express approval, and (2) the confirmation number he provided reflects that cancellation.||After the fact, the hotel claimed I had two separate reservations—one refundable and one non-refundable. That is laughable. I was never told I was booking two reservations, never given a clear explanation of different cancellation terms, and never knowingly agreed to a non-refundable charge. This was only “discovered” once they decided to keep my money.||When I challenged it, there was no attempt at fairness, clarification, or customer service—just robotic reliance on “policy” to justify charging me hundreds of dollars for a stay that never happened. That’s not transparency. That’s a classic gotcha tactic.||Luxury hotels are supposed to trade on trust. This one trades on confusion. If your business model depends on springing surprise non-refundable charges on guests and daring them to fight back, just say that upfront. For a brand that markets itself as "premium", the conduct here was cheap, evasive, and embarrassing. Bonvoy loyalty clearly means nothing at this property. I won’t return—and I strongly suggest others think twice.