How do you get the world’s largest hotel chain to offer an acceptable refund?
After spending a night getting just a few hours sleep, more accurately, how do you get a franchise of the world’s largest hotel chain to offer a refund that’s fair and appropriate.
According to this Wikipedia article, “Marriott is the largest hotel chain in the world by the number of available rooms. With 31 brands across 8,000 properties containing 1,423,044 rooms in 139 countries and territories. Of these 8,000 properties, 2,149 are operated by Marriott, and 5,493 are operated by others pursuant to franchise agreements.”
So not short of a few quid/euros then.
The Moxy Vienna Airport hotel is one of those franchises and operated by Bierwith & Kluth Hotel Management GmbH. I enjoyed reading ‘Empathy’ is of B&K’s values.
I stayed at Moxy Vienna Airport in late October 2023 for the final night of a family trip to Vienna. With an early alarm call of 3am to catch a flight, it made sense to swap our lovely central Airbnb for something within walking distance of the airport.
It was €224 for the night.
It started really well, but ended up being really unpleasant. More on what went wrong shortly.
My request for a full refund from the Moxy in Vienna, reduced down to 40% after learning about the Frankfurt table compensation guide, has failed. I’ve been offered 20% and I don’t think that’s cool.
If you’re wondering, the Frankfurt table is a list of compensation amounts that can be paid to a guest following a complaint. For disturbances due to ‘Noise during the night’ it can be 10–40%. I’d have preferred a full refund, but 40% it is.
The problem
My wife and I and our two kids had an awful night. The noise from the room above was ridiculously loud — no-sleep-loud — and it lasted for hours and hours.
The following is taken directly from my first message to the Moxy when I arrived home.
- We turned the lights off at about 21:30 to get some sleep, by 21:40 the noise from the room above was thunderous — raised voices and jumping and running
- I went up to the floor above (floor 5) to check the noise was coming from directly above us. It was, running and children and adults talking loudly was heard through the door of that room
- At 22:00 I went to reception to mention it. The staff member said they’d have a word
- The noises continue. No one in our family had got to — or could get to — sleep
- At 22:30 I went down to reception again. Before I got to the desk the same staff member said ‘Same room?’ I said it was
- By 23:30 we’d give up any chance of a decent night sleep. We managed 2 hours each
Again, it was €224 for the night.
And I’m not the only one to mention this.
The responses to these reviews from the hotel team lack empathy, B&K’s value 3 if you remember. Nor do I think ‘Dear Tired Traveller’ shares respect (value 5), or ‘Moxyfied greetings’ and ‘Peace + love + MOXY’ showcase Professionalism & quality (value 1).
Steps taken
I’ve sent 20+ messages so far and counting. Here are some of the back and forth. I’ll keep updating this list as things progress.
- 27/10/23 — My email to Moxy Vienna Airport and Booking.com asking for refund.
- 13/11/23 — Email from Moxy offering 10% refund. Declined.
- 16/11/23 — Email from Moxy saying ‘up to 20% refund for noise complaint can be offered’. Declined. Also, fibbers.
- 29/11/23 — Email from Moxy offering 20% refund. Declined.
- 29/11/23 — I messaged the Moxy General Manager on LinkedIn to ask for their email address.
- 30/11/23 — My email to Moxy General Manager detailing the issues and asking for an increased refund
- 01/12/23 — Email from Moxy General Manager offering 20% refund. Declined.
- 04/12/23 — Email to Marriott Bonvoy team to ask for a refund.
- 06/12/23 — Email from Moxy with a refund form…for 20%. Declined.
- 07/12/23 — Email to Area Manager for all B&K hotels in the Vienna region to ask for 40% refund.
- 08/12/23 — Email from Area Manager (on an Austrian Public Holiday, credit due) to say they’ll get back to me next week.
- 11/12/23 — Email from Area Manager offering 30% refund. Declined
- 11/12/23 — Asked for 35%.
- 11/12/23 — Email from Area Manager accepting 35% with “fine with me, if those extra EUR 11,00 make you happy.”. Replied with “It’s never about the money, it’s about principles.” Will update when payment received.
As I’ve been writing this I’ve emailed Booking.com, who I booked the hotel through, to stop the complaint process I’d started. This isn’t a problem for them and I don’t want them to spend any time on it. That’s the right thing to do.
Make some noise
I’d like this post to create some noise, to be the grain of sand in the desert of moaning, that might actually do something. I’d like this to be the start of genuine problems receiving better outcomes, for myself and for others.
So I ask you to please like, clap, post, repost, share, do a TikTok, SnapThat or whatever else to so that the good folk at Moxy Vienna Airport, or Bierwirth & Kluth Hotel Management, or indeed the Marriott, can do the right thing.
And if you are reading this good folk at Moxy Vienna Airport, Bierwirth & Kluth Hotel Management, or Marriott, and would like to do the right thing and offer the 40% — or more — refund amount, I’m here.
