Jun
Wronged at Westminster Westin
I consider myself a road warrior lately, going to conference after conference and traveling to Sacramento and Denver in a 2-week period. The worst place I have ever stayed is the Westin at Westminster Colorado. That is saying something, since I like to frequent Motel 6’s when I travel with my dogs. I will give the Westin this; they have better towels and beds. But for the amount of money they charge, I could have bought a whole new bathroom for my house. As they have told me over & over, I was a victim at their establishment.
They allowed my wallet with all my credit cards to be stolen. I had $500 plus in it, plus who knows what. You should never have to be in a strange place with no money and no help, but that is what I experienced at the Westin. To top it off, they never apologized. They said that they would turn it over to their insurance company, AND MAYBE something would happen. They have no control over that. They kept asking me to talk to one person after another, and they parroted that they were “sorry I was a victim”. Logic to me is that they should be responsible. It happened at their very expensive hotel that I was also staying at. If I AM a victim, shouldn’t the Westminster Westin also be a victim? How do I give myself a position of power in this situation?
I had a representative of Westin say; “Well you could have been robbed at Macy’s” they wouldn’t be responsible. That brings up a very important question: are the hotels that you base your life out of while you are on the road responsible for what happens under their roof?”
I had my wallet under the table of my display, in the hallway of the Westin, at the ISSSEEM conference. A man that was somehow allowed into the hotel was sitting at my chair looking under the table when I came out of the bathroom. Intuitive that I am, I knew immediately that he was robbing from me. He looked at me, sat up with something in his hand by his waist, did a three-quarter turn and ran into the room behind me. This in retrospect was the crucial time. I don’t think we ever expect to be robbed, and especially at the highest end hotel during a scientific conference. There have been studies on victims, and supposedly, they all carry themselves as victims. I have never thought of myself as being in that category, since I am a third degree black belt. Also, I chase someone who takes from me.
I always want to be politically correct, and instead of screaming, “Stop!” immediately, I ran over to my purse to see if it was there. It was, but the wallet was gone. I ran after the man, into the room he had run into, and it was empty. I then ran out to the lobby, and I saw him further down the hallway. I screamed, “He stole my wallet – stop him!” and watched as he ran down two hallways filled with people. All I needed was SOMEBODY to trip him or grab him. There were no personnel from Westin in the vicinity, and the few people who registered what was going on started chasing him after he went past. I picked up a crowd of people chasing the man. We chased him thru two hallways and out into the lobby, thru the lobby, out into the entrance, across the entrance and over into the parking lot. A woman standing out in the foyer pointed that he went over the hill into the parking lot. I couldn’t see the parking lot from the hotel entrance, and when we went out there, I no longer knew where he was.
One of the people helping me search said to look in the cars, that perhaps he was hiding in a car or between cars. I got this absurd idea that he would be getting in a car and driving out, and went to stand in the entry way of the lot. I felt he had slipped us. So it surprised me when one of the gang spotted him and yelled. We picked up the chase again, and ran behind the man out into the road. I was not used to such strenuous running, and was getting winded. The volunteer ahead of me, after crossing across the road fell in a hole and hit the sidewalk with both knees and her head. Two cars stopped and two men got out, picking up the chase for the thief. I came over the knoll going into the parking lot of a mall, to see those two men tackle the thief. There was shouting, and I wondered how we were going to delay the thief until the police arrived. Amazingly, I saw the man being handcuffed. The police were already there.
This sounds like it should have a happy ending, doesn’t it? But no. The volunteer, Tracy, was taken to the hospital with a concussion. The thief no longer was in possession of my wallet, and we started the long search of the parking lots and hotel for my wallet. I am fairly famous for finding stuff, especially dogs, but did not get one whisper from St Anthony or the angels on where the wallet was.
I am closing this now, with updates to follow. After 8-10 “I’m sorries” from Westin, they are going to have the general manager call me. Whatever they do, it will be too little too late. I need help today, not tomorrow. The Westin’s answer to my situation is “I’ll get back to you- maybe”. That is like telling a woman who is getting raped I will get help for you- tomorrow or the next day- I called someone who COULD help. Weigh in on this please- am I at fault somehow? What needs to happen for the Westin to make it right ?
Clarifications: I did not have my wallet stolen from my room. I had that much cash (maybe more) because I was a vendor & was making change out of my wallet. I do not usually carry that much cash. This happened at NOON: it was not dark, or late. I do not expect WESTIN WESTMINISTER TO BE totally at fault, I feel however that they should share in the loss of me being accosted in broad daylight during a convention at their establishment, without any security or actions from the Westin to help me. They have never thanked me for catching the thief, in fact just the oppossite, the security guard told me “i was stupid to chase the thief & lucky I was alive”
I work for myself & this loss is immense. I could not work for the rest of the confeerence because everyone there was asking me about the burgulary. Everyone except the WESTIN WESTMINISTER employees- I had to ask numerous times to talk to security and it was not until 2 days later that they even talked to me. Several of the Westin employees I talked to were “gloating ” that they had “caught the theif” without the knowledge that the WESTIN had nothing to do with the capture, it was me, a few people from the conference and the Westminister police. A volunteer was seriously injured during the chase, & it is my belief that would not have happened if the WESTIN had not been asleep at the wheel. the police shared with me that the Westin Westminister had just installed many new cameras because of an increase in crime.
To this date, the WESTIN WESTMINISTER’s general manager has called my HOME PHONE once, July 7th. As far as I know, they have not turned the claim into their insurance. No one asked me if I needed help with finances getting home, no one did anything but pass me from one manager to the next. I would LOVE to be blogging about the important information I have for the animal world instead of this travesty. If you work for Westminister, know that I will not stop asking for justice until I receive it. All that money for new cameras, and crime still happened.
When I was in corportate life I had my coat stolen at a corporate function. The hotel reimbursed me for it within 2 days, and then the coat also mysteriously reappeared. The hotel told me to keep the money, for the traumatic experience. I wonder if I was with a big corporation now, if the WESTIN WOULD be so cavilar as to not even RETURN MY CALLS FOR OVER A WEEK. I waited to see this general manager, for over an hour, only to have them say he was not coming in . He was supposed to CALL ME ON MY DRIVE HOME ON MY CELL PHONE. I just received a MESSAGE ON MY HOME ANSWERING MACHINE on July 7th – almost a full week later. OF course, they had no reason to hurry, the hotel just CHARGED MY ROOM TO MY ROOMMATE”S CREDIT CARD without even asking us if they could do that.
Yes, I was careless. I booked a conference at a hotel that apparently could not possibly offer me a safe venue in which to display. If you have any suggestions on how I should have kept my money I am open to suggestions. I do conferences almost every weekend and have never experienced the crime that I experienced at the WESTIN WESTMINISTER. I also feel that it is a crime that they are not helping me with the financial loss in any way to date.
This is awful that something like this happened to you. Did you post on the Westin site, under comments?
I would spread the word in any way possible, like on fb, what happened to you. We won’t be staying there ever again. We usually stay at the one in Orlando for several days.
Did you contact a lawyer on your rights?
Good Luck, wish I had a better suggestion.
you left your wallet under a table and went to the bathroom – how is this the Westin’s fault?? Yes, it’s a big PITA and highly unfortunate, but the Westin is hardly to blame. YOU are the one who left your wallet with $500. and credit cards in it out in the open. YOU weren’t keeping track of your valuables. And some jerk seized on an opportunity and stole it. Again, it’s a pain and unfortunate, but it really sounds like you are more to blame than the Westin. Take some responsibility for your own carelessness.
The Westin’s response was poor. And their security appears to have been non-existant. But leaving money unattended was a poor decision on your part, and unfortunately you’ve paid dearly for that error in judgement.
Wow… sorry that happened to you I could only imagine the lost and pain this has caused. I would be totally upset had this happen to me. Here is my only and biggest reservation in regards to your claim… If you had a room there why wouldn’t you put your belongings in the safe? I’m sure the hotel has one based on the quality of the hotel. The hotels only obligation is to make sure you are physically ok. How can the hotel know that you didn’t do this yourself to extort the hotel? It could be a possibility? Can you imagine how many claims would be out there if hotels covered your personal belongings? I can assure you Motel 6 wouldn’t have even called you back or provided you with any assistance. In reading your reponses you have yet to take sole responsibility for your actions. I would have more sympathy if you weren’t a paying guest at the hotel with an opportunity to safely put your belongings in a safe in your room. Hotels are aware of those things hence a safe being available. I personally wouldn’t give you anything back despite your claim, because you had two missed opportunities to protect yourself. #1 Putting your valuables in a safe to protect yourself from the thief. #2 Knowing you had over $500 in your possesion and leaving it unattended. Those are 2 failed missteps on your part, which will provide to be costly for you and the hotel is not responsible for someones blatant mistake. I hope everything works out and that this experience teachs you not to be so careless.
I also hope you got the girls info who got hurt helping you and send her a thank you letter… that is sweet what she did. I’m sure the hotel will cover her injuries, but it is sad that she got hurt, because of your carelessness. Poor girl…
If you haven’t noticed most businesses are facing hard times and most businesses INCLUDING HOTELS have had to cut back on staff. I work for a full-service hotel in Indianapolis and we have 1 person on security per shift. That’s 1 person to cover 35,000 square feet of meeting space and over 400 guest rooms on 6 floors, not to mention all of the employee only areas. If a group is coming in and someone requests more than we will provide up to 3 more people. After that, the cost goes to the group to hire their own security. This is not a tv show, hotels do not have security officers twirling around their batons, looking menancingly around for any bad guys. You mentioned that the guy was “somehow allowed” into the hotel…do you think the hotel stops each person walking through any of the entrances and pulls a criminal background report on them? I’m not saying the hotel handled it perfectly, I wasn’t there, so I’m going off the info you’ve given but the most obvious question is who the hell leaves that much money unattended? I don’t care if it was under your booth, it’s like leaving your purse in a restaurant booth and going to the bathroom or leaving it in a shopping cart and walking down the aisle to grab something – that stupidity belongs to you and only you. Above all else, I find the fact that you’re comparing this incident with a woman being raped absolutely APPALLING. You left money unattended and you were robbed. It sucks. But to compare that to a woman being raped? Really? Way to be politically correct.
II was working my booth which is filled with expensive items, and making change for people that made purchases. If you are in business today, you know that people are using cash instead of credit cards today. I COULD NOT put my wallet in the safe because I had to have something that I could make change with. I still hold my carelessness was paying 1500 for a booth that did not have sufficent security. I cannot tell you how many shows I am seeing in minds eye that had security almost always in sight. That is why you are at a 5star hotel and pay that type of entry fee.
I obviously should have stayed home & sold off the internet, and by-pass the Westin WESTMINISTER. I regret ever going there. I really thought they would make this right, so I will look much more carefully at the contracts I sign from now on. In California & arizona they ALWAYS have security, is it some type of state law that is lacking in COLORADO?
Yes. Unfortunately, I made the decision to go into business for myself full time a year before the crash. That is why i feel the WESTIN WESTMINISTER should also shoulder some of the responsiblity. My business will not be done in an establishment that cannot promise a safe venue. I am by myself, at some point in time i have to “leave” my items unattended to go to the bathroom. He could have as easily picked up a $500 bracelet or $800 necklace. With your information, it makes me not want to ever do a show again, to put that energy into the internet site. This man was a sweaty, illegal alien that stuck out- except for the fact he was dressed in the same colors as hotel employees. That brings up racial profiling, which I am not in favor of.
The reality is the halls of the Westin Westminister will be empty if they cannot stop crime within them. It may not be a “tv show” but every conference I have done this year have had security obviously doing exactly that: being present. Truthfully, I do not think it was an advantage that the Westin Westminister had security at all: they took up my time talking about the incident and I received nothing in return. Of course, every minute I spend talking to them is time I could be working on MY business, I am not getting paid, and they are- even while they watch the videos of me chasing this man.
Oh, and comparing it to a woman being raped? If that had happened, I would have been able to handle it on my own. Decades of martial arts are far more dependable than a retired police officer.
Repeating that you had to have the cash to make change does not excuse the fact that YOU left it sitting unattended. Women take their purses to the restroom with them all the time. Would you leave a laptop, purse, digital camera, etc just sitting in the backseat in your car and then be surprised if the car was broken into and the items were stolen? Also, you keep referring to the $1500 fee and the expensive inventory you sell…how does double-checking the security NOT cross your mind, whether you’re in a Travelodge or a Ritz Carlton?
Please tell me that you took care of the girl that went out of her way to pursue your belongings. I am concern that her act of kindness was in vein, since you are discussing her and her act of kindness. Also, please do not refer to what happened to you as rape. I am sure millions of rape victims would love for their items to be stolen, then to have been violated. That is disgusting that you would compare the two.
I think it is a lessoned learned that despite the hotel. Only you can prevent your belongings from being fully secure. To me it isn’t about the hotel, but rather following common sense in protecting your belongings at all times. It is very hard for me to support you, when you can’t knowledge that you are at fault. You blame the Westin without seeing the multiple fingers being pointed at you.
There are many people reading this story on Facebook btw and none of them have had kind words of you, because you lacked the ability to display functional common sense. Some have even stated that since you compare it to rape that the are glad it happened to you, so you probably want to be more careful in how you convey your message, since it’s audience could actually be rape victims. Good luck with your future shows and all the best to you in protecting yourself and your belongings.
As you have so kindly pointed out- it was HER CHOICE to chase after the thief with me. I have nothing to do with that apparently, since we are all supposed to take total responsiblity for our behavior. What I am saying is there is no way my booth could have been safe without security, wallet or jewelry. Fortunately, I have been naive about this because I have attended conventions in Arizona & California that have excellent security. I HAVE to take responsiblity- but I see it more a fault for booking the stay at the hotel than leaving my booth, and yes, my friend across the way WAS watching my booth but she has customers too.
I have sent the WOMAN a thank you card & she is feeling fine glad you care about someone.
Yes, you never know who is a rape victim, do you? Because I am. I suppose if I told you the details, you would make that my fault also. Good luck hater.
Ya know… I feel sorry for you. Because your money got stolen, yes. Of course….. no one like to have their belongings stolen. But I also feel sorry for how absolutely OBLIVIOUS you are!!!!! I cant say that I disagree with any of the other posts here about how out of your mind you must be to think that a) the Westin is responsible for the theft and b) that your ONLY fault is that you chose the Westin as the venue for your conference. And you ask why the thief would go for the wallet and not one of the expensive pieces of jewelry? It may be a stretch, but put yourself in the mind set of a thief for a moment (use your imagination). Would you rather steal a piece of jewelry, take it to a pawn shop, have to fill out information about yourself in order to get the cash? Or would you rather skip the extra steps and just steal the wallet that some oblivious woman left sitting under a table unattended with CASH (that she has no doubt let people see, whether intetional or not). Hmm yea, the cash would be more appealing!
Like I said, I’m so sorry that your belongings were stolen…. but its time to take a step back and realize that when you are pointing fingers at others…. the person you need to be blaming is yourself.
Lesson learned here children????? Dont EVER leave your wallet/purse unattended, regardless of whether you think the place is secure or not.
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