My husband and I were lucky enough to have a 17 night vacation in California over Christmas and New Years. We spent the first 9 night at the JW Marriott in Anaheim with our children and grandchildren, and after days of theme parks we were looking forward to a relaxing and stress-free 2nd half of our vacation with just the two of us, starting at Ritz Carlton Bacara in Santa Barbara. We arrived around 3:30 on New Years Eve in a festive carefree mood, only to have Jose at the front desk bring our party to an end. We had booked the 3 night stay thru an American Express Fine Hotels and Resorts Package (we always use for hotels), which offers a suite of benefits such as 12pm check-in, room upgrade if available, daily breakfast for two, a $100 experience credit, complimentary wifi, and guaranteed 4pm check-out. These benefits are standard using a Platinum Amex card. Since I was NOT given the Welcome Letter listing the benefits, I asked Jose about the Amex Fine Hotels and Resort amenities. He told me did not qualify since I was booked through Expedia. I said, no I had booked the Amex package, not Expedia. This went back and forth for what seemed like eternity. In the end, he insisted that I had booked though Expedia and I was not to be given any of the amenities unless I could prove that I had an American Express booking. Our room was not ready so he offered us a hotel credit, which was very nice. As I sat in the lobby without my computer (bellman took it at valet), I second guessed myself. I had booked the 17 days trip over a 6 month period. So many reservations had been made. Maybe I had used Expedia. After waiting about an hour in the lobby, Jose still insisting that we book thru Expedia, gave us keys to what had to be the worst room in whole resort. We settled in, my luggage and computer delivered by the bellman, and I started researching how I could prove to the front desk that in fact we were entitled to all these cost-saving perks. I found the Amex booking without trouble, and from the Amex webpage it stated that this Ritz Carlton stay was "current," meaning it was a live reservation and one that had not been cancelled. While researching, I did find an Expedia booking ... but it was for a car rental. I trekkd my computer and hot spot link back to the lobby. Jose was NOT there and the employee who helped me, spent about 10 minutes while I tried to explain the situation. Finally he said it was not enough proof for him to change anything, and suggested that I come back after my dinner and ask for the night manager. He did tell me however, that I had been placed in the wrong wing, and he assigned a bellman to switch me closer to lobby. I had arranged a special dinner in Montecito at a hot spot called Lucky's, which I really did not enjoy knowing that I needed to head back to the front desk again. Around 10pm on New Years Eve, a time when I should have been enjoying the holiday, I was back at the front desk in conversation with the night manager, who just happened to be Jose. Back and forth we go ... Expedia, Amex, Expedia, Amex. He showed me his screen, I show him mine. I give him the Amex confirmation code and the Ritz Carlton confirmation. Now it was a matter of principal ...I had the proof ... and was still being denied because his computer stated Expedia. He kept showing it to me, I kept saying, not sure how it got there but has to be a Ritz glitch. This is when I told him that this whole process was really making me upset, and that I had been upset since check-in. Being hassled was NOT the reason I chose to stay at the Ritz. He finally relented and gave me the damn Welcome Letter. He also said to ask for him at check-out so that I would not be charged for my $80 breakfasts or my $100 resort experience. At check-out Jose told me he took the items off. I asked to see the bill, which he printed. There was a $1,900 facial on New Years' Eve. WHAT???? All I had time to do on NYE was be hassled by Ritz. All I could say was .... "not my charge" over and over. It was finally taken off the bill. Thank goodness I asked to review the bill. I was about to pull away without checking. Ironically, two days later, we checked into Stanley Ranch, which is the new Auberge hotel in Napa. At check in, the employee said welcome, you are booked with the Amex Fine Hotels and Resorts Package booked though Expedia. Upon questioning, he said that the Amex Package had been using Expedia for the lasts 18 months, and there is a special code in his computer to differentiate between the bookings with amenities and those without. RITZ CARLTON please learn from Auberge before ruining some else's stay. NEVER AGAIN. Overall the resort is run down and not befitting a Ritz property ... nor obviously is its training of employees. Was the $1,900 facial mistake purposeful ... or have anything to do with the room change out of nowhere?
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