I recently stayed at a Westin hotel and was completely underwhelmed. On check in, they asked if we wanted to go green, which of course you say yes to, right? In many hotels, this means that they conserve water and energy by not changing your bath towels every day. At the Westin, this is a trick. It means that they don’t enter your room at all.

There is nothing environmentally green about not making your bed or emptying your trash bins daily. The only green thing about it is the color of the money Westin saves by not hiring the staff to make up your room. It is another name for what the airlines are now calling basic economy.

Speaking of which, I called for a shuttle to the airport, and they informed me that they are not running shuttles “at this time” because they don’t have the staff. Looks like more labor savings to me . . .

Westin charges for the internet at $10 / day for three devices. If you are a couple each with a laptop and iPad, you are going to pay for four devices or $20 / day. Yes, anyone with a certain status at Westin may not have to pay, but why charge more for internet than Motel 6 does? Because they can.

They also had one of those directly overhead ‘rain storm’ shower heads to make the shower seem upscale. Unfortunately, it makes one contort into Cirque de Soleil positions in order shower without getting one’s hair wet or let the hair conditioner soak in while scrubbing the rest of one’s body.

I could go on, but you get the point. I used to think Westin was an upscale treat, but this seemed like more of a cheap trick.