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MaidMarion
03-26-2007, 10:27 PM
Just need to get this off my chest.

I travel frequently for work.

So about a month ago, I went to this one hotel.

Now this hotel is a square shaped building, and they charge extra for the rooms that face the inside. They call them “Courtyard view”. I call it, “outside rooms face the highway so you have to hear truck roaring by at two in the morning.”

So I show up, and it turns out there’s an eight grade basketball tournament in the area and several of the teams were staying in this hotel.

When I arrive there was along line to check in due to all the basketball players and chaperones.

Despite the fact that when it was my turn to check in, I had my Rewards card and conformation number out and ready, the front desk worker ignored that and assumed I was part of the group. She started to hand me a room key and tell me the group rate would apply. I’m like “What group rate? I’m not with them”. She gets this annoyed look and was like “oh, what’s your name again?”

She gave me a room key and I went upstairs. When I got to my room, it was a two queen bed room and was a connecting room to a room with basketball players.

Also, the kids were making a ton of noise. They were running up and down the halls and rough- housing in the elevators.

I returned to the front desk and told the girl working that my reservation was for a king size bed and that I would like a room that was not near the kids.

She gave me a new room key, and I noticed the new room number was just a few rooms down from where I was before, so I asked if there was anything available farther away from where the kids were staying.

She snapped at me and said “OK, what do you want?! You said you wanted a king size bed, I switched you. I’m trying to help you out!”

I repeated that I wanted to be put farther away from where the basketball team was staying and she said the other end of the building was filled.

I’m thinking “my reservation was for a king sized bed in the first place. So she really shouldn’t have acted like she was doing me some huge favor by correcting her mistake.”

While I was trying to get some work done in my room, I heard a loud bang and a scream from outside. I opened my door and these kids were playing leap frog down the hallway.

I went to the business center thinking I could get some work done there. No such luck, the kids were in there playing on the internet.

In the pool, again, the kids were making a ton of noise and horseplay. There were no adults there supervising.

I ended up getting hit when one of the kids decided the lifesaving tube hanging on the wall was a toy and started throwing it around the pool.

There were six other people in the hot tub, one was am elderly man.

These kids apparently thought the hot tub was just a mini pool, one of them cannon balled right into the middle of it, I thought the older man was going to have a heart attack.

Another guest in the pool called the front desk to ask that someone get these kids in line. There was no response, at least not while I was in the pool.

I did not get any sleep that night as kids were continuing to play in the halls.

So I go to the hotel chain’s website and sent an email about what happened.

I got a response from the manager offering me a free night.

So last week, I was back in that are and was going to redeem my free night.

I walk in and there was the same girl working the front desk.

She tells me all the courtyard rooms are full. I told her that I had reserved an inside room and she repeated that they were all taken. I’m like “I reserved a courtyard room and they cost extra”.

She gives me this dirty look and says, “it doesn’t matter anyway, your room’s free”.

Let’s see here: My rooms is free because the last time I was there she messed up my reservation and gave me the same attitude.

What happened to consumer service?

*hugs*

K.J.

Kathryn Blakeley
03-26-2007, 10:35 PM
::bighug:: ::bighug:: ::bighug:: ::bighug:: ::bighug:: ::bighug:: ::bighug:: ::bighug:: ::bighug:: ::bighug:: ::bighug:: That's just horrible. That girl should just be fired or something.

And who in their right mind leaves kids unsupervised? I know whenever I went on trips with a school or something we'd always have a lot of chaperones and we had to be on our best behavior because we were representing our group/school/whatever. They'd also make us be in our rooms at a certain hour and tape the doors so if we left the room they'd know and we'd get in trouble for it.

What happened to that sort of thing is what I'd like to know.

Ysobelle
03-26-2007, 10:36 PM
"My room is free in a large part due specifically to YOUR attitude. I'd like to speak to a manager. Now."

I don't lose my temper in situations like that easily, but that would absolutely have done it. Find out who the manager is and CALL.

Buxom Wench
03-26-2007, 10:38 PM
I had a problem in a hotel a few years back.
They aslo gave me a free night.

When we redeemed the free night, we once again had problems.

I was again given a free night AND dinner and breakfast vouchers.

Both times, I made sure I spoke to the manager of the hotel.
Try calling the hotel you stayed at and speak to the hotel manager, not the shift manager.
You may get a free weekend out of it.

Lady Anisette
03-26-2007, 11:44 PM
It is called a hospitality industry job for a reason. :roll:

In my previous life, I used to travel for business. When you get attitude like that, you ask for the manager. You don't even try to reason with someone like that because you won't get anywhere. Customer service isn't always a priority anymore, unfortunately.

UnicornBee
03-27-2007, 07:29 AM
That sucks greatly! I can relate though. There was a hotel I was staying at (The Millenium Hotel in Cincinnati, OH) for a convention I was working for. Prior to this year, we stayed at the Clarion who were willing to chop off their right arm to get us to stay there another year (Well they wanted to build an extra floor, but close enough ;-) ) The Millenium treated us terribly even "jokingly" telling some of our staff and con-goers that they would have to pay extra because they didnt check out their rooms in time. Why didnt they? Becase the fire alarm went off and we had to evacuate.

What has happened to customer service? Hope your next stay is better :-)

Mistress Kath the Innkeep
03-27-2007, 09:44 AM
Was it a Marriott? They have a separate customer service center for Rewards members and they will usually get you a ton of points, or certificates good for any hotel, etc. I worked in a business hotel, and when we got a large group of kids, we were all over them like the plague...we insisted on knowing what rooms the chaperones were in, as well as the group leader, and we called them every single time one of their kids was out of line. Some things I don't miss...

Gellis Indigo
03-27-2007, 04:27 PM
We had the "baseball teams from hell" experience last year when we went to Kenosha, WI for Bristol. Kids running in the hallways, and overrunning the pool. Where were their parents/chaperones? In the bar or outside on the patio drinking. AND there was a wedding reception going on so some of the kids from the reception also came and used the pool/hot tub.

The sign said "Adults only after 10PM, so we waited it out., really needing some time to soak our tired bodies after being at faire all day. No one came to get the kids, and hotel staff came in to restock towels, etc. and said nothing about the kids still being in the pool area.

About 10:15 we gave up and left. Being passive aggressive, as I am, I noticed some of the parents/chaperones walking in as we were walking out and I turned around and looked at the sign and said, "That's what I thought, it's supposed to be adults only after 10." Of course they just ignored it and went on their merry way back out to the patio to knock back a few more.

If that happens again this year I'll be walking to the front desk, dripping wet, in my swimsuit, fat hanging out for all to have to see, and I'm complaining.

And we wonder why kids don't think they have to follow rules......*mutter mutter mutter*

MaidenFaeSnow
03-27-2007, 05:22 PM
\If that happens again this year I'll be walking to the front desk, dripping wet, in my swimsuit, fat hanging out for all to have to see, and I'm complaining.


If that happens again THIS year you ain't seen FAT screaming and complaining till you've seen mine *rotfl* !

I'm not known for being terribly reserved when I'm being taken advantage of. While I know that when you book a room (and I'm speaking specifically online) there is small print that tells you that the hotel can't guarantee your requests (such as non-smoking, king bed, extra pillows, etc) until you check in, what they CAN guarantee you is good customer service. That is something you should be able to expect.

I personally wouldn't stop until this girl was reprimanded AND the corporate office was fully aware of the shananigans going on at that location.

daBaroness
03-27-2007, 08:50 PM
I used to be embarrassed to complain about bad service, bad food, etc. But I'm all grown up now, and as my favorite line from "Fried Green Tomatoes" says, "Face it girls, I'm older and have more insurance!"

I'd have been reasonable the first time - but the second time - that girl would be standing in the unemployment line so fast it would make her head spin. And I would have been a walking complaint about the mess with the kids. If I'd had to, I would have called the police and let the hotel management take the rap.

If you have the name - or could get it - of that girl - I'd write another complaint letter containing exactly what you've posted here - with that little snit's name. Course had it been me - I'd have left her in tears for being so rude!