joanie

Hampton Inns advertise a 100% satisfaction guarantee - if you are not satisfied with your stay, you don't pay. I've had them make good on this on one occassion for legitimate maintenance, cleanliness, safety and security problems. The guarantee is quite straighforward.

Holiday Inn, posted in several areas in the room and throughout the hotel, states that if you are not satisfied, you don't pay for "that part of your stay". What does that mean when you're staying one night? At the property we recently stayed at in Sprinfield, Mass., the halls were dark and musty, the airconditioner in the room loud and noisy, and the carpeting threadbare and badly stained. For this they were charging $159 plus tax! When I complained in the morning to the duty manager, he informed me that he's aware about the carpets - they're due to be changed in a few weeks, and the rooms due for renovation later in the year. How nice for those folks to follow. After some discussion, he offered to credit me half the night's rate. Should I not have received the entire rate off? What does the forum think "that part of your stay means" on a one night stay?

xxx

You seem to be a cronic complainer who finds something wrong with everyplace you stay. Perhaps you should stay home. Better yet, maybe you should stay in a better class of a hotel. That way if you were trying to stiff Hyatt, Sheraton or Hilton, for example, you could say "they wanted me to pay $249/night for a room I didn't like, the nerve of them."

joanie

Well, gee whiz! We do stay at a "better class of hotel" when we reach our destination. The Hampton Inns and Holiday Inn stays are while on the road. These hotels inform you of their satisfaction guarantees when you reserve, and is posted in writing at the front desk, in several places in your room, in the elevators, in the lobby, etc. They obviously want to know if there is a problem! What is so cronic about 2 incidents? Is it too much to ask for safe, clean and quiet accomodation at hotels that advertise that they provide it?

keep

I think you have a legitimate complaint and if I were you I would contact the corporate office (by mail) for the other half of your refund. The advantage of choosing a chain hotel in an unfamilar town is that you can expect a similar level of quality that you would get at any of their hotels. Whether the carpet was to be replaced tomorrow or a year from tomorrow doesn't matter- the quality and cleaniless should have been up to par for your stay. FYI- I am not a crabby person who always complains but if I paid for a certain level of quality and it wasn't there I would complain (I wouldn't expect luxury at a Holiday Inn just cleanliness). What's their other option? They lose your business- the customers who don't complain may never return to any of their hotels- this was my response to a tacky Howard Johnson room- I don't know if every HoJo is like the one we stayed in but for the price we paid the quality was subpar- I didn't complain but I won't book a room in one of their hotels again- isn't it more fair to give them an opportunity to back up their guarantee?

kc

The problem with some hotel chains is that each property is independently owned. On a recent trip we found Courtyard by Marriot to be of consistent high quality wherever we went. Where as with Hampton and Holiday Inns, they varied greatly. One Hampton Inn room - advertised as 3 diamond by AAA, had a rumbling, noisy airconditioning unit with parts on the floor, and windows so filthy you couldn't see through them. We asked for another room - they gave us the last one they had. Dirty windows, stained carpet, noisy air conditioner and bare wires sticking out of the wall where the smoke detector should have been. As well, when I went down to get an extra key for the new room, a front desk clerk who never saw me before simply handed one to me without so much as asking for my name or I.D. It was late at night and we were stuck. In the morning, I spoke to the front desk and they offered me 50% off the room. I told them that I would prefer if they lived up to their 100% satisfaction guarantee that is posted everywhere. She agreed - noting that "my manager will have a fit when he finds out about the smoke detector".

Joanie - If these chains are so sure that they can provide safe, clean and well maintained properties that they bombard you with their guarantee promises, then they should live up to them.

dan

Well be thankful you got half price off!!! Good deal!! (But that $159 seems awfully steep for a Holiday Inn)