Fodor's Travel Talk Forums - Problem @ Doubletree Surfcomber

Fodor's Travel Talk Forums (https://www.fodors.com/community/)

- United States (https://www.fodors.com/community/united-states/)

- - Problem @ Doubletree Surfcomber - South Beach / Need Advice (https://www.fodors.com/community/united-states/problem-doubletree-surfcomber-south-beach-need-advice-251516/)

Problem @ Doubletree Surfcomber - South Beach / Need Advice

This happened to me recently. People told me corporate management really needed to know this story. What do you think? ***** Hi - My husband and I stayed at the Doubletree Surfcomber June 17 - 20, 2002. I was going to let this slide, but everyone I tell says that corporate really needs to know our story. We arrived at check in time (3 pm) on June 17 to find only 1 person (Sandra) stuck with checking in approximately 8 people - most who gave this poor girl some sort of hard time. Sandra assigned us to Room #237. We went to unlock our door to Room #237 and the key wouldn't work. We lugged all of our luggage back to the front desk to tell her the key didn't work. She rekeyed it and then we got in fine. We unpacked 4 large suitcases looking forward to our stay since she gave us such a gorgeous room when I asked her if any upgrades were available when we checked in. The room was an oceanview king room with a balcony. Beautiful. Late that night my husband received a phone call from Mike at the front desk asking him who he was. My husband wasn't going to give out any personal information over the phone and advised Mike we would be down to the front desk momentarily. Since I made the reservation, I went down. Mike informed me that we had to move rooms (after we unpacked and had been using the room for hours) because we were in someone else's reserved room. He said Sandra made a big mistake and put us in a room that they got over $500 a night for. I advised Mike that I have a key card portfolio with our room #237 written in Sandra's handwriting so she couldn't have made a mistake. He said someone will come in and move our stuff out of there whether we liked it or not. I said if anyone goes into our room, I will call Miami Beach Police Department and report it as a criminal trespass situation. I said I will not be punished for someone else's mistake. The hotel wasn't even busy at the time - maybe 4 people at the pool that entire week. I left the front desk in tears because Mike laughed in my face and said I do not run the place and will be moved. I went back to the room and told my husband what transpired. We decided to wait and see what would happen. I called the corporate office and never heard back from anyone. While I was at the pool and my husband ran up to the room use the bathroom, a person who described himself at the hotel manager (african american man with an accent)entered the room which had the 'do not disturb' sign up and confronted my husband. He said we were going to be moved to another room because Sandra was in big, big trouble for putting us in that particular room when we were "only paying government rate". N My husband ordered him out of our room at once. Whenever we would walk by the front desk in the lobby we were ridiculed by the front desk staff. The employees called us thieves and cheap. I called corporate again and left word as to what was happening, again - no return phone call. When we checked out, I asked Sandra if she got into trouble and she didn't know what I was talking about. So, the management harassed us for every night of our visit. I love the hotel and the grounds and location and we even want to go back when we are assigned the "correct" room, but management needs to know they are way out of bounds to actually harass and intimidate guests. You certainly wouldn't treat anyone in your home like that, so why would paying customers warrant this treatment? All other aspects of the hotel stay were awesome. Beautiful propery and pool area. The rooms were beautiful even know the walls are a little thin and it can get a bit noisy - but it is an older building. Can someone please call me to discuss this? Thanks so much in advance. ***** I emailed this note to the corporate office Sunday afternoon and am waiting to hear back.

I would make sure I told any and every person I could. I stayed there once before renovations and they treated me like a hobo. I am a software executive who could buy and sell them 10 times over. Goes to prove you never know who you are dealing with -- unless your last name is Trump, Bush, Gates and the like.

I have reservation here for Labor Day weekend. Please post the outcome of the dilemma.

Something's not right here. I don't understand your problem of not moving. What's the big deal? Just because your key packet had a handwritten number on it, doesn't mean there wasn't a mistake. I guess everyone wants something for nothing. When the key didn't work why didn't one of you stay with the luggage and let the other one get the key rekeyed? You weren't traveling alone. This would have avoided the task of having to lug your luggage. And lastly, tell me how you would feel if the special room you reserved was taken by someone else? Mistakes happen, inconveniences happen -- that's life. It doesn't mean you have to threaten to call the police or run to the lawyer. A complaint letter is one thing. I would have done the same thing. But the threat to call the police is just too much.

The Ritz Plaza next door is a dump. Do not stay there. I tried to get a refund but since I paid Priceline I had to stay. Horrible. The Delano was next door. Lots of hot babes going in and out of there all day and all night long.

Possession is 99.9% of the law. The hotel was supposedly slow so someone else could have been placed in another room. Someone with a reservation needs to understand that mistakes happen too. Remember room assignments are made at check in.

South Beach Lover: You really need to get over this. As a hotel GM yes, it was invasive but it is over now. Write a nice, polite letter to the GM explaining everything and send it certified mail(I wouldn't reply to an email either. If you can't take the time to write a letter it couldn't have been that important), Courtesy Copy it to Doubletree headquarters certified mail, and please stop bumping this thread to the top.

Never email a corporation, it will only get lost. You will NEVER be able to obtain the direct email address of an executive. Call or write the president by name(not Dear President). Be more concise in your writing. Your letter was too wordy and "folksy". Keep it more business like. Tell them what you want them to do about it. Keep in mind that many hotels are independent franchises which license the Hotel name. This means that corporate may not have the immediate corrective authority.

TO THE TOP FOR DIVAN OF COURSE YOU WOULD WANT SOMEONE TO GET OVER IT IF YOU ARE ALSO A HOTEL GM, TOO. ASSHOLE

Hey SoBe Lover Too: No one calls South Beach SoBe except for you tourists.

Thanks for all the replies. Management from Doubletree called me this morning and we worked out an amicable resolution. Take care.

That's great that it all worked out for your! And thanks for coming back to the board and updating everyone. I would ask, though, if you could please give some more information in order to help follow posters who were also helpful to you. For example, what level of management contacted you, did you contact them via email or regular mail, did they apologize and/or explain their staff's behavior, what kind of settlement did they offer you, etc. Thanks.

Yes, please can you share the details?

I sent an email thre the Doubletree website. Their parent company, Hilton Hotels, forwarded it to the Doubletree Surfcomber's General Manager. The Front Office Manager called me back to apologize profusely and offer 2 nights/3 days free in a luxury suite plus if we want to include that in a longer stay, DEEPLY discounted rates for the other nights. I just wanted a letter of apology that they wouldn't treat anyone like that again, but I guess we got the bonus plan.

Thanks for coming back with more information and again, I'm glad that it all worked out for you.

I am happy to hear you got the "bonus plan"! I love Miami Beach and try to get there anytime I can sneak away for a few days. What a great location the Surfcomber is! Enjoy that free suite@!!!!!

for the player haters.........