When Hotels Change Your Plans For You ...
 

My husband, granddaughter and I recently traveled to a Carolina beach for four nights, staying at a Residence Inn where we'd had reservations made for two months. We had been confirmed for a 2-bedroom unit, which is perfect for us. It has two nice bedrooms with queen beds and their own baths, TV, phone, etc. The center of the unit is a living room with a sleeper sofa, big TV, etc. plus a kitchen with table & chairs for four. Perfect for us as a friend was coming for two of the nights with us, and we're big game-players.

We arrive and are told that we will be put in two studios (NOT adjoining) rather than all together in one unit. That means several things:

(1) We won't all be together in one unit as a family which is very important to us.

(2) My granddaughter and I will be in one unit, and should I need to leave the unit to get ice or snacks or to do laundry, she'd be there alone so I'd have to call my husband over to stay with her.

(3) Our friend who is using the sleeper sofa will now have no privacy because the studio is wide open .......... so the three "girls" are now in one room with one bath. (In the 2-bedroom, I can share my husband's bath, leaving the other two girls using the other one.)

(4) The laptop and the dog end up in my husband's studio, and I don't like to be separated from either!

(5) The studios have no table & chairs but a high bar with stools so we cannot play games as comfortably.

I tried to refuse the studios, and became livid at the manager's and asst. manager's attitude that I should be just as happy with the studios .. they said the units were only feet apart, and had king beds, and that was just as good for us. The rate for the 2-bedroom was $189, and they were giving us both studios for that same price so felt that I had nothing to complain about. I told them that what I had to complain about was the fact that I wasn't getting what I was confirmed for and was paying for!

It was the ugliest scene I've ever gotten into at a hotel. The manager was beyond rude, telling me I "was behaving ridiculously over such a minor thing." She never offered a discount OR mentioned moving us to a 2-BR the next day ... she was horrible! So I told them I'd be talking to their Corporate headquarters. I went to the room, got Marriott Int'l. headquarters on the phone, and ended up with that office arranging for the first night in the two studios free, and being moved to a 2-BR for the rest of the stay. The manager on site never apologized to me for her comments, although she did leave a nice bag of gifts for my granddaughter in the new unit, with a card.

I'm not sure that a free night and being moved the next day made up for being called "ridiculous" by this manager, and missing the first afternoon on the beach because of the whole melee. I just couldn't believe that behavior from someone in her position; I was nice (I always try to be! :-) ) until it was very obvious that she expected us to take the two studios for four nights with no complaint. I get angry all over again, just thinking about it .... maybe I should have expected more from Marriott in way of compensation for the aggravation??? How would you have reacted to this, had you been in my shoes?

bonnie, yuck! That stinks.

Before you went upstairs and dialed Marriott corporate, did you try asking the manager to be moved the next day?

Also, did you have a paper copy showing the confirmation of the 2 bedroom unit?

Joan, yes, I had e-mail confirmaton of the reservation, and I did ask about being moved ... She was obstinate from the start!

bonnie,

What a drag. I find it hard to believe that initially the manager did not offer to move you into a 2 bedroom unit the next day, as apparently she had one available. She should have offered that as a potential fix before things escalated. She sounds too rigid to be a good manager.I hate it when things like that happen. It's unnecessary stress during what is supposed to be a fun time.

How was the rest of the trip? :-d

-Bill

Bonnie, if a manager told me I was being ridiculous - even if I was - I'd be pretty peeved, too. Sounds to me like you handled this quite well.
Without condoning this horrendous customer non-serivce, let me suggest you might check the fine print to see if there is a disclaimer that the exact room type is "on request" rather than guaranteed, which is a pretty typical arrangement. Hotels are sometimes strapped by a lack of available room types because someone extends their stay, occupying a room that was predicted to be available. In some states (don't know about Carolina) hotels can NOT legally force a guest who is checked in to depart, so it can create a mell of a hess. Other unexpected things - broken AC, plumbing, etc. - can also cause temporary disruption. Even in such situations, though, it's just plain old baseline good customer service (if not common sense) to apologize, listen to the customer and offer to make it up in a reasonable way. Asking the customer to accept a different room for the first night with assurance to be moved the next day sure seems reasonable to me, and has happened to me a couple times. I'd expect that to be offered whether you asked or not, providing there was a room available the next day.
In terms of compensation, sounds to me like corporate already responded pretty well, comping the first night and the gift bag for the kiddo. Having the offensive manager forced to clean a few toilet bowls might be nice, too, but seems a little petty ;-)

I'm so sorry you had to deal with that nonsense on your vacation. To paraphrase Seamus, we all know that s**t happens and can make it difficult for a hotel to meet your request. But you had very good reasons for having made that request. And it's just common courtesy, let alone good customer service, for the manager to listen to those reasons. Calling you ridiculous was just plain rude. And, as far as I'm concerned, there's never an excuse for rudeness. Particularly in a customer service situation.

Good for you for sticking to your guns and making that immediate call to Marriott!

It does sound to me as though Marriott was fair in their compensation. One would hope, though, that the manager was called on the carpet for her handling of the situation. Perhaps a little sensitivity training is in order for her!

Seamus, there probably was "fine print" regarding exactly what room we were put in, regarding the hotel not HAVING to honor your request, but I've never had it affect me before. The particular kind of unit is very important to a family group, of course. And yes, NC does have a law that a hotel cannot put people out of a room. This manager was so unprofessional, and was not willing to admit that I had any right to feel the way I did. Any problem that I've ever had with any other hotel before (and they are very few) was settled quickly and amicably ... I've never been spoken to like that before by a hotel employee!

Bill, the rest of my trip was wonderful. After I talked to Marriott Headquarters, I said to DH & DGD, "That's it. We'll forget it ... time for the fun to begin." And it did ... :-d Well, except for the big wave knocking off my new $300 glasses the next day, and having to go (blindly) to WalMart for an urgent appt. to get soft lenses .... but that's another story! :D

bonnie, good for you for going right to the source, Marriott Corporate.

I feel like I've worn myself out telling people to complain to the mother ship when the local manager will not solve a problem to your satisfaction.

Sounds like they oversold (very common). Did y'all arrive late in the day?

That is the biggest problem with late arrivals, they usually get what is left over.

I had a similarly bad experience with Delta in Feb, and complained immediately to corporate headquarters so they could discipline the awful employee. Oh, bonnie, I feel for you! Don't forget to post this on tripadvisor.com. I think they also give management a chance to rebut if needed.

I'm glad the rest of your trip went well.

GoTravel, no, not late at all ... we were cleared for early arrival, so we were an hour early!

CAPH52, the manager certainly could have used some sensitivity training. You're right there .... and Melissa, I do plan to post on Trip Advisor.

Our little granddaughter only travels with us once a year to the beach, and I resented every "fun minute" that was stolen from us!!! I guess you can't get compensation for that! :-(

Thank you all for your replies. I'm glad to know that you guys found it as offensive as I did ...

I think you handled this situation very well. I would have never thought of contacting the hotel headquarters (but now I'll keep this in mind!)

I'm glad the rest of your vacation (minus the glasses) went well. I hope the manager learned a valuable lesson.

Kathryn, I think most managers of hotels/restaurants, etc. really, really don't like to be complained about to "headquarters." They will quickly work with you to avoid that fate, but I think this lady didn't think I'd do it ... She got a surprise! :D

Did you try throwing a phone at the manager? ;-)

I know how those scenes escalate, and I'm sorry it cut into your vacation time. Word of mouth works wonders;post on other travel boards, too.

Bonnie, you were absolutely right calling the headquarters. Try to send a follow-up letter - maybe they'll send you a coupon for the next stay.