Worst Hotel Experience I Ever Had ..The Rodeway Inn Baltimore
Apr 27th, 2012, 03:13 PM
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Worst Hotel Experience I Ever Had ..The Rodeway Inn Baltimore
This would be a great storyline for a twilight zone episode.
I had a reservation for 6 nights at the Rodeway Inn at 723 St. Paul St. In Baltimore for April 6th checking out on the 12th 2012. My reservation called for 4 nights at $59.99 and 2 nights at $64.99. The reservation was booked on December 7 for 5 nights and on April 4th for an additional night. I received the booking confirmation #’s from www.RodewayInnbaltimoremd.com.
At 6PM on April 6th I called the hotel to inform them I would be checking in around 10-11 PM that night. The individual I spoke with was Babs. I was informed he couldn’t find my reservations and would call me back in 5 minutes. After about 20 minutes not hearing from him I called back and was told there was a “glich” in the system and to call back later.
Now I’m in a bind worried I’d be stuck in Baltimore without a room and a car and wandering around with my luggage without a hotel for 6 nights. I tried calling other hotels and looking into trains to get back to NY just in case. Again I called back about a half hour later and still couldn’t get a straight answer.
Finally about 2 hours later I got a call from Babs and was told if I had my reservation confirmation to come to the hotel. It sounded like they overbooked the hotel. What a start to my vacation!
I get to the hotel and present my 2 email confirmations and Babs then gave me a room and on the invoice stated the average daily rate would be $69.99 and for me to sign it.
I questioned how 4 nights at $59.99 and 2 at $64.99 can average $69.99 unless that included the tax. Babs responded “Exactly it includes the tax”. I was weary of this but at this point with all the aggravation so far figure I’d worry about it when I check out.
Upon checkout on April 12th I was charged a total of $485.04 which was for $69.99 a night plus the 15.5% tax. I told the clerk working the counter I believe his name was Jamal about the problem. My bill should have been $369.94 plus the 15.5% tax which would be a total of $427.28. In other words I was overcharged by $57.76. I was told this was not the first time Babs has overcharged hotel guests and he tried to call a supervisor for me but unfortunately he was not available. I gave him copies of my email confirmations with the correct prices quoted and he photocopied them and told me someone would call me.
Of course I never received a call, and I tried calling Babs a number of times since and left the clerk the info above and to tell Babs to call me. I also emailed the GM of the hotel. Again never got a call or email back.
This was the worst experience I ever encountered at any hotel. I feel like Babs deliberately misled or lied to me and overcharged me for the room in addition to not finding my reservation due to an overbooking at the hotel. This is the most unethical business practice I ever encountered.
Thanks for ruining my vacation.
I received a survey to fill out by Choice Hotels upon arriving home about my stay at the Rodeway Inn. I received a letter from them stating they contacted the hotel and if I don't receive a response within 7 days..to call them,.
Of course I didn't receive a response and spoke with a helpful customer service rep from Choice Hotels.
He also tried to get a response from the hotel but also kept getting the run around,. Finally he told me to contact my credit card company and tell them of the overcharge.
Also I couldn't take a shower in the morning...there was no hot water. For 6 days I showered up on returning in the evenings.
The TV had 4 channels..all were unwatchable...what an absolute horror this was in all regards.
I had a reservation for 6 nights at the Rodeway Inn at 723 St. Paul St. In Baltimore for April 6th checking out on the 12th 2012. My reservation called for 4 nights at $59.99 and 2 nights at $64.99. The reservation was booked on December 7 for 5 nights and on April 4th for an additional night. I received the booking confirmation #’s from www.RodewayInnbaltimoremd.com.
At 6PM on April 6th I called the hotel to inform them I would be checking in around 10-11 PM that night. The individual I spoke with was Babs. I was informed he couldn’t find my reservations and would call me back in 5 minutes. After about 20 minutes not hearing from him I called back and was told there was a “glich” in the system and to call back later.
Now I’m in a bind worried I’d be stuck in Baltimore without a room and a car and wandering around with my luggage without a hotel for 6 nights. I tried calling other hotels and looking into trains to get back to NY just in case. Again I called back about a half hour later and still couldn’t get a straight answer.
Finally about 2 hours later I got a call from Babs and was told if I had my reservation confirmation to come to the hotel. It sounded like they overbooked the hotel. What a start to my vacation!
I get to the hotel and present my 2 email confirmations and Babs then gave me a room and on the invoice stated the average daily rate would be $69.99 and for me to sign it.
I questioned how 4 nights at $59.99 and 2 at $64.99 can average $69.99 unless that included the tax. Babs responded “Exactly it includes the tax”. I was weary of this but at this point with all the aggravation so far figure I’d worry about it when I check out.
Upon checkout on April 12th I was charged a total of $485.04 which was for $69.99 a night plus the 15.5% tax. I told the clerk working the counter I believe his name was Jamal about the problem. My bill should have been $369.94 plus the 15.5% tax which would be a total of $427.28. In other words I was overcharged by $57.76. I was told this was not the first time Babs has overcharged hotel guests and he tried to call a supervisor for me but unfortunately he was not available. I gave him copies of my email confirmations with the correct prices quoted and he photocopied them and told me someone would call me.
Of course I never received a call, and I tried calling Babs a number of times since and left the clerk the info above and to tell Babs to call me. I also emailed the GM of the hotel. Again never got a call or email back.
This was the worst experience I ever encountered at any hotel. I feel like Babs deliberately misled or lied to me and overcharged me for the room in addition to not finding my reservation due to an overbooking at the hotel. This is the most unethical business practice I ever encountered.
Thanks for ruining my vacation.
I received a survey to fill out by Choice Hotels upon arriving home about my stay at the Rodeway Inn. I received a letter from them stating they contacted the hotel and if I don't receive a response within 7 days..to call them,.
Of course I didn't receive a response and spoke with a helpful customer service rep from Choice Hotels.
He also tried to get a response from the hotel but also kept getting the run around,. Finally he told me to contact my credit card company and tell them of the overcharge.
Also I couldn't take a shower in the morning...there was no hot water. For 6 days I showered up on returning in the evenings.
The TV had 4 channels..all were unwatchable...what an absolute horror this was in all regards.
Apr 27th, 2012, 04:37 PM
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I had an unfortunate experience at a hotel in Florida as well. I think the best thing is to let the head honchos know (whether they respond or not) and make sure you don't patronize them in the future.
Apr 27th, 2012, 04:45 PM
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Admit this is a PIA - but I have had much worse experiences at hotels including a Holiday Inn near Bethesda MD that gave me their last room. It looked as if someone had been murdered there - with huge red stains on the carpet (mangY, wall and spread on one bed. (I hoped it was paint.) I checked in late at night after a slight from the west coast - so it was too lat to find anyplace else - so I slept i n my coat. The toilet didn't work very well the first night and I called and they told me the plumber would be there in the am. Only in the AM when I flushed the whole thing backed up (though the tank) and was pouring water all over the bath, bedroom and out into the hall. (A stream of water that wuldn;t stop.)
I gathered my things - walking on tiptoe and took them down to the front desk - and demanded a differnt room. they finally gave me one - in the "renovated" wing. the hall carpeting had been laid so badly it was puckering near the wall and there were bumps in it every several feet. The price - $229 per night (no discount for broken toilet and paint room) since it was for and FDA Review Panel and all rooms in that and nearby hotels were booked.
I think your mistake was in staying in a hotel run be a guy called "Babs"
I gathered my things - walking on tiptoe and took them down to the front desk - and demanded a differnt room. they finally gave me one - in the "renovated" wing. the hall carpeting had been laid so badly it was puckering near the wall and there were bumps in it every several feet. The price - $229 per night (no discount for broken toilet and paint room) since it was for and FDA Review Panel and all rooms in that and nearby hotels were booked.
I think your mistake was in staying in a hotel run be a guy called "Babs"
Apr 27th, 2012, 06:37 PM
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Did you get a room that caused you to discuss with your wife which of the two of us should stay awake for the first couple hours to make sure nobody came through the door, which lacked any means to be locked? And that was just ONE of the problems with the room!! I can't believe it took us fifteen minutes to check out and look for another place. All you got was over-charged, something fairly easily fixed with your credit card. We got our money back, but we should have turned around after twenty seconds.
I remember checking motel reviews on another travel review site, and decided to skip the place for which one person wrote: "I should have guessed there'd be problems after seeing a sign at the check-in desk stating, "No refunds after ten minutes."
I remember checking motel reviews on another travel review site, and decided to skip the place for which one person wrote: "I should have guessed there'd be problems after seeing a sign at the check-in desk stating, "No refunds after ten minutes."
Apr 27th, 2012, 06:58 PM
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LOL The most troubling thing for me really was waiting at the bus depot for over 2 hours to determine if they were going to honor my reservation. I used public transportation and didn't have a car. I was ready to just cancel my vacation at that point and jump back on the next bus to NY. I tried calling numerous hotels and didn't have any luck at such a late date.
Its not even a question of the overcharge but the principle of the matter. Never had an experience quite like it.
I feel for you, not feeling safe at a hotel is another horror for sure.
Its not even a question of the overcharge but the principle of the matter. Never had an experience quite like it.
I feel for you, not feeling safe at a hotel is another horror for sure.
Apr 27th, 2012, 07:35 PM
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After staying at a Rodeway Inn in Walla Walla about sixteen years ago, we vowed to never stay at a property in that chain again. We haven't regretted our decision.
I didn't have time to read everything you wrote; however, we avoid motel problems by reserving on line, by printing copies of our reservations, and by taking them with us. In the rare instance that we have a problem with a motel that is part of a chain, we call the corporate office and have our problem resolved by customer service.
HTTY
I didn't have time to read everything you wrote; however, we avoid motel problems by reserving on line, by printing copies of our reservations, and by taking them with us. In the rare instance that we have a problem with a motel that is part of a chain, we call the corporate office and have our problem resolved by customer service.
HTTY
Apr 27th, 2012, 07:55 PM
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I hear you HTTY. Weird thing was I had the copies of my reservation confirmation. I read them my confirmation #'s as well And still couldn;t get anywhere. It was amazing and even booked directly from their website, one reservation was booked in December and the other 2 days before arriving and still couldn't get this issue resolved.
It seems they must have overbooked the hotel for sure and then had the audacity to overcharge me for the room no less.
Choice Hotels even tried to get a response from these people to no avail.
It seems they must have overbooked the hotel for sure and then had the audacity to overcharge me for the room no less.
Choice Hotels even tried to get a response from these people to no avail.
Apr 27th, 2012, 10:42 PM
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What would happen if you really stayed at bad place?
On business we once stated at place where we thought they were about to shoot an episode of the TV show Cops.
There was this place in Belize had horse thiefs in the middle of night.
Another time in Belize the couple in the next room left becasue they found a tarantula on their pillow. I explained it was a local tradition instead of chocolate.
Hotels that took a reservation and were closed.
But here is our favorite:
Hotel Cloche, Geneva
During the last renovation of the Hotel Cloche in 1897, they decided to exclude anything that resembled an amenity. The room, which is tiny, is its best feature. The mattress was either slate or shale, I am not sure which, and the sheets were starchy. The pillow was smaller than a beignet but not as puffy. The floor was covered with odd colored spongy diamonds things, usually found in outdoor playgrounds to protect the heads and bones of children. There was a television and a remote but it must have been one of those cardboard display units displayed at a furniture store, since neither worked. Did I mention that the hotel lied and said they had an elevator and that luggage is not easy to drag up a spiral marble staircase?
The bathroom was so tiny that it was used to train astronauts, so they would be prepared under the most confined of circumstances. One can multi-task while seated. The shower head needed to hand held which did not allow for singing into my soap microphone. Did I mention that this place was recommended by Frommer’s?
The clerk/owner attempted to be gracious but with his Inspector Clouseau accent I expected him to send us to the zoo to see the minkeys. Instead, he suggested we visit the Red Cross museum, but the donation at the door was a pint of blood.
A heat wave attacked Geneva thus we had to leave the window open which was not too bad if were not for the Grand Casino across the street and a major thoroughfare a block away. Hotel Cloche has the type of charm that would attract, Reinfield, Dracula’s assistant.
On business we once stated at place where we thought they were about to shoot an episode of the TV show Cops.
There was this place in Belize had horse thiefs in the middle of night.
Another time in Belize the couple in the next room left becasue they found a tarantula on their pillow. I explained it was a local tradition instead of chocolate.
Hotels that took a reservation and were closed.
But here is our favorite:
Hotel Cloche, Geneva
During the last renovation of the Hotel Cloche in 1897, they decided to exclude anything that resembled an amenity. The room, which is tiny, is its best feature. The mattress was either slate or shale, I am not sure which, and the sheets were starchy. The pillow was smaller than a beignet but not as puffy. The floor was covered with odd colored spongy diamonds things, usually found in outdoor playgrounds to protect the heads and bones of children. There was a television and a remote but it must have been one of those cardboard display units displayed at a furniture store, since neither worked. Did I mention that the hotel lied and said they had an elevator and that luggage is not easy to drag up a spiral marble staircase?
The bathroom was so tiny that it was used to train astronauts, so they would be prepared under the most confined of circumstances. One can multi-task while seated. The shower head needed to hand held which did not allow for singing into my soap microphone. Did I mention that this place was recommended by Frommer’s?
The clerk/owner attempted to be gracious but with his Inspector Clouseau accent I expected him to send us to the zoo to see the minkeys. Instead, he suggested we visit the Red Cross museum, but the donation at the door was a pint of blood.
A heat wave attacked Geneva thus we had to leave the window open which was not too bad if were not for the Grand Casino across the street and a major thoroughfare a block away. Hotel Cloche has the type of charm that would attract, Reinfield, Dracula’s assistant.
Apr 28th, 2012, 07:35 AM
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That doesn't sound like fun! You should be able to get your overpayment back, by challenging them through your credit card company. You have the printed reservation form as proof of the price you were promised.
This is a good reminder to always bring your printed reservation confirmations for hotels and cars, especially.
Sorry to hear of your bad luck. I must say, I have had the worst luck in Baltimore than any other city we've ever spent time in. DD was in school there for four years. I know it's a huge generalization, but I never felt much of a customer service attitude there, and in fact was given false information a few times from city employees to hotel employees. That town and I did not get along!
This is a good reminder to always bring your printed reservation confirmations for hotels and cars, especially.
Sorry to hear of your bad luck. I must say, I have had the worst luck in Baltimore than any other city we've ever spent time in. DD was in school there for four years. I know it's a huge generalization, but I never felt much of a customer service attitude there, and in fact was given false information a few times from city employees to hotel employees. That town and I did not get along!
Apr 28th, 2012, 08:29 AM
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for some reason sprobulldog's reminded me of a place we stayed in Arizona in the middle of an Indian Reservation. It was a big modern hotel but the air conditioning didn't work and it was about 120 degrees in the evening. We had no other choice as this was the only place available on the reservation which spanned for what seemed hundreds of miles.
We complained to the front desk in the morning - and later received a bag of their "world famous" beans!
We complained to the front desk in the morning - and later received a bag of their "world famous" beans!
Apr 28th, 2012, 08:47 AM
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We stayed at a place in Richmond California where we had to call the police because the MANAGER and his posse were trying to break into our room! We barricaded the door by piling furniture up against it and waited 40 minutes for the cops to arrive. Now THAT'S bad!
Apr 28th, 2012, 09:37 AM
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tracy2cents, yup it's bad.
I stayed in a place in LA Bellfower area(no choice was wrking for a big HMO and they had a Nurses strike and sent/paid for Admin to fill in for the striking nurse so they made the arrangements) that gangs and drug dealers were shooting it out right outside my motel door all night long. Police were there too and it was a urban War zone..no sleep. The Pharmacists from same HMO were next door and they talked to me all night long to make sure I was safe. Next morning , I packed my stuff and went to HMO strike command center and DEMANDED they put me in a big name hotel on the 10th floor for my safety.(Embassey Suites)
The other great hotel story was in Miaminear the airport. Again traveling on business with soemone else making reservations: they were renovating this no name hotel and gave me the last room. It had NO LOCKS. I stayed one night with furniture piled up against door and next am packed my stuff up, went downstairs and saw a bunch of security men milling around teh lobby. That did it for me and where I was going to ask for another room, I decided to leave. When I told them I would not be staying the rest of the week's reservation, and I would be going across street to the Marriott (realizing I would probably not get reimbursed by my cheapskate Employer, but I'd rather be safe)one of the Security Guards came up to me and said "it's not safe even in daylight to walk across the street. They will mug you: I will escort you."
I stayed in a place in LA Bellfower area(no choice was wrking for a big HMO and they had a Nurses strike and sent/paid for Admin to fill in for the striking nurse so they made the arrangements) that gangs and drug dealers were shooting it out right outside my motel door all night long. Police were there too and it was a urban War zone..no sleep. The Pharmacists from same HMO were next door and they talked to me all night long to make sure I was safe. Next morning , I packed my stuff and went to HMO strike command center and DEMANDED they put me in a big name hotel on the 10th floor for my safety.(Embassey Suites)
The other great hotel story was in Miaminear the airport. Again traveling on business with soemone else making reservations: they were renovating this no name hotel and gave me the last room. It had NO LOCKS. I stayed one night with furniture piled up against door and next am packed my stuff up, went downstairs and saw a bunch of security men milling around teh lobby. That did it for me and where I was going to ask for another room, I decided to leave. When I told them I would not be staying the rest of the week's reservation, and I would be going across street to the Marriott (realizing I would probably not get reimbursed by my cheapskate Employer, but I'd rather be safe)one of the Security Guards came up to me and said "it's not safe even in daylight to walk across the street. They will mug you: I will escort you."
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