$500 a night and no running water. Updated with news on page 5

[lorijohnhill]

Having had similar happen to me (even with a DND on the door) I always make sure to lock that top bar latch. That way when housekeeping tries to enter, they can't. My husband made fun of me for that until it happened very early one morning while we were still sleeping. Now he locks it also! Did I raise a stink about it, no. But we do laugh about it every time we lock a hotel room up for the night.

 

[Dentam]

To OP the really sad part is that this happens so often at GCH that I had to reread the date to see if this was a current post. It happened to us on one night a couple stays back. 5 people using one can't flush it toilet for the night is not sanitary. I'm shocked Orange County Health Department hasn't fined them egregious sums of money because there must be some health code they are violating with the water nonsense. Well, I don't know if that's even possible but I wish it could be! It's ridiculous that you're shocking experience is par for the course at that hotel.

They have to do maintenance at some point. Period. The hotel is never closed so someone will always be impacted. The health department would not fine them for doing maintenance. Good grief.

 

[5forMickey]

It didn't feel easy peasy at 1:30 in the morning after walking for 12 hours in the heat. Mid-afternoon would have been no problem or "easy peasy" even. 1:30 am is a definite no.

I'm kind of giggling with you about this .... I would want to shower especially if I felt gross.....but then after walking that long I'm usually "butt crawling" at that point.

I can just picture the internal fight I would be having .... I wanna shower --- I can't walk --- I wanna shower --- I can't move! And yet we find that to be fun

 

[Butterfly123]

You know, this actually reminds me of something I saw on Facebook the other day. It has to do with the Candy Cane Inn (not a water issue, but another issue which I will explain), and I wonder what you (and anyone else here) think of it.

On the Candy Cane Inn page on Facebook, in the posts on the left-hand side of the page, a woman wrote a long, angry review. From what I could gather, it sounds as if she and her husband booked a room for some time away from the kids. It doesn't sound as if she had the Do Not Disturb sign hanging on the door. Apparently, in the morning (before check-out), the maid came to the door, briefly knocking and then opening the door to enter the room. The woman/guest of CCI said that she stood there, half-dressed, watching as the maid walked into the room. She said she explained to the maid why she and her husband were there (which shouldn't have been an issue), and that the maid reminded her that there should have been a DND sign hanging on the door.

I agree with the maid -- there should have been a DND sign on the door. And I agree with the guest, that the maid should have knocked more than she actually did. At the end of the day, it seems like it was an unfortunate, embarrassing mishap -- something that could probably even be laughed about later on down the line. The guest who wrote the review, however, is not letting it go. She has tried and tried and tried and tried to get restitution for this episode. It sounds like CCI said they would make it right, and now are either avoiding her or just not giving the responses she wants. (Go to the Candy Cane Inn Facebook page to read the entire story -- it's quite lengthy.)

So, in that particular case -- seeing that it was just a wacky mishap and no one was harmed, or left with an unsanitary situation, or burdened with extra financial expense -- I think that seeking restitution is probably a bit extreme. And, in fact, if I had been the guest who was walked in on, I probably wouldn't want to draw more attention to myself with the CCI people, so they could all snicker every time I wrote in and say, "Oh, there's the half-naked lady again." I don't know for sure what I would do, but I think I would probably just want to drop it and never return to CCI!

What does anyone else think about that scenario?

My goodness. I would not have made a big stink. I think I would have talked to the front desk, and if they offered me something, great, but if they didn't I wouldn't have asked. Should the maid have been more careful? Yes, but people make mistakes. She certainly didn't do it on purpose. I've think maybe I've made a mistake once or twice myself!

Eta: I made a mistake, forgot to capitalize!

 

[TChrist05]

Oh how I wish I had the problem of no water....DW and I could never afford to stay at a hotel at $500. a night. Wish I could!

 

[tarheelalum]

If you did not have water 2 out of the three nights you were there, at a minimum, the California Grand owes you 2 nights comped for a future stay. If someone tells you they are not allowed to do that, then politely ask to speak to the hotel GM. Not the shift manager but the real GM. The hotel director of operations most certainly can comp you. I worked for a 5 diamond hotel in college and I know for a fact places comp guests all the time when issues occur. And in your case, you shouldn't even had be put in a position to ask for a comp. They should have offered it to you immediately. Issues like this occur when hotels are cheap and refuse to shut down when they KNOW service is going to be substandard. A big corporate hotel knows far in advance when maintenance is going to occur and they should have planned for it and notified all guests before their stay so they could make other arrangements. You deserved FAR better treatment.

And if all of that fails, I would sue Disney in small claims court for what you paid for those 2 nights and call the local media and let them know all about it. (don't waste your time calling your local abc channel) Disney does not want stuff like this on the news. They will make you happy and if they don't, you have a fantastic case and you'll likely win in court.

You should call the hotel director tomorrow and get the ball rolling on this. You spent way too much money to be treated in such a poor manner. Don't stand for it.

 

[smokeyblue]

If this happened as OP said it did, this is really bad. When you are paying for accommodations, especially this level of accommodations, they should be in full working order and sanitary. Sanitary also includes having the restroom facilities in working order. It is foul to expect your guests to leave human waste sit in the commode overnight. Yes, maintenance does has to happen sometimes, but if you are not able to maintain the level of sanitation that is expected and appropriate, you need to give a very sizable refund to your guests for not providing them with an appropriate environment. At very least they should have had provided gallons of water to flush the toilets with!

 

[5forMickey]

If you did not have water 2 out of the three nights you were there, at a minimum, the California Grand owes you 2 nights comp.

How did 4 hours without water turn into two out of three days? I guess my bigger question is what did you want the hotel to do? Not fix a water problem? Shut the entire hotel down? It was an unfortunate issue that the hotel apologized for.....sue them, for what doing upkeep on their property? They didn't leave anyone without water for an unreasonable time and they did technically offer an alternative place to shower.

 

[AustinTink]

I just emailed Disneyland guest services. More of an FYI to them than anything. We shall see what they say.

 

[Dentam]

Amazed that there are people out there who would sue and/or take this to the media. Unbelievable.

 

[gottalovepluto]

You know, this actually reminds me of something I saw on Facebook the other day. It has to do with the Candy Cane Inn (not a water issue, but another issue which I will explain), and I wonder what you (and anyone else here) think of it.

On the Candy Cane Inn page on Facebook, in the posts on the left-hand side of the page, a woman wrote a long, angry review. From what I could gather, it sounds as if she and her husband booked a room for some time away from the kids. It doesn't sound as if she had the Do Not Disturb sign hanging on the door. Apparently, in the morning (before check-out), the maid came to the door, briefly knocking and then opening the door to enter the room. The woman/guest of CCI said that she stood there, half-dressed, watching as the maid walked into the room. She said she explained to the maid why she and her husband were there (which shouldn't have been an issue), and that the maid reminded her that there should have been a DND sign hanging on the door.

I agree with the maid -- there should have been a DND sign on the door. And I agree with the guest, that the maid should have knocked more than she actually did. At the end of the day, it seems like it was an unfortunate, embarrassing mishap -- something that could probably even be laughed about later on down the line. The guest who wrote the review, however, is not letting it go. She has tried and tried and tried and tried to get restitution for this episode. It sounds like CCI said they would make it right, and now are either avoiding her or just not giving the responses she wants. (Go to the Candy Cane Inn Facebook page to read the entire story -- it's quite lengthy.)

So, in that particular case -- seeing that it was just a wacky mishap and no one was harmed, or left with an unsanitary situation, or burdened with extra financial expense -- I think that seeking restitution is probably a bit extreme. And, in fact, if I had been the guest who was walked in on, I probably wouldn't want to draw more attention to myself with the CCI people, so they could all snicker every time I wrote in and say, "Oh, there's the half-naked lady again." I don't know for sure what I would do, but I think I would probably just want to drop it and never return to CCI!

What does anyone else think about that scenario?

Gonna have to agree on letting it go and never returning to that hotel. Personally it would be embarrassing but not much more. However if the maid had stood there and argued with a half-naked me I would have gone to management steaming mad and demanded some sort of restitution but you know more of like "so sorry here's a free breakfast" or break on the room rate. An employee should NEVER stand there and argue with a half naked customer. I've certainly forgotten to put a DND sign out before; one trip there were even kids stealing all the DND signs in our hall every day (we saw them running around a corner one night! Andwhile I was annoyed that must have been an awful week to be a maid in whatever hotel that was). Ultimately even if they hadn't offered anything I would have let it drop after leaving, maybe leaving a bad trip advisor review at the most.

 

[Woodskeeper]

I've debated responding to this, however this is an area I know well.

I've worked at several hotels over the last five years-- everything from 1 to 5 diamond, and I promise this is a 4-6 time a year occurance for every hotel. As others have stated, a hotel is a 24-hour operation, and maintenance must be done. What's more, the hotel doesn't decide when this maintenance will occur--the water company does, and usually with very little notice (hence why they are unable to call prior to check in, or even warn you at check in). The most they can do is leave a note, or message on your phone. Unfortunately, there are times when this gets missed in some rooms, for whatever reason, as was the case for the OP.

To demand compensation is a bit over the top... I'm referring to demanding, not seeing if anything can be done to assuage the guest in the situation. I mean, this affects one area of the room for 4 hours (and usually it only takes 2-3, they just say 4 to cover their bases), and they do it during a time when most people are asleep (I've done third shift plenty too... Trust me when I say the majority of people are asleep during that time). Don't forget that the $500 is not just for the room-- it's for the hotel as well. You're paying for the service, for early access to the parks, for the exclusive pools and then there's the room, which has a bed, a television, and, yes, a bathroom. Compensation should fit the inconvenience--offering alternative shower options, and then breakfast in the morning, a small offering. In case of a disease, or someone getting ill, the inconvenience would be larger, and therefore compensation would be larger.

Keep in mind, if you seek compensation often, most companies, especially Disney, have ways of tracking how often and for what reasons you are given compensation.

And if you're thinking about suing, make sure you read the fine print on your reservation, as well as the registration card when you sign in. You might not have that strong case you thought you did.

In regards to the OP, it's certainly a nuisance, and I can understand your frustration. I do hope you don't let this issue affect future stays at GCH. It can honestly happen anywhere.

 

[tarheelalum]

Amazed that there are people out there who would sue and/or take this to the media. Unbelievable.

I said going to the media would be the last thing I would do. Certainly not the first but I would have no problem whatsoever in putting Disney's dirt in the street if I'm paying 500 dollars per night for what amounted to third world accommodations. I for one would not roll over and take something like that.

 

[gottalovepluto]

I've debated responding to this, however this is an area I know well.

I've worked at several hotels over the last five years-- everything from 1 to 5 diamond, and I promise this is a 4-6 time a year occurance for every hotel. As others have stated, a hotel is a 24-hour operation, and maintenance must be done. What's more, the hotel doesn't decide when this maintenance will occur--the water company does, and usually with very little notice...

Here I've been blaming Disney the last couple years and it was the water company?! Figures. Open mouth, insert foot.

 

[tarheelalum]

How did 4 hours without water turn into two out of three days? I guess my bigger question is what did you want the hotel to do? Not fix a water problem? Shut the entire hotel down? It was an unfortunate issue that the hotel apologized for.....sue them, for what doing upkeep on their property? They didn't leave anyone without water for an unreasonable time and they did technically offer an alternative place to shower.

Walking a mile to take a shower at 1 am? Really?? You think that is a reasonable accommodation in this case? That is absurd. Disney's poor maintenance should not be a paying customers problem. If the room is not going to be up to snuff then the price should reflect those conditions. When a customer who is paying 500 dollars per night comes back to their room after a long hot day in the summer and the water does not work, that is totally unacceptable.

But things do happen in the hotel business. Even the best hotels sometimes fail to provide great service from time to time. What separates the good from the bad is how they react and correct their failures. In this case it appears Disney was a complete failure on all fronts.

 

[bumbershoot]

Consider this...
You're spending $500/night to stay at the fanciest hotel on site. And you have 1 of the following:

• Crohn's Disease
• Celiac Disease - and you'd just returned to your room after a late night in the parks only to discover that now your stomach is VERY upset because you inadvertently consumed something with gluten in it due to cross-contamination
• You have a colostomy bag that you need to change regularly in the middle of the night and you need access to clean running water (and alcohol-based hand sanitizer isn't enough)
• You're a cancer patient on chemotherapy drugs and this is your "last hoorah" trip to Disneyland and the chemo drugs do a number on your GI tract
• Your doctor has you on a new medication for something that has a negative side effect that involves access to a flushing toilet at night.

You would be taking them up on the PPH offer and insisting that they be able to stay there until the water is back on.

Taken it Elsewhere?? After spending $500.00 a night????????
OK- pack up, we are going to the Alpine, their toilets work!

Wow!

--Lori

There's no other choice, though. The water is OFF. They are fixing things.

It didn't feel easy peasy at 1:30 in the morning after walking for 12 hours in the heat. Mid-afternoon would have been no problem or "easy peasy" even. 1:30 am is a definite no.

Given that we were walking back and forth from the Hilton after long days at the parks in that heat, yeah, easy peasy from the Grand to PPH. Even at 1:30. If I felt dirty and gross enough, ayep.

From your response, you didn't think it would be, but I do think it would be.

But then...I find the Grand to be anything but grand, and we don't stay there. We stay at PPH or DLH when we're onsite.

Then again, PPH has poop water, doesn't it @Sherry E ?


And our second time at the Hilton on our morning of checkout (early checkout to get over to DLR onsite stay!) we had only COLD water. If we wanted compensation we had to stand in a long, long line, but Disney was calling.


Hmm, I think Anaheim has some issues with their water.

 

[Sherry E]

Then again, PPH has poop water, doesn't it @Sherry E ?

Yep -- at least in 2008 it did. It had the poo-smelling water in that room I had on the 5th floor, as well as the haunted drawer that kept jutting/sliding out and wouldn't stay shut. The other PPH rooms I have had since then have provided water that was not quite as... poo-ish. And the drawers stayed shut!

 

[WTFetus]

Well... they have to do maintenance at some point so I guess they thought the middle of the night would be the best option. It's not like they ever close down for a day. The information just should have been given to guests via phone calls or at check in so they wouldn't risk missing anyone.

I never understood why hotels do this (had a similar experience with electricity in Vegas).

Why not turn off the water some time after check-out but before check-in (like 12pm-3pm or something)? The majority of the people will probably be in the parks or somewhere outside.
Less people will be showering that time and if you need to use the bathroom, you can go somewhere else since it's the middle of the day. No water in the middle of the night is ridiculous.

 

[kamik86]

They have to do maintenance at some point. Period. The hotel is never closed so someone will always be impacted. The health department would not fine them for doing maintenance. Good grief.

Maybe if they have to do maintenance often that is taking out all the water to the entire building then they SHOULD close. Since apparently this isn't the first time it has happened recently. Then they can get all of the work done.

Why would the building need all the water shut off to that large of a building? I can turn the water off to various parts of my house without doing all of my house and it is pretty small.

 

[Xenorye]

Just caught up on this thread after only reading the first few replies yesterday... only have one thing to say: