Bad OKW checkin

[beachblanket]

For a business convention in Los Angeles my boss and I booked a "guaranteed" 2 bed hotel room with a major chain, pre-paid in full, weeks in advance. Guess what, when we arrived, they said they had no room. When presented with the pre-paid confirmation they then said, "OK" and gave us keys....to a room that was being used as a small conference/break room...no BED AT ALL. Then they "found" a king room, not two seperate beds. It was all they would do

The story above sounds like a "overbooked conference at a poorly managed hotel" situation. From what the meetings people in my firm tell me, properties heavily compete for the bigger conferences, so any hotel that develops a reputation for treating attendees that way isn't going to survive very long in the conference business.

Also, I have a few preferred chains I regularly stay in on business travel, and all of them were chosen because among other things they will allow me to book a guaranteed non-smoking room. And in over a decade of travel, over scores and scores of trips, I've never had any of them not support that guarantee. Even when the property was relatively full.

So, if Marriott, Embassy Suites and Hyatt can do this, I don't buy the argument that Disney "can't." Especially with a core market that has paid big bucks for guaranteed access to some of their highest end properties.

 

[NMW]

I just booked a 2 bedroom suite at the Mariott/Residence Inn in Saratoga Springs NY for my daughters horse show, I requested NON-SMOKING, all they had left was smoking, I could, not have a room and sleep in the horse trailer, or book it knowing its a smoking room, i have no choice, so I booked it and will hope then when I arrive a non-smoking is available! Just will pack lots of Febreeze!!

I think the poster was talking about the Marriot vacation club (timeshares). Many new Marriots are ALL non-smoking and some are being turned into non-smoking as they get refurbished. We have friends that own at 2 newer (one is still being built) Marriot Vacation club resorts and I believe they are both non-smoking.

 

[dianeschlicht]

Glad you are all settled in an appropriate room now. I don't think the 10 day time frame is the problem. We usually stay 10 days or more, and have so far always gotten our request of non-smoking for medical reasons. There have been two times where I had a need for a 1st floor or elevator buiding because of someone using an ECV, and I just mentioned that at check-in, and they accommodated me right away. In fact, we have more often than not had a first floor room the past several years.

 

[Simba's Mom]

Isn't there a rumor on the regualr resorts board about WDW following DL's lead and going to all non-smoking hotels this year?