Hotel Stay: **UPDATE** Post 35 ** Would You Complain About Any of These Things?

[MIGrandma]

If you spent the night at a national chain hotel would you complain about any of these things?

1. You are waiting to check-in, and you see a sign on the wall behind the registration desk that says "No pets please" yet the couple in front of you checking in has a dog on a leash with them. Not a leader dog for the blind. Just a regular looking dog.

2. There is a mouse trap on the floor of your room, by the air conditioner.

3. The door to the room doesn't latch properly. When you try to close it behind you to go to dinner it takes several tries to get it to latch. Then in the morning when you try to go downstairs for breakfast it will not latch at all after several tries.

4. Bedding for the pull-out couch is not in the closet. You call down to the front desk to ask for it and you are told that YOU have to go down to the front desk to get it. When you get there, there are FOUR employees sitting in the little room behind the registration desk. They are all petting a dog. Then as you are standing waiting for the elevator, laden down with sheets, comforter and pillows you are told if you need more towels to come back down.

5. In the morning, at check-out, you tell them the door isn't working properly. You are told they already know about it, that it is on the maintenance man's "to do" list but he couldn't fix it since the room was occupied.

So, would you send an e-mail to corporate (which in turn would be forwarded to the general manager of said hotel) to express your concerns over any of these matters?

 

[JimmyPicker]

Sure, why not send the email? They are all legitimate complaints.

I would also mention that I'm not looking for any compensation, I just wanted them to know that I was uncomfortable in their hotel and won't be returning.

 

[Traveliz]

If you spent the night at a national chain hotel would you complain about any of these things?

1. You are waiting to check-in, and you see a sign on the wall behind the registration desk that says "No pets please" yet the couple in front of you checking in has a dog on a leash with them. Not a leader dog for the blind. Just a regular looking dog.

2. There is a mouse trap on the floor of your room, by the air conditioner.

3. The door to the room doesn't latch properly. When you try to close it behind you to go to dinner it takes several tries to get it to latch. Then in the morning when you try to go downstairs for breakfast it will not latch at all after several tries.

4. Bedding for the pull-out couch is not in the closet. You call down to the front desk to ask for it and you are told that YOU have to go down to the front desk to get it. When you get there, there are FOUR employees sitting in the little room behind the registration desk. They are all petting a dog. Then as you are standing waiting for the elevator, laden down with sheets, comforter and pillows you are told if you need more towels to come back down.

5. In the morning, at check-out, you tell them the door isn't working properly. You are told they already know about it, that it is on the maintenance man's "to do" list but he couldn't fix it since the room was occupied.

So, would you send an e-mail to corporate (which in turn would be forwarded to the general manager of said hotel) to express your concerns over any of these matters?

Yes I would. Some of them could have been addressed at the time but overall its definitely worthy of a letter.

Liz

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

I agree with everyone else. Write a letter.

 

[Silent1CB]

I read reviews on tripadvisor.com before I even book the hotel. If any of this type of stuff had been noted there, I would never had book the place.

Perhaps you should post a review there for this hotel. If management really cares, they are already members there & routinely review tripadvisor & deal with any issues & post, so future guests know they care & it wasn't lost on deaf ears.

Out of curiosity, what were the reviews on tripadvisor like? Photos from guests?

 

[hereyago]

This one would make me sleep in my car, seriously. Yes, you should write a letter to the national chain, but keep in mind that just because it has a chain name, it may be managed by a different company. Those signs are usually by the front desk if it is not a "true" hotel. You should write a letter to the management company as well.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

I would have left and not spent the night there. DH and I did that once. We checked in at a Holiday Inn which was gross....and I told him I was not staying there. (The object was for a romantic evening away from the kids.)

He went and told them to give him a refund which they did. We went and stayed at a Drury Inn with those "Heavenly Beds". Oh so glad we left.

 

[NMAmy]

Frankly, if there was a mousetrap in my room and I had ANY other option for a hotel, I'd have checked out, asked for a refund immediately and gone somewhere else.

Sounds like you had a bad stay--absolutely write the letter.

 

[AKL_Megs]

I stay in hotel rooms (of major chains) about 300 days a year for work (I am a flight attendant).

1. You are waiting to check-in, and you see a sign on the wall behind the registration desk that says "No pets please" yet the couple in front of you checking in has a dog on a leash with them. Not a leader dog for the blind. Just a regular looking dog.

No. There are a LOT of people with "Emotional Assistance" dogs. Those dogs do not need the usual "vest" that Leader Dogs wear. I have them on my plane quite often, and they share the same access as Leader Dogs.

2. There is a mouse trap on the floor of your room, by the air conditioner.

Yes, that is just nasty. If that room has a problem, it shouldn't be used.

3. The door to the room doesn't latch properly. When you try to close it behind you to go to dinner it takes several tries to get it to latch. Then in the morning when you try to go downstairs for breakfast it will not latch at all after several tries.

Typical. Did you tell the front desk? They probably wouldn't do anything, but at least they would "know".

4. Bedding for the pull-out couch is not in the closet. You call down to the front desk to ask for it and you are told that YOU have to go down to the front desk to get it. When you get there, there are FOUR employees sitting in the little room behind the registration desk. They are all petting a dog. Then as you are standing waiting for the elevator, laden down with sheets, comforter and pillows you are told if you need more towels to come back down.

Yes. Bad customer service.

5. In the morning, at check-out, you tell them the door isn't working properly. You are told they already know about it, that it is on the maintenance man's "to do" list but he couldn't fix it since the room was occupied.

Ah, like I said, they wouldn't do anything about it!

So, would you send an e-mail to corporate (which in turn would be forwarded to the general manager of said hotel) to express your concerns over any of these matters?

With that said, I would have demanded another room, or left and stayed at another chain. I personally wouldn't waste my time emailing them, it won't do any good. Trust me. Hotels are gross in general, and most that ARE gross are run by people who don't care and who have terrible customer service. You paid and stayed. To corporate, they didn't miss out on anything. There will be other "you's" and they already have your money. It's so sad, but so true.

We are SPOILED at WDW. I NEVER complain about WDW after some of the places I stay. And most are Marriott and Hyatt and Westin and the like! WDW takes the CAKE.

 

[momrek06]

ABSOLUTELY, write a letter to the hotel management BUT do not mention you do NOT want compensation ... why would you say that ... you should GET YOUR MONEY BACK if the place is subpar.

THEN I would go to tripadvisor and POST your REVIEW ... so others will know.

I just did this, I won a bid on priceline. 3 stars. The place was HORRIFIC to say the least. I contacted BOTH priceline and the manager of the hotel. I received a FULL REFUND from the hotel. I also posted my true review of the hotel on tripadvisor.

I also had pictures to back up my review and for the managment but they did not need to see them at all.

 

[Silent1CB]

I can't help but wonder, but did you check for bedbugs? I would have checked out after seeing the mouse trap. lol

 

[dislaney]

If you spent the night at a national chain hotel would you complain about any of these things?

1. You are waiting to check-in, and you see a sign on the wall behind the registration desk that says "No pets please" yet the couple in front of you checking in has a dog on a leash with them. Not a leader dog for the blind. Just a regular looking dog.

2. There is a mouse trap on the floor of your room, by the air conditioner.

3. The door to the room doesn't latch properly. When you try to close it behind you to go to dinner it takes several tries to get it to latch. Then in the morning when you try to go downstairs for breakfast it will not latch at all after several tries.

4. Bedding for the pull-out couch is not in the closet. You call down to the front desk to ask for it and you are told that YOU have to go down to the front desk to get it. When you get there, there are FOUR employees sitting in the little room behind the registration desk. They are all petting a dog. Then as you are standing waiting for the elevator, laden down with sheets, comforter and pillows you are told if you need more towels to come back down.

5. In the morning, at check-out, you tell them the door isn't working properly. You are told they already know about it, that it is on the maintenance man's "to do" list but he couldn't fix it since the room was occupied.

So, would you send an e-mail to corporate (which in turn would be forwarded to the general manager of said hotel) to express your concerns over any of these matters?

The mouse trap would have freaked me out and I probably would have addressed that right then and there but I would go ahead and send a letter. I've only sent one once and it was for horrible and I mean horrible service and I know they apologized and credited my reward account with enough points for a free night. It didn't change things but it did make me feel a little better.

 

[coffeeandfags]

I work as a housekeeper in albeit a small independant family-run hotel ....

1. You are waiting to check-in, and you see a sign on the wall behind the registration desk that says "No pets please" yet the couple in front of you checking in has a dog on a leash with them. Not a leader dog for the blind. Just a regular looking dog.

As a housekeeper, i hate cleaning up after dogs, but we take them only by prior arrangement. Perhaps this was the case?

2. There is a mouse trap on the floor of your room, by the air conditioner.

No freaking way!!! This room should be "out of use" !!!!!

3. The door to the room doesn't latch properly. When you try to close it behind you to go to dinner it takes several tries to get it to latch. Then in the morning when you try to go downstairs for breakfast it will not latch at all after several tries.

Again, should be "out of use" til fixed!!

4. Bedding for the pull-out couch is not in the closet. You call down to the front desk to ask for it and you are told that YOU have to go down to the front desk to get it. When you get there, there are FOUR employees sitting in the little room behind the registration desk. They are all petting a dog. Then as you are standing waiting for the elevator, laden down with sheets, comforter and pillows you are told if you need more towels to come back down.

BAD, BAD, BAD Customer Service!!!! I would be shown the door for less!!!

5. In the morning, at check-out, you tell them the door isn't working properly. You are told they already know about it, that it is on the maintenance man's "to do" list but he couldn't fix it since the room was occupied.

Rubbish!!!!! Our handyman does repairs on "occupied" rooms all the time!

Personally i wouldve complained at the time, but fire off an email (i would say to their head office AND the hotel concerned) anyway and see what happens

 

[jrmasm]

I stay in hotel rooms (of major chains) about 300 days a year for work (I am a flight attendant).



With that said, I would have demanded another room, or left and stayed at another chain. I personally wouldn't waste my time emailing them, it won't do any good. Trust me. Hotels are gross in general, and most that ARE gross are run by people who don't care and who have terrible customer service. You paid and stayed. To corporate, they didn't miss out on anything. There will be other "you's" and they already have your money. It's so sad, but so true.

We are SPOILED at WDW. I NEVER complain about WDW after some of the places I stay. And most are Marriott and Hyatt and Westin and the like! WDW takes the CAKE.

What the heck is an emotional assistance dog?

 

[Mas17]

I have left after complaining & getting my money back and I would do it again. What was described is not safe or healthy for that matter.

 

[hereyago]

as another poster stated that room should have been out of order just for the mouse trap alone, as in my state that is a health code violation.

 

[bumbershoot]

Everything but #1 has merit.

#1 is absolutely NOT something to talk about. Seeing eye dogs do NOT have to wear vests or be identified in any way. There are plenty of dogs of ALL kinds that are helpers, and covered under the ADA, and are NOT "pets". They aren't considered pets for airlines, hotels, housing, nothing. Might look just like your pet, but they aren't pets.

They can be for things like detecting an oncoming epileptic seizure (prompting the person to sit and be safe, or alert those around them on what to or not to do) to detecting an unsafe in blood sugar for diabetics (again, prompting them to get to a safe place). Dogs are amazing, and the need for animals like that doesn't go along with ANY sort of certification or identification. In fact, the ONLY main thing someone can ask is if the dog is a "helper" animal (I am totally blanking on the proper word here), and that's it.

Everything else has merit. Including the dog part will water down your complaints and they might not read further.

Plus, the dog issue is brought up later, when you say the employees were petting one; most people with helper dogs don't allow that, as far as I know, needing them to stay focused on their owner.

 

[AKL_Megs]

What the heck is an emotional assistance dog?

For people with depression, social anxiety, and other psychological issues.

I had one once that detected peanuts.

 

[VillageMama]

What the heck is an emotional assistance dog?

Sometimes nothing more than a pet.

I'm sorry, but we raised service dog puppies for Paws With a Cause and their dogs wear a vest everywhere they go. They are certified and extremely well trained. They don't go to the nature park without a vest, let alone a hotel.

There are some folks with emotional difficulties who feel that bringing Muffy along helps to calm them down. I'm sure it does. Muffy is probably a sweet companion.

But the problem comes when these owner-trained companion dogs behave badly in a public setting and cause a bad reputation for true service dogs. As a puppy raiser I had businesses turn us away because uncertified "service dogs" pooped on their floors, barked at other customers or whined during a restaurant meal... all of which PWaC rigorously trains their dogs not to do.

If I saw an un-vested dog at a hotel who claims "No Pets" I would have sweetly asked the clerk, "Oh, are pets allowed now? That's so good to know!".

And then when my door wouldn't latch, I would have left immediately!

 

[Scurvy]

I would complain about all but #1. The dog could be a seizure dog. It could be a search and rescue dog or show dog that they got special permission to keep in the hotel. The bottom line is, it's between the hotel and the guest with the dog. The only exception would be if you chose the hotel specifically because you were assured that they never allow any dogs at all. If that's the case, then I would add that in with the other complaints.