Just returned HRH, great vaca - same probs as always

[morningstar]

Just returned from a 4 night stay at HRH - club level. We had a fabulous vacation, but still encountered the same usual probs at Hard Rock. We used Happy Limo for the first time and I was impressed with their service. I would definately use them again. Check in at HRH was the same as usual. I don't get whats up with those front desk people - same attitude we received in the past. Feel like I am bothering their night by checking in. And of course my rate wasn't correct and that took forever to straighten out. Had to go thru three people and I was not happy! This took two days to resolve!
Rooms are great on Club - renovations are awesome. Club Lounge is still tired looking though. Club staff for the most part are accomodating. However, they do not restock water in the am - I think it is because everyone takes the water to the parks. We were told they restock at noon time when it runs out. The staff are very inconsistent there. Some will allow one person to take a bunch of beers with them and others allow one per person. I think it should be the one per person rule and they are just creating problems for themselves when they are lax. They did not have red wine one night and said they had no more for club level. Well this did not go over well with some. When you expect a glass of red wine and are told the club level has meet their allotment for red wine and they don't know when they will get more (not just that night, maybe none the next day); that did not sit well with many. After a good two hours of arguements from various folks, they finally found some in the hotel - imagine. This stuff is just annoying and not expected for the extra money people are paying for club.
Parks were great -Pool was great - No other probs - Had a great time!

 

[Letsbgoofy]

Check in at HRH was the same as usual. I don't get whats up with those front desk people - same attitude we received in the past. Feel like I am bothering their night by checking in. And of course my rate wasn't correct and that took forever to straighten out.

Exactly why I won't stay there again. The first trip, I thought it was just because the resort was new and staff wasn't well trained. We tried a second time, and found the same attitude. I love the pictures of the new rooms, but we will try PBH this year. I'm hoping their staff is as wonderful as the staff at RPH.

 

[ReallyFunMom]

If you have a printout of the confirmed reservations are there problems with the rate? They aren't allowed to change the rate on you, are they?

 

[AlexandNessa]

From time to time, we think about staying Club at HRH, and then along comes a review like yours! It seems a great many people don't think club is worth it at HRH. The new rooms look enticing, but as you said, they go out of their way to tell you that beer and wine is included. I don't expect much of a selection of beer and wine, but it is reasonable to expect both a white choice and a red choice. I have never encountered this in our half dozen stays at RPR Club, perhaps because that's a convention hotel? At RPR, they can give you one beer at a time, and they are required to take the cap off when they give it to you. HRH should show some consistency there. Also, did they just run out of water, or could you ask for it and have them provide it on request? That is what RPR does.

Sorry about your rate problem. I usually take along a printed confirmation with the rate included. Did you try this, or did they give you a hard time anyway?

Thanks for your review.

 

[morningstar]

The problem was I didn't have a printed confirmation. I originally booked with the AAA rate of $323. A week before we left, I noticied there was a super savings rate of $287 offered on the Loews website. I called and asked them to change it for my room. I also had the confirmation numbers for my friends rooms and changed three other rooms to the new rate (all of us where traveling same dates on club level). So two days before we leave, I get a new confirmation showing a rate change to $359! Hmmm, I call immediately and am told it was a mistake, but they will change it. I ask for a new email with the $287 rate. My friends all receive there emails with the $287 rate. The day we are leaving, no email yet, so I call Hard Rock directly to check on the rate. First the say it $359. I go through the entire process, including my friends confimation numbers, and am told it has been changed to $287. No time to get any email though, we are off. Confident that all is well, you can imagine my surprise when we check in and it is still $359 (which is, by the way higher than I originally booked for). My friends are all fine checking in. The front desk girl, Nadia, with no personality, asks who I spoke with to get the $287 rate! My friends standing next to me are just as surprised as I was the one who initiated the lower rate. So she says we are all set with the $287 rate and off we go. Two days later, I decide to check on it and guess what....$359! ARGHHHHHHHHH!! I am so tired of arguing this one, almost humourous at this point. So the manager shows me the rate of $287 when he changes it in the computer. Well, it gets better, upon check-out, my first two nights are at a rate of $359 and the last two are $287!! They had one cranky ***** on their hands at that point and I never got an apology or any useful explanation. Can't even wait to see my credit card statement - wonder how far this will go. So please get your email confirmation and names and don't take their word for it. Sorry to be so long-winded.

 

[AlexandNessa]

What a mess! Sorry you had to go through that! Let us know if it all turns out well, and you are billed correctly. Have you written a letter to the HRH (or did you get a survey?) telling them about your experience?

 

[morningstar]

I have not received my survey yet. But of course I have a funny story about that already. So the cocktail hour runs from 5 - 7pm and the red wine was already gone at 5:30pm. The staff said they ran through their allotment already and wouldn't be receiving any that night and wasn't sure about the next one either. My husband said "I saw some red wine at the beach club bar downstairs, maybe someone could run there and get some!" Well there response was that each department has there own allotment and they could not just grab some from the other bars in the hotel. So I asked the manager on duty when he would be expecting some because I was willing to wait while he found some for me He asked if they had my email I address. I was really confused, but responded yes. He then says, well when you go home and get your survey, you can make a note that red wine was not available So, I said, you want me to wait until I get home and get mad about the wine? I then said very calmy, so where are you going to be getting my wine tonight from! I got my wine a short while later
Lastly we did ask for the water in the morning and they said they will not receive their shipment until noon. I was too tired to fight that one.

 

[Lizziejane]

I don't understand. Are they trying to offer a service, or just trying to p*ss people off?! I think you have the patience of a saint. If I had paid an extra $100 a night to have water and a glass of wine available, and they weren't there, I'd hit the roof and take everyone with me!

Running out of anything, and I don't care what it is, is simply unacceptable to me. They don't, in any of their advertising for club level, mention that you need to get there early because they may only have a limited supply of everything.

Actually what a great idea for a business! Charge people with a promise of supplying something, and then just go "ooops! sorry, ran out! But you can write us later and complain about it". Wow - why didn't I think of that business opportunity first?!?!?!!!

Think I'll skip the club level...!

 

[damo]

Did you complain at the front desk to a manager?

 

[Calgary DISHeads]

We certainly had our problems, all of them service related at HRH but none were the same as yours! We had a fantastic check in experience, great customer service, super pleasant lots of smiles. We arrived about 8:30am, upon request they checked around for a deluxe room for us on 7th floor, non available but they did try and find one - then I asked for a view and we got a great one - plus the room was ready right away. Bellman was great. We never had a problem with the club stocks, always had lots of wine and beer (and believe me we had at least our share ) Always lots of water and pop. Some of the club staff left their smiles at home, but then there were others that seemed to overcompensate for those who weren't smiling. Our problems were later on with front desk and with housekeeping. I got a lecture from the front desk about how hard the housekeeping staff work when I wasn't happy about my room not being cleaned when we returned at 5:50pm from the parks. I'm still trying to get some stuff shipped back from lost & found, very painful process.

 

[morningstar]

Thats interesting! You must of drank all the wine and water before we got there! The housekeeping was great this time around, very friendly and room was always cleaned perfectly and early. We have had problems with them in the past too, not always cleaning before 5 pm.
Damo - I didn't complain to the front desk manager, but did to the club staff supervisor. I thought this person would supersede the downstairs staff. Maybe I was wrong on that one. Now that I am home, I wish I told them I was taking the water out of the fridge in the room because they ran out in the club. Wonder if they would of found some then?

 

[damo]

Damo - I didn't complain to the front desk manager, but did to the club staff supervisor. I thought this person would supersede the downstairs staff. Maybe I was wrong on that one. Now that I am home, I wish I told them I was taking the water out of the fridge in the room because they ran out in the club. Wonder if they would of found some then?

It would be nice to know who really is in charge when you aren't getting any satisfaction. It just upsets me when people have to go home without having their problems resolved. Something as little as running out of wine or bottled water should never be an issue.

The people who work at the hotels sure aren't making our jobs here on the disboards any easier!!!

 

[binkjes]

We were there Nov 6-8th. We booked a club room for 279(aph rate). I sent a fax a week before requesting a deluxe and had them put in the comments on my reservation that I requested a deluxe queen.

We checked in 9:30 Monday morning and everything was all set. We had a very friendly oriental guy(I forget his name), there was no line, took a minute.

We went to the park, then directly to the club room at around 6:00. My daughter had to pee so we went to our room and the keys didn't work. One of the guys in the club room went downstairs and got us new keys. We don't drink wine but had lots of beer. We did tip the guy and he let us have as many as we wanted. He also told us to come back later and he would take care of us.

Our room was always clean(we were gone all day so I don't know when they came). Every night the kids got presents (yo-yo's, bracelets, etc).

Everyone was friendly, we had a great time.

 

[Calgary DISHeads]

Thats interesting! You must of drank all the wine and water before we got there! The housekeeping was great this time around, very friendly and room was always cleaned perfectly and early. We have had problems with them in the past too, not always cleaning before 5 pm.
Damo - I didn't complain to the front desk manager, but did to the club staff supervisor. I thought this person would supersede the downstairs staff. Maybe I was wrong on that one. Now that I am home, I wish I told them I was taking the water out of the fridge in the room because they ran out in the club. Wonder if they would of found some then?

You're not kidding! I'm sure they walked around after our four night stay wondering why the entire month's alloted amount was gone If they ran out of Heiniken and Corona you could blame that on us too! They even requested that if you were going to the pool that you ask for take out cups. Our rant was for sure with housekeeping. First night was pefect, then lovely turndown service. From then on in, my kids could have done it better. Plus we never got "treats" with our turndown after the first night. DH won a huge, and I mean huge Spongebob during HHN. He insisted on bringing him on the plane, the club lounge staff provided bags and help unstuffing poor old Bob. I would say that is going above and beyond. We did provide that feedback when we checked out.