No room for us at CSR when we arrived (or "how to get a savannah room for $94)

[happydays]

Just got back yesterday. Had a pretty rough start to the trip when we arrived at CSR at 3am with 2 sleeping little ones and they had to ship us off to another resort.

Flight delays turned our 2.5 hours on airplanes into 7 hours. In the middle of the travel fiasco, I called CSR from my cell to notify them that we would be in REALLY late - 1am at the earliest. They assured me that all was fine.

Well, we dragged our sorry selves in at 3am, with one 6 year old and one 3 year old sleeping on our shoulders. The joint was empty. I finally called to the open door at the check-in desk and a CM wandered out. She asked my name and then went in the back again. She came out a few moments later and said that there was a "problem" and that they didn't have a room left for us. Said they would send us to POR. You can imagine how my face must have looked - all my planning right down the tubes at the get-go. I wasn't real thrilled with POR and asked if they would send us to AKL as we were checking in there for the second half of our trip anyway. She went in back again and another CM came out to verify my reservation at AKL. Both CMs were very cordial, and the CM (from bell services) who transported us to AKL was very nice as well.

Steven at AKL checked us in and made sure that we were put in a room similar to our request for our upcoming reservation (savannah on zebra trail) there so that we didn't have to move later. I thought that was very considerate of him as he could have easily given us a non-savannah room for the first three nights considering that we were paying the moderate rate.

Guess everything happens for a reason - we loved the AKL and obviously got at great deal on our first three nights there as our $94 CSR rate was honored at AKL before it reverted to $227 for our final three nights.

I was really looking forward to seeing CSR and our little resort hopping adventure - but all is well that ends well! And yes .... we slept until noon the next day and missed all the parks - just experienced AKL.

 

[Rneighh]

I am considering a split between those two resorts in Feb unless I can get a really great rate at. AKL for the whole trip. Would love to have heard your comparision. we have been to CSP but never AKL. -- Can't wait
Renee

 

[Poohbear123]

Glad everything turned out OK!

 

[Tiffany]

I am glad to hear everything worked out for you. Isn't the AKL great? Savannah for $94 that has to be the best deal I have ever heard of . Glad you had a good trip.

 

[B3LM]

Glad to hear it worked out for you in the end! Good move to ask for AKL!

Something similar happened to us when we checked into CR last November. They told us that CR was completely sold out for that evening and wanted to send us to CSR for one night. We politely refused and said that we did not want to have to move the next day and would only consider another monorail resort. They came back 5 minutes later and gave us at tower room at CR.

Hope you had a great trip!
Beth

 

[A1A1]

I love these good news stories. I am so happy for you that this worked out. CSR and AKL are two of my favorite resorts. This just means that you have to plan another trip to go to CSR, just possibly book a different airline.

Thanks for the post. It's nice to read the good customer service, not just the bad.

 

[ducklite]

Originally posted by B3LM
Glad to hear it worked out for you in the end! Good move to ask for AKL!

Something similar happened to us when we checked into CR last November. They told us that CR was completely sold out for that evening and wanted to send us to CSR for one night. We politely refused and said that we did not want to have to move the next day and would only consider another monorail resort. They came back 5 minutes later and gave us at tower room at CR.

Hope you had a great trip!
Beth

I'm glad you held your ground on that one. There is absolutely no excuse for trying to downgrade a guest from a deluxe to a moderate. They should have immediately either offered the upgraded room at that resort, or sent you to a comparable or better resort and picked up your room for the first night and then paid the difference in room rate for the remainder of the stay unless you wanted to switch back to your original reservation. That is industry standard for "walks".

There is absolutely no way that I would accept a walk from a deluxe to a moderate, regardless of the circumstances, even if it meant that they needed to give me the most expensive room at the GF at a code rate for the CR.

Anne

 

[mrsltg]

Ducklite-

Is there any way to make sure that they upgrade you if something like this were to happen? What I'm asking is, do you have a leg to stand on? I would certainly be more than upset if I couldn't stay at the resort I had chosen due to a mistake on their part. Have you had experience with this?

Erin

 

[ducklite]

Originally posted by mrsltg
Ducklite-

Is there any way to make sure that they upgrade you if something like this were to happen? What I'm asking is, do you have a leg to stand on? I would certainly be more than upset if I couldn't stay at the resort I had chosen due to a mistake on their part. Have you had experience with this?

Erin

First, in all fairness it's usually NOT ammistake on their part. One of two things has happened. EIther there has been a problem with a room or some rooms caused by mechanical failure or destructive guests which has rendered the room(s) uninhabitable, or other guests have decided to overstay their original reservation. Under FL (and most states) law, as long as a guest continues to pay the daily tariff, they can not be "kicked out" of a hotel room. This is what caused the debacle at the YC/BC with the Tupperware convention in 1998ish.

Basically, if you get there and there is no room at the inn, then they will walk you, and you don't really have any recourse about that. But you do have a lot of negotiation power as to where you are willing to go and the room type you will take. But my favorite words are "That is unacceptable." Remain calm, and tell them that you will not accept a downgrade, and that for your inconvenience, you expect an upgrade to a nice room at a nicer resort, or a room at the resort you are supposed to be at, even if it means they have to comp you into the royal suite.

Also tell them you are not going to waste vacation time packing and unpacking because they are having room control issues, so you expect that the upgrade will remain in place for the length of your stay, at no additional cost. Of course if you have your heart set on staying at the resort you were originally booked at, and want to get a room there the next day, you can leave this out. But you should be able to get "something" for your trouble, at WDW this could be a fruit basket, bottle of wine, flowers, comp tickets, upgraded room, etc.

You need to remain calm. Don't get all emotional about how it's your little princesses birthday and it will just be ruined, etc. Negotiate a deal. This is business, not emotion.

This hasn't happened to me at WDW, but it has happened many times at some very nice chain hotels (Hilton, Marriott, etc.). I have always been able to negotiate a better room for my inconcvenience. One time I was supposed to stay at a Hilton but they walked me. I refused their offer of the Best Western down the street, and they put me up at the Four Seasons, which was several miles away, comped my room for three nights, and sent me a fruit basket, plus paid cab fare back and forth every day.

Also, if you are walked they should pay for any additional transportation costs, and a telephone call home to tell people that you are not where you told them you'd be.

Anne

 

[spiceycat]

thanks Anne I didn't know that - you must travel alot!