Not liking the Hard Rock

[bonnielynn]

I didn't rate this hotel terrible, but I am not sure why. We checked in the Hard Rock on 10/12005 early in the morning.. knowing our room wouldn't be ready, but needing our room keys to get perks of fast pass. Room was gaurenteed to be done by 4... Didn't get into our room until after 6..only after I called 3x.. we are a family of 5.. with 3 children.

Once I got into the room it smelled.. so bad that when the luggage was delivered the bell man even mentioned it... But the front desk said the hotel was full.. so we decided to try and stick it out... at this point I had a terrible headache and just wanted to lay down..

Around 1:30 our neighbors came home >>>> and partied loudly until after 6am.. I did report them and security came up.. that just agitated them so they banged on the wall...

I asked to be moved the next day and please let us be in our room by 4... needless to say I had to call again (after being promised they would make us a priority and call.. NOT) They did move us.. to a room with a view of tree tops...

Needless to say I was disappointed in the entire stay.. At the rate I was paying a bit of customer service and making nice would have smoothed it over.. but they didn't bother.. and neither will I the next time I visit Orlando.. I am sticking with Disney!!

 

[pauldents]

When we checked in we also noticed a smell in the room, which I later found was the chemicals used to clean any stains off the carpet in the room. This went away after a day. Over the past few months a lot of people complained about the carpets in the hallways and the rooms. They recently changed all the hallway carpets and now properly clean the room carpets.

If you checked in on the Saturday the 1st, we were at the hotel on this date and it was unusually busy and I could only put it down to the fact that everyone was checking in for HHN. During the week the hotel was very quiet. When we checked out on the 2nd, the bell person said it seemed like the whole hotel was checking out on that day. I drove upto the lobby and it took 30 minutes just to load the luggage into the car and get out of the volume of traffic parked outside and down the drive.

I can relate to your complaint about the noise in the rooms. Unfortunately some suffer worse than others. For some reason we never hear our neighbours on the 5th floor, but if we are ever on the 4th, you can hear most of the stuff that goes on. Unfortunately I think some people take the whole "Hard Rock" thing to the max and a lot of people will be coming back from HHN late in the morning full of drink.

Sorry to hear you had a bad time.

 

[bonnielynn]

I could tell the hotel was busy.. wasn't sure if it was unusally busy because it was our first time there... I was just really disappointed in the Hard Rock... I really wanted it to be a blast for my family and it didn't turn out that way..

I agree that some people take the Hard Rock legacy to far.. but I also think that the hotel should put families together and single or young people together...Maybe that is to much to ask or maybe to hard to accomodate..
Just was a very long night.. people with alcohol can sometimes talk way to loud... we were on the 6th floor for the first night... 4 after....

 

[gschmerl]

We like the Royal Pacific better than the HRH. It's more laid back and quiet.

 

[cbdmhgp]

i second that

 

[markh]

We've stayed at both RPR and HRH - I love Royal Pacific, while Hard Rock just didn't do it for me. Now my kids are another story...! This year trying Portofino Bay.

It's too bad the staff at Hard Rock weren't more responsive to you. I'd suggest trying one of the other hotels in the future.

 

[robvia]

Sorry to hear your story.
The RPR is the favorite on these boards. We stayed this year and everything turned out great. Even got our room at 8am.

 

[cbdmhgp]

plus, RPR is the cheapest of the three!!!

 

[antmaril]

Hard Rock Hotel is my least favorite of the three hotels at Universal. Our first stay was at HRH and we haven't been back. I much prefer either Royal Pacific or Portofino Bay - we've been to PBH twice and RPR four times. We have reservations for PBH in January. There wasn't anything specific about HRH. It just didn't do it for me.

 

[Liv2CdWorld]

Yikes!

You are all making me nervous. I've got HRH booked for November 24th - 27th. Myself, DH, DS6, DS3.

I've stayed there once and only had a problem with the maid (she spilled coffee all over the rug and didn't clean it up

 

[bonnielynn]

I would have complained to the HRH management, but what was the use.. I will keep in mind the other hotels.. but you wont catch me back at the HRD in Orlando.. not even sure anywhere.. I am really sour on them..

Thanks for letting me vent!!

 

[hardrockinclub7]

its like people love dissing the hard rock of something. i guess tho... since we always get a suite up on the club level our experience is always more pleasent. for a few extra dollars you can stay up at the hard rock concierge level. your experience will be much more pleasent.

the hard rock is the best. i dont know where you guys are from!!

 

[bonnielynn]

its like people love dissing the hard rock of something. i guess tho... since we always get a suite up on the club level our experience is always more pleasent. for a few extra dollars you can stay up at the hard rock concierge level. your experience will be much more pleasent.

the hard rock is the best. i dont know where you guys are from!!

Me I'm from Maryland..

I am glad that you enjoyed hard rock.. but I didn't.. could it be that I had to wait till 6:25 to get my room.. or the people in the pool (2 girls 1 guy) drunk and discussing there options of a 3 way while my 8 yr old was swimming around them.... could it be the room smelled.. or the drunks next to my room partying till 6am even when they were told they were disturbing people... Or was it the way that the HRH responded to me? Just pick one... and that would be why I didn't enjoy this hotel.. Now if I had gone to a HRH in Las Vegas, minus the kids and the smell.. I would have handled it.. but since this was a family vacation.. with my 3 kids.. Nah.. not for me...

 

[damo]

We haven't had any problems with any of the Universal Hotels. However, if there is one thing I have learned, it is to insist that the problem is solved when it occurs.

I hope you have better luck with Disney. There seem to be quite a few problems over there lately as well. Apparently, when the hotel tells you that check in time is 4:00, that means that the earliest you can get in the room is 4:00. Check-in time is not guaranteed. That is from a CM at Disney.

 

[bonnielynn]

I went over to a Disney Hotel (Beach Club) after leaving HRH.. I was shocked that at 9am I had my room... someone left a play pin in the room, they immediately removed it and put a autograph picture to all of us of the disney characters w/a vip viewing of the illuminations...

Hard Rock did nothing..

 

[mslclark]

OMG, your stay does sound awful, and you have every right to be upset. We stayed at the HRH two times. The first time we didn't get our room cleaned one day. When we got home I wrote a letter to the manager of the hotel and explained the situation. He called me and offered to upgrade my next stay to a theme park view (I mentioned we already had reservations). I was glad that I let them know my dissatisfaction. The second stay was much better, and now HRH is our favorite Universal resort. I like RPR just as much, but HRH is closer to the parks for us, so it's our first pick.

I would definitely write a letter and let the hotel manager know how you feel!

 

[pauldents]

I went over to a Disney Hotel (Beach Club) after leaving HRH.. I was shocked that at 9am I had my room... someone left a play pin in the room, they immediately removed it and put a autograph picture to all of us of the disney characters w/a vip viewing of the illuminations...

Hard Rock did nothing..

Bonnielynn, glad you had a better time over at the BC.

I guess it's really is horses for courses.

We went over to the Beach Club from the Hard Rock a few years back. We had pre-paid (through Expedia) for a two-night stay in a concierge lagoon view room. After one night we decided to cut our losses and check-out to get back to the Hard Rock. We had a few minor problems, but our biggest dissapointment was the complete lack of atmosphere and general stuffiness and attitude of the hotel staff. When we got back to the HRH, we noticed the difference straight away and knew we had made the right decision.

From now on, Loews and the Hard Rock get my money, because they provide us with a suite for the price of a garden view room (Loews Platinum). They also reward us by giving us front of the line access in their theme parks. On our most recent trip to the Hard Rock (last month) we came back to the room to find the maid had filled the room with helium balloons. (something we have never had over at Disney).

I'm sorry you had such a bad time and i'm glad you highlighted the problems you had.

 

[markey]

We have been to all Universal hotels and some more. We always arrive early and our room has always been ready, every before lunch arrivals. We have never had a problem with anything, must have had good neighbors. Never had any problems at the pool or with house keeping. Out favorite is HRH, but stayed at RPH in August because of cost for our son and family. We are going to the HRH in December and I will see if there are any changes. I have also stayed at every level at WDW and also think it is great, except for value resorts, stayed there for daughters budget. We had the same problem you had as to getting into a room very late at WL, rooms were ready but computer did not show. Finally a CM went to the room and saw it was ready, they gave us 4 free 1 day passes, good compensation in my opinion. I think everyone can and will have different experiences and problems no matter where you go.

 

[4greatboys]

We stayed at the HRH Oct 2003 and had a deluxe room. I enjoyed out stay there very much I still prefer the RPR. My teens however love the HRH best. Happily I will say I have never been disappoined at either resort.

 

[bonnielynn]

Bonnielynn, glad you had a better time over at the BC.

I guess it's really is horses for courses.

We went over to the Beach Club from the Hard Rock a few years back. We had pre-paid (through Expedia) for a two-night stay in a concierge lagoon view room. After one night we decided to cut our losses and check-out to get back to the Hard Rock. We had a few minor problems, but our biggest dissapointment was the complete lack of atmosphere and general stuffiness and attitude of the hotel staff. When we got back to the HRH, we noticed the difference straight away and knew we had made the right decision.

From now on, Loews and the Hard Rock get my money, because they provide us with a suite for the price of a garden view room (Loews Platinum). They also reward us by giving us front of the line access in their theme parks. On our most recent trip to the Hard Rock (last month) we came back to the room to find the maid had filled the room with helium balloons. (something we have never had over at Disney).

I'm sorry you had such a bad time and i'm glad you highlighted the problems you had.

Wish I had your luck...