The New Wingate by Wyndham on Parkway Blvd.

[MIChessGuy]

I have seen reviews stating that the new Wingate by Wyndham in Kissimmee had construction delays and was not open when guests arrived to check in. Apparently, for at least some guests, the first notice they got was something taped to the locked door along the lines of "Sorry, please go to [some substitute hotel]."

In this day and age, it would seem pretty trivial to email guests about a delayed opening. My own booking is not until the second half of January, so I'm hopeful that regular operation will have commenced by then. But if anyone is booked at the Wingate in the very near future, you might want to check up on this.

 

[writerguyfl]

Sharing this sort of information is very helpful. Thanks for posting.

That hotel has changed hands several times over the years. I think it was a Hampton Inn that became an independent hotel with no chain affiliation. Hopefully this change to a Wyndham brand will stick.

I've spent several decades working in and following the hospitality industry. In general, hotel openings and brand changes (sometimes referred to as reflagging) are something that the industry doesn't handle well. The problem usually relates to the entity that "owns" the reservation.

Typically, the new brand doesn't officially take ownership of the reservation until the first day of operation under that brand. So, while it's common sense that Wyndham should contact guests if the hotel isn't ready to open, it's not always that simple. Even though the contact information is held in Wyndham's reservation system, the franchise agreement may prohibit them from calling or emailing. It's up to the legal owner/operator of hotel to contact guests.

If it sounds confusing, it's because it is. Like I wrote, reflagging isn't something that is handled well.

Side Note: I worked as a Night Manager at a newly opened hotel. It was an historic building that was gutted and rebuilt as a hotel. The owners were hemorrhaging money on the renovation so they opened the hotel prior to everything being fully completed. I spent weeks taking legitimate complaints about unfinished rooms and problems with untested systems like heating and water. (Nightmare job!)

So, while showing up to a closed hotel isn't ideal, those guests may have been better off. If they had been at the new hotel, they might have experienced operational issues like lack of water or air-conditioning.

 

[MIChessGuy]

Thanks for giving the insider view of the problem. From my perspective, it's just too bad that there is no mechanism for telling booking sites to let their booked customers know that the hotel is having difficulties. I know that if I traveled 100s or 1000s of miles just to find a sign taped to a locked door, the chances of my booking a Wyndham property again would become extremely remote, whether or not it is Wyndham's "fault."

 

[writerguyfl]

I fully agree. As a consumer, I would not be happy if I were one of those guests.

One thing I would add is that if you book via an online travel agency (OTAs - Orbtiz, Travelocity, Expedia, etc), it's up to that site to contact you. So, it's theoretically possible that the owner of this hotel did the right thing and contacted guests who made reservations via Wyndham and also contacted the OTAs. Those OTAs are not known for stellar customer service. The problem may be related to those companies.

 

[marynpaul]

I just arrived to the hotel booked thru expedia. They are still not open. They gave us another hotel about 18 min away. I called expedia and said this is absolutely unacceptable and want a refund. I asked for a manager at expedia and getting a refund. The said they sent an email j hadn't checked prior as I was travelling. I am so peeved at this whole situation and having to find a last minute hotel

 

[kmacht]

Thanks for posting this. I had a reservation starting next week and just canceled it due to the hotel not yet being open.