How was your hotel stay?(2005)

Started by Barnes, June 01, 2005, 09:16:51 PM

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Bush Hater!!

Barnes, as your blood brother, we are going to the Marriott. The Hilton sucked! They booked us on the smoking floor with a king bed when we asked for non-smoking with 2 double beds.
Who here likes George Bush? If you raised your hand, you should smack yourself into submission. Thanx!!

Sen

I had a pleasant stay at the Marriott. I still think about their awesome showerheads. <33

That and the guys in my room were nice enough to give me my own bed.  :D
Claudia

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Tuplica

Quote from: "Bush Hater!!"Barnes, as your blood brother, we are going to the Marriott. The Hilton sucked! They booked us on the smoking floor with a king bed when we asked for non-smoking with 2 double beds.

Just for my own benefit, could you say more about this?  What day did you check in?  And did you specifically ask for those things on the registration form online?
Attending Fanime since 2002, having panic attacks and editing marathons since 2003.

ip136

Ou... I never noticed this post until today.
Well!

I stayed at the Marriot last year and it was flat out horrible. First, upon coming into the very room, the lady assumed that I was underage and needed a guardian to be signing everything. She checked my ID like.. 3 times to make sure it wasn't 'fake'.
. . .
Then, we had originaly requested 2 rooms with double beds that connected. Because we got there half an hour after they started letting people book rooms (This is the night before the con BTW), they said that we came too late and were not able to give up conjoined rooms. So instead of you know.. just putting us in rooms NEXT to each other, there was a room between us.
. . .
Next, after starting to set-up Camp in one room, my bf went to check out the other room. It was not a double bedded room, but a KING Sized bed. At this point (after them also saying they had to take almost $700 ontop of of everything on my card for a 'deposit' which.. ok. I know the site mentioned it, but when I CALLED the hotel they said I wouldn't have to do it. I explained to them that I didn't understand it because I travel. I travel alot. And the only reason I chose their hotel was because it was connected to the convention center. I'm a gold VIP member at the Crowne across the street, and could have gotten something a little farther away and nicer because of the traveler clubs my parents are in... but I chose them.)
So I immediately went back downstairs and tried to speak to the lady who still didn't believe I was 21. So after insisting on speaking to a manager HE said that even though we booked a double bedded room, the Marriot can't garuntee that you'll actually get that. And since, you know, we weren't there as soon as they started taking reservations, they weren't at fault for anything. These rooms were booked back at the end of January I believe. It isn't like it was a last minute, April booking.
I severely expressed to him how disgruntled I was on their method of handling our accomodations and also quite bluntly informed him that I will not be staying there past this year, and if it weren't for the fees I would incur, I would be taking my business to another hotel.
He still refused to move our room from the King sized bed, so I insisted his faculty figure out a way to put at least 1 rollaway bed in there for boys  because there were going to be 4 people in that room.

I had to call three times to get the roll away bed.
Then raise more h*ll just to get the refridgerators that I had personally called the hotel months prior and requested in the rooms. Ooho I remember that conversation. When the lady told me they might not have them I pretty much said along the lines of.. "No. You DO have them. And they WILL be brought up to our rooms. BOTH rooms will have one, and if I don't see them up here within the hour I will be coming down there, and I WILL MAKE you bring them up with your own two hands. Have I made myself perfectly, crystal clear to you, darling?"
I was very very ticked off. It felt like the entire time they were treating us like children.
I might look young, I might look like I was 17 at that time, but that doesn't mean I'm stupid. I know precisely what a hotel can and cannot do. And all the things that they kept saying they couldn't do...

They most certainly could.

Mind you, more things happened.. like constantly requesting more towels for 4 people in each rooms, addtional blankets not coming all the time.. We spent one night with just a couple and the next day I flagged down the housecleaner instead and asked if we could have a couple blankets and pillows since their service hadn't bothered to bring them up.


The only people who even seemed helpful was the bellhop. He was a very nice person who even helped up figure out a nice place to set-up the fridges as well as figure out how to tap into the T.V.'s to set-up our PS2. But one bellhop can't clean-up the act of the rest of the staff.
The only other complaint I had was the elevators as well, but I ended up taking the stairs most of the time because of it. Besides, into comparison of everything else they did *JUST* at check-in.. stuffy elevators were the least of my complaints.
Clicky my Art Pwease?

Absolute0

Wow.

Either that was pretty crappy service you got,

or you have anger management problems...


<_<

>_>

*runs (j/k)*

Tuplica

That's really quite horrible, ip...  Sounds everyone has really mixed stories regarding the hotels.  I've never had any problems like you just mentioned, though; I had an adjoining room last year which was set up properly, and I've never had the bed problem that a lot of people have had here.  Which is kind of odd, because with the exception of last year (arrived on Thursday) I generally arrive rather late on Friday because of school/the drive/etc.

I'm glad you gave them hell about it, though.  Too bad there wasn't anything else to be done about it... I recognize the fact that they have this first come first serve policy (I'm referring to both hotels), but the fact that they are perfectly willing to overbook non-smoking rooms, king/double size rooms and rooms with specific requets (like adjoining rooms) is ridiculous and bad managing.  They should at least have the common courtesy to remove the option after a certain point so the people who bothered to register so far ahead will really get what they want.  Imagine if you were on the road and reserved a room ahead of time in a hotel for a vacation, and they just pulled it all out under your feet.  

Better luck this year.  Going with the Crowne?
Attending Fanime since 2002, having panic attacks and editing marathons since 2003.

ip136

Absolute0 -  :-# It's probably a little bit of both.. but personally it felt like to me that it was a judged book cover on the staff's part.. as in I look young, I must obviously not know too much about how hotels work, there are other people complaining, we'll push this one around... I dunno. I mean.. maybe it was the fact I was wearing a Pokemon shirt that helped aid in the book judging but still... bagh. @_@ I get easily disgruntled when I'm not taken seriously... even if a jigglypuff shirt isn't a business suit, it shouldn't change how a customer recieves service.

Tuplica - Yeah.. It gets me a little more annoyed to find out that people had the same problem but it was fixed for them... In any case, we actually aren't going to the Crowne this time, instead trying out the Hilton.
Though, anyone looking to go to the Crowne, they were awesome the year before last. I got a little 'special' treatment, but the staff was helpful and kind. Rooms were nice as well. However, even a block away from the convention center the group I was with felt disconnected from the con experience. Also, if you can manage to become a VIP member, I say do it.. I don't know how much they cost this year, but as a VIP member two years ago I got the rooms cheaper than what the Fanime housing was at, two tickets for free breakfasts every day, free parking for 1 car for my entire stay and special access to the business room continental breakfast things too (though it was only for Friday since they didn't have it during the weekends. XP ) But also keep in mind that they will probably put you on a level where your card key is required just to get there by elevator *nods*


Hopefully the Hilton will be better, though it's true there are a lot of mixed reviews going on for the two. Here's to keeping my fingers crossed!
Clicky my Art Pwease?

Barnes

Quote from: "Tuplica"Just for my own benefit, could you say more about this?  What day did you check in?  And did you specifically ask for those things on the registration form online?

We checked in on Friday. And yes I requested a non-smoking room, but didn't get it. However since then I've let it go. Hope that helps.
Also a Proud Fanime Con Attendee since 1998!
Yay, Haruko.
http://myanimelist.net/profile/CapeBarnes

Sora

I think that other than the fact that the guys we were sharing with trashed the room and took over the beds, I had pretty good time. The girl I was with said that the other two can just get their own room next year. And, that's what they're doing this year. Glad I wouldn't have to deal with sleeping on those chairs again.
"Don't give me any orders."

Tuplica

Quote from: "Barnes"We checked in on Friday. And yes I requested a non-smoking room, but didn't get it. However since then I've let it go. Hope that helps.

It does, thanks.   :D I'm always concerned that I'm going to get gypped regarding the room one year or another, so the more information I have, the better, even if it's disconcerting.
Attending Fanime since 2002, having panic attacks and editing marathons since 2003.

FanFicGuru

Wow ip, sorry to hear that your experience was so horrible. As I said earlier, my time at the Marriott was awesome. Then again, maybe not only your young appearance, but your sex may have had something to do with it? I know the receptionist was a lady, but I was only 19 and I checked into the room by myself, got the beds I wanted and everything. It's a horrible idea, but that might be another reason.

I have heard mixed reviews about the Hilton as well. People said the rooms are incredibly small and the service is terrible, while others say that there was plenty of room and they had a great time. So really I guess it's a 50/50 chance.

I just hope your experience is better this year. ^_^
Fanime attendee since 2004
Swap meet staff - 2014
Swap meet co-chair - 2015

snorlax

Some of you are missing the whole point here. Instead of getting angry and pissed off that some of special requests like non-smoking, smoking, refrigerators, low floor, high floor, roll away beds, etc aren't honored by the hotel, go look up the meaning of the word "REQUEST".

Better yet, here it is from Websters Online Dictionary:

Request
1 : the act or an instance of asking for something
2 : something asked for
3 : the state of being sought after

No where do I see that when you request something, that you are 100% guaranteed for it. Hotels make every effort in accommodating requests, but sometimes, it's not possible to honor every request out there. All special requests are subject to the availability of the hotel at the time of check in.

Unfortunately, the king vs double/double scenario was a different story. In most cases, bed types like 1 or 2 beds are a request. For Fanimecon, because a majority of con-goers need 2 bedded rooms, there was a set limit of how many 1 and 2 bedded rooms were available to be reserved. Your bed type should have been honored as we provided to the hotel the exact amount of 2 bedded reservations as they gave us in 2 bedded rooms.

Again, I will stress that if anyone has troubles getting the bed type they reserved, please get a hold of me at the con.  The office for Con-Operations will have a way to get in touch with me.

Credit cards, deposits and payments - While we don't take any deposits or holds on your credit card when you reserve a room, it is a different story when you physically check into the hotel. There is a difference when asking if there is a "deposit for a reservation" and a "deposit when you check in". When you check in, you are required to give them some form of payment for your stay. If by credit card, they will put a hold on your card. This is the hotel's protection that you will not just "check out" of the hotel without paying. The amount of the credit card hold depends on the number of nights, number of rooms if one is checking in for more than 1 room, taxes and incidental charges like telephone calls, parking, pay per view movies, room service, etc. So if one is staying for 2 nights @ $99 a night, the hotel will most likely put a hold of about $250-$300 for this stay.

FanFicGuru

Snorlax, while your points are well taken, from the sound of it, IP had been guaranteed these services by the hotel. When someone books as early as she does, one expects to get what they are paying for. As a customer of the hotel, it is the hotel's responsibility to deliver on what was booked and paid for. Especially for Smoking or Non Smoking. There are many dangerous health concerns for a hotel that doesn't give a customer who booked a non smoking a non smoking room.

I think the point is that we know that the hotel cannot deliver everything we want, but when it fails so completely in every aspect of our pre-ordered room, that is not something left to 'Well we didn't guarantee you anything.' If we can't be guaranteed decent service, what's the point of staying there at all?

Without tenants in the rooms, being kept happy, they would not be in business. I don't want them to forget that fact.
Fanime attendee since 2004
Swap meet staff - 2014
Swap meet co-chair - 2015

Ruby

I unno. I still love the Marriott and I'm willing to stay there again even though theres a lot of mixed reviews. I've been staying at the Marriott ever since it came to the San Jose McErny Convention center, and even though theres been some problems (though definitely not to the extent of ip136. Sorry you had to go through that @__@;;; ), I think I will still continue to go there.  

Though the Marriott hopefully learned from its mistakes last year. Perhaps they'll order more fridges or rollaway beds..cause I know they were running out of them FAST >.> And perhaps get more people working that night since towels and such weren't coming fast enough XD;;

I think this is probably a really stressful time for the hotel..so..<_< they should learn to be more prepared I guess.


<< they also shouldnt judge people by their looks either and thinking they're much younger than they really are. o_O
Chance of going to Fanimecon 2015: 50%! ;_;

ip136

FanFicGuru - Yeah.. I'm just happy that not everyone had a really bad experience with the hotel. It does really seem like a 50/50 thing. Hopefully the Hilton will be nicer to my group and I than the Marriott was ^^


snorlax - Thank you for the information.. but personally, I do know what the word request means. I also personally know what hotels can and can't do for people. I have family that has worked for a lot of them and I've seen not all, but a lot of the inner workings of especially the managerial positions in larger companies like the Marriot. All in all, they told me one thing and gave me another over and over again. As for the deposit, I called them personally and asked for an explination. I informed them how I was going to pay and they told me that since it wasn't a real credit card (bank card), that there wouldn't be an additional hold on my card at all. Then they went and tried to double charge me instead to which the lady at the front desk informed me that the return of the deposit would be taken care of a couple days AFTER our stay ended. So it isn't so much that it isn't understood, they just flat out were messing up left and right. That's all I'm trying to say. It is a complaint and should be left as just that.


*EDIT*
Ruby - XP Just because I'm on the page.. I have to agree with you on that. These times are really hard and stressful for hotels... *nods* It's a very good point...
Clicky my Art Pwease?

Absolute0

QuoteIt's probably a little bit of both.. but personally it felt like to me that it was a judged book cover on the staff's part.. as in I look young, I must obviously not know too much about how hotels work, there are other people complaining, we'll push this one around... I dunno. I mean.. maybe it was the fact I was wearing a Pokemon shirt that helped aid in the book judging but still... bagh. @_@ I get easily disgruntled when I'm not taken seriously... even if a jigglypuff shirt isn't a business suit, it shouldn't change how a customer recieves service.


I was only kidding about you having anger management problems, just so you know. ^_^ I'm also sorry that you had to do through a terrible experience like that, ip. But, you know, this could probably just be a one time thing, right? Like Ruby said, the con is a VERY busy time for the hotels.[/quote]

ip136

Quote from: "Absolute0"
I was only kidding about you having anger management problems, just so you know. ^_^ I'm also sorry that you had to do through a terrible experience like that, ip. But, you know, this could probably just be a one time thing, right? Like Ruby said, the con is a VERY busy time for the hotels.

*snickers* I know you were kidding about it. XP
And yeah, I can admit that it might've been a one time thing as well and it was the first time I've ever been treated so poorly at a hotel. There's a first time for everything, but it's enough to make me avoid that one for the convention.  *nods* Happy to see not everyone had to go through that stuff though.
Clicky my Art Pwease?

Barnes

I'll give this thread one more week before I request a lock. Is that ok?
Also a Proud Fanime Con Attendee since 1998!
Yay, Haruko.
http://myanimelist.net/profile/CapeBarnes

Tuplica

I presume that'll be fine...  Why?  Is there concern that people'll start posting in this thread about their con hotel experience for 06?
Attending Fanime since 2002, having panic attacks and editing marathons since 2003.