Worldmark Austin — Hotel in Austin

RABID BAT! Large gross stain on couch, crumbs in the kitchen and the gas firepits and BBQ’s (big reason we were attracted to stay there)…weren’t working and apparently hadn’t been for over a month yet they only told us that two days before arrival when it was too late to make other arrangements.

BAT Details: The second night there we saw a bat crawl out and back underneath the sofa my husband had slept on. When we called the front desk they said “Welcome to Austin” laughed and simply said not to touch it, sent a security guard up and called animal control. They were nice enough. When the bat crawled out (before anyone came back) we quickly called the local bat rescue to ask what to do, we figured they have more info and might be quicker. We didn’t want this thing flying around the unit. Based on their advice, we tossed a waste can over the bat, slid cardboard under and put it out on the balcony.

Keep in mind, our patio door had been closed. When the bat rescue folks showed up, they asked more questions and told us it needed to be euthanized and tested for rabies because it had clearly slept in the same unit with us. Funny, the hotel NEVER mentioned that; they’re in Austin, lots of bats…they should know this. The bat rescue folks also mentioned the bat was emaciated and dehydrated and had clearly been in the unit for DAYS….yes…DAYS!

A couple of days later, we got the call back that the bat tested positive for RABIES. After several calls with the Texas State Dept of Health, we were told we needed to undergo a series of rabies injections because when anybody sleeps in the same environment, it’s not unheard of to get bitten and not realize it. They have to assume. And…rabies is ALWAYS fatal. When we shared this with the hotel, and asked to speak to the manager they never responded. We went to the front desk multiple times…same story…”she’s not in”. We finally asked them to call us. ZERO response. We spent our only free day in Austin finding medical care to start the CDC post exposure protocol. When my niece called them yesterday, the manager, Margaret, first lied and said this was the first she had heard of it. Then went on to say, “they said the bat left”. They have yet to notify the previous guests whom we’ve mentioned were clearly at risk as well. LOTS of painful Injections are required. And, they’re only available at ER’s AND….we have to go back after the first series of injections for follow up injections on days 3, 7, 14 and an addditional one for me on day 28.

Not even a call back! They could’ve discussed this with us and made any gesture...

RABID BAT IN OUR ROOM and No Response From Management.

This hotel experience was nothing short of a nightmare. Not only did we encounter a large stain on the couch and crumbs littering the kitchen, but the very amenities that drew us to the property – the gas fire pits and BBQs – were inexplicably out of order, apparently for over a month, with the management choosing to inform us only when it was too late to make other arrangements.

As if that weren't enough, our stay took a dark turn when we discovered a bat lurking in our unit. Despite our urgent call to the front desk, the response was shockingly flippant, with a mere "Welcome to Austin" greeting followed by the less than helpful instructions to simply not touch it. The woman at the front desk and the security guard who came up, I guess, to confirm there truly was a bat there, were nice enough, they just didn’t provide anything more.

We took matters into our own hands, contacting a local bat rescue organization to safely remove the creature, only to learn later, when called by the Texas Health Department, that it tested positive for rabies. The hotel's negligence in failing to inform us of the potential danger is inexcusable, especially considering their location in a city known for its bat population and related risks.

The repercussions of this oversight are severe – At the behest of the Health Department, we now find ourselves undergoing a monthlong series of painful rabies injections, a precaution only necessitated by the hotel's failure to provide safe lodging. Despite our repeated attempts to discuss the matter with management, including visits to the front desk and requests for a call back, we were met with utter silence. In a call made after we got home, the manager initially said she’d never heard of the issue but then slipped up and remarked on something one of the other employees had previously said to her about it. Her dishonesty and evasion further compounds our frustration and dismay.

It's not just about the inconvenience; it's about the gross negligence and disregard for our well-being. The lack of communication and accountability from the hotel is appalling. A situation of this magnitude warrants more than just a callous brush-off – it demands sincere acknowledgment, compensation, and, above all, a commitment to ensuring the safety of all guests now and...

Worst check-in experience I have ever had. We flew in on a red eye and arrived at the hotel at 9am. We knew the room wouldn't be ready this early, but we were told that because we are Worldmark owners we will be put on the VIP list and our room would be ready early. We were told to come back around 1pm and our room would be ready. We decided to spend a little more time out sightseeing and got back to the hotel at 3pm. Our room still wasn't ready at this time, despite us coming 2 hours after the time they said our room would be ready. At 3pm they said they were almost done cleaning our room and would be ready in 30 minutes or less. I verified it will be ready in 30 minutes or we can go eat lunch and come back but they insisted it will be ready soon. We waited until 3:45pm to ask for a room update as no one had told us anything. We were told that they are just taking the linen out of the room because rooms aren't guaranteed ready until 4pm. So at exactly 4pm, we were notified that our room was ready. Despite being told our room would originally be ready at 1pm, and then 3:30pm, it wasn't ready until 4pm. We asked to speak to the manager Devon. He was extremely rude and condescending and told us that rooms aren't guaranteed until 4pm and there's nothing he can do about it because the room is ready now. This is despite his employees telling us that our room would be ready earlier and had given us specific times. While Devon was speaking with us, he told my husband and I that Wyndam had nothing to do with Worldmark and that they can't do anything for their lack of communication, lying about when our room would be ready, and poor hospitality skills. If you're booking this hotel with timeshare points, I do not recommend because it seems like they only care about people paying for their rooms upon check in and...