DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Detroit - Dearborn — Hotel in Detroit

Ever since they sold the parking lot to another company, this spot has been going downhill. To be fair, an ice storm had driven many families to shelter there before the event that was booked for the weekend. We also had a fire alert due to an alarm that was recently worked on having an electrical issue. It took less than 15 minutes to be cleared by the fire department, but did slow things down a little more.

That said, people were arriving and they had to reset ALL the rooms in 4 hours. That didn't happen, as you might expect. However, that was at 5-6pm. Folks were still waiting for rooms at midnight. I heard from another guest that they weren't going down the list in order anymore, but handing out rooms at random to whomever was near the desk. That was a terrible move! Another attendee had been up since 3am the previous day making the long drive. They needed a room and at 1am it still wasn't happening.

Then there was the restaurant. There did not appear to be any assignment of sections of tables for the waitstaff or else the bar did not service their section at all. It was nigh impossible to even get a drink, let alone pay. I got the buffet on the 1st night and had to search out a waitstaff person and beg them to take my payment. The second night was similar...except they stopped putting food out at 7:30pm but let people order the buffet until 8pm...well, if you even knew there was a cut-off. I got 1 plate of food, the folks next to me had half the party fed and the rest had to order off the menu. It was a mess. The other person ordering waited 45 minutes for a simple burger when most of the guests had aimed for the buffet, so I know they weren't slammed.

They haven't realized they need a larger staff if they want to run the place properly. They had hired a new girl mid-weekend, so at least our water glasses were full, but there was little organization for Grille 39. Front of house had poor communication and likely back of house was understaffed or not used to what should be the norm for the place on a weekend.

Plusses: The food we did have was great, actually above par, at least for the buffet. The of the menu burger didn't look great, but I can't speak for its taste. Looks can be deceptive.

The staff were friendly. They were very kind d people who just need someone familiar with organizing to pull them together.

Minuses: The exit for this place is easy to miss.

They aren't fielding enough staff to handle the big events they want to host. I had the impression that management were probably congratulating themselves on handling things. They shouldn't. People were not happy. They don't expect to pay a day for a room that they get after midnight. This was their vacation and it wasn't restful to arrive and wait for hours for a room. Nor was it helpful to find the staff weren't calling people up in order, but going with whomever stood in front of them as a room became available.

It was also not a relaxing vacation for those trying to attend events but unable to leave because they couldn't find anyone at the restaurant to pay for their meals.

They need a dedicated cashier for events like this and at least some part-time staff they can scramble for emergencies. There were people willing to service their own room if it meant they could sleep. That should never have even happened. It shouldn't take 8 hours to get a room. Doubletree needs to double its staff and have clear guidelines on how to handle emergencies and stick to them. I hope they...

I wish to document the problems associated with my stay at the Double Tree in Dearborn (Detroit). We were there for the Innovation Convention at the Henry Ford Museum on June 5, 6 and 7. We checked in On Wednesday June 5th and left on Saturday June 8th.

On the second day of my stay, on returning to the room around 5:15 pm, we realized that it had not been made up. So we went to the front desk and they said that it would be done. They said that it would not happen again. In fact they made a note of it in a red log book at the front desk. On our return after dinner, the room was made up.

On the last day, Friday, we returned quite late and realized that again it had not been made up. I went back to the front desk again and complained. When the attendant checked the red log book, she noted that we had complained before and she could not say how it happened a second time. The front desk told me that the Manager Mr. Sam Sambou would call me. When he did not, I called the front desk a number of times, at least five. In three of the cases I was put on hold for more than 5 minutes, and was disconnected one other time. On my fifth try, I was able to speak to Mr. Sambou and he said he would call me back. Incidentally, he accused me of being abusive when I complained.

Mr. Sambou finally called me back at 9:30 pm. I told him we were trying to get to bed as we had to leave the next morning at 6 am. We had no fresh towels and no coffee in the room. He told me that he would credit us with $70 for our trouble. I thanked him and went to bed. When I asked him whether there would be a record of our conversation so that I could mention the details to the check out clerk, he said that I should mention his name Sam and that everyone knows him.

Next morning I checked out and noted that the base rate for the first night was $99 and not $159, a reduction of $60. I asked for a copy of the receipt and left.

Three days later on Tuesday June 11th, my credit card was charged an additional $69. I immediately called the Hotel and asked to speak to Mr. Sambou. I was told that he was not available. They then connected me to accounting and I left a message with my name and phone number. No one has called me back.

I then called the Hilton Honors Customer Service and they opened a case.

I am currently kindly asking that the charge of $69 is immediately reversed on my credit card. I cannot help but ascertain that I was given a rebate to pacify me at the time, only to have the charge reinstated when I returned home. I do not understand how this was allowed to happen. I now have to wait on my monthly credit card bill to send it in. They know very well what they charged me!

In fact, I wonder whether they will reverse the charge!

The problem with the front desk clerks is a separate issue. They are rude and crude. Good luck to Double Tree with this kind of...

At the end of January I was on my way to Indianapolis for a work conference. I had a layover in Detroit. It was snowing very heavily all day so unfortunately most flights got canceled and I was stuck. My luggage had already been forwarded to Indy. Hotels in the area were full due to the massive amount of canceled flights. I found that Doubletree had room. I was so happy because it had been a very long, tiresome day. I did some homework then went to sleep. The next morning I woke up early and took the shuttle to the airport. The experience was a good one until I received an email from the hotel claiming that I had smashed the television. I was shocked because when I left the room it was in perfect condition. I called the hotel and the person I talked to stated that the email was probably a phishing scam and to avoid clicking on any links. I told him that there was just a jpeg of a random broken tv. He told me to contact my credit card company which I did. The charge was taken off until a few weeks later when it was reapplied because Hilton claimed that the damage was legit. When I called customer service for Hilton they told me that not only did the report say I had broken the tv, but it stated that I had lit the bed on fire. I called the hotel. I explained that I did not damage their room. They emailed me back claiming that I had never talked to them about the email showing damage even though I told them that I have that call on my phone records. They would not remove the charge. I asked if they had proof that there was no other person who entered my room between the time I left and when they emailed me about the damage. The manager stated, " I will not discuss that with you." I filed a complaint with the BBB. Hilton's response now claims that I smashed a television, broke the bed, and lit the comforter on fire with candles. I did not have candles. I didn't even have a case for my contact lenses because again, my luggage was in Indy. They are also reporting that I spoke openly with the manager about the damage. Which isn't true because I didn't cause any damage in the room. I am a mother of 3 in my 30s, graduate student, and a Physical Therapist Assistant / Parkinson's Disease specialist. I got snowed in on my way to a work training and spent the night all by myself. The hotel refuses to show me proof of the damage they are claiming but have charged my credit card $1000 for room damages. I am afraid that they targeted me for a scam because I was traveling alone from...