I probably need to preface this with the phrase on their corporate website “COMMITMENT TO CLEAN”.
I was in Nebraska on business and chose the hotel based on proximity to restaurants and our local office, and my personal relationship with the storied brand. My grandmother was a Holiday Inn maid for more than 20 years. My mother was a General Manager at a Holiday Inn. In High school, I worked at a Holiday Inn doing banquet set up and as a dishwasher.
When I checked in, the front desk staff was friendly and welcoming. The lobby was sparse but clean. I had parked my rental out front and asked about parking and an entrance. Entering the side entrance was a completely different experience. Cigarette butts cluttered the walkway. Luggage carts blocked the hall. The hall desperately needed vacuuming. The entrance door glass and stainless steel doors of the elevator were smudged, printed, a mess, and were clearly not wiped in weeks.
I exited the elevator, noticing the full garbage can. Next to it, the broken credenza. The hall to the room looked vacuumed, unlike the side entrance. The next day it looked like someone walked their dog, and that's where it did its business. The trash can overflowing as I got on the elevator to leave.
Unlocking the door of the room, the door was spattered with something, ketchup, tomato juice or blood, but definitely disgusting. Sadly not the worst issue. Entering the room I noticed the bed. Someone needs to work on more than hospital corners. The sheets covering the bed were disheveled, not wrinkled, just badly made. I would realize when turning in that night the bed was missing a comforter. The front desk clerk, not the one that checked me in, the next morning looked puzzled when I asked for one.
As most guests do, I utilized the facilities after setting down my bags. The stench of urine, not mine, was overwhelming opening the bathroom door. I opened a bar of soap and washed my hands. I turned to see the shower that had not been cleaned. Soap residue in the holder, hairs on the walls and drain. When I grabbed the door handle to leave the bathroom, the door had not been wiped, I'm guessing in the last year, or ever.
Walking back into the room I noticed water rings and oily smudges on the flat surfaces of the furniture.
I'm typically not as concerned with the fixtures and design or how “dated” the interior. It's a Holiday Inn, not the Wolford Astoria. I just want a clean room. I went back down to the front desk to request a room change, something I almost never do. The person told me they were booked full, the parking lot would indicate the contrary, but that they could send a housekeeper to clean the room.
The housekeeper was prompt. I asked that she just clean the bathroom. She agreed with the condition and assured me that was not acceptable and that her supervisor would be notified.
The following morning, after sleeping on a comfortable bed with comfortable pillows, the smell of unclean ammonia still in the air of the bathroom, I showered, shaved, and carried on. I went to the restaurant for breakfast. I was greeted, and the only diner in there. I was seated, order taken, and while I was waiting, I watched a roach about two inches in diameter walk down the hall from the bar to the kitchen. The food was cooked, edible, but not worth the amount charged. Clearly would have been better at Huddle House, IHOP, or anywhere. Other guests felt similarly when they were told it wasn't part of their stay. I should have followed their lead.
I understand help, good or any, is hard to come by. Pay more. Charge more. I will pay for a clean room. Instead I feel just assaulted and robbed. I should have saved everyone the suspense, clearly not “COMMITTED TO CLEAN”. And, nope not going back. Also, I am so embarrassed I ever worked for the...
Read more
Learn more insights from Wanderboat AI.
