EVEN Hotel Chicago-Tinley Park-Conv Ctr by IHG — Hotel in Rich Township

Mike J

IHG Hotels and Resorts Tinsley Park

Dear Manager,

I am writing to express my disappointment and frustration with the customer service I experienced at your IHG hotel in Chicago. My current stay is horrible 01/05/2024 to 01/07/2024 is marred by what I can only describe as the worst customer service I have ever encountered.

From the moment I arrived at the hotel, I encountered a series of issues that left me feeling undervalued as a guest. Firstly, the check-in process was disorganized and chaotic, with long waiting times and a lack of clear communication from the front desk staff. It was evident that they were overwhelmed and unprepared to handle the volume of guests.

Furthermore, the staff members at the front desk were unhelpful and showed a complete lack of professionalism (she said I was not a man, and acknowledged that there was no man at the counter when, I need help.) They were dismissive of my concerns and failed to provide adequate solutions to the problems I encountered during my stay. Their attitude towards guests was unacceptable, and it felt as though they were more interested in rushing through their tasks than ensuring a positive guest experience.

Additionally, the housekeeping service was subpar. Despite requesting for my room to be cleaned on a daily basis, it was often overlooked or done hastily. The cleanliness of the room was questionable, with visible stains on the carpet and dust accumulating in various areas. This lack of attention to detail reflects poorly on the overall quality of service provided.

Moreover, the restaurant staff seemed untrained and unorganized. On multiple occasions, I encountered long waits for service, incorrect orders, and a general lack of attentiveness from the staff. It was evident that they were understaffed and overwhelmed, resulting in a frustrating dining experience.

As a loyal IHG customer, I have come to expect a certain level of service and professionalism during my stays. However, my experience at your hotel in Chicago fell far below these expectations. I believe that it is crucial for you, as the manager, to be aware of the issues and take immediate action to rectify them.

I kindly request the following actions to address my concerns and prevent other guests from experiencing similar dissatisfaction:

An apology for the poor customer service and inconvenience caused during my stay. A thorough investigation into the issues I have raised, with appropriate measures taken to improve the training and professionalism of the staff. Reevaluation of the housekeeping procedures to ensure rooms are cleaned thoroughly and in a timely manner. Adequate staffing levels in the restaurant to provide prompt and attentive service to guests. A commitment to providing consistent and exceptional customer service in the future.

I trust that you will take my complaint seriously and make the necessary improvements to avoid such incidents in the future. As a valued IHG customer, I hope that my feedback will be used constructively to enhance the overall guest experience at your hotel.

I look forward to receiving a prompt response regarding the actions taken to address my concerns. Should I not receive a satisfactory resolution, I may be compelled to escalate my complaint further.

Thank you for your attention to this...

My first time at an Even property which I was happy to see that it was an IHG Property. I was shocked to see that the rooms didn't have microwaves per the online description so I called because surely that was an error. I called and the EVEN property concept of healthy living was explained and that's why no microwaves. I laughed and said, but I love Amy's which is a very healthy meal! Anyway, it was pretty impressive that each room had some basic workout equipment (bands, yoga mats, ball) so NO excuses 😊. I booked. Glad I did. There is a countertop combo water, ice, water/ice dispenser on each floor conveniently located at the elevator perfect for filling up on the go.

SIDEBAR Week 2 of my stay- As a business traveler with very early start times, I always request of the hotel, the top floor convenient to the elevator. EVEN accommodated me and in fact put me in the same room from prior week. Well Monday night, some very loud men were put in the room next door to me. They were so loud I thought they were in the hallway by the elevator. I called the front desk and they addressed it. Well it was a brief reprieve and they started up again well into 2 AM and I called again and had the front desk know I would need to be accommodated in another room if they are here for the week. I stopped at the front desk on my way out and spoke with the front desk mgr. She apologized and indicated that I would be able to relocate. She also gave me a dining voucher for the restaurant onsite. When I arrived that evening, while there was a gap in the sharing of the information from the morning to the even staff, I was still accommodated successfully. In fact, she moved me next to a fellow business traveler and said you should be good to go here. The fact that the entire team I encountered addressing this scenario was so nice and apologetic, it eliminated my feelings of being inconvenienced having to pack and move all of my things.

I ordered dinner to go. I was told 10 minutes or so. This worked out as I could relocate my things to the new room in the meantime. Petty moment. As I am going to the prior room, I notice the "do not disturb" door hanger on the loud guys room next door. I laughed "Are you kidding me!". I tried to be as obnoxiously loud as possible while packing. 😂 I got moved, shared the laugh about the nerve of the loud mouths having a Do not disturb sign on the door with the front desk, grabbed dinner and retired to my new, quiet room. 😊

KUDOS to the entire team at EVEN. As one who assesses all areas of operations for companies across the country, one very key aspect that many in management and leadership miss is empowering their team with the tools, authority and accountability to make decisions and correct service related challenges that could adversely affect the company. The leadership at EVEN in THIS EXPERIENCE were empowered to fix this in a way that delivered a very positive outcome and impression which is so wonderful to see. This is in complete contrast to another company I encountered recently. So again, BRAVO and thank you for being customer...

I made a reservation from 12/27/23 - 12/31/23 at this hotel for the first time. On Friday night/Sat morning of my stay at 4am, I saw a bed bug crawling on the sheets then on the pillow. I immediately contacted the front desk and they sent a manager up to the room, who provided keys to another room. We packed up all of our belongings to move to the other room and as soon as we got off of the elevator there was vomit on and around the trashcan (our new room was several feet away from it) and the smell was repulsive. I contacted the front desk to report it and it was cleaned the next morning but the smell lingered. But the biggest issue by far was the bed bug. My family and I were traumatized, I’ve never had nor seen bed bugs in my life until staying at this hotel.

I made several attempts to contact a manager to request full compensation for that room but kept being told a manager was “gone for the day” or they would make a note and a manager would “call me” but that never happened. Upon checkout I was told by the receptionist that a manager would only take off the one night the bed bug was found but I did not find that to be an appropriate compensation. There were bed bugs in the room!!!! Period. I should not have to pay for that room.

Anyway, I firmly insisted on what I believed to be the appropriate compensation, also detailing the incident and requesting it via email on 1/1/24 but no one responded. I called a manager and left a voicemail on 1/2/24 after discovering on my bank statement, I was still charged for 2 nights in the room the bed bug was found, but no one returned the message. I called corporate on 1/3/24 to file a complaint and request compensation, was given a case # and told the hotel manager had 24-48 hours to resolve it and would contact me but again NOTHING.

I have now been forced to contact an attorney regarding this issue because of the lack of follow up from the hotel. I would NEVER stay at this hotel again because they are not at all concerned with a guest’s satisfaction or dissatisfaction and make no effort to resolve issues or maintain the business of a future guest.

I’m sure there are people out there who take advantage of these situations and just want things for free but that is not the case with me and my family. We are very upstanding, honest people and for our situation to be handled this way is very disappointing and frustrating. If you are thinking about staying at this hotel, please reconsider. I have also attached a picture of the bed bug (on...