Last Tuesday my aunt died. I had a reservation here for Saturday night to celebrate something with my fiancee. I called the hotel to ask them to reschedule my reservation, and they refused because I made the reservation through Expedia. They told me to call Expedia, so I did. Expedia told me it is up to the hotel what can be done, expressed their condolences, and then surprised me with the 10% off voucher for my next trip or rental with them.
I called Holiday Inn back and someone named Alicia was particularly cold and unhelpful, but said I could email her manager, Amanda Rodriguez.
Amanda ignored my first two emails so I sent a third request, this time with the actual death certificate for my aunt attached. She finally replied the next day saying too bad, can’t help.
I told her that aside from being terribly inhumane and crass, that’s terrible customer service. She was again curt and completely unhelpful but said I could contact her manager, Ruben Duran.
Mow it’s Saturday morning. I’m getting ready for church for the funeral. Before contacting him, I called the hotel again and asked them if I could change the name on the reservation so someone else in my family could use it. They told me no, and that I had already asked for a refund so they rented the room to someone else! Insane! (not to mention that I didn’t ask for a refund, I simply asked to use my reservation on a different day because of my aunt’s passing.)
So while I was in Ohio in the snow at my aunts funeral, this Holiday Inn decided to keep my money and double dip by renting the room to someone else for the night I was supposed to be there — while lying to me that I was told I was getting a refund.
Next move was to talk to Ruben Duran. Guess what? I still have been completely blown off — no reply at all. Guess I’ll have to escalate again.
Everyone should know this story before doing business with the people that run this hotel. Super disturbing. I hope none of these people have to deal with this when they lose a loved one.,
I will update when I hear something. Not holding my breath. Absolutely disgusting.
12/20: responding to the reply that was added since Amanda has put more effort into trying covering her own a— over getting called out by name publicly than actually helping someone during a difficult time.
Yes, that was after I was blown off on the phone and you ignored the first two emails. Are you proud of that email? The rest of the world thinks your behavior is abominable.
Of course you can help: it is easily within management power to give me credit for a room for a future date. Now, your team decided to rip me off and then use my aunt funeral to sell the room to someone else so you could double dip. I’m pursuing it with Corporate-keep throwing fuel on the fire if you like! Or just do the right thing and give me a credit.
Where is Ruben? Still nothing. Emails and phone calls ignored despite, his staff saying he would help me… Still nothing.
Amazing that Expedia found a way to do something nice for my family despite policy. IHG and Holiday Inn are incapable of that? That’s not honest and we...
Read moreMy review only really speaks the to room itself since I didn’t utilize any other areas of the hotel. My overall experience at this hotel was very unpleasant and still triggers me to this day. For starters, there were major plumbing issues in my room. The toilet required multiple flushes to dispose of its contents. The shower and sink basins were severely clogged. Every night I showered, I had to endure having my feet sit in a pool of icky water. The maid service never removed the dirt rings from the tub.The room looked clean at first appearance. My first night’s sleep was a typically quiet night. The next morning, we left early to attend convention events. When we returned that evening, we noticed that the sheets of my bed had been changed but not that of my traveling partner. We thought that was strange but didn’t dwell on it. I endured another horrible shower that night and repeated my convention routine that next day. When I returned that night, I noticed little white bugs crawling on my pillows and did a quick shake not really thinking anything of it, except maybe that’s why my sheets had been changed but not that of the other bed. But, late in the night, something flew into my left ear and kept buzzing and I was unable to sleep. By morning, the buzz subsided but my hair begin itching uncontrollably. My check out was this day. I checked out and attended the last day of my convention, still having this uncontrollable itching in my hair. When I reached home, the itching continued for a few more days and became more unbearable at the days ensued. I didn’t know what to make of this being that I’d never experience anything like this in life. Describing what I was experiencing to a friend, she said it sounded like I had head lice. Being a person of African descent, I thought it preposterous. Although I checked my own bed at home and begin research. Low and behold, I saw the same tiny bugs on my pillows and started going through my hair. I purchased a lice treatment and went to work. What poured out of my scalp (and ruined my sisterlocks) was the most horrendous thing I’ve ever witnessed. I’m convinced that this outbreak stemmed from my stay at this hotel, so NO I won’t ever be returning. They’re only getting stars for the location being convenient to the...
Read moreBooked two rooms, had a little confusion at the front desk when checking in which is where the attitude started. You can tell the gentleman checking us in was fed up with his job. No patience, snappy and argumentative. It appears how I book in the app isn't the same as he sees it. I booked the rooms together and it gave me a total, when I asked for a total for both rooms I get something like "sigh, I mean, I can add them up for you..." and then didn't add then up, it was a statement to belittle my request at that point.
Get balcony room figured out, oh actually the two room suite, don't call it the balcony room and don't ask if the two room suite is the same as the balcony room, that's unacceptable. As the customer, I should already know these details and shouldn't have any questions or confusion and it isn't his job to help clear those up with a smile in his face.
Finally, get to the second room, it isn't cleaned. I go back to front desk and he is arguing with another customer, surprising... I wait patiently, explain the room isn't clean and to his credit, he is adamant that this is unacceptable and they would change us rooms, seemed great!
The new room had a foul stagnant water smell... my in-laws claimed it wasn't bad and didn't want to complain further so they dealt with it. The next morning I went to their room and it was terrible. I feel terrible allowing them to stay in that room.
Of course, in-laws left their luggage cart in the dirty room so I headed to front desk to ask for assistance, he is arguing with another customer. I wait patiently, apologize for inconveniencing him again and ask for help. He does give me a key to the old room and says security will be up there to lock it up.
So he got things done, but he wasn't approachable and set a bad vibe for entering and exiting through the entrance.
The breakfast staff was awesome and attentive and really anyone else we dealt with was nice and/or otherwise not noteworthy.
Overall, this is one of the worse experiences I've had with IHG having been exclusively staying in their line for nearly 10 years.
You can expect certain things, even accept them, but i won't stay at this location again...
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