Hilton HHonors - Hilton (Lack of) Service Problems

What's the best way to complain regarding numerous problems I'm having while I'm staying at the Hilton Baltimore Towers (I check out tomorrow 5/1/01)? I thought I had some success communicating the issues with the manager, but apparently there's been no follow through. I truly think the manager is/was trying to help, but the staff at this hotel is so surly, indifferent or simply clueless, that his good intentions will not be carried out.
I'm the one with Gold VIP, also paying for two employees at the same time. I was put in the smallest room, while one of my staff was placed in a Concierge 2-room Suite. Despite having hours until 2AM, the bartender closed the bar at 9:30PM; I guess she just didn't feel like serving any more. Dinner is supposed to be available until 10PM, but when I showed up at 9:40, they refused to serve me. The list goes on: charging me for parking (NO car!), rooms not serviced, alarms clocks set wake up at 6:30AM (on 2nd night?), breakfast staff no where to be seen, charged for breakfast when it was included in rate, etc. The manager seems sincere, but the staff appears to be in a state of mutiny.
While the room itself is okay, for a Hilton I am astonished at the lack of service and attitude of the staff. To whom should I write to relay these quality issues, beyond the on-site manager?

Wow! I tried to book this property Saturday for Sunday, today, and Tuesday. They were booked up. So I wound up in the Marriott Waterfront, only 1 block from my work site.

Talk about dodging a bullet!

Try writing Stephen Bollenbach, President and CEO at
9336 Civic Center Drive
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
Phone: (310) 278-4321
Fax: (310) 205-7678
I swear I did this, got a personal response (not a form letter), got my problem resolved, and 5,000 points.

wow - that is a LOT to put up with - I recently had a bad experience at Hilton LAX, and wrote to GM.

I got a nice letter back stating he would credit my D.Club for 2 nights room and tax, yet the credit has not yet shown up.

i sent him a 2nd email and i need to check with d. club - i know he was truly sorry, his letter was very nice.

have you tried writing the g.m.?

It is exactly this kind of (lack of) service that converted me away from Hilton. I'm now Diamond with SPG and Hyatt. After six out-and-out BAD stays, everything from cruddy rooms to very rude staff, including management, I wrote to this same man in California. Twice. No response. No email. No phone call. Guess what else? My 100 hotel nights a year don't go to Hilton, at all, unless I'm absolutely desperate. I've been downgraded to Silver...since they noticed the drop in my stays. I had six in 2000, compared with 25 in 1999. I realize this is the qualification level for Silver...but since anyone with a pulse can get HHonors gold for no stays, I found it further disappointment.
I'd love to hear from the alleged Lurker on the board. There are some wonderful Hiltons out there...but the Baltimore story above is more indicative of what I encountered.

BTW, please don't let your stay be indicative of our wonderful hometown people! Baltimore is a GREAT city! I can recommend the new Marriott (WOW!), the Hyatt, the Sheraton, and the Renaissance.

Rogues88 -- First of all, please accept my personal apologies for all the difficulties you've encountered on this stay. This is certainly NOT indicative of the level of service we hope to provide our members -- particularly a Gold VIP.

I'd be grateful if you could e-mail the complete details of your stay, including your name, HHonors account number, arrival/departure dates and the names of those traveling with you. We'll follow up directly with the property to address the issues you've raised, and get back to you with an appropriate resolution.

Again, I'm truly sorry that this occurred. Many thanks for bringing this to our attention.

Best regards,

Adam Burke
Vice President, Marketing - North America
Hilton HHonors Worldwide
adam_burke@hilton.com

Personal to you, Adam Burke.

Needing to justify the rates at the property I am staying at, I tried to check rates at the Hilton Baltimore Towers, and no matter what I put in (on your web site), it kept coming up with a sold out message. I even tried to check into November 2001. Same result. My navigation was: Find a Hotel...select Maryland...click on Baltimore & Towers...click on reservations...select dates, then click on Rates & Availability.

BUT, if I go in a different way, not sure on that sequence...think it is click FIRST on rates from the Find a Resort or Hotel page, THEN go with Maryland, THEN pick the Baltimore & Towers, it shows availability!

I think y'all have a glitch in your web reservations system for this property...you might want to have someone check this out.

Off topic, I know, and sorry. But since we are referencing a specific property, I thought this would be a better place to post than creating a new topic which would be of no interest to the members on this board. And you help us so much, I hope this in some small measure return the favor...

-Harry

I stayed in the BALT Towers in 1997 for four nights and needless to say have never stayed there since. The service you have recieved is typical for that hotel I guess as nothing has changed in almost four years. I never stay there in Baltimore anymore, its either the Marriott or the Hyatt now. Although most hiltons are nowheres near as bad as this dump is. Most hiltons are very good properties with excellent service and this is from a Marriott guy

FWIW, IMHO, neither the Hyatt, and particularly not the Marriott are all that great in Baltimore either!

I'd actually recommend the REN, where i'll likely stay next! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif