what are your rights as a guest dealing with a noisy group?
Nov 26, 2014, 5:43 pm
#31
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: MCO
Programs: DL-DM/1MM, HILTON-DIA, .HYATT-DIA/GLOB , IHG-PLT,HERTZ 5*, NATIONAL ES
Posts: 8,691
I think part of the problem involves a distinct lack of planning. The property management could easily implement a policy which would direct staff to block certain areas for occupancy, but on occasion I've noticed the FD staff are clueless and have no compunction about booking groups of noisy kids or families with colicky or otherwise noisy kids on Executive floors and the like.
Calling the police just aggrevates an already bad situation.
Nov 27, 2014, 6:29 am
#32
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: VCE
Posts: 14,165
Embassy Suites seem to be particular magnets for rowdy youth groups, junior hockey leagues, etc., probably because of the room layout. I actually don't choose ES properties any more because all they suggest to me is towel-snapping kids screaming through the atrium, hijacking the elevators, and stripping the breakfast buffet. I have rarely seen a manager intervene on behalf of disturbed "regular" guests, either.
The atrium seems to amplify the noise significantly which makes a bad issue worse.
In the Hilton World I find Embassy Suites to be the worst for this, and in other hotel chains the offender I have observed most frequently for this is Marriott Courtyard.
Nov 27, 2014, 11:10 pm
#33
Join Date: Nov 2013
Programs: HH Diamond, IHG Spire, Marriott Gold, AA Plat. Pro
Posts: 400
Lots of good ideas in here.
I travel a lot for business and a lot for my kids who play travel sports. Unfortunately I've been on both sides of this fence. We stay in Embassy Suites from time to time because the parents like the free breakfast and the managers receptions even on the weekends. The noise is definitely amplified in the atrium area. The hotel the OP is talking about doesn't have that issue but gets a decent amount of soccer team traffic on the weekends.
I'm probably the 'mean dad' on the team at times because I'm trying to calm the kids down and a lot of hotels that know they are a part of a specific tournament make you sign a code of conduct for you players when you check in, which I think is a good idea, especially if they bother to enforce it. Sometimes the tournament supplies them to the hotels which gives them some extra leverage at the front desk. My son actually travels a lot with just his team and one chaperone (plane and bus trips) but they know if they step out of line that could mean their spot on the team so it's a bit of a different atmosphere.
We've called the front desk on more than one occasion about other teams to get quieted down in these instances typically it only takes one or two calls to the desk. I also confront the kids myself sometimes and ask them to stop. Many times no one has bothered talking to them and it just takes an adult asking them to stop.
The call the police works better as a threat than anything else, but certainly isn't a bad thing to do, especially if it's a full blown party, which wasn't the OPs issue.
As far as your rights as a guest...not really sure there. I've always felt like I have a right to getting a good, quiet night's sleep. I don't know that contractually they owe you that but that seems to be the norm. Kids running around the hotel isn't part of the bargain in my mind.
I travel a lot for business and a lot for my kids who play travel sports. Unfortunately I've been on both sides of this fence. We stay in Embassy Suites from time to time because the parents like the free breakfast and the managers receptions even on the weekends. The noise is definitely amplified in the atrium area. The hotel the OP is talking about doesn't have that issue but gets a decent amount of soccer team traffic on the weekends.
I'm probably the 'mean dad' on the team at times because I'm trying to calm the kids down and a lot of hotels that know they are a part of a specific tournament make you sign a code of conduct for you players when you check in, which I think is a good idea, especially if they bother to enforce it. Sometimes the tournament supplies them to the hotels which gives them some extra leverage at the front desk. My son actually travels a lot with just his team and one chaperone (plane and bus trips) but they know if they step out of line that could mean their spot on the team so it's a bit of a different atmosphere.
We've called the front desk on more than one occasion about other teams to get quieted down in these instances typically it only takes one or two calls to the desk. I also confront the kids myself sometimes and ask them to stop. Many times no one has bothered talking to them and it just takes an adult asking them to stop.
The call the police works better as a threat than anything else, but certainly isn't a bad thing to do, especially if it's a full blown party, which wasn't the OPs issue.
As far as your rights as a guest...not really sure there. I've always felt like I have a right to getting a good, quiet night's sleep. I don't know that contractually they owe you that but that seems to be the norm. Kids running around the hotel isn't part of the bargain in my mind.