CJKatl

A clerk at the Hampton Inn Ft Wayne (Dupont) told me this is Hampton policy, and I was wondering if this is true. I only stay at Hamptons a couple times a year, so maybe this is true, but I doubt. Here's what happened...

Showed up at the hotel last night with a confirmed reservation made online at the HH site, with an email confirmation. The front desk clerk told me the hotel was completely booked for the night. Good thing I had my confirmed reservation, right? No! She informed me that others had made reservations over the phone directly with the hotel, so the hotel would not be honoring my reservation.

Mind you, I wasn't being walked. When I asked for assistance finding another hotel, she informed me that was not her job. When I asked what I should do, having been dropped at the hotel without transportation to leave, she informed me that was not her problem. (Almost verbatim) When I asked to speak to someone else, I was informed there is no hotel manager. She claimed the previous manager walked out (her words) a week earlier. She informed me Hampton has a policy to honor phone reservations first, and that reservations made online at the HH site weren't actually valid until the hotel chooses to honor them. Is this really Hampton's policy? Or is she misinformed?

The second I gave her my name she knew she was not honoring the reservation, without having to look it up. Yet, the hotel did not call, email or otherwise give me any advance notice. She chose to have me just show up so she could tell me the reservation was not being honored. Is this normal for Hilton properties? This clerk seemed to think so.

Eventually, another clerk showed up and gave me my room, but this should have never happened. It almost seemed the desk clerk was unbalanced and her claim seemed ridiculous, but she kept insisting this was the hotel's policy, so I thought I'd check with the experts. Anyone ever heard of such a policy?

dave1013

The emboldened text pretty much sums it up. Contact HHonors and explain the encounter to them. Even though you got your room, IMHO you are entitled to something for the outrageous situation to which you were subjected. The FDC may have technically been right about helping you with finding another hotel and associated transportation, but this is no way to treat someone with a confirmed reservation.

CJKatl

I'm not looking for compensation. I just want her to know not to do that again. I'm a seasoned traveler and knew to stand my ground. Had the other clerk not shown up, I would have called Hilton and pushed the issue. A less seasoned, less pushy traveler might have fallen for this. It could put someone in a bad position. Someone up the food chain needs to make sure this weak link is strengthened. I think she took reservations over the phone, did not enter them into the system and was trying to cover her mess. My coworker, BTW, thinks she is somehow getting money out of this. At a minimum, it looks fishy.

Portolan

Of course there is no such policy. As a previous poster noted and your description supports, this was a rogue clerk. Common at Hampton (or any other hotel regardless of chain): no.

arlflyer

If you had a confirmed reservation and they wouldn't honor it then that is the long and short of it. Hilton corporate will want to know about this because it is not just a customer service issue, it is damaging to their brand and bottom line and thus they will actually care. PM the hhonors representative, call corporate, do whatever is needed. This sort of thing shouldn't happen.

missamo80

"Mind you, I wasn't being walked."

You were walked. You had a confirmed reservation, showed up, and they didn't honour it. I'm betting Erin can assist you with this, the hotel is definitely confused.

Neil

Need

I don't think he was being "walked". They didn't find him another hotel. The whole story seems really strange. Maybe she is a new employee at the end of a practical joke to see how far she would go to turn away a customer. Or someone tries to get her fired and told her the "Hampton Inn's Policy".

arlflyer

This is not what being walked is. Being walked is your reservation being effectively transferred to and honored at another property, more or less. The guest then walks (or drives) to said property for the night(s).

What OP experienced was refusal of service, which is different.

wharvey

You should reach out via PM to the Flyertalk Hilton Representative.

This is so unacceptable and needs to be dealt with at the corporate level.

leeinct

I would have gone ballistic at that point. No hotel would do that.

Points Scrounger

You got your room, but I'd still report this to Hilton. They need to know they have a problem on their hands here. Frankly, she seems to be conflating Hilton direct bookings with third party.

What as the "other clerk's" reaction to all this? What was her reaction to his action?

pinniped

The original clerk should be fired immediately, no questions asked. Not sure how much Hilton (corporate) can legally do to ensure this happens, but it very much needs to happen. Absolutely disgusting behavior.

DiverDave

It does kinda smell like a scam....

David

RogerD408

Yes, this behaviour is unacceptable and needs to be escalated. I checked postings on TripAdvisor http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Rev...e_Indiana.html and this does not appear to be a common problem. You might want to consider posting your issue on TA as well, there is an older post where management has responded. Not many properties monitor FT.

Ooops, picked wrong property, should be http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Rev...e_Indiana.html and I do see OP has already posted. I see the GM here also is replying to posts. I suspect that behaviour will be corrected.

BobH

I would start with the hotel manager and let him/her do his job -- rather than take it to corporate.

Bob H