mike_la_jolla

I don't know that this issue can be avoided, although I would be shocked if it ever happened at an Aman. Hotels make a lot of money off of these events.

This sort of thing has happened to me twice, and multiple more times if you count a little differently. My response has been to stay but ... seeth ... b*tch here ... and NEVER return to that particular hotel.

- FS Maui: Noted for this sort of manure. The last stay was a fully booked resort with company conference in residence. 2-hour wait for dinner seats, no pool lounges available unless reserved by your nanny at 5 am. I've never returned. We sat on the concrete next to the fountain.

- Rosewood Sand Hill: Company conference in residence combined with the Thursday cougar night circus. So Thur/Fri had no parking, no food, no room service, no nothing. Complaints to the GM didn't go well: "there was service compression." I've never returned.

- FS Hua: Thanksgiving week. Multiple years. 100% occupancy. Staff completely and totally concentrating on Cisco who descends on the resort en mass the week after. I've given up and go to Cancun for that week. Clearly, Cisco is more important than the Thanksgiving crowd for this FS.

Nizar

You mentioned the GM response at Rosewood but what about at the other two examples ?

Did you bring the issue up with management at FS Maui and FS Hua ? Was there any attempt on at service recovery ? Compensation of some sort ?

You shouldn't just have to suck it up.

mike_la_jolla

I did talk to the GM of Rosewood Sand Hill. That conversation didn't go well. I have not returned. This hotel/resort has degraded to a famous bar with a hotel attached.

FS Maui is a lost cause. I didn't bother and won't return. FS Maui seems to take pride in torturing guests.

FS Hua there was a line to complain at checkout. I choose not to wait or call. I've stayed at this resort many times during Thanksgiving week and management is well aware of problem. Cisco the week after is the priority and nothing is going to change that.

Aventine

It happens when GMs are all high and mighty that nothing really went wrong and compensation not deserved. Spider web for me at FS HK put me off there...forever. Corporate didn't care as they said the room was changed.

Annalisa12

Yes its still there. Sofitel Sentosa in Singapore. Search... stay ruined by party noise. 2 star. Dont know how to link it on my ipad.

Asking to take the review down was done in a private email to me.

awayIgo

Good for you! I hope you also contacted Trip Advisor and told them. If TA gets multiple reports of this nature about a given hotel they will post a warning on the site. I haven't seen one, but from what I understand is, it basically tells readers to be wry of the reviews.


Also someone wrote, "I'm surprised crooked Tripadvisor didn't take it off or listen to that manager asking them to. They took down numerous, other valid complaints before including my scathing review on Signiel Seoul. Apparently, there's a hidden owners or managers forum where they can appeal against unflattering or angry posts."

I post a lot on TA. Hotels can NOT have negative reviews removed. They CAN have reviews removed that are against the guidelines. Hotels know the guidelines like you know the back of your hand. If your negative review violated guidelines they report it. Nothing an be appealed on the owners forum. If you went less than 1 year ago, rewrite, post on Support forum and other members will catch why you may have broken the guidelines.

KatW

I agree functions closing down some hotel facilities are tres annoying. We once were at Le Bristol in a suite overlooking the inner courtyard garden in which there was a raucous wedding, including scantily clad women. The band was amusing for half an hour, then not.

Because we had been upgraded at least six steps, no way was I going to complain.

Annalisa12

I planned to but was sick of the whole thing so didnt do anything. I just reread my review. Quite a bit went wrong.

I'll see if i can find the GMs email.

Aventine

bigmerv What happened in the end?

I guess I broke some inane guidelines and they caught me. Didn't use foul language and simply told the truth. The truth hurts for Signiel Seoul. C'est la vie.

All the relevant details are on this site anyway.

Cityflyer10

Kila had a wedding the second day we were there. We received a note at turndown that they were going to be setting up at the beach around 3 and you were welcome to stay down there until I believe around 5 if we didn't mind the distractions. I think it had to have been small as besides that notice, we did not see or hear a peep from the wedding and it ended up being unobtrusive. ^

I agree though that I would have been furious if it took over a larger part of the property for a longer time and had noise issues.

I know properties make money hand over fist with weddings and other events but it is not without detriment to your other guests. Anything over a small intimate wedding should require a full buy out IMO.

jctrav

We were at Amangiri immediately before a buy-out for a wedding. Some of the wedding guests had arrived early, and it was clear that they were the priority. Worse was all of the construction going on to setup the wedding, with workers out in front of the property, making significant noise and occasionally peering through the guest room windows. Apparently this happens quite often at this property, where for a buy-out the guests will pay for significant changes to decor, lighting, etc, which is confusing given how great the hard product is.

bigmerv

So the whole thing was not quite as bad as expected. I am here with friends, not on a romantic trip, and so it actually became somewhat amusing to predict what would happen next (it was a full on spectacle with fire eaters, acrobats and goodness knows what else). The event was intrusive during the day because of overcrowding at the pool, lots of noise from the PA tests, not to mention a drone being flown and filming over the pool (privacy laws anyone?) and service suffered massively. There was also lots of noise at night, but we chose to leave the hotel for dinner and when I finally went to bed either I was tired and didn't notice, or the very bad Magaluf style music stopped around midnight, which I was surprised about having been told by staff that this one was going to run until the early morning.

Compared to some of the horror stories you mention above, I think we got off lightly but I do feel for those poor couples having dinner on the terrace who must have wondered if they were about to witness a foam party in the pool. I don't think that the hotel was right to hold a party to the detriment of paying guests, but I get they're a business and this sort of thing seems to be very common, given the posts above.

I am not going to name the hotel because the GM was very proactive with me over email and genuinely apologetic (and probably quite happy that all I asked for was a guaranteed late checkout). However I am happy to say that it was an upscale 5 star in southern Portugal (not at FS level but well regarded and not cheap).

Annalisa12

Glad it wasn't too bad.

offerendum

At a FS? That's a special level!

Sometimes it's hard to say something.....

Aventine

A special low!

All's well that ends well.