offerendum

Would call it far from perfect but I have the impression bad things iften happen on special occassion trips. Perhaps it's a question of high expectations. On the other hand a property that charges high rates should be able to fulfill this expectations. So personally I wouldn't hang it to high but I understand your disappointment. But no reason to give up one if the greatest things in the world - luxury hotels.

ps really sad not to know what we are talking about.

scented

He did not push for an 8 am check-in and was mad he got the room at 10. He specifically booked that room to enjoy the terrace in the afternoon. All he expected was to be led to the room at 3 PM, the usual check-in time. What he received was a check-in two hours after the usual check-in time, at 5 PM, which rendered the occasion and reason to book that room useless. So I think reducing the price to the lower room category was not only necessary, but it was the least they could do. Who checks into a luxury hotel and wants to wait? Those are the fundamentals of their business, if they are not able to get that right, I don't know... not exactly a great occasion to start negotiations on two simple glasses of Champagne. I still think they had particularly bad judgement, but I also think the property should finally be named. What's the hold up? Why protect them?

gengar

I don't think Vegas is a good comparison to anywhere else, especially in terms of luxury hotels.

I don't think the OP is being particularly unreasonable. FWIW, the only time I've ever had a delay on check-in at anything remotely resembling a luxury hotel was at the Park Hyatt Chicago when they upgraded me to the penthouse, and they asked me if I would rather have my normal room immediately. And even then, I don't think it was 2 hours.

In any case, it's probably not helpful to label everyone who happens to have higher expectations in just one certain aspect of hotel ops than you do as "entitled".

To be fair, scented specifically said cost. BTW, even when departments at the same property make top-level accounting reflect actual revenue, they still use accounting gimmicks (like shell accounts for goodwill) to make that happen.

KatW

When I must have an 8am check in, I ask for a day rate or pay full freight.

scented

Oh come on!

gengar is right, I was referring to the cost, not the price. Take FS George V for example: A glass of Billecart-Salmon's excellent Rosé is around EUR 29 throughout the hotel. Now let's say they'll get around 6 glasses out of that bottle, which brings the revenue of that bottle to around EUR 174. Before costs, interest, taxes and all that jazz of course, just as an example. Now the retail price of that bottle is around EUR 50 in Europe, but of course that's not the hotel's price (in fact, it is roughly around 1/3 of it). So EUR 5-7 is a high estimate. Plus they can write it off as a loss. Many hotels have very good contracts.

Really, a glass of Champagne is not the world for a hotel. I was offered so many glasses of Champagne at George V, with compliments of the team -- I lost track.

offerendum

It happened to me at RC Berlin once in a special situation (Erdoan was guest and left late). In the nd they have to reduce the bill, as you pay for the room until 3. If you get it at 5 it´s not the full performance owed.

behuman

Thank you for all your posts. Yes, I might or not be "unreasonable" or "difficult", but this is not the point. Neither is naming and shaming.

The point is that all this discussion should not be necessary around "luxury" hotels where things should work without the guest noticing it and in case of problems there should be dedication and empathy, not cold and disinterest. Special occasions are always dangerous, this is why I called also ahead twice (7 days ahead and the day before arrival) telling them that we will be with them by 3 PM.

This said, of course I will continue to patronize "luxury" hotels, especially the ones I know and appreciate for many years. I am not a kid anymore but going towards my 60s when certain things you simply don't accept anymore. The trend for people paying from their own pocket and doing some research may well be small privately run places.

747FC

OP: I wonder, if the hotel manager had expressed more regret over the situation, appropriate empathy for your plight and inconvenience, and volunteered a remedy, I'm guessing that you would not have demanded champagne or walked out?

chinmoylad

I think there's also something to be said for recovery that may occur a day or so later (if you are staying that long), but that requires giving the hotel a chance.

QPRfan

I understand how frustrating it can be when rooms aren't ready at the correct time, but like others am confused as to why you won't name the hotel in question.
I stayed at the Hayfield Manor in Cork (it was the first and only time I ever booked a hotel through the SLH website). We arrived after 5pm and the room wasn't ready and we were asked to wait in the bar. We sat there for 35 minutes, no one came to us to take an order or to offer us any food or drink, we were completely ignored. The service was appalling.
I contrast this with a stay at Le Bristol where we arrived just after 10 in the morning (hoping to just drop our bags off). Here the manager introduced himself and invited us to wait at the bar. We ordered a couple of drinks, when they came we were informed that these were complimentary as we were having to wait (this was 10 in the morning!) and within 15 minutes the manager informed us that the room was ready.
Because of the amazing service I recommend Le Bristol and do not recommend Hayfield Manor. You are potentially not the only customers who have been disappointed in your hotel, so if you give the name then others could perhaps confirm whether service is problematic there, or suggest if it was a one-off. Either way it would help the FlyerTalk community to decide whether or not is is worth risking a stay there,

jp-mco

I have to say the OP seems to have caught a lot of flack here. I actually agree with what they did. I don't think I would have the balls to do it myself (and as yet I've never had cause) but as the hotel had messed them around I think they were perfectly within their rights to. As the ex-GM Christophe Hilty of 45PL once told me, it's their job to be the masters of solutions - not yours. If your room wasn't ready then that's their fault, not yours. Luxury properties this shouldn't happen but when it does they should immediately and proactively put it right. They probably should have upgraded you there and then.
As for the champagne, when you asked for 2 glasses they should have offered a bottle. Turning negatives into positives is what the masters of solutions ought to do. You would have come away with a positive impression but instead you'll likely never return.
As an example, we had a very very minor problem at Coworth Park a couple of years ago when we were staying in one of their big suites. They fixed the problem straightaway (a slightly leaky toilet) and 10 minutes later a bottle of Veuve arrived with an apology note. The next evening they did the same and when we checked out the Director of Operations personally spoke to me and followed up again with an email two days later. To be clear - we hadn't complained - we'd just let them know over the phone. They put it right and we left with a great impression of the property. Now it's our staple country retreat in the UK. In short, it's usually much cheaper for hotels to put things right than to not.

behuman

Correct, he should have proactively exceeded my expectations saying for example: "I will personally check that your room is now ready and send you up a bottle of Champagne with canapés to get ready for dinner at our two Michelin star restaurant where you have been our guest several times in the past". But this is possibly asked too much from that new generation of task focused managers (in this case the revenue/rooms division manager) working for big corporations.

I have the balls because I am getting older and independent (as it was a breach of contract I should even sue them). Today I couldn't care less and can easily face all kind of situation, just give them all a f... For example I walked out from Aman disliking the new ownership. On the other hand I am extremely loyal to my airline which makes me always feel special.

Your post resumes all what it is about a luxury hotel: Turning even negatives proactively into positives.
This specific management person has not been the "master of solutions", but made the property as well as the hotel brand it belongs to looking really bad.

(P.S.: And to those who think that a check in after 5 PM is not a gross disservice: When do you shower and when do people from many countries go for dinner ? As a south European I have dinner never before 8 PM, rather 9 PM, but I believe our US friends have it much earlier.)

uggboy

...but it would be good to know which property we're talking about.

Cheers & Safe Travels. ^

luxtrvlwrks

I understand your disappointment, especially given the special occasion. However, I wonder what you would have done if it had rained? Would you have kept your reservation, even though I presume the terrace would have been unusable? Would you expect compensation for an unusable terrace?

For me personally, I don't particularly care one way or the other about service recovery in most instances. Even the best hotels fail. It is unfortunate when it happens, but perfection simply doesn't exist, even with our beloved luxury hotels.

When my husband's birthday wasn't acknowledged a few years back, there wasn't anything that the hotel could to to make up for it. They missed their opportunity and no amount of free stuff was going to bring back the moment. We could have chosen to let it ruin our trip, but instead we chose to simply enjoy the rest of our stay.

I do however understand walking. It is the best way to make clear that you are an unhappy guest, regardless of the validity of your reasons for doing so. There is no point in staying and being angry or miserable.

vuittonsofstyle

The Paris hotel referred to here is 'branded' and with '2 Michelin stars' so it is not Le Bristol, Plaza Athénée or Four Seasons George V. It could be MO Paris...