Lies Lies Lies at Marriott Eden Roc, Miami Beach
Jul 10, 2009, 12:43 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: Wayside, NJ USA
Posts: 311
Lies Lies Lies at Marriott Eden Roc, Miami Beach
I had a truly terrible stay at a 4/5 star beach resort that is also "Category 6" in its frequent stay program. At this time I do not want to identify the resort as this post is more about what basic things a high end resort should do right and what things bother FlyerTalkers when they are not done correctly. [Moderator's note: The poster later identified the resort as the Marriott Eden Roc in Miami Beach. I retitiled the thread accordingly.]
I will however tell the story because I need to vent. Some savvy FTers will be able to identify the resort anyway but since I am waiting for compensation I do not want to name it (yet).
I was traveling to a US beach resort for 4 nights over the July 4th weekend for a wedding. I was traveling with my wife and 4 kids ages 2, 5, 9, & 12. I booked 2 rooms at the wedding/group rate and requested connecting rooms. We wanted to stay at this hotel because that is where the wedding was taking place and a lot of family was staying there. One week prior to arrival I called the resort to confirm connecting rooms and was told none were available. I asked for a manager and explained the situation-- I specifically told her that if she can not guarantee them I would consider staying elsewhere in a nearby resort where I have platinum status and can stay for free in a 2 bedroom suite. The manager was helpful and guaranteed connecting rooms and actually prebooked us into specfic rooms and told me the room numbers. She did this because they were "no view" rooms and she wanted to make sure we knew that. We said fine as long as they are connecting. She even said she would around at checkin in case of a problem.
We arrived Thursday and of course they gave our connecting rooms away and had no other savailable. Even worse, they condescendingly the clerk told us that nobody could have guaranteed us connecting rooms. (I love being lied too). I gave the clerk the name of the manager who did guarantee the rooms and the clerk went in the back to speak to her. After 15 minutes the clerk came back and said "yes she did guarantee the rooms but the higher manager said she was not supposed to do that so there is nothing we can do." Eventually the found rooms on the same floor. They did give us one top floor corner ocean front suite and one ocean front room down the hall. These rooms were in the older recently renovated historic tower as there were no rooms available in the new tower. As a result I had to sleep with the older boys while my wife stayed in the rsuite with the younger ones. (For what its worth even though the resort was just renovated alot the furniture was broken and chipped and the decor was very bland).
We put our stuff in the room and had to go to a family party across town so we went went to get our car. The valet who took our car at 3:30p could not find it at 5pm. They lost our white minivan. They looked and looked and kept bringing the wrong car up. They kept asking, are you sure you left us the car. They said maybe I did not give the them a car. (I love being called a liar). Finally my wife and 3 of the kids got a ride from other family and left me and one little one to wait for the car. Almost an hour later they found it. It was covered in bird poop. The valet said he would have it cleaned when we got back. It turns out they put the wrong tag on the keys at check in. For the next 3 days every time we got the car it had more bird poop and even some feathers stuck to the poop. Each time the valet was apologetic and promised to clean it. He even said he would take the charges off the bill but it was never cleaned nor were any charges taken off the bill by him. (I love being lied too).
About 4am Friday morning alarms went off in the hotel. A water pipe burst in our tower. Some floors had to evacuate. For a good part of Friday there was no water and no one in our tower had hot water until Sunday late morning. During this time when we called the front desk we were told hot water will be returning "within the hour." (I love being lied too). That was told to us all day Friday and all day Saturday. We had to take ice cold showers Friday, Saturday and Sunday morning. In fact the resort did not even send a letter explaining the situation until Saturday almost 36 hours after the water pipe broke. In the letter they offered to take one night off the bill for everyone affected.
Furthermore, in our hallway right outside one of the rooms another pipe burst and the employees spent the entire 4 days repairing it and draining it into those large laundy baskets (the type you put pool towels into). They had to break the drop ceiling to fix it.
Also, despite tons of employees on our floor repairng the leak and doing housekeeping etc, plates, glasses and garbage was left outside rooms for days at a time. I put one tray out Friday night and called to have it picked up. They said right away. They did pick it up about 27 hours later. (I love being lied too).
A note about room keys. Since we had to have separate rooms I asked if we could have the key open both rooms. The clerk said that is not possible so we had separate keys for each room. All weekend they stopped working for no reason. I am a seasoned traveler and know not to put them near the cell phone etc. Anyway each day, multiple times they stopped working. Sometimes the front desk was able to program them to open both rooms, other times I was told that was not possible. Me to clerk: "last night they programmed the key to open both rooms." Clerk: "No sir, that is not possible, we can not do that; they could not have done that." (I love being called a liar and being lied too at the same time).
Anyway since the wedding was Sunday night and on Sunday morning we did not know if hot water would ever be returning we requested the use of a room in the new tower so we could at least have hot showers. They gave us a room. When we went to the room it was dirty with towels everywhere, hair in tub and a mirror had fallen off the wall and had been somewhat cleaned up but there were shards of glass on the floor. (I love being given a dirty used room with glass on the floor).
Instead of hot showers we decided to go to the pool as it was only 10am. By 10:15a on a holiday weekend the pool was out of towels. We were asked for our wrist bands and when we said we did not have one we were grilled as to how come we did not have one and were sternly told we needed one since Friday. Well guess what, we used the pool Friday and Saturday and no one asked for a wrist band and we told the towel staff this. This towel guard said that "it is not possible--you could not have gotton a towel without a wrist band. (I loved being called a liar and being lied too). She basically made us feel as if we were trying to sneak into the pool. And she did not even have enough towels to give us. (An aside, the pools were also renovated and there is a lot of space and lounges but absolutely no shade anywhere but for a few umbrellas and very cheap pool furniture. I go this area of the country evey year in the summer and all the other resorts I have stayed at were fine despite the heat due to a lot of shade. Here, even the kids could not take the heat at this resort due to the lack of shade around the pools.)
Having had enough of the lies my wife met with a manager to explain all of the above and he agreed to the following: no room or valet charges for either room for the entire stay, and in addition, he would give us enough points in our frequent stay account for two rooms for four nights at a Category 6 resort in their program. (He lied).
The next morning we checked out. Despite the managers promise of no charges plus the the letter that the whole hotel tower got indicating free nights for the ones without water/hot water the only credit on our bill for the four nights was a $100 credit for inconviences. My wife went to speak with on duty manager who basically said thats all the credit we would be given and that the other mananger had not documented anything. (He basically called us liars for saying thats what the manager agreed too). We left but told the manager to call us when we got home later that day. He did call to say the other mananger never agreed to any of the things we said he offered. (See, he called us liars again). At this point the lawyer in me came out and I threatened escalating the dispute with the credit cards, corporate offices and litigation. The manager then called back and said he would the honor the deal and not charge us. We have not seen a charge and I am now waiting to see if the points post. I doubt they will. RANT OVER.
Which brings me to the "basics" a r4/5* resort should provide. I am not talking about the above and beyond that some places are known for, but the basics that should be provided.
The basic should be, at a minimum:
-clean the halls of plates and garbage regulary. Why is this so hard?
-have enough towels at the pools. Again, why is this so hard?
-keep guests informed during an event like a pipe burst and be proactive in providing compensation.
-take charges off the bill that were promised to taken off.
-stop telling guests they "can't do" something that they can do and don't tell guests that a manager had no authority to do what they did.
-don't give out rooms with dangerous glass on the floor etc
-know the basic about the resort/hotel. ie: all front desk employees should know whether a key can be programmed for 2 rooms
-follow up. ie. if the valet says he will clean the car, clean it.
-apologize when there is a problem/don't just say there is nothing we can do
-don't lie to the guests and don't call the guests liars.
What are the things that you would add to the list?
I will however tell the story because I need to vent. Some savvy FTers will be able to identify the resort anyway but since I am waiting for compensation I do not want to name it (yet).
I was traveling to a US beach resort for 4 nights over the July 4th weekend for a wedding. I was traveling with my wife and 4 kids ages 2, 5, 9, & 12. I booked 2 rooms at the wedding/group rate and requested connecting rooms. We wanted to stay at this hotel because that is where the wedding was taking place and a lot of family was staying there. One week prior to arrival I called the resort to confirm connecting rooms and was told none were available. I asked for a manager and explained the situation-- I specifically told her that if she can not guarantee them I would consider staying elsewhere in a nearby resort where I have platinum status and can stay for free in a 2 bedroom suite. The manager was helpful and guaranteed connecting rooms and actually prebooked us into specfic rooms and told me the room numbers. She did this because they were "no view" rooms and she wanted to make sure we knew that. We said fine as long as they are connecting. She even said she would around at checkin in case of a problem.
We arrived Thursday and of course they gave our connecting rooms away and had no other savailable. Even worse, they condescendingly the clerk told us that nobody could have guaranteed us connecting rooms. (I love being lied too). I gave the clerk the name of the manager who did guarantee the rooms and the clerk went in the back to speak to her. After 15 minutes the clerk came back and said "yes she did guarantee the rooms but the higher manager said she was not supposed to do that so there is nothing we can do." Eventually the found rooms on the same floor. They did give us one top floor corner ocean front suite and one ocean front room down the hall. These rooms were in the older recently renovated historic tower as there were no rooms available in the new tower. As a result I had to sleep with the older boys while my wife stayed in the rsuite with the younger ones. (For what its worth even though the resort was just renovated alot the furniture was broken and chipped and the decor was very bland).
We put our stuff in the room and had to go to a family party across town so we went went to get our car. The valet who took our car at 3:30p could not find it at 5pm. They lost our white minivan. They looked and looked and kept bringing the wrong car up. They kept asking, are you sure you left us the car. They said maybe I did not give the them a car. (I love being called a liar). Finally my wife and 3 of the kids got a ride from other family and left me and one little one to wait for the car. Almost an hour later they found it. It was covered in bird poop. The valet said he would have it cleaned when we got back. It turns out they put the wrong tag on the keys at check in. For the next 3 days every time we got the car it had more bird poop and even some feathers stuck to the poop. Each time the valet was apologetic and promised to clean it. He even said he would take the charges off the bill but it was never cleaned nor were any charges taken off the bill by him. (I love being lied too).
About 4am Friday morning alarms went off in the hotel. A water pipe burst in our tower. Some floors had to evacuate. For a good part of Friday there was no water and no one in our tower had hot water until Sunday late morning. During this time when we called the front desk we were told hot water will be returning "within the hour." (I love being lied too). That was told to us all day Friday and all day Saturday. We had to take ice cold showers Friday, Saturday and Sunday morning. In fact the resort did not even send a letter explaining the situation until Saturday almost 36 hours after the water pipe broke. In the letter they offered to take one night off the bill for everyone affected.
Furthermore, in our hallway right outside one of the rooms another pipe burst and the employees spent the entire 4 days repairing it and draining it into those large laundy baskets (the type you put pool towels into). They had to break the drop ceiling to fix it.
Also, despite tons of employees on our floor repairng the leak and doing housekeeping etc, plates, glasses and garbage was left outside rooms for days at a time. I put one tray out Friday night and called to have it picked up. They said right away. They did pick it up about 27 hours later. (I love being lied too).
A note about room keys. Since we had to have separate rooms I asked if we could have the key open both rooms. The clerk said that is not possible so we had separate keys for each room. All weekend they stopped working for no reason. I am a seasoned traveler and know not to put them near the cell phone etc. Anyway each day, multiple times they stopped working. Sometimes the front desk was able to program them to open both rooms, other times I was told that was not possible. Me to clerk: "last night they programmed the key to open both rooms." Clerk: "No sir, that is not possible, we can not do that; they could not have done that." (I love being called a liar and being lied too at the same time).
Anyway since the wedding was Sunday night and on Sunday morning we did not know if hot water would ever be returning we requested the use of a room in the new tower so we could at least have hot showers. They gave us a room. When we went to the room it was dirty with towels everywhere, hair in tub and a mirror had fallen off the wall and had been somewhat cleaned up but there were shards of glass on the floor. (I love being given a dirty used room with glass on the floor).
Instead of hot showers we decided to go to the pool as it was only 10am. By 10:15a on a holiday weekend the pool was out of towels. We were asked for our wrist bands and when we said we did not have one we were grilled as to how come we did not have one and were sternly told we needed one since Friday. Well guess what, we used the pool Friday and Saturday and no one asked for a wrist band and we told the towel staff this. This towel guard said that "it is not possible--you could not have gotton a towel without a wrist band. (I loved being called a liar and being lied too). She basically made us feel as if we were trying to sneak into the pool. And she did not even have enough towels to give us. (An aside, the pools were also renovated and there is a lot of space and lounges but absolutely no shade anywhere but for a few umbrellas and very cheap pool furniture. I go this area of the country evey year in the summer and all the other resorts I have stayed at were fine despite the heat due to a lot of shade. Here, even the kids could not take the heat at this resort due to the lack of shade around the pools.)
Having had enough of the lies my wife met with a manager to explain all of the above and he agreed to the following: no room or valet charges for either room for the entire stay, and in addition, he would give us enough points in our frequent stay account for two rooms for four nights at a Category 6 resort in their program. (He lied).
The next morning we checked out. Despite the managers promise of no charges plus the the letter that the whole hotel tower got indicating free nights for the ones without water/hot water the only credit on our bill for the four nights was a $100 credit for inconviences. My wife went to speak with on duty manager who basically said thats all the credit we would be given and that the other mananger had not documented anything. (He basically called us liars for saying thats what the manager agreed too). We left but told the manager to call us when we got home later that day. He did call to say the other mananger never agreed to any of the things we said he offered. (See, he called us liars again). At this point the lawyer in me came out and I threatened escalating the dispute with the credit cards, corporate offices and litigation. The manager then called back and said he would the honor the deal and not charge us. We have not seen a charge and I am now waiting to see if the points post. I doubt they will. RANT OVER.
Which brings me to the "basics" a r4/5* resort should provide. I am not talking about the above and beyond that some places are known for, but the basics that should be provided.
The basic should be, at a minimum:
-clean the halls of plates and garbage regulary. Why is this so hard?
-have enough towels at the pools. Again, why is this so hard?
-keep guests informed during an event like a pipe burst and be proactive in providing compensation.
-take charges off the bill that were promised to taken off.
-stop telling guests they "can't do" something that they can do and don't tell guests that a manager had no authority to do what they did.
-don't give out rooms with dangerous glass on the floor etc
-know the basic about the resort/hotel. ie: all front desk employees should know whether a key can be programmed for 2 rooms
-follow up. ie. if the valet says he will clean the car, clean it.
-apologize when there is a problem/don't just say there is nothing we can do
-don't lie to the guests and don't call the guests liars.
What are the things that you would add to the list?
Last edited by bdschobel; Jul 11, 2009 at 5:59 am
Jul 10, 2009, 12:50 pm
#2
Senior Moderator
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: San Francisco, CA
Programs: UA Plat/2MM [23-yr. 1K, now emeritus] clawing way back to WN-A List; MR LT Titanium; HY Whateverist.
Posts: 12,396
As the OP's concerns are about a high-end property, let me move this to our Luxury Hotels forum for discussion. Ocn Vw 1K, Moderator, TravelBuzz.
Jul 10, 2009, 12:58 pm
#3
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Yorkshire, UK
Programs: Etihad Guest Silver
Posts: 245
blimey the weekend from Hell! I am sure you would love to sue the b***ers!
I am a solicitor in the UK and I remember a colleague telling someone that he would dedicate the rest of his career to suing them!
On a serious note, what on earth were they doing calling a customer a liar. Who pays their wages??? You pay for a so called quality resort, you certainly expect quality service!
I am a solicitor in the UK and I remember a colleague telling someone that he would dedicate the rest of his career to suing them!
On a serious note, what on earth were they doing calling a customer a liar. Who pays their wages??? You pay for a so called quality resort, you certainly expect quality service!
Jul 10, 2009, 1:03 pm
#4
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: HH Diamond, Marriott Gold, IHG Gold, Hyatt something
Posts: 33,539
I think I would have moved after the first night.
Jul 10, 2009, 1:04 pm
#5
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: New York City
Programs: AA,BNV,HIL
Posts: 879
WHOA - What a horrible stay..seems like this property can't get their act together whether during a crisis or not. I agree with you on all points. The only thing I would have done is have whomever is promising you something write it down on hotel stationary and sign and date it. You definately got "he said, she said". My only comment is that since there was no revenue to the hotel, I wouldn't expect to get the points you would have during the stay. Possibly, you might get condolence points and I hope you do, your visit definitely died and went to hell.
Jul 10, 2009, 1:08 pm
#6
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: DC, JNB, LON, NYC
Programs: * A
Posts: 2,528
wow... I would not take any of it but I can't imagine being in your shoe now. Some of these front desk managers think they own the resorts, its a shame how so many qualified people are without job(s) and so many unqualified people are in the services industry. I'd go corporate if the points don't post on time.
Jul 10, 2009, 1:11 pm
#7
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: IAD/DCA
Posts: 31,797
whatever chain this is, should be in that forum probably.
Jul 10, 2009, 1:13 pm
#8
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: Edmond, Oklahoma
Programs: DL Gold, UA Ag Muti-year WN Companion Pass, A+, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Plat Ntl EmExElite
Posts: 941
I feel your pain on this one, as I have seen many of the same ones (although not at the same time) at various "4 star hotels".
Two things I have learned about many Luxury hotels is 1. the front line people know how to lie, or possibly to tell you what they think you want to hear, and have no intention of doing what they say, and 2. There are a lot of really bad rooms at what are percieved as very nice hotels.
As the economy tightens I have found that many luxury hotels have started scrimping on things that were once expected, and they have cut back on "things that won't affect the guests" (trash in halls, fewer cleaning people). At many hotels there are fewer extra people to make sure things go well, as these are the things they cut back on "that would not affect the guests".
Many hotels have forgotten that at "luxury" properties you are not just renting a room, but you are purchasing the "luxury experience". Many luxury hotels also punish you if you purchase a discount rate, or use any sort of negotiated rate. Now I understand you want to take care of the people paying full freight, or paying rack rate, but don't hide behind the "we are out of those type rooms" when a call to the reservation office will prove the front desk clerk lied to you (er, I mean mis-spoke) when you checked in and your King room was switched to two queens.
As far as the items you feel a luxury hotel should provide, I think all the ones you mention should be what you expect at a budget hotel/motel. Those should all be things you don't even think about being honored. My personal feeling is most of the problems that we all encounter in travel are caused by lack of training of the fron line people, as well as a lack of empowerment by the front line people to actually fix a problem. You then have a group of people running the hospitality industry that have no idea of what they are supposed to do, then get defensive when you question anything, because they know they are going to get yelled at by you, and by their boss. These are the people just putting in their 40+ hours a week until they find another job, and the situation continues to get worse.
Two things I have learned about many Luxury hotels is 1. the front line people know how to lie, or possibly to tell you what they think you want to hear, and have no intention of doing what they say, and 2. There are a lot of really bad rooms at what are percieved as very nice hotels.
As the economy tightens I have found that many luxury hotels have started scrimping on things that were once expected, and they have cut back on "things that won't affect the guests" (trash in halls, fewer cleaning people). At many hotels there are fewer extra people to make sure things go well, as these are the things they cut back on "that would not affect the guests".
Many hotels have forgotten that at "luxury" properties you are not just renting a room, but you are purchasing the "luxury experience". Many luxury hotels also punish you if you purchase a discount rate, or use any sort of negotiated rate. Now I understand you want to take care of the people paying full freight, or paying rack rate, but don't hide behind the "we are out of those type rooms" when a call to the reservation office will prove the front desk clerk lied to you (er, I mean mis-spoke) when you checked in and your King room was switched to two queens.
As far as the items you feel a luxury hotel should provide, I think all the ones you mention should be what you expect at a budget hotel/motel. Those should all be things you don't even think about being honored. My personal feeling is most of the problems that we all encounter in travel are caused by lack of training of the fron line people, as well as a lack of empowerment by the front line people to actually fix a problem. You then have a group of people running the hospitality industry that have no idea of what they are supposed to do, then get defensive when you question anything, because they know they are going to get yelled at by you, and by their boss. These are the people just putting in their 40+ hours a week until they find another job, and the situation continues to get worse.
Jul 10, 2009, 1:14 pm
#9
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: IAD/DCA
Posts: 31,797
ctuttle, i cant imagine the property in OP would be considered luxury in this forum.
Last edited by Kagehitokiri; Jul 10, 2009 at 2:14 pm
Jul 10, 2009, 1:32 pm
#10
Suspended
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: NCE - GVA - MUC
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Hi amazing nj,
what keeps you from posting the name of the chain? US law?
If my guess is right, we are talking about a village in Hawaii?
With that chain I made very good experiences (2x) when writing to their headquarters.
what keeps you from posting the name of the chain? US law?
If my guess is right, we are talking about a village in Hawaii?
With that chain I made very good experiences (2x) when writing to their headquarters.
Jul 10, 2009, 2:03 pm
#11
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: Wayside, NJ USA
Posts: 311
You are probably right, but I really wanted to RANT rather than bash that hotel. Reviews of it on FT and Trip Advisor are mostly good with a some negatives. And I want to see if the points post first. If they honor the compensation then they don't need to be outed.
Jul 10, 2009, 2:10 pm
#12
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: Wayside, NJ USA
Posts: 311
It could be if they got their act together and it is a historic property. The 4/5* rating is not one I would give it even if there were no problems but it is what others have rated it. I think 4* might be right if they improve the service. BTW the wedding was extremely well done at this resort. The facilities and staff were top notch and there were about 300 guests. Many of them stayed in the new Tower and loved it. Also, the pool area was crowded in a good way: in other words the guests were enjoying themselves. It was a happy crowd. I just felt it was too hot without any shade but the other guests seemed to enjoy the direct sun.
Jul 10, 2009, 2:14 pm
#13
Moderator: Luxury Hotels and FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Palo Alto, California,USA
Posts: 17,856
If all you wanted to do is rant, fine. If you also wanted to be helpful to other members, you would be naming names. I cannot imagine any regular contributor here will want to address your concerns in detail (or even read all of them) as long as the property remains anonymous.
Jul 10, 2009, 2:16 pm
#14
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: Wayside, NJ USA
Posts: 311
We thought about it but we kept thinking the water would come on and the kids were settled and most importantly all the other family was there.
You should know that the exact same thing also happened to us over New Years. We were visting my sister in Massachusetts staying at the Sheraton Danvers (just a local hotel) which now has an huge indoor waterpark. It was so cold the water pipe froze at 3am and burst. The manager sent a letter to every room by 5am apologizing and was in the lobby all day asking what he could do to make the stay better and he gave everyone a free night without asking. Then there was a chemical spill in the waterpark and it had to be evacuted and closed (on New Years weekend). The manager gave everyone refunds plus future use coupons and could not have been more apologetic. He handled it so well that I would not hesitate recommending that hotel to anyone despite the problems.
You should know that the exact same thing also happened to us over New Years. We were visting my sister in Massachusetts staying at the Sheraton Danvers (just a local hotel) which now has an huge indoor waterpark. It was so cold the water pipe froze at 3am and burst. The manager sent a letter to every room by 5am apologizing and was in the lobby all day asking what he could do to make the stay better and he gave everyone a free night without asking. Then there was a chemical spill in the waterpark and it had to be evacuted and closed (on New Years weekend). The manager gave everyone refunds plus future use coupons and could not have been more apologetic. He handled it so well that I would not hesitate recommending that hotel to anyone despite the problems.
Jul 10, 2009, 2:22 pm
#15
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: Wayside, NJ USA
Posts: 311
If all you wanted to do is rant, fine. If you also wanted to be helpful to other members, you would be naming names. I cannot imagine any regular contributor here will want to address your concerns in detail (or even read all of them) as long as the property remains anonymous.