Arrived at hotel. Nightmare day. Booked 1 night & then 5 night point stay. Just as I was getting up to walk to the departure gate at the airport I got an email from Hilton stating my points stay had been cancelled. This was shortly followed by an email confirming that I now had a 5 night booking at the garden inn at the airport.

I had checked in through the app for the solitary night first thing before heading to the airport - upgrade to deluxe room.

I had booked the hotel as I intended to explore the area & parts of southern Rome - catacombs, Apian way, etc. intended to pop into Rome centre one day & maybe an evening (I have been to Rome many times - even did a wee lecture on some of its fountains in my university/school of art days).

Phoned the diamond desk & got the 5 night stay changed to the Trapestry hotel in the centre. I don’t want to stay at the airport. Charging me a lot more points.

Can’t believe they cancelled my stay the day before it started especially when I already had a night booked, & to do it when I was about to board a plane. I’m with wife & daughter in an airport lounge, 40 minutes before takeoff.

I’m sitting there on the plane with the stewards staring at me as I am desperately trying to get the booking changed to somewhere that I would find acceptable. Diamond desk took the time it took from when I was aware of the situation & managed to at least get a preferable option before the flight took off. Fair play to them.

Typically we sat on the runway a while because of some other thing - police came on the plane, no idea what for (thankfully nothing to do with my hanging on the telephone). Flight arrived in Rome half an hour late (no big deal).

One of the wheels of my suitcase has been ripped off, have to humpff it around now, must be my lucky day.

I will pass on my thoughts on the hotel tomorrow, I will be talking to the management tomorrow to find out what happened with the booking (they don’t seem to know what happened in discussions tonight). I booked the rooms last year.

Hotel isn’t fully opened

Birthday tomorrow, can’t say I’m looking forward to it.