ryan754

Just got a room for some friends to party in NYE before I left at the Concord Hilton. Booked a $99 rate, and on checking in asked for a suite... Was give 1028 I believe the Concord suite. Very nice large room with a Jacuzzi in it (Never got one of those in the Bay Area) Great hotel wish I stayed. Any other good/bad experiences? If I Can get that suite or like it, I will brings parties there instead of Embassy Suites WC..

sunil

Is this the same hotel where some rooms
are less than a 100 feets from an active
runway, thread bare sheets, sponge
matresses, 14 inch TV's with 12 channels ,
windows and walls that are paper thin .. hmm.

ryan754

Yes it is I personally prefer the Sheraton, but this upgrade really beat them hands down, and was $50 less.

ryan754

For new years, I was talking to some old friends who I went to school with at work. They were planning to have a small party at a local hotel. Well I offered to try to get a suite for them. Came across the Concord Hilton, and got one of the big suites. I Went there and checked in for them and paid cash, and said that I did not want my credit card to have anything to do with the room. I left and flew off for my new years.. Well yesterday I recieve a call from my bank stating that I have gone into overdraft. I just used a little visa check card with $100 on it for the reservation. Well I was notified that there was a $350 charge by the Hilton on my card! I call the hotel and got a statement. Found that there was a $350 cleaning charge. As nice as I was on the phone the woman I spoke to was very rude to me. She was telling me that I shouldn't have reserved the room, that they ruined the suite, that there was no way in hell that I would get the money back, that I should not have gotten a good rate. I asked if they could collect the money from the kids since the police got their info. NO NO NO. I told here that the card is being overdrafted. Too bad, she said that she already got the transaction approved. Now... Here I am being charged and not being notified, then when inquiring I was treated very bad. I don't mind the money being paid, I would do the same if it were my hotel. But the way she handeled it was wrong. I spoke to the people there and police... Found out the damages were.. Blood on the sheets... a small blood stain on the carpet, and people were smoking, which I asked for on the reservation. What should I do? I think as a diamond member I was treated horribly by this lady, she didn't even return my call. Now on the other hand. I went by last night and spoke to a night manager, She was very nice although she did not know the situation we talked it out, and she is going to talk to the lady, if she had handled it I would not be writing this or mad in the first place.

milehighj

well as a first step, call your bank/card company and dispute the transaction - if you feel the charge is unwarranted. they will investigate and nearly always side with the card holder over the merchant.

then i would write to hilton and complain specifically about the rude woman in question, reminding them that they are in serious risk of losing a loyal Diamond customer.

l etoile

Ryan, it sure seems like you get yourself into some not-so-great situations.

There seems to be some things missing from this Hilton story. Police were involved? What was going on that caused someone to call police? You did not want your credit card to have anything to do with the room, yet you obviously gave them your card and checked into the hotel in your name - that makes you liable for any charges they may incur. Also, being diamond you're certainly aware that hotels run a charge card in case of incidentals or damages. I don't see how you can dispute the charges with your credit card company, you signed for the room.

hedoman

Ryan, you got what you deserved. In fact, it sounds like you got what you expected.

ryan754

First I do not plan to dispute charges. Second I never had the card swiped or signed. Third yes I do get into some strange situations. The police were called by the hotel because neighbors must have complained of noise (Normal) and someone went up to the room. The saw 20-30 kids in there and went down and called the police. The staff never said anything to anyone in the room. It was about 4am and most people were sleeping or passed out. Then later six cops came and kicked everyone out. (For what) From what I hear some kids were forced to drive home drunk (Yes you can sleep in the car which is what I have done, but these are some kids who don't think) Now what I am mad about is the way this situation was handled. I am not getting calls returned from the police or the lady at the hotel. She charged me and did not notify me and when I ask about the charge gets very arrogant, and says that it's my fault, and the charge went through too bad, wouldn't let me transfer credit cards. This is what angers me. I once stayed at a Westin where some sheets were damaged, I got a call explaining the hotel's side, and that I Should pay, and I paid no argument no bad feelings, hell I got points and stayed again next month. Please people see what is making me get into this is not the situation at hand, but the way it was handled and the way I was treated. I called the lady and was very apologetic to her yet I feel she treated me like dirt. Even added I shouldn't have got the rate I paid! Like I say if cleaning cost $350 then give them $350, but they need to get their money the correct way, and they need to notify the person in charge of the room. Yes I did made a mistake in renting the room for them. But from initial police reports the only problem in the room was a lot of people were in it, they were drinkin and having sex. Nothing was destroyed except for a some blood on the sheets, and some blood on the floor. New sheets, steam cleaner. Yet they just took $350 from Ryan, and treated him like dirt. (They meaning the lady) The night manager was great though.

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Starwood Platinum, Alaska MVP, Harrahs/RIO Diamond Hilton Diamond UA PREMEX

hedoman

Geez Ryan, how about getting over it? Having read your hotel posts, it seems like you're always trying to get one up on the hotel. Every so often they catch up to you and if you don't like the tone, you're hurt.

TransWorldOne

Let me see if I've got this straight...

A person checks into a suite, then leaves. Before leaving he provides access to 20-30 young people who engage in a drunken orgy, smoking, bleeding... Any drugs? How about hookers?

I can definitely understand why the hotel would be less than cooperative with you.

Hmm... Perhaps you should try hosting a FlyerTalk gathering .

hotlancer

I would be circumspect about taking resposibility for the goings-on in a hotel suite by a large group of young people - especially on New Year's Eve.

Are you going to seek recompense from your "friends" or are you just going to avoid that sort of scenario in the future? It sounds as though your friends took terrible advantage of the hotel and your generousity - but in the final analysis - the cleaning costs and other damages are your responsibility. I would encourage you to contact your homeowners insurance carrier and vow to be far more careful in the future.

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"When once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been,and there you will forever long to return." Leonardo da Vinci

chai

All righty then, let's think this through.

(Apologies to Hilton if I do not accurately paraphrase their philosophy.)
Hilton provides extra-special courtesies to Diamonds in appreciation of them as excellent customers whose continued business is especially desired and welcomed.

In what way did your setup of this "stay" of yours confirm for Hilton that you are actually in that category?

(Hint: it's *not* your willingness now to pay for the damages you allowed to occur, especially considering you (a) left after signing authorization privileges for only a debit card with $100 on it and (b) already suggested that the hotel try to get their $ from unknown parties documented only on a police report!)

You may get an apology from them for that first clerk's not being gentler, but if you do, it probably ought to be something you see as an especially classy move on Hilton's part, and in no way your due. I don't think any elite level gives you license to abuse the hospitality provider involved.

TransWorldOne

I think this is part of the issue. ryan754 used the debit card to guarantee the room. When he arrived at the property to check-in, he left a cash deposit and didn't sign for or authorize the use of said debit card.

cblaisd

Very well said.

chai

Thanks, cblaisd.

TransWorldOne---I'm not sure it sounds like he left any cash deposit; I assume that he would have mentioned if the hotel had additionally not returned a cash deposit after charging the rate and the $350 (correct me if I'm wrong, please, Ryan). So refusing further incidentals on his guaranteeing debit card mainly protected him from being charged for room-ordered incidentals, like room service or phone. But AFAIK (and I'm not a lawyer), a hotel always is entitled to some kind of surety on the room to cover damages---in this case, if there really was no cash given past the room payment, they were (and I assume legally) able to go to his guaranteeing debit card.

And a further musing: there may not have been this much forethought given, but now Hilton could also suggest that his approach (paying cash, asking to remove his card from the file, leaving) appeared to be a deliberate attempt to limit any amount he would pay for damages.

[This message has been edited by chai (edited 01-07-2002).]