ILovetheReds

Very unusual situation at the Downtown Cleveland Hilton Garden Inn. Forutnately the little reds and Mrs. Reds isn't with me.

This hotel and the Hyatt are my favorite hotels in downtown Cleveland and this property was cheaper than the Hyatt when I booked it on Monday.

I arrive this afternoon and see several men in leather and army uniforms outside and when I walked into the hotel lobby more of the same.

It turns out there is a “leathermans conference” here called CLAW (not sure what it stands for) and this is the host hotel.

I did complain to the front desk and asked to walked to the ES or HI. I was told they could move me to the ES tomorrow or they could move me tonight to the HI, but the HI is the "overflow hotel" for this group. I was also told that the hotel and the HI was blocked for this group and I shouldn't have been able to book a room on hilton.com. I see that hilton.com is showing this HGI as sold out but is still accepting reservations for the Hampton.

I know I can get a room at the Hyatt but was told that I would be charged for tonight since they can't resell my room this late, but I am welcome to check out tomorrow. In this circumstance, I feel Hilton should allow me to move to another chain if they won't walk me to the ES.

Why didn't Hilton Garden Inn, notify me of this event ahead of time??? Am I entitled to compensation? I am considering going to the Hyatt and disbuting the charges with American Express for my room tonight.

squeakr

and I hope posters can keep to the questions asked....
If you move to the Hyatt and dispute w/ Amex, depending on your relationship w/ amex they may write it off as a goodwill gesture.
What will likely NOT work is if you stay at the HGI and try to dispute that charge.

Bowgie

If your kids did happen to be with you at check-in, I think the best way to answer their questions would be to matter-of-factually say, "Oh, they are all here for a "dress-up" party."

cordelli

Funny thread.

I don't think it's unusual, it happens from time to time that somebody is bothered by the convention that has booked part of the hotel. It could be a Gay and Lesbian thing, it could be a clown convention, or it could be the Cleveland Leather Annual Weekend.

This is actually a charity event, just happens to be a strange way to raise money to some.

I would guess they booked the entire hotel, but had some rooms they did not need and Hilton for whatever reason put them back into inventory.

Their website also lists eighteen other hotels they recommend so no matter where you stay in Cleveland you are probably going to be part of the group.

It's just a bad weekend to be in Cleveland unless you want leather toys at a discount.

smmrfld

Why do you feel you would be entitled to compensation? Did the hotel not provide the accommodation you reserved? It's your choice to skip out on your room, but it's unreasonable to expect the hotel to eat it because you find the attire of some other guests "disturbing".

Mary2e

You wanted to change hotels because you didn't like the way other guests are dressed? Really?

And you expect Hilton to walk you to another hotel?

djjaguar64

If you can't beat em, join em!! lol

NEWEXP1

OP, other than offending your senses when you laid your eyes on them, did they bother you at all with their words, gestures, behavior,etc ? when in a hotel, I may go out to eat but otherwise I am in my room all evening and night.

Unless there was overt flaunting of their lifestyle, I would have to grin and bear it ...nobody please rearrange the word bear

abitlost

I always demand to be moved to neighboring properties when other hotel guests wear tracksuits or sweatpants in the lobby. I think it is a very reasonable request.

jamesteroh

The event is CLAW and it stands for Cleveland Leather Awareness Week.

While most of the people staying at the hotel are gay men and probably 80% of the people attending the event are gay, it is still a pangendered event. It is also not an "S&M" event, it is a leather event (big difference).

I am wondering how the OP managed to get a room. I have been to it before and really wanted to go this year but only if I could stay at the host hotel. I waited too long to try to get a room and by the time I remembered to book a reservation the hotel was sold out. The diamond desk said there was extradonary demand andwouldn't allow me to do a diamond force and when I called Tuesday I was told I was number 38 on the wait list still and they had a total of over 60 people still on the wait list. If CLAW had the entire hotel blocked and there was a wait list of over 60 people for a room still and I was unable to do a diamond force how did the OP manage to book a room?????????????

I can understand why the OP would be upset, having attended claw in the past and feel that Hilton should have allowed him out of the reservation if he could have found a room at another hotel. As of Tuesday, there were still rooms at both ES and Hampton (althought Hampton is the overflow hotel so he might feel a little out of place there), so not sure why they didn't offer to move him to ES and just had ES match the rate the same if ES was more per night.

OP could have fun too if he talked to some people When I went a few years ago it was at the Wyndham playhouse square. My friend and I ate at the bar that saturday and the hotel is right by a couple theaters and there was some show going on that night. It was funny seeing the face of these two older ladies that had come into the hotel for either dinner or a drink when they saw all the guys dressed in leather. All the tables were filled so we ate at the bar and this couple in their 50s came in for a pre show drink and sat beside us and asked what was going on. I just laughed and said "You don't want to know" and she kept insisting and her husband laughed and said just tell her what CLAW is and I did and she thought it was so cool. She worked downtown for what was then National City and was upset that the newspaper didn't run anything about it and that she worked downtown and never heard of it before

I think it's ironic that the OP is complaining about CLAW going on at his hotel, and I wish I would have been cleared off the wait list for a room

jamesteroh

The OP will want to avoid using the word Bear in the lobby of his hotel tonight

Richelieu

Complying with squeakr's request, I'll only address the question. No, they shouldn't notify you of this event ahead of time, unless they notify guests of any event ahead of time and offer them the opportunity to be rebooked elsewhere. As long as XYZ is within the law, I don't think Hilton should be treating different values of XYZ differently. If they offer you to be reaccomodated free of charge because you object to event, they should reaccomodate anyone offended by any event. It would be very difficult for Hilton to manage that.

I don't even know how they could word the warning email.

"Dear Sir/Madam,

We are hosting the XYZ meeting that you might find offensive. You're therefore welcome to cancel you non-cancelable reservation free of charge, or to ask to be rebooked to another hotel".

I am pretty sure XYZ proponents would find this email equally offensive.

adambrock

The HGI's I've stayed at this year have had 100% Satisfaction Guarantee's. I'd exercise that and get a room at the ES if they aren't willing to let you out of your reservation.

tkelvin69

Compensation? Maybe you could ask Hilton to pay for a course on how to accept situations beyond your control that really don't matter. Unless your stay was disturbed by noise or continued confrontation I'd say your case is without merit.

apodo77

Grow a pair.

Unless they were being unruly and a nuisance I don't see the big deal.

I'll file this in the trying to hard to complain and looking for compensation folder.