Is This Common for Hampton Inn? Hotel Not Honoring Confirmed Online Reservation
#1
Original Poster
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Is This Common for Hampton Inn? Hotel Not Honoring Confirmed Online Reservation
A clerk at the Hampton Inn Ft Wayne (Dupont) told me this is Hampton policy, and I was wondering if this is true. I only stay at Hamptons a couple times a year, so maybe this is true, but I doubt. Here's what happened...
Showed up at the hotel last night with a confirmed reservation made online at the HH site, with an email confirmation. The front desk clerk told me the hotel was completely booked for the night. Good thing I had my confirmed reservation, right? No! She informed me that others had made reservations over the phone directly with the hotel, so the hotel would not be honoring my reservation.
Mind you, I wasn't being walked. When I asked for assistance finding another hotel, she informed me that was not her job. When I asked what I should do, having been dropped at the hotel without transportation to leave, she informed me that was not her problem. (Almost verbatim) When I asked to speak to someone else, I was informed there is no hotel manager. She claimed the previous manager walked out (her words) a week earlier. She informed me Hampton has a policy to honor phone reservations first, and that reservations made online at the HH site weren't actually valid until the hotel chooses to honor them. Is this really Hampton's policy? Or is she misinformed?
The second I gave her my name she knew she was not honoring the reservation, without having to look it up. Yet, the hotel did not call, email or otherwise give me any advance notice. She chose to have me just show up so she could tell me the reservation was not being honored. Is this normal for Hilton properties? This clerk seemed to think so.
Eventually, another clerk showed up and gave me my room, but this should have never happened. It almost seemed the desk clerk was unbalanced and her claim seemed ridiculous, but she kept insisting this was the hotel's policy, so I thought I'd check with the experts. Anyone ever heard of such a policy?
Showed up at the hotel last night with a confirmed reservation made online at the HH site, with an email confirmation. The front desk clerk told me the hotel was completely booked for the night. Good thing I had my confirmed reservation, right? No! She informed me that others had made reservations over the phone directly with the hotel, so the hotel would not be honoring my reservation.
Mind you, I wasn't being walked. When I asked for assistance finding another hotel, she informed me that was not her job. When I asked what I should do, having been dropped at the hotel without transportation to leave, she informed me that was not her problem. (Almost verbatim) When I asked to speak to someone else, I was informed there is no hotel manager. She claimed the previous manager walked out (her words) a week earlier. She informed me Hampton has a policy to honor phone reservations first, and that reservations made online at the HH site weren't actually valid until the hotel chooses to honor them. Is this really Hampton's policy? Or is she misinformed?
The second I gave her my name she knew she was not honoring the reservation, without having to look it up. Yet, the hotel did not call, email or otherwise give me any advance notice. She chose to have me just show up so she could tell me the reservation was not being honored. Is this normal for Hilton properties? This clerk seemed to think so.
Eventually, another clerk showed up and gave me my room, but this should have never happened. It almost seemed the desk clerk was unbalanced and her claim seemed ridiculous, but she kept insisting this was the hotel's policy, so I thought I'd check with the experts. Anyone ever heard of such a policy?
Last edited by CJKatl; Apr 14, 2015 at 3:59 am
#2
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Eventually, another clerk showed up and gave me my room, but this should have never happened. It almost seemed the desk clerk was unbalanced and her claim seemed ridiculous, but she kept insisting this was the hotel's policy, so I thought I'd check with the experts. Anyone ever heard of such a policy?
#3
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I'm not looking for compensation. I just want her to know not to do that again. I'm a seasoned traveler and knew to stand my ground. Had the other clerk not shown up, I would have called Hilton and pushed the issue. A less seasoned, less pushy traveler might have fallen for this. It could put someone in a bad position. Someone up the food chain needs to make sure this weak link is strengthened. I think she took reservations over the phone, did not enter them into the system and was trying to cover her mess. My coworker, BTW, thinks she is somehow getting money out of this. At a minimum, it looks fishy.
#4
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A clerk at the Hampton Inn Ft Wayne...
Eventually, another clerk showed up and gave me my room, but this should have never happened. It almost seemed the desk clerk was unbalanced and her claim seemed ridiculous, but she kept insisting this was the hotel's policy, so I thought I'd check with the experts. Anyone ever heard of such a policy?
Eventually, another clerk showed up and gave me my room, but this should have never happened. It almost seemed the desk clerk was unbalanced and her claim seemed ridiculous, but she kept insisting this was the hotel's policy, so I thought I'd check with the experts. Anyone ever heard of such a policy?
#5
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: DCA
Posts: 7,769
If you had a confirmed reservation and they wouldn't honor it then that is the long and short of it. Hilton corporate will want to know about this because it is not just a customer service issue, it is damaging to their brand and bottom line and thus they will actually care. PM the hhonors representative, call corporate, do whatever is needed. This sort of thing shouldn't happen.
#6
"Mind you, I wasn't being walked."
You were walked. You had a confirmed reservation, showed up, and they didn't honour it. I'm betting Erin can assist you with this, the hotel is definitely confused.
Neil
You were walked. You had a confirmed reservation, showed up, and they didn't honour it. I'm betting Erin can assist you with this, the hotel is definitely confused.
Neil
#7
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 3,785
I don't think he was being "walked". They didn't find him another hotel. The whole story seems really strange. Maybe she is a new employee at the end of a practical joke to see how far she would go to turn away a customer. Or someone tries to get her fired and told her the "Hampton Inn's Policy".
#8
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What OP experienced was refusal of service, which is different.
#9
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You should reach out via PM to the Flyertalk Hilton Representative.
This is so unacceptable and needs to be dealt with at the corporate level.
This is so unacceptable and needs to be dealt with at the corporate level.
#11
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What as the "other clerk's" reaction to all this? What was her reaction to his action?
#12
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The original clerk should be fired immediately, no questions asked. Not sure how much Hilton (corporate) can legally do to ensure this happens, but it very much needs to happen. Absolutely disgusting behavior.
#13
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#14
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Yes, this behaviour is unacceptable and needs to be escalated. I checked postings on TripAdvisor http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Rev...e_Indiana.html and this does not appear to be a common problem. You might want to consider posting your issue on TA as well, there is an older post where management has responded. Not many properties monitor FT.
Ooops, picked wrong property, should be http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Rev...e_Indiana.html and I do see OP has already posted. I see the GM here also is replying to posts. I suspect that behaviour will be corrected.
Ooops, picked wrong property, should be http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Rev...e_Indiana.html and I do see OP has already posted. I see the GM here also is replying to posts. I suspect that behaviour will be corrected.
Last edited by RogerD408; Apr 14, 2015 at 12:59 pm
#15
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Bob H