Your worst luxury hotel experiences ever.....
Apr 4, 2010, 5:46 pm
#46
Suspended
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: En Route
Programs: Many
Posts: 6,798
Probably Hotel De Paris in Monte Carlo.
I arrived at 3pm or so and despite it already being check in time I was told my room wouldn't be ready until 4 or 5pm. I wasn't even offered a free drink at the bar. When they finally prepared my room it was not of the class I paid for, had ripped furniture and not the view that I had booked. This led to another hour wait while they prepared another room for me (this time I got free drinks at least). This second room was also unsatisfactory but finally I was pleased with the third room they showed me.
The day I was to depart, I had a car meeting me at 8am to make sure plenty of time was left to get me to Nice in time to catch a 10-something flight to Zurich with a connection on to Athens. My phone rang after 9am with the concierge calling me mysteriously to ask if I needed anything, when I asked him the hour, I went ballistic. Not only did the hotel not give me the wakeup call I had requested, but as I found out in the car, my driver arrived at 8am and repeatedly asked the desk to ring my room...they refused.
It seems they hoped that by making me rush out the door they could screw me on the bill. Luckily I glanced at my bill to notice a 3,000 Euro+ charge for a meal at Louis XV, the hotel's prestige restaurant, and a restaurant I had not dined at during my stay. They promptly took it off my bill, I left with a bad taste in my mouth and thanks to my driver's superb skills barely made my flight and subsequent connection.
Not exactly what you expect for 1,000+/night. Bad service is one thing but outright trying to screw you is ridiculous.
I arrived at 3pm or so and despite it already being check in time I was told my room wouldn't be ready until 4 or 5pm. I wasn't even offered a free drink at the bar. When they finally prepared my room it was not of the class I paid for, had ripped furniture and not the view that I had booked. This led to another hour wait while they prepared another room for me (this time I got free drinks at least). This second room was also unsatisfactory but finally I was pleased with the third room they showed me.
The day I was to depart, I had a car meeting me at 8am to make sure plenty of time was left to get me to Nice in time to catch a 10-something flight to Zurich with a connection on to Athens. My phone rang after 9am with the concierge calling me mysteriously to ask if I needed anything, when I asked him the hour, I went ballistic. Not only did the hotel not give me the wakeup call I had requested, but as I found out in the car, my driver arrived at 8am and repeatedly asked the desk to ring my room...they refused.
It seems they hoped that by making me rush out the door they could screw me on the bill. Luckily I glanced at my bill to notice a 3,000 Euro+ charge for a meal at Louis XV, the hotel's prestige restaurant, and a restaurant I had not dined at during my stay. They promptly took it off my bill, I left with a bad taste in my mouth and thanks to my driver's superb skills barely made my flight and subsequent connection.
Not exactly what you expect for 1,000+/night. Bad service is one thing but outright trying to screw you is ridiculous.
Apr 5, 2010, 8:24 am
#47
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Here there and everywhere
Posts: 6,303
Apr 5, 2010, 8:30 am
#48
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Here there and everywhere
Posts: 6,303
Apr 6, 2010, 3:08 am
#50
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Dublin,Ireland and Nice France
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 2,046
To answer the question of the thread.
Definitely our stay last year at the Tides Riviera Maya in mexico.
What a nightmare!
(Though we did eventually get a partial refund)
Heres what I wrote on return:
A rubbish strewn dirt road up to it.
Light switches constantly not working.
Villa roof leaking.
Toilet overflowed spewing sewage into the bedroom.
A plunge pool /hammock and reading area that was un usable due to mosquitoes [they did spray for them but to little effect]
A noisy aircon that refused to cool the room below 80f.
we were awoken at 7am on a sunday morning to the sound of angle grinders whirring away on metal and hammers knocking...not as you might think at an adjoining property but for heavens sake at the villa behind us in the tides
Totally clueless management.
It's the first time I've ever been at a hotel/resort where we were counting down the days mid stay as to when we were leaving.
Definitely our stay last year at the Tides Riviera Maya in mexico.
What a nightmare!
(Though we did eventually get a partial refund)
Heres what I wrote on return:
A rubbish strewn dirt road up to it.
Light switches constantly not working.
Villa roof leaking.
Toilet overflowed spewing sewage into the bedroom.
A plunge pool /hammock and reading area that was un usable due to mosquitoes [they did spray for them but to little effect]
A noisy aircon that refused to cool the room below 80f.
we were awoken at 7am on a sunday morning to the sound of angle grinders whirring away on metal and hammers knocking...not as you might think at an adjoining property but for heavens sake at the villa behind us in the tides
Totally clueless management.
It's the first time I've ever been at a hotel/resort where we were counting down the days mid stay as to when we were leaving.
Apr 6, 2010, 4:18 am
#51
Join Date: Feb 2005
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 1,068
To answer the question of the thread.
Definitely our stay last year at the Tides Riviera Maya in mexico.
What a nightmare!
(Though we did eventually get a partial refund)
Heres what I wrote on return:
A rubbish strewn dirt road up to it.
Light switches constantly not working.
Villa roof leaking.
Toilet overflowed spewing sewage into the bedroom.
A plunge pool /hammock and reading area that was un usable due to mosquitoes [they did spray for them but to little effect]
A noisy aircon that refused to cool the room below 80f.
we were awoken at 7am on a sunday morning to the sound of angle grinders whirring away on metal and hammers knocking...not as you might think at an adjoining property but for heavens sake at the villa behind us in the tides
Totally clueless management.
It's the first time I've ever been at a hotel/resort where we were counting down the days mid stay as to when we were leaving.
Definitely our stay last year at the Tides Riviera Maya in mexico.
What a nightmare!
(Though we did eventually get a partial refund)
Heres what I wrote on return:
A rubbish strewn dirt road up to it.
Light switches constantly not working.
Villa roof leaking.
Toilet overflowed spewing sewage into the bedroom.
A plunge pool /hammock and reading area that was un usable due to mosquitoes [they did spray for them but to little effect]
A noisy aircon that refused to cool the room below 80f.
we were awoken at 7am on a sunday morning to the sound of angle grinders whirring away on metal and hammers knocking...not as you might think at an adjoining property but for heavens sake at the villa behind us in the tides
Totally clueless management.
It's the first time I've ever been at a hotel/resort where we were counting down the days mid stay as to when we were leaving.
Apr 6, 2010, 7:04 am
#52
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Rio de Janeiro, Miami, Nice
Programs: Marriott Titanium, AA Concierge Key, Delta, United, Emorates, and others
Posts: 4,694
I have had a tiny handful of poor experiences in luxury hotels. In each case I have been immediately satisfied with the resolution and I have always been comped for a dinner or the say, depending on the case. I cannot list the bad ones because they fixed the problems so quickly.
My single exception was Brown's in London. Someone came in my room in the middle of the night. I shouted and the intruder left quickly. I then called the management who asked why I had not locked the door properly. No apology, nothing. I did lock the door and checked out in the AM with a bad attitude. pre-Rocco, that.
My single exception was Brown's in London. Someone came in my room in the middle of the night. I shouted and the intruder left quickly. I then called the management who asked why I had not locked the door properly. No apology, nothing. I did lock the door and checked out in the AM with a bad attitude. pre-Rocco, that.
Apr 7, 2010, 5:56 pm
#55
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Jakarta
Programs: Krisflyer PPS, SPG, Hyatt GoldPassport, Shangri-la Golden Circle, British Airways ExecClub
Posts: 1,244
To answer the question of the thread.
Definitely our stay last year at the Tides Riviera Maya in mexico.
What a nightmare!
(Though we did eventually get a partial refund)
Heres what I wrote on return:
A rubbish strewn dirt road up to it.
Light switches constantly not working.
Villa roof leaking.
Toilet overflowed spewing sewage into the bedroom.
A plunge pool /hammock and reading area that was un usable due to mosquitoes [they did spray for them but to little effect]
A noisy aircon that refused to cool the room below 80f.
we were awoken at 7am on a sunday morning to the sound of angle grinders whirring away on metal and hammers knocking...not as you might think at an adjoining property but for heavens sake at the villa behind us in the tides
Totally clueless management.
It's the first time I've ever been at a hotel/resort where we were counting down the days mid stay as to when we were leaving.
Definitely our stay last year at the Tides Riviera Maya in mexico.
What a nightmare!
(Though we did eventually get a partial refund)
Heres what I wrote on return:
A rubbish strewn dirt road up to it.
Light switches constantly not working.
Villa roof leaking.
Toilet overflowed spewing sewage into the bedroom.
A plunge pool /hammock and reading area that was un usable due to mosquitoes [they did spray for them but to little effect]
A noisy aircon that refused to cool the room below 80f.
we were awoken at 7am on a sunday morning to the sound of angle grinders whirring away on metal and hammers knocking...not as you might think at an adjoining property but for heavens sake at the villa behind us in the tides
Totally clueless management.
It's the first time I've ever been at a hotel/resort where we were counting down the days mid stay as to when we were leaving.
Apr 8, 2010, 3:19 am
#56
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Dublin,Ireland and Nice France
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 2,046
2 reasons.
Non refundable prepaid rate and the fact that we spent most of our daytime eventually up at the other resorts especially the mandarin and rosewood.
There were 3 channels on the tv by the way.
2 in spanish and fox news..
Riveting.
Non refundable prepaid rate and the fact that we spent most of our daytime eventually up at the other resorts especially the mandarin and rosewood.
There were 3 channels on the tv by the way.
2 in spanish and fox news..
Riveting.
Apr 8, 2010, 8:50 am
#58
Join Date: Apr 2010
Posts: 5
Baccarra Resort - Santa Barbara, CA. Booked ocean view delux king. Got standard room slightly above main exhaust fan for kitchen. Were told we could not be moved as resort was fully booked and our room had been accidently given to an early check-in. Called AmexPlat (which had booked stay). We were moved very quickly to an ocean view delux king.
Apr 8, 2010, 10:30 am
#59
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 13
Baccarra Resort - Santa Barbara, CA. Booked ocean view delux king. Got standard room slightly above main exhaust fan for kitchen. Were told we could not be moved as resort was fully booked and our room had been accidently given to an early check-in. Called AmexPlat (which had booked stay). We were moved very quickly to an ocean view delux king.
Apr 8, 2010, 10:55 am
#60
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Here there and everywhere
Posts: 6,303
I have to believe now that Viceroy (ex Kor) is entirely OVER since Brad Korzen sold 40% of his stake. They seem to be more concerned with how many new hotels and resorts they can open instead of taking care of standards. Such a pity as when The Tides Riviera Maya first opened under Kor it had some amazing staff and food and everything worked like a dream. Kor and Capella taught me to be very careful with new hotel brands!
