Rude specific staff member
Dec 15, 2019, 5:18 am
#16
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Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Canada, USA, Europe
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 31,452
So I'm in London right now. I had to break my stay into a few days at two different properties to get the nights and types of rooms I wanted... Last night I walk over to my second hotel and chat with the front desk about when my room will be ready the next day, asking them to ring my cell so I can just go from one room to the other. The front door man at the second property had somewhat of a 'what are you doing here' attitude when I walked in. While walking out I thanked him for getting the door, then I said 'the men's room is on the lower ground floor, yes?'. He said that he was sorry but he couldn't permit me to use the bathroom. Keep I mind I didn't have any luggage with me and I was at the front desk for maybe give minutes, so there really isn't any reason for him to have thought I wasn't staying at the property at the time in question.
Am I being a bit petty in being put off by this? If not, would y'all bother to take up the issue with management?
Am I being a bit petty in being put off by this? If not, would y'all bother to take up the issue with management?
Dec 15, 2019, 5:20 am
#18
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Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Canada, USA, Europe
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 31,452
He probably thought you took a wrong turn on the way to the beach.
Dec 15, 2019, 5:53 am
#19
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: South Korea
Posts: 1,168
I didn't go to hotel school but I do know this. Hotel management 101 - never make your own assumptions about who the person is... whether he/she is a staying guest, a restaurant guest, a conference attendee, a rich guest, a poor guest, a potential guest looking around at the lobby etc...
One would use judgement to weed out, say, homeless ppl or armed robbers etc but it is not the doorman's job to assess and evaluate people coming through the hotel lobby IMO.
One would use judgement to weed out, say, homeless ppl or armed robbers etc but it is not the doorman's job to assess and evaluate people coming through the hotel lobby IMO.
Last edited by jaejaez; Dec 15, 2019 at 6:04 am
Dec 15, 2019, 5:55 am
#20
Join Date: Aug 2017
Location: Manchester/London
Programs: Skywards Plat, Bonvoy Titanium
Posts: 1,226
Dec 15, 2019, 6:40 am
#21
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Western Europe
Programs: Yeah, well, don’t really care anymore
Posts: 845
Was living at a Marriott Doha for a while a few years ago, and invited my girlfriend to come stay with me for a few days. Whilst I was away at the office, she stayed at the hotel mainly being pampered by the staff. At one point she decided to visit the small shop for a magazine, which was manned by a male of Arabian descent. She was wearing flip flops, which the attendant found absolutely irresistible. He was, literally, crawling on his hands and knees asking if he could kiss her feet. Seriously, and I kid you not, he was begging to kiss her feet.
This is the level of "service" I would expect to give cause for concern, not whether or not you - as a non-guest - is allowed to use the toilets.
Yes, I went to see the GM of the hotel. The attendant was removed, we got a free dinner at the Steakhouse and a good laugh out of it.
PS
That was the same hotel which, despite me writing in big red letters on the laundry list DO NOT TUMBLE DRY, decided to do so anyway. Result was 4 polos and 2 shirts shrunk to the point of absolute hilarity. Went to the front desk and spoke with the DM, who promptly called a taxi to take me to the nearest mall to buy replacements. When I came back with the receipts, the amount was paid to me in cash, and upstairs in the room a large bowl of fruit, a bottle of bubbly and an invitation to a swanky party at another hotel was waiting for me.
I do like Marriott.
This is the level of "service" I would expect to give cause for concern, not whether or not you - as a non-guest - is allowed to use the toilets.
Yes, I went to see the GM of the hotel. The attendant was removed, we got a free dinner at the Steakhouse and a good laugh out of it.
PS
That was the same hotel which, despite me writing in big red letters on the laundry list DO NOT TUMBLE DRY, decided to do so anyway. Result was 4 polos and 2 shirts shrunk to the point of absolute hilarity. Went to the front desk and spoke with the DM, who promptly called a taxi to take me to the nearest mall to buy replacements. When I came back with the receipts, the amount was paid to me in cash, and upstairs in the room a large bowl of fruit, a bottle of bubbly and an invitation to a swanky party at another hotel was waiting for me.
I do like Marriott.
Last edited by hhoope01; Dec 16, 2019 at 3:43 am Reason: Per FT Rule 16, removed profanity.
Dec 15, 2019, 5:05 pm
#22
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: BOS/UTH
Programs: AA LT PLT; QR GLD; Bonvoy LT TIT
Posts: 12,753
No, you're not being petty. Try as I might, I am unable to think of a single reason why a hotel doorman would be anything less than completely courteous, respectful and welcoming to someone walking through the front door. Front door staff makes the hotel's first impression on people. For him to assume based on the circumstances of your visit that you were there for the men's room was highly inappropriate, IMO. Were I the GM and learned of this incident, the doorman's best possible outcome would be retraining.
Dec 15, 2019, 9:09 pm
#23
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Fort Lauderdale, FL
Posts: 3,360
[QUOTE=jaejaez;31841706]I didn't go to hotel school but I do know this. Hotel management 101 - never make your own assumptions about who the person is... whether he/she is a staying guest, a restaurant guest, a conference attendee, a rich guest, a poor guest, a potential guest looking around at the lobby etc...[QUOTE]
I've told this tale before, so forgive me if anyone has read it.
Many years ago, I had just started working at the Front Desk of a downtown business hotel. One day, this very disheveled looking man had taken up residence in the lobby. He had a baseball cap on and was reading the newspaper. After 30 minutes or so, I overheard my Supervisor call over Security to ask him to leave. Fortunately, I was able to intervene.
That man was Michael Eisner, CEO of the Walt Disney Company. Not only was he one of the most powerful men in the country, but also Disney had bought our almost an entire floor for almost two months at that point. The entire creative team of one of Disney's stage musical was staying with us while they perfected the show prior to it's Broadway run.
I've told this tale before, so forgive me if anyone has read it.
Many years ago, I had just started working at the Front Desk of a downtown business hotel. One day, this very disheveled looking man had taken up residence in the lobby. He had a baseball cap on and was reading the newspaper. After 30 minutes or so, I overheard my Supervisor call over Security to ask him to leave. Fortunately, I was able to intervene.
That man was Michael Eisner, CEO of the Walt Disney Company. Not only was he one of the most powerful men in the country, but also Disney had bought our almost an entire floor for almost two months at that point. The entire creative team of one of Disney's stage musical was staying with us while they perfected the show prior to it's Broadway run.