Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott Fond du Lac, WI [Master Thread]
Mar 14, 23, 4:39 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Cockeysville, MD
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Posts: 9,443
Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott Fond du Lac, WI [Master Thread]
I don't expect a need to stay in this area, but if I do it won't be here. Usually I read a FB post like below and think "I must be missing half the story, this can't be right". Then I looked at some of the TA reviews... I think this is a regular occurrence. YIKES.
Here's the FB post from the Marriott Titanium group:
This is a long one, but worth the read. I don't normally post in this group, but this one is cringe worthy. I booked two rooms at the Fairfield Fond Du Lac Wisconsin. One room on points redemption and the other using a discount rate. I received a call four days before my stay from the hotel manager stating they were oversold and she had to cancel my reservations. This has never happened to me so I asked what my options were as a Titanium member. I was told that because I booked with points and a discount rate she did not need to help me and I would need to find other accommodations. I also looked at the =AZWa-Bonvoy app while speaking to her to find that all rooms and rates were still available to book. She became quite hostile by my questioning her, started screaming and swearing at me, telling me I count never stay at her hotel, and then hung up. A minute later my reservations were both canceled. Of course I called Marriott Hotels to make a complaint but I have not heard anything back from them since. I did call back later that evening to speak with a different staff member about a reservation and to my shock she was still there. She apologized for her blow up and told me I could make a reservation, but she would only honer a full price room. I had limited options as several family members were staying at this property and the next closest hotel was 20 miles away. So I agreed.
I arrived at the hotel this passed Friday to find they were in fact not fully booked and all room types were still available. I approached the manager again Saturday afternoon to see what the issue was and why she would not honor my original reservations and she again became very hostile and told me I had ten minutes to leave the hotel or she was calling the police! She also told me if she wanted to should could cancel the rooms of my entire family (10 rooms total) and have us all thrown out, FOR QUESTIONING HER. My 91yo grandmother was staying in one of my rooms and there was no way I was about to ask her to pack up and leave, so I did what I could to defuse the situation and she allowed me to stay.
I looked at the google review for this hotel to find this a common occurance. If you book on points or discount rates the manager cancels the reservation, sometimes without notice, then allows people to stay if they agree to pay full price. There is even one review of her kicking out a guest with a service dog. The reviews are interesting, I would encourage you all to take a look.
My question is this: Bonvoy does not seem to be taking this issue very seriously. I have never experienced this type of hostility and in any service industry, but especially never in a Marriott property. This manager is blatantly ignoring Marriott policy and illigaly removing people from the hotel if they question her desicions. Has anyone else ever had an experince like this? What are my options?
Some posted about the TA reviews, so I took a look. Wow. The good ones have to be fake.
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Re...Wisconsin.html
Here's the FB post from the Marriott Titanium group:
This is a long one, but worth the read. I don't normally post in this group, but this one is cringe worthy. I booked two rooms at the Fairfield Fond Du Lac Wisconsin. One room on points redemption and the other using a discount rate. I received a call four days before my stay from the hotel manager stating they were oversold and she had to cancel my reservations. This has never happened to me so I asked what my options were as a Titanium member. I was told that because I booked with points and a discount rate she did not need to help me and I would need to find other accommodations. I also looked at the =AZWa-Bonvoy app while speaking to her to find that all rooms and rates were still available to book. She became quite hostile by my questioning her, started screaming and swearing at me, telling me I count never stay at her hotel, and then hung up. A minute later my reservations were both canceled. Of course I called Marriott Hotels to make a complaint but I have not heard anything back from them since. I did call back later that evening to speak with a different staff member about a reservation and to my shock she was still there. She apologized for her blow up and told me I could make a reservation, but she would only honer a full price room. I had limited options as several family members were staying at this property and the next closest hotel was 20 miles away. So I agreed.
I arrived at the hotel this passed Friday to find they were in fact not fully booked and all room types were still available. I approached the manager again Saturday afternoon to see what the issue was and why she would not honor my original reservations and she again became very hostile and told me I had ten minutes to leave the hotel or she was calling the police! She also told me if she wanted to should could cancel the rooms of my entire family (10 rooms total) and have us all thrown out, FOR QUESTIONING HER. My 91yo grandmother was staying in one of my rooms and there was no way I was about to ask her to pack up and leave, so I did what I could to defuse the situation and she allowed me to stay.
I looked at the google review for this hotel to find this a common occurance. If you book on points or discount rates the manager cancels the reservation, sometimes without notice, then allows people to stay if they agree to pay full price. There is even one review of her kicking out a guest with a service dog. The reviews are interesting, I would encourage you all to take a look.
My question is this: Bonvoy does not seem to be taking this issue very seriously. I have never experienced this type of hostility and in any service industry, but especially never in a Marriott property. This manager is blatantly ignoring Marriott policy and illigaly removing people from the hotel if they question her desicions. Has anyone else ever had an experince like this? What are my options?
Some posted about the TA reviews, so I took a look. Wow. The good ones have to be fake.
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Re...Wisconsin.html
Mar 14, 23, 5:38 pm
#2
Company Representative, Marriott Bonvoy
Join Date: Feb 2019
Programs: Marriott Bonvoy
Posts: 649
I don't expect a need to stay in this area, but if I do it won't be here. Usually I read a FB post like below and think "I must be missing half the story, this can't be right". Then I looked at some of the TA reviews... I think this is a regular occurrence. YIKES.
Here's the FB post from the Marriott Titanium group:
This is a long one, but worth the read. I don't normally post in this group, but this one is cringe worthy. I booked two rooms at the Fairfield Fond Du Lac Wisconsin. One room on points redemption and the other using a discount rate. I received a call four days before my stay from the hotel manager stating they were oversold and she had to cancel my reservations. This has never happened to me so I asked what my options were as a Titanium member. I was told that because I booked with points and a discount rate she did not need to help me and I would need to find other accommodations. I also looked at the =AZWa-Bonvoy app while speaking to her to find that all rooms and rates were still available to book. She became quite hostile by my questioning her, started screaming and swearing at me, telling me I count never stay at her hotel, and then hung up. A minute later my reservations were both canceled. Of course I called Marriott Hotels to make a complaint but I have not heard anything back from them since. I did call back later that evening to speak with a different staff member about a reservation and to my shock she was still there. She apologized for her blow up and told me I could make a reservation, but she would only honer a full price room. I had limited options as several family members were staying at this property and the next closest hotel was 20 miles away. So I agreed.
I arrived at the hotel this passed Friday to find they were in fact not fully booked and all room types were still available. I approached the manager again Saturday afternoon to see what the issue was and why she would not honor my original reservations and she again became very hostile and told me I had ten minutes to leave the hotel or she was calling the police! She also told me if she wanted to should could cancel the rooms of my entire family (10 rooms total) and have us all thrown out, FOR QUESTIONING HER. My 91yo grandmother was staying in one of my rooms and there was no way I was about to ask her to pack up and leave, so I did what I could to defuse the situation and she allowed me to stay.
I looked at the google review for this hotel to find this a common occurance. If you book on points or discount rates the manager cancels the reservation, sometimes without notice, then allows people to stay if they agree to pay full price. There is even one review of her kicking out a guest with a service dog. The reviews are interesting, I would encourage you all to take a look.
My question is this: Bonvoy does not seem to be taking this issue very seriously. I have never experienced this type of hostility and in any service industry, but especially never in a Marriott property. This manager is blatantly ignoring Marriott policy and illigaly removing people from the hotel if they question her desicions. Has anyone else ever had an experince like this? What are my options?
Some posted about the TA reviews, so I took a look. Wow. The good ones have to be fake.
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Re...Wisconsin.html
Here's the FB post from the Marriott Titanium group:
This is a long one, but worth the read. I don't normally post in this group, but this one is cringe worthy. I booked two rooms at the Fairfield Fond Du Lac Wisconsin. One room on points redemption and the other using a discount rate. I received a call four days before my stay from the hotel manager stating they were oversold and she had to cancel my reservations. This has never happened to me so I asked what my options were as a Titanium member. I was told that because I booked with points and a discount rate she did not need to help me and I would need to find other accommodations. I also looked at the =AZWa-Bonvoy app while speaking to her to find that all rooms and rates were still available to book. She became quite hostile by my questioning her, started screaming and swearing at me, telling me I count never stay at her hotel, and then hung up. A minute later my reservations were both canceled. Of course I called Marriott Hotels to make a complaint but I have not heard anything back from them since. I did call back later that evening to speak with a different staff member about a reservation and to my shock she was still there. She apologized for her blow up and told me I could make a reservation, but she would only honer a full price room. I had limited options as several family members were staying at this property and the next closest hotel was 20 miles away. So I agreed.
I arrived at the hotel this passed Friday to find they were in fact not fully booked and all room types were still available. I approached the manager again Saturday afternoon to see what the issue was and why she would not honor my original reservations and she again became very hostile and told me I had ten minutes to leave the hotel or she was calling the police! She also told me if she wanted to should could cancel the rooms of my entire family (10 rooms total) and have us all thrown out, FOR QUESTIONING HER. My 91yo grandmother was staying in one of my rooms and there was no way I was about to ask her to pack up and leave, so I did what I could to defuse the situation and she allowed me to stay.
I looked at the google review for this hotel to find this a common occurance. If you book on points or discount rates the manager cancels the reservation, sometimes without notice, then allows people to stay if they agree to pay full price. There is even one review of her kicking out a guest with a service dog. The reviews are interesting, I would encourage you all to take a look.
My question is this: Bonvoy does not seem to be taking this issue very seriously. I have never experienced this type of hostility and in any service industry, but especially never in a Marriott property. This manager is blatantly ignoring Marriott policy and illigaly removing people from the hotel if they question her desicions. Has anyone else ever had an experince like this? What are my options?
Some posted about the TA reviews, so I took a look. Wow. The good ones have to be fake.
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Re...Wisconsin.html
We are sorry for your frustration with this and would like to help. Please share in a private message, your full name, Bonvoy account number, confirmation number, and your contact email. This will be researched and you will be followed up on, regarding your concerns.
__________________
Mar 14, 23, 5:40 pm
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Cockeysville, MD
Programs: Marriott Rewards Lifetime Titanium, Amex Plat, Hertz Gold 5*, National Exec, AA Plat
Posts: 9,443
Hello,
We are sorry for your frustration with this and would like to help. Please share in a private message, your full name, Bonvoy account number, confirmation number, and your contact email. This will be researched and you will be followed up on, regarding your concerns.
__________________
We are sorry for your frustration with this and would like to help. Please share in a private message, your full name, Bonvoy account number, confirmation number, and your contact email. This will be researched and you will be followed up on, regarding your concerns.
__________________
Mar 14, 23, 5:46 pm
#4
Company Representative, Marriott Bonvoy
Join Date: Feb 2019
Programs: Marriott Bonvoy
Posts: 649
Mar 14, 23, 5:59 pm
#5
Join Date: Jun 1999
Location: NYC/LA
Programs: AA Plat Pro, DL Plat, AC 25k, Marriott Titanium, IHG Diamond Amb
Posts: 6,863
Was surprised that this hotel is rated fairly highly on Marriott.com, but we all know the surveys only go out to a fraction of guests. (And of course, guests who have had their reservations cancelled wont ever receive a survey.)
Did see this posted in the reviews, though, which definitely backs up the mentality of the management. (And for this type of property select service in a small market it would be quite possible that it is owned by an individual or is a family business, and the manager is related, so these tactics are perfectly okay with the owner.)
Dhvani was at the front desk when I arrived. She did not acknowledge my Titanium status and did not offer a welcome gift (standard with my level of status). Instead, she seemed annoyed that I had changed my reservation dates a few days before arrival.
When I asked if a King room was available (instead of the 2 queens I had booked), she said there were King rooms available, but that I would need to pay her more money for a King room (as a Titanium guest I have NEVER been denied a move to an available (and basically equivalent) room. She was cold, rude and made it clear she only cares about the bottom line (money).
Side note: The hotel was nowhere near fully booked, maybe half occupancy, so it would have cost her nothing to accommodate my request.
Did see this posted in the reviews, though, which definitely backs up the mentality of the management. (And for this type of property select service in a small market it would be quite possible that it is owned by an individual or is a family business, and the manager is related, so these tactics are perfectly okay with the owner.)
Dhvani was at the front desk when I arrived. She did not acknowledge my Titanium status and did not offer a welcome gift (standard with my level of status). Instead, she seemed annoyed that I had changed my reservation dates a few days before arrival.
When I asked if a King room was available (instead of the 2 queens I had booked), she said there were King rooms available, but that I would need to pay her more money for a King room (as a Titanium guest I have NEVER been denied a move to an available (and basically equivalent) room. She was cold, rude and made it clear she only cares about the bottom line (money).
Side note: The hotel was nowhere near fully booked, maybe half occupancy, so it would have cost her nothing to accommodate my request.
Mar 14, 23, 6:50 pm
#6
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: ATL
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Posts: 541
I saw it on FB. One or two bad reviews and and you just throw those away, but many reviews all saying the same thing and you have a serious problem. Hopefully the lurkers can escalate this since the reviews seem to do nothing.
Mar 15, 23, 2:01 am
#7
Join Date: Feb 2006
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Posts: 3,759
While I cant speak about this particular Fairfield Inn, Ive stayed at the Retlaw Hotel in Fond Du Lac several times and it is a lovely boutique hotel. Highly recommend!
Mar 15, 23, 7:00 am
#8
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An irrational property manager will take zero corporate oversight as a license to carry on running amok. And Marriott Bonvoy is a synonym for zero corporate oversight.
Mar 15, 23, 12:11 pm
#9
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Mar 15, 23, 12:19 pm
#10
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Its clear management is dishonest and fraudulent, and undoubtedly some local consumer protection laws must be being breached.
Mar 15, 23, 6:54 pm
#11
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Mar 15, 23, 10:07 pm
#13
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Mar 15, 23, 11:23 pm
#14
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Mar 16, 23, 12:40 pm
#15
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