A longtime OMAAT reader asked for my take on a situation he recently dealt with. I’ll share my perspective, and then I’m curious how others feel.
For additional context:
- I have stayed at this property multiple times prior. It’s nothing stellar, but breakfast has been decent and is attractive with points bookings. I had paid for this stay using points. On prior occasions, there have been ants in the room, a hair in breakfast, but I have let it slide.
- For this stay, I initially stayed 4 nights on points and encountered the issue on my last day. I had to then extend my stay so I paid on my own for a 5th night and was told by front desk that my 6th night was already paid for (unsure if this was the manager’s way of compensating, but I had clearly mentioned that it was not acceptable).
- I tried contacting several times, but got the same “busy” response, so I contacted IHG. After multiple follow-ups to IHG, apparently they were also getting the same message from the hotel, that “she will call tomorrow.”
- Finally after escalations within IHG, the supervisor just told me – hey we cannot do anything. It is the hotel’s fault and we will ask the GM to call – the person avoiding any comms is the GM in the first place. The supervisor was also clear that the hotel is our franchise and they know best – we don’t get involved in quality and other matters.
So, this reader poses several question to me and the OMAAT community:
Is there something the reader should’ve done differently? No, it sounds like he tried to express his concerns, and was basically dismissed, so I’m not sure that could’ve really been handled much better on his part. If he wanted to have the issue taken more seriously, perhaps leaving negative reviews on every review platform would make sense, and blasting the general manager by name (that might get her attention). I suppose one could also contact local media in the city where the hotel is. It’s really frustrating when as consumers our only real recourse in some situations is to be super annoying online. 😉
Here’s the sad reality, though — I don’t think IHG is alone in simply not wanting to help guests with individual property issues. I think this has just become the norm among the major hotel chains, given the extent to which they prioritize growth above all else, and increasingly treat hotel owners as their customers, rather than the actual guests. I wouldn’t necessarily expect that Hilton, Hyatt, or Marriott, would handle this any better, sadly.
Bottom line
A guest at a Crowne Plaza found sharp metal in his breakfast while biting into a bakery item. Fortunately he immediately discovered it upon biting. However, hotel staff didn’t seem to take this issue seriously, and while there was a promise he would be contacted, that never happened. Even after escalating and asking to speak to the general manager, no one ever got in touch with him. Centrally, IHG has basically told him to pound sand, and that it’s a hotel issue.
A great solo travel tip spotted this week on One Mile at a Time.
