[I JUST RECEIVED A PHONE CALL REGARDING A FULL REFUND THAT MAY TAKE A MONTH TO CLEAR. -- I JUST…read moreWANTED TO BE FAIR AND POST THAT HERE. IF IT COMES, I MAY AMEND THE REVIEW]
Don't Let My Mistake Become Your Mistake
I rarely write negative reviews, but this was the worst hotel experience I've ever had.
The HVAC system at this property is apparently old and, according to staff, frequently malfunctions. Unfortunately, I learned that firsthand when the air conditioning failed on the hottest day of the year--July 4th.
After a long flight and drive from Charlotte Airport, I arrived expecting a comfortable night's rest. Instead, I spent a sleepless night in a sweltering room. To the hotel's credit, staff offered me a replacement room, but what was supposed to be an upgrade was just as hot as the standard room I had originally booked. At that point, there was no meaningful solution to the problem.
What made the situation even worse was the hotel's billing policy. Unlike most hotels that charge you after your stay, this property charged my credit card in advance. That's particularly bad news when the hotel cannot provide the basic service you're paying for: a room with working air conditioning.
With no realistic option but to leave, I checked out early on July 4th, forfeiting the second night of my reservation. Yet the front desk staff informed me they were not authorized to refund the unused night, despite already having charged my card. I was told that only the manager, Mr. Aaron Simerlink, could approve the refund--and that he works only Monday through Friday.
Think about that for a moment. The hotel could charge my credit card immediately, but the employees standing in front of me supposedly lacked the authority to return money for a night I would not be using because the room was uninhabitable. Why should a guest have to spend a holiday weekend chasing down a manager to obtain a fair refund?
Adding insult to injury was the customer service that followed. Mr. Simerlink initially avoided taking my call, and when I finally did speak with him after the front desk returned to him a second time, he ended the conversation by hanging up on me. That is not how a reputable hotel treats a guest who experienced a major service failure.
Ironically, when I checked out, the front desk had mistakenly billed me for the room "upgrade." Somehow, they were able to correct that charge without Mr. Simerlink's intervention, yet they remained powerless to refund the unused night. The inconsistency speaks for itself.
I eventually noticed that the unused night's charge had been refunded. That was the right outcome, but it should never have been a struggle to get there. A reputable operator would have shown genuine concern for a guest who endured a sleepless night in extreme heat. The response should have been immediate, apologetic, and customer-focused--not reluctant, dismissive, and adversarial.
My advice is simple: don't do it. If you're considering staying here, remember that when things go wrong, how management responds matters just as much as the problem itself. Based on my experience, you deserve better.
Listen to what I'm telling you. Don't let my mistake become your mistake. You deserve better than this