Prior to arriving at Bluebird Meadows, I had spoken to the owner, Donna on several occasions. I was most concerned to find a location that was close to the Coldwater Curling Club where I was to attend an event on September 10. At her request, I provided her with my visa number to hold the room.
Upon arrival at Bluebird Meadows at 5 o'clock as planned, I knocked at the closed door. When Donna answered the door, she had such a look of disdain on her face that I immediately felt uncomfortable enough to ask her if I had the right place and if she was in fact a Bed and Breakfast. I started to say, "We have a reservation" but before I could finish my sentence, she interrupted with, "No, you DO NOT!" I'm sure you can imagine how shocked we were to be greeted in such a manner! Being black Canadians, my husband and I have heard of such treatment and even experienced it ourselves TWENTY YEARS AGO! This recent event has opened old wounds that we thought were long healed.
I told Donna that I had booked my reservation weeks prior to which she shook her head and insisting that such could not have occurred as I would have had to provide her with a credit card number. (Inexplicably, she seemed to conclude that the requirement to possess a credit card would automatically exclude me.) I informed her that she had been provided with my visa number and sent me a confirmation email.
I suggested that if she could allow me to access her computer, I would be able to show her the e-mail. She was absolutely appalled at that suggestion stating, "That would require you to come into MY HOME!" I asked her if she didn't operate a bed a breakfast. At that point, she stated that my husband and I could wait on the porch and she would see if she could find my email and she began to close the door in my face all the while stating that it would not make any difference since she had already booked out all of her rooms. I wondered how she would be searching for our reservation since we had never had the opportunity to provide her our names.
I told her we would not be waiting on her porch but would be leaving.
We headed for our car and as we opened the doors and got in we heard her call out after us, "Would you like a map?"
We stayed in her driveway calling nearby hotels only to find that due to the university residence being under construction, students had taken over all the hotels! We had a friend staying at another B&B so we called to see if we would be permitted to get changed there and to our good fortune, there happened to be a room available at the lovely and welcoming Inn the Woods where the owners went out of their way for us. During that time, Donna had plenty of time to check her e-mail. Why didn't she? Could it be because she knew exactly who we were the minute we arrived?
We ended up being late for the important function we were attending and our evening was completely ruined. read more