I contacted the hotel to make a complaint about what happened in the lounge and restaurant area…read more They repeatedly emphasized that the restaurant is operated by a third party rather than by Hilton itself, which felt like they were trying to distance themselves from the situation. I was then told that a manager would call me the following day. Instead, a supervisor simply sent me a generic, copy-and-pasted apology by email. No manager ever called me.
There is clearly a lack of communication between the front desk and the third-party restaurant operator. The servers were not helpful, and the man who asked me to leave, who I believe was the lounge supervisor, was extremely rude, aggressive, and completely lacking in basic courtesy. It was very clear to me that the staff had not been properly trained.
I work at cafes and hotel lounges throughout Los Angeles, and I have never encountered any staff in Los Angeles who was as rude as this particular supervisor. The way he spoke to me and treated me was completely unacceptable.
The hotel's management also showed very little sincerity or concern toward a customer who had taken the time to make a legitimate complaint.
I have had concerns about the level of staff training and service at some Hilton properties, but this was by far the worst Hilton experience I have had. I absolutely do not recommend this hotel, and I will never return.
For context, as I mentioned in another review, this whole situation started when I was asked to leave the restaurant/lounge because I was supposedly a non-guest who had been working on my laptop in the lounge for several days without ordering food and had supposedly worked there for five hours the previous day.
That was simply not accurate.
I had only come there on two consecutive days. Before coming, I had specifically called the front desk and asked whether I could use the lounge to work on my laptop. The front desk told me that even non-guests were welcome to use the lounge and that I did not need to purchase anything. Even though I was told I did not have to order anything, I still ordered tea and left a tip.
I also did not work there for five hours the previous day. I worked for only about two hours.
In fact, when I first started working in the lounge, no server came to take my order for more than 30 minutes. So after I finally placed my order, I had only been working for about an hour and a half.
There were also basic service issues during that time. After a server cleared the previous customer's dishes from the table, he did not wipe the table down, leaving it dirty. He then went into the back and did not come out for quite some time. I eventually had to go to the restroom myself, get paper towels, and clean the table myself.
So being told that I had been taking up the lounge for five hours without ordering anything was not only inaccurate, but particularly frustrating given the circumstances.
If the restaurant is operated by a third party, then the hotel needs to communicate its policies clearly to that operator and make sure its staff are properly trained. Customers should not be caught in the middle of that lack of communication.
The beautiful interior cannot make up for poor communication, poor service, and the way I was treated. I would not recommend this hotel, and I will not be returning.
