-- Beautiful Hotel, Deeply Disappointing Hospitality…read more
We chose Hotel Windrow for our son's 19th birthday weekend while visiting him at college in Ellensburg. After reading the wonderful reviews, we were excited to enjoy what appeared to be a charming hotel with exceptional hospitality. Unfortunately, our experience with Cassie, who identified herself as the shift manager, was anything but hospitable.
On October 16, around 5 PM, I went downstairs to request bedding for our pullout sofa, which had not been prepared despite the hotel knowing the number of guests on our reservation. Rather than requesting room delivery, I offered to carry the bedding upstairs myself because we had dinner reservations.
What should have been a simple request quickly became an unnecessarily confrontational interaction.
Cassie, who was not wearing a name badge, informed me that the pullout sofa in our room was not up to fire code and was not supposed to be in the bedroom. Naturally, I found this alarming. Why would a hotel provide sleeping accommodations that its own manager suggested were not compliant with fire-safety requirements?
She then explained that an employee had failed to report to work, that she was understaffed, and that assisting guests checking in took priority over helping me. She also said she could not provide an estimated time for the bedding because she was spending too much time assisting me.
I remained calm, patient, and soft-spoken throughout the exchange. In fact, I spoke so quietly that she repeatedly leaned forward to hear me. Yet her demeanor was abrasive, impatient, dismissive, and increasingly hostile.
After I returned upstairs and explained what happened, my husband went downstairs to ask about the concerning fire-code statement.
When Cassie eventually brought the bedding to our room, rather than simply resolving the issue, she accused me of being aggressive and suggested that we might have to be removed from the hotel.
All of this over a request for bedding.
She also stated that her adrenaline was so high that her hands were shaking. I found that reaction bewildering given the nature of our interaction. When hotel surveillance and audio recordings were mentioned, I welcomed their review because I strongly dispute her characterization of my behavior.
Cassie repeatedly mentioned that she was supposed to be off work at 5 PM. While I sympathize with staffing shortages and long shifts, those frustrations should never be directed toward paying guests.
Interestingly, I also observed her affectionately referring to her blue heeler, who was waiting in the lobby, as her "baby" while interacting with another guest. The warmth of that exchange stood in stark contrast to the hostility I experienced.
My husband eventually returned downstairs to ask whether we could expect a peaceful remainder of our stay. According to him, Cassie agreed to do what was necessary. But why should a family celebrating their son's birthday have to negotiate for a peaceful hotel stay?
Hospitality is not simply attractive accommodations and positive online reviews. It is how guests are treated when they need assistance.
We were not requesting special treatment, compensation, or anything unreasonable. We simply needed bedding that should have been provided before check-in.
I sincerely hope Hotel Windrow's leadership reviews this incident, including the available surveillance footage, clarifies the troubling fire-code statement, and addresses the level of professionalism demonstrated by its shift manager.
Our experience was drastically different from the warm, welcoming hospitality we anticipated in Ellensburg.
There is a difference between being understaffed and being inhospitable. Guests should never feel belittled, intimidated, or threatened with removal simply for requesting basic service.
A beautiful hotel cannot compensate for an absence of genuine hospitality.