No longer a Ramada…read more
I have previously given a glowing review on google, which I have since deleted and written a new one.
This had been my hotel of choice, for quite some time, if I was in the Edmonton area. It is one of the few places left with smoking rooms and is, in all honesty, nicer than the other ones in the area. However, after my experience during my most recent stay, I have to recommend that everyone stays far away from here.
I checked in, specifically requesting a smoking room. The lady working the front desk was distracted by personal issues, but it sounded important and felt for her, so I let it slide.
Upon entering my room I see a "No Smoking" sign . I, immediately, call the front desk to request a different room.
The lady working the desk informed me that it was, in fact, a smoking room.
I asked her about the sign, but she reassured me it was definitely a smoking room.
I asked her if I would get fined for smoking in the room and she assured me that I would not.
Upon checkout, however, the lady working the front desk insisted on charging me for smoking in the room, and did so quite rudely.
I explained to her the conversation from the previous night, but she insisted.
I insisted that I should not pay it so she called a supervisor, then continued to insist I pay it, even more rudely. I am actually impress with myself, that I was able to keep my calm. I have to admit there was more than a few four letter words bubbling beneath the surface, begging to be let out.
Now I had two choices. Pay the fine, or storm out and let them keep my entire deposit. Under protest, I paid the fine. If I did not have an appointment that I absolutely needed to keep, I would have had a third option. Stay and make a fuss until management actually looked into the issue. In retrospect, I kind of wish I had called to see if I could push back the appointment, then stayed and argued my point further.
There are things they could have done to confirm what I was telling them. I assume they have security cameras. Most places do, now. They could have reviewed the footage from the previous night and they would have seen the lady assuring me it was a smoking room. They could have called her and asked her. Of course, she could have lied and said she didn't, but maybe not. Most people will fess up when confronted.
So, now, my best recourse is to leave negative reviews on every site I can find that does reviews. I will also inform anyone who will listen not to stay there, both in person and on every social media platform where I am a member. I may even go and picket the place, if I am not busy on weekends during the spring and summer, in hopes of scaring away even more of their business.
This campaign will continue until they make it right. I expect a return of my deposit, in full, and some figurative heads to roll. If any of my employees tried to charge a customer for what was, obviously, a mistake by staff, I would either fire them on the spot, or strongly reprimand them, depending on how valuable said employees were.