Extremely Disappointing Stay: Unwarranted Room Downgrade and Inconsistent Service…read more
My wife and I recently stayed here, and unfortunately, it was one of the most unwelcoming hotel experiences we've ever had. A soft warning to fellow travelers of color: please proceed with caution if you are considering staying at this property.
A Stark Contrast in Treatment
While waiting in line at check-in, we watched the front desk agent (a white female staff member with multiple visible piercings) treat two elderly couples ahead of us with exceptional warmth and care--giving them local maps, answering endless questions, and acting like a personal travel guide.
However, the moment my wife and I stepped up to the desk, her demeanor completely flipped to cold and dismissive. Despite having already completed online check-in prior to arrival, she made us repeat the entire process from scratch. To top it off, as we walked toward the elevators, she loudly called out across the lobby in front of other guests: "You didn't purchase the breakfast with your booking, so you don't have breakfast and will have to pay for it." It was completely unnecessary and publicly embarrassing.
Unilateral Room Downgrade & Ridiculous Excuses
Things got worse when we opened our room door. On April 15th, we booked and fully paid for the Split-Level Triple with Double Bed (their highest-priced room tier). Instead, we were placed in a Classic Double (their lowest-priced room tier).
When we calmly brought this to her attention, expecting an easy fix, she refused to correct it and claimed:
"The website's pictures mean nothing. We obviously can't put all the pictures of the different types of triple rooms on the website; it would be too big."
When I asked why we weren't given the split-level room we actually paid for, she admitted they took it upon themselves to downgrade us, stating:
"When we saw that it was only two of you, we knew that you didn't need the extra space, so we gave you this style triple instead."
They unilaterally decided to downgrade us to their cheapest room simply because there were two of us, while still keeping the money we paid for their top-tier room. We felt robbed, targeted, and thoroughly unwelcome.
Bright Spots
The only reason this isn't a 1-star review is because of two exceptional team members:
The gentleman on the morning shift who stored our luggage at 11:00 AM.
The young man working the bar/lounge area that evening.
Both were professional, welcoming, and demonstrated the level of service every guest deserves.
Final Verdict
A guest's treatment and room assignment should never depend on who happens to walk up to the counter or what they look like. Between the forced downgrade, the dismissive attitude, and the public call-outs, we were left feeling completely out of place. I strongly advise travelers--especially families and travelers of color--to think twice or double-check every detail of their room assignments at check-in if staying here.
