The WORST hotel experience from Sonesta Select Camarillo
DAY ONE
I booked a 3-day trip at Sonesta Select Camarillo, for a One Bedroom Suite - to celebrate the new year's holiday. We drove all day, tired and arrived around check in time. Upon arrival I checked in, went to the room. The room looked outdated, the condition was dirty and the wood around the fridge was peeling off, amongst many other things. I informed the manager in person & spoke to the housekeeper who was available. It took a long time to have the room cleaned which ruined my entire first evening at this hotel.
These are the items of concern found on my first night:
* Wood peeling off from the fridge
* Food splatter left in microwave
* Urine/blood-stained toilet with hair
* Dried blood/food on bathroom light switch
* Stained bedding, covers & sheets
* Dirty bathroom sink
* Dirty hair clogged blow dryer
* Cracked open a/c & heater unit
* Dirty couch, had to put sheets over to sit on during my stay here.
* Not given sofa Pillows advertised on Sonesta's website, 1 long pillow.
* The ottoman advertised on Sonesta's website for my booked room was missing, which made it very uncomfortable sitting on the sofa.
(See ALL photos)
DAY TWO
I walked down to the front desk & spoke to Ramon, the manager on duty. I showed him the pictures I had taken with my phone of the problem areas in our hotel room. In addition, I asked him to go with me to see the room to verify those issues and he responded that there was no need to. The manager finally & reluctantly after about a half hour, gave me an additional day stay. He did not do this out of kindness, he Only did it because I convinced him with proof, that his hotel room was subpar. I did not have to well-document it, but since management was not taking this seriously, it triggered me to take pictures, times and dates, therefore missing out on the fun time I could have spent elsewhere in Camarillo.
DAY THREE
We went out during the day in good spirits, finally relieved in hopes, no new problems would come up.
After enjoying a great time in Camarillo, I arrived back at my hotel room, with hands full of bags. As I used my keycard to get into my room, it did not work. I stood in the hallway trying to get in with my card as hotel guests passed by looking at me strange, which was extremely embarrassing.
If you've never been to this hotel and your room is located on the far end of the property, you have to walk several corridors long to get to the front desk. The room numbers range from 101 to 172, & 201 to 272, which is a long, long, walk to the front lobby because there is no elevator access on that side of the property. You have to haul your luggage a far distance away from the elevator.
By the time I walked around the hotel room corridors, went back down to get the key cards fixed & replaced; I missed my pre-planned outing of going to the movies, which ruined my New Year's Day evening.
DAY FOUR
Last day of my hotel stay. Exiting my hotel room, I began walking with my bags and luggage down the long corridor. There was a cleaning lady with her supply cart, in the middle of the last corridor. I continued to head towards the elevators, now fifty feet away from this cleaning lady, as she began to yell out, "are you leaving". Since I was too far away, I went back to find her one door away from my hotel room. This was very suspicious because when I originally passed by her, I was nowhere near my room, and she was in a separate corridor to my room, so I found that extremely odd. I asked her why she was trying to get my attention. She said she wanted to clean my room. I asked, why she wanted to clean my room now. She again, responded because she wanted to clean my room. I then asked her if she was the initial person who had cleaned the room and she responded yes. I then realized... this is the lady who was responsible for not properly cleaning the room, before I arrived to the hotel, which "IS" the reason my hotel stay was ruined. No one wanted to tell me who was responsible for not cleaning my room properly but she gave herself up when she flagged me down, to cover herself on the cleaning of the room for the next hotel guest.
I reported the key card incident to J.B. aka Eduardo, supervisor, he responded by telling me that my hotel card was not working because I had placed it next to my iPhone. I corrected him by informing him that my hotel key card was nowhere near my phone. His response was silence. Instead of assisting me as a hotel guest, these two men, Ramon and J.B. aka Eduardo, would come up with excuses, as to why things were not their fault; Like the ice-machine being out of order, not fixed for hotel guests.
We have been hotel guests when this property was owned by the Marriott, but as soon as Sonesta Select took over, customer service is nearly non-existent. I invite Sonesta's Corporate Office to contact me so that I can provide you further details on my nightmare experience here. read more