Where do I start? I guess with the reason for our stay.
We were in town for the Mad Monster Convention, but our room at the Renaissance wasn't ready, so we booked a room at TownePlace Suites instead.
The property itself is well maintained, the room is spacious, the air conditioner works great (which is essential when Glendale is regularly over 100 degrees), and I even appreciated the TV remote--something that sounds minor until you've stayed in enough hotels where half the buttons don't work.
Unfortunately, my stay was overshadowed by an embarrassing experience that left me feeling singled out.
I was sitting in my car finishing a few text messages about the convention before heading inside. While I was there, I watched several people walk into the hotel without being questioned by the woman at the front desk. When I walked in--wearing work pants, a white T-shirt, a brown beanie, and flip-flops--I was immediately stopped and asked what room I was staying in. I answered. Then I was asked for my last name. I showed my room key, but I was still told to go to the front desk.
What bothered me wasn't simply being asked to verify I was a guest. Hotels have every right to protect their guests. What bothered me was that I had just watched multiple people enter without being stopped, yet I was the only one questioned.
As I got on the elevator, the employee gave me a stern look and continued addressing me in front of other guests. It was uncomfortable enough that another guest in the elevator felt the need to tell me, "If you're not a guest here, you shouldn't be here." I quietly showed them my room key, rode to the second floor, and walked to Room 223.
I can't say for certain why I was singled out. Maybe it was because of the way I was dressed. Maybe it was because I'm brown-skinned. Maybe someone thought I looked poor or homeless. I don't know. What I do know is how it made me feel: embarrassed, humiliated, and treated like I had done something wrong when I hadn't.
Could the situation have been handled differently? Probably, on both sides. But I keep coming back to one question: Why was I the only person asked to prove I belonged there after watching several others walk in without a second glance?
TownePlace Suites has a nice property and comfortable rooms, but no guest should leave feeling publicly embarrassed or singled out. I hope management takes a closer look at how these situations are handled so every guest is treated with the same level of respect. read more