Parents Hotel stays with meets - Just venting

[GymBee97]

Ok we were at a meet this past weekend and I need to vent about the hotel or I'm going to burst. The hotel we stayed at was one of the host hotels (a Hilton). There was supposed to be a special rate with those booking for the meet.

I went to book as was told there were no more rooms at that rate!! What ??? The flyer said we had until a certain date to get the rate - WRONG!! it was until a certain date or until the block of room the Hilton had on hold were gone! Ok so I aske them how much for a room at their cheapest rate and I have AAA to help bring the rate down. They tell me instead of the $89 a night it would be $175 a night for the cheapest room!!! TOO MUCH. So I say no go on line and look for someplace else. Low and behold this same hotel on line has the room for $90 a night!! I'm thinking what the heck?? So I book it.

We get there and at a big name like HILTON we get nickled and dimed or should I say dollared to death. First we were told if we say at a host hotel the parking is free - NOPE only if you were lucky enough to get one of the blocked rooms was that true. So another $28 A NIGHT for parking.

Get to room and DD has lap top so she can get some homework done.
Ok WiFi is not FREE for guests its $10 a night for WiFi - thank god my lap top has a cell phone chip in it so I can connect through Verizon.

If you got the block room then the breakfast buffet was free if not then it was $25 per person!!!! Nope not getting that!! Went accross the street to starbucks and for $25 total DD and I had breakfast (still alot for breakfast but cheaper than the hotel).

Ok no paper under the door in the AM like I get at a Marriot or even a Holiday Inn. The staff for the most part was great the room clean but sheesh the guests shouldn't have to pay for every item that everywhere else is usually free!!

With the parking the check in desk sends me to the "parking person" They actually have a special desk for that to ask if they would waive the fee! The guy tells me Absolutly NOT!! So at check out I figure I will try to plead my case again. Get a different person I explain I'm there with DD for the meet but we missed out on the special rate rooms but could they possibly waive the parking. This gal say Of Course they can!! Ok so I didn't have to pay for the parking (saved $56) but If I didn't ask a different staff member on check out it would have been another $56 out of my pocket. And how come this gal could do it but the guy at check in couldn't change it??

Ok I know I'm ranting but a big hotel like the Hilton shouldn't be charging for the amenities that even the cheapest Days Inn gives for free. Give me a break Hilton - are you that desprate for money? If so then Cut Paris' allowance in half!!!

 

[wallinbl]

I had a poor experience at one of their hotels at a meet a few months back. The parent organization was responsive and compensatory, even though the local establishment was apathetic. Doesn't take away the miserable experience, but at least helps you moving forward.

Hope the meet went well!

 

[iwannacoach]

Noooooooooo!


Don't force the Hilton family to cut poor Paris' allowance. You may end up forcing the poor darling to work......like washing more cars in a fastfood commercial, or "staring" in another reality series with somebody who really has no talent.

Really, I could lose sleep over this, and just huddle in a corner dreading the onslought of Paris-centric programming that has Paris moving in, to "make ends meet", with the even less talented Kardashian brood.....or watching her paired up with "octo-mom" to help the poor woman make better choices. !!!

 

[my4buffaloes]

My experience has been that the fancier the hotel the less things are included - like parking, wi-fi, breakfast. I prefer a good mid-range or upper mid-range hotel - still nice, but with all the extras free.

 

[Gymmonkeymomma]

I had a bad experience at Hampton this summer, which is also a Hilton property. Long story short, i booked at one rate (State Govt for my dh) and they would not honor it because he wasn't checking in (he was parking the freaking car!!). Meanwhile friends who booked same rate, checked in one hour prior at same hotel got the rate! I came home and called Hilton corporate who was very nice but useless, as they claim policies are set by individual properties.3 emails and 2 phone calls later, I will never use Hilton again!

 

[GymBee97]

DD didn't do that well at the meet only did 3 events as she was coming back from a back injury with only 1 week of practice under her belt so neither she or I was expecting great scores.

 

[Deleted member D3987]

well, one year we traveled in bad weather. all the coaches arrived at the host hotel very late. and there were those stuck that were already there and couldn't leave because of the weather. so the hotel did what they could and overbooked. then 4 of my wife's friends who were coaches got there and the hotel said they weren't booked. a fight ensued. it got loud. then my wife came over and explained that her friends had no room. and the hotel was out of cots because of the weather. but they did have pillows and blankets. i told my wife "okay". her friends all packed in the room and they had 1 BIG SLEEPOVER. the things we do for our friends and gymnastics. i used the pillows and blankets and slept in the bath tub. at least i was able to close the door so that i didn't have to listen to all of them until the wee hours of the morning...although there were 'other' sounds in the bathroom that i had to put up with till they finally went to sleep.

 

[cbifoja]

I'm a bit frustrated right now. DD has a meet in mid-January and we pulled a Sunday 8AM session. The meet website has hotels listed but some of the deadlines were yesterday and today. I did check the website and see that they have the meet schedule up so I was happy! Started calling hotels and some of them are filled up on the rooms saved for the meet. :-(

HOW?????

If you are going to have hotel deadlines, it seems the polite thing is to have your schedule public BEFORE said deadlines!

 

[Deleted member D3987]

or else you will find yourself ^^^ sleeping in the bathtub!

 

[cbifoja]

or else you will find yourself ^^^ sleeping in the bathtub!

LOL.... 'Zactly.

 

[GymBee97]

or else you will find yourself ^^^ sleeping in the bathtub!

LOL Dunno!!

 

[ginnymac]

What I do is make the reservation for any night that you *might* need. Then, once the schedule comes out, you can cancel accordingly.

It is unfortunate that that is what you have to do. That is probably why the block is filled---people haven't canceled reservations that they don't need yet....

 

[gymmomtoo]

What I do is make the reservation for any night that you *might* need. Then, once the schedule comes out, you can cancel accordingly.

It is unfortunate that that is what you have to do. That is probably why the block is filled---people haven't canceled reservations that they don't need yet....

Yup, this is what I do--book everything you might need, then cancel what you don't when you find out when she competes. And I hate the Hilton too! expensive, no free wi-fi (I can get it at McDonalds, for goodness sake!) and slow service (at the hotels I've been at). I refuse to stay there anymore unless forced to.

And always call and book early--then cancel later if your plans change.

 

[bookworm]

I always book my hotels in the summer (or very early September) for any meet the gym is even thinking of going to or has gone to for a number of years...and I never book through the "host hotel" website as you can get socked with paying for 1 night if you don't "cancel 7 days in advance" so...I book, usually at the same hotel, at the AAA rate and still have til 6 pm the nite I am booked to cancel!! The AAA rate is sometimes 5 or 10 bucks more but it 's usually the same or even cheaper , and I like the flexibility of being able to cancel closer to my travel date.

 

[GymBeeMom]

I always book my hotels in the summer (or very early September) for any meet the gym is even thinking of going to or has gone to for a number of years...and I never book through the "host hotel" website as you can get socked with paying for 1 night if you don't "cancel 7 days in advance" so...I book, usually at the same hotel, at the AAA rate and still have til 6 pm the nite I am booked to cancel!! The AAA rate is sometimes 5 or 10 bucks more but it 's usually the same or even cheaper , and I like the flexibility of being able to cancel closer to my travel date.

This is a great tip. I believe I will be doing the same from now on. Thanks!

 

[GymBee97]

Just a quick tip for those who reserve early the Possible nights. You can avoid cancelation fees all the time. You just call tell them your not calling to cancell but to change the reservation to a week later. Then call back the next day and cancell. this way you can call the day of the reservation and still avoid the fee. Of course this doesn't apply to the prepaid rooms you book online that don't allow change of dates.

 

[GymBee97]

Well I ended up calling the Hilton today. I was paying my bills online and notices a $50 charge for today!!! I checked out 2 days ago!! How could there be a $50 charge today? The BS they told me had my blood vessels ready to burst. Ok you know when you check into a hotel they swipe your credit card to have on file for possible incidentals? Well they not only swipe it but do a $50 charge to the account so they are already paid at least $50 for the extras you might use even before you finish checking in!!!!! I'm like what are you talking about we didn't have any extra charges. Oh they know but this is how they do it then in 3 - 5 business days they will REFUND the $50!! I've never heard of such a practice - you know I went off on the poor gal just trying to do her job at the other end of the phone but seriously these are poor customer service policies for a Hotel - Never again will I go to a Hilton or Hilton family hotel!! I will stay in a tent first Sheesh With all these extra charges and taking monies just in case you think the Hilton was on the verge of bankrupcy

 

[Gymmonkeymomma]

If you give them a credit card, it's simply a "hold" of $50 which is released at checkout. If you give a DEBIT card for the hold, the money is actually debited, then you have to wait for the refund. This happened to my friend when we stayed at a Radisson and no, they don't tell you this at checkin!!!

 

[Gymmonkeymomma]

I always book my hotels in the summer (or very early September) for any meet the gym is even thinking of going to or has gone to for a number of years...and I never book through the "host hotel" website as you can get socked with paying for 1 night if you don't "cancel 7 days in advance" so...I book, usually at the same hotel, at the AAA rate and still have til 6 pm the nite I am booked to cancel!! The AAA rate is sometimes 5 or 10 bucks more but it 's usually the same or even cheaper , and I like the flexibility of being able to cancel closer to my travel date.

This is what I do, even though head coach does most of our hotel bookings, I always like to have "backup" that I can cancel

 

[GymBee97]

If you give them a credit card, it's simply a "hold" of $50 which is released at checkout. If you give a DEBIT card for the hold, the money is actually debited, then you have to wait for the refund. This happened to my friend when we stayed at a Radisson and no, they don't tell you this at checkin!!!

This is a debit/credit card that is only used for gymnastic stuff and in all the years I have been doing this it is the first time I've had this happen. I'll have to make sure they do it as a credit I guess.

Hey what happens if you arrive at the front desk and you don't have a card for the extra stuff? Wonder what they do then? I'm going to have to try it once to see what they say.