hotel experience Clearwater... (Orlando: rental, credit card, hotels)

[bentlebee]

Anybody had the same experience with their reservation department?

We made a reservation for tenants of ours who needed to be replaced for a few days and the hotel has a 1800 number with recorded reservation with a live person which we made.

What I call is a scam is the following;

We made reservations incl. a dog and were given a all incl. price but the next morning after the guests stayed for one night they were told they were in the wrong room and didn't pay for the pet fee which was incl. as I was told in my credit card holding. They were also told that they were in the wrong room.

Than they were told to leave the hotel after I had told them that we ha a reservation all incl. The person who called me didn't want to disclose her name an neither her position which we later found out was the hotel manager. At one point she even offered that we could pay approx. $ 44 for 4 days and she would waive the pet cleaning fee but she hung up on me when I asked for her name, and I didn't got the chance to say we will pay for that to have it all solved.

When I called back she didn't want to talk and stated we needed to resolve it with the 1800 number which to me is strange as a customer that I have to take it on with them while she was not willing to discuss it with the company they hired...

I did call the 1800 number and filed a complaint which would be handled by the 28th but within 30 min. the guests were told to leave the hotel and now they took a hotel night + cleaning fee out of my credit card which is kind of strange and sounds very fishy. When you check the ripoffreport.com you can see so many complaints against Howard J. hotels.

I was wondering if other people had similar experiences.

We moved the tenants over to another hotel in the area and there they ended up wit roaches in the room and they called the police for a peeping Tom...so nice experience and the hotels are maybe not high end but not the cheapest either and a little bit decent and polite and respect should be expected.

I feel horrible if tourists have a similar experience like what the tenants had to go through in the last das since I would not return to this area ....hopefully some people will have positive experiences to write so tourist feel that they are welcome and hopefully some hotel employees and managers will think twice and start to behave and act like what they are getting paid for because otherwise I think many unemployed people should get their jobs and will perform their job with a smile and professionalism.

Sorry for the vent but this was and is ridiculous.

[Girlsmom2]

I have had similar experiences with the same hotel chain, but in Orlando. Overcharging credit card, we were locked out of our room EVERY single night. We would have to go down to the front desk and have them redo the room key. This was after paying for a full week, long before arrival. That chain has gone way down hill. I would stick to the Mom and Pop places in the area. FYI, the Tahitian is pet friendly, we had a great 1 bdrm suite, clean and roomy. Less than $100 per night.

[bentlebee]

Originally Posted by Girlsmom2

I have had similar experiences with the same hotel chain, but in Orlando. Overcharging credit card, we were locked out of our room EVERY single night. We would have to go down to the front desk and have them redo the room key. This was after paying for a full week, long before arrival. That chain has gone way down hill. I would stick to the Mom and Pop places in the area. FYI, the Tahitian is pet friendly, we had a great 1 bdrm suite, clean and roomy. Less than $100 per night.

Thanks I will keep them in mind if we need one next time...some thieves stole all wires and copper from a rental and we discovered it on the day of move in...

[FloridaKash]

Goodness - what a PITA. Never have stayed at a Howard J.... and because of this story... never will. LaQuinta's are good budget friendly hotels and allow animals for free. FYI. Always check TripAdvisor reviews before selecting a motel/hotel. I have found TripAdvisor to be the most accurate on their ratings.

I just removed an air-conditioner from my house. Where do I go to sell the precious metal in it?

[Girlsmom2]

Originally Posted by FloridaKash

Goodness - what a PITA. Never have stayed at a Howard J.... and because of this story... never will. LaQuinta's are good budget friendly hotels and allow animals for free. FYI. Always check TripAdvisor reviews before selecting a motel/hotel. I have found TripAdvisor to be the most accurate on their ratings.

I just removed an air-conditioner from my house. Where do I go to sell the precious metal in it?

FloridaKash, you are so right on both LaQuinta and TripAdvisor. I don't go anywhere until I check reviews on Trip. Thats a great tool. And still praying for a job to come up for you!

Bentlebee, that is unbelievable! I know copper is very valuable but my goodness, I would think it would be much easier just to go get a job....even if its flipping burgers.

[bentlebee]

Originally Posted by FloridaKash

Goodness - what a PITA. Never have stayed at a Howard J.... and because of this story... never will. LaQuinta's are good budget friendly hotels and allow animals for free. FYI. Always check TripAdvisor reviews before selecting a motel/hotel. I have found TripAdvisor to be the most accurate on their ratings.

I just removed an air-conditioner from my house. Where do I go to sell the precious metal in it?

ccording to the polie there was a string of the same events going on when we reported it. It was a total shock to discover this because now after a house is made move in ready we need to check and open the electrical panel and go and look in the attic.

The A/C unit was still there, just all wires cut and behind the power outlets everything was pulled out...no other damage, "lucky" us and lucky owner....now it is "only" approx. $ 8000.- in damages.

But the manager at this Howard J beats everything and every rule how to treat customers...and again what if you travel from far to have some nice impression of Florida...well that is gne down the drain when you stay there.

I was on the phone to dispute the charge with BoA after i already had emailed the hotel with a cease and desist letter for all the pending hold charges on my account which they trippled for the normal 4 days of stays and I emailed them it was ikllegal to hold the tripple amount with no permission and within 1 hour that hold was taken off but they did over charge us for one day while the guests were kicked out within 12 hours. One of the hotel employees was on the phone with the Boa person and myself and yelling on the phone and very rude so the BoA person asked he to stay calm and just tell their side.

Since that 1800 gave me the entire amount on paper but notmentioning for how many people and pet they probably will be able to keep this amount so I learned another lesson...I will never book for anybody through a 1800 unless they will disclose the entire party and/or will use a tape recorder myelf since the taped recording is not to proof what was stated since BoA stated it can just be used for training purposes even though the Ho JO 1800 number is not stating itis for training purposes but that te conversation will be taped.
The reservation had to be made so fast and I had both my manager and the 1800 on the phone at the same time since we needed a hotel within the hour and the reservation email came in afterwards.

Even the manager of the hotel and employee were verbally fighting about the issue since the dog a black Lab was never hidden when they checked in since it was disclosed and booked for...

Again I also learned a lesson but shared this to avoid this chain of Howard J.

[algia]

WOW...

We only stay at Marriott's, except for one time when the dates were not available at Marriott, and we ended up at that Best Western in Orlando of I-4...where they wanted to charge us extra for:
a microwave
extra blankets
extra pillows
.....and some other stuff, and all that after we had to wait 3 hours to be checked in!

[bentlebee]

The hotel H. Johnson in Clearwater now charged my credit card and a $ 50 penalty for staying in the wrong room with a dog...wow that is even worse.

The manager is verbally fighting with an employee in front of the guests about putting them with a dog in the wrong room and we have to pay for it...it was not a ty dog that was hidden. It was a black Lab and w were told to go to this hotel by the 1800 HO JO number because the other H. Johnson didn't allow dogs!

Again carefull with the 1800 numbers and making reservations and next time I will tape our side of the conversation since they say they tape it as well so we are allowed to do the same if we disclose it

[Girlsmom2]

I would absolutely dispute those charges AND write a letter to the GM of HJ. No way would I pay that. Hope it comes to a resolution in your favor!

[bentlebee]

It seems hard to dispute since the 1800 reservations charged in full on the reservation but doesn't incl. on the conf. the kids and neither the pet which I have called about but they stated that was normal.

Now they claim I have no proof and even BoA will not listen to witnesses since we were on speaker phone and we have at least 8 witnesses.

Their story doesn't even ad up and they taped it. I have filed a complaint that according to them woul be handled before the 28th so I called them and they acknowledged the time frame had expired but they didn'thave an answer yet...

I guess I should have asked for what year they meant for before the 28th!!!

Just stay make reservations else where since no guests should be treated like this!