ComplaintsforHoliday Inn Express

• Initial Complaint

  07/22/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  ATT: Keith Barr, IHG CEO C/O Andrea St. Lauren, IHG Hotels Regional Mgr DATE: July 19, 2022 On or around June 26, 2022, I booked a room at one of your hotels located at 11205 Isabelle Dr., the Holiday Inn Express, New Haven, IN.. I originally booked the reservation through Priceline and the reservation was set for Monday, June 27, 2022 - Monday July 11, 2022 (See Attached Receipt). I pre-paid for this reservation through Priceline in the amount of $1,764.70. Needless to say, my experience with your hotel management and their cleaning protocols was less than honorable. During the first two weeks of my stay, I had come to my temporary home only to find that the room was left in shambles for 6 of the 14 days that I originally stayed at the New Haven location. This is despite the fact that upon my arrival at your hotel on June 10, 2022, I explicitly requested daily cleaning service and the front desk clerk on staff that afternoon assured me that my request would be honored. With her confirmation along with the “IHG Clean Promise” that was posted at the register, I had every reason to believe that my request for daily room service was in alignment with your company offerings. IHG PROMISE; With the IHG® Clean Promise, guests are reassured that: Good isn’t good enough – we’re committed to high levels of cleanliness. That means clean, well maintained, clutter free rooms that meet our standards. If this isn’t what you find when you check-in then we promise to make it right. However, this promise was severely violated throughout the duration of my original stay. One notable incident occurred on or around the afternoon of June 25, 2022, where the toilet in the bathroom had become clogged with feces and paper. I phoned down to the front desk and the white-haired woman, I believe her name may be Diana, picked up the phone. On June 27th I renewed my lease then on June 28th Patricia Pillsbury cancelled my reservation and refused to refund my money.

  Business response

  08/03/2022

  Hello,

   

  This guests issue with with Expedia where where she booked her reservation. Unfortunately, we had to contact  the police to have this person removed from our hotel and the police issued a no trespass order against her due to her language and behavior. Her booking was made via Expedia and per the terms and conditions within her reservation with them all changes, payments and refund must be addressed by Expedia. we have communicated this to her on at least 5 occasions.  She has threatened to sue the company and our employees. At this time we have been advised to cease communication with her.  

   

  Andrea St.*******

  Regional Manager

  Customer response

  08/04/2022

  Please accept this email as my official rebuttal to Andrea’s response.

   

  Per her admission, Andrea’s team called the police on me to have me escorted off their property. Ironically, they alleged that I was removed from the property due to my language and behavior. However, when the police arrived they stated that they weren’t sure why I was being asked to leave, but that they could only respond to Patricia Pillsbury’s (Mgr) request to have me removed from the property since she told them that I was trespassing. This is despite the fact that I had just paid $1,764.70 in full to be there. The room was rightfully mine and I was legally supposed to be allowed to secure the property and occupy the space that I paid for. The police nor did any member of Andrea’s team produce proof of any behavior or language that should have warranted the assistance of the police. I even requested that Andrea review the footage of any and all of my interactions with her staff, which was being recorded on a daily basis by the cameras positioned at the front desk of the hotel we’re speaking on. AFTERALL, I was a patron at Andrea’s hotel and her team failed me… not the other way around. IF, a thorough investigation was completed as Andrea professed, then Andrea would’ve witnessed firsthand how her staff was acting unprofessional and unruly towards ME…a patron of their hotel. 

   

  What’s important here though, is at the time I purchased the room through PRICELINE, there was a mutual agreement in order between myself and IHG Hotels. In exchange for my money they were to provide me with a room and all of the services that come along with being reasonably accommodated at their house of hospitality…. So they claim. However, when I requested that they live up to their end of the deal by providing me with the services I paid for, her team dropped the ball. It was IHG’s management team that failed to deliver and failed to remain courteous and professional in a situation that most senior level professionals would’ve easily been able to resolve and dissolve. Please keep in mind that this entire situation originated with me making honest inquiries as to why my room wasn’t being cleaned on a daily basis as the IHG team promised it would be. 

   

  Either way, when Patricia asked that I leave the property, she and now Andrea both knew that I was due a refund. Any reputable business acting in goodwill towards its customer is fully aware that when services aren’t rendered a refund is due. Just as Andrea admitted, she told me over 5 times that it would be Expedia… but, it is in fact Priceline, who would have to initiate the refund. This admittance should serve as proof that I have been in communications with Andrea in an attempt to secure the refund of my money. I brought my request for a refund to Andrea’s attention on the very first day that we spoke, which was on or around June 28, 2022. I explained to her at that time that from my previous experience of dealing with Priceline, when it comes to obtaining any refunds it is the hotel who has to release the reservation and authorize the refund. I explained this to Andrea over and over. Only for Andrea to state that according to her 23 years of experience with such a situation, she was sure that any refunds would have to come from the 3rd party in which I booked the reservation. 

   

  Needless to say, I’ve contacted Priceline on numerous occasions since June 27, 2022 and the consistent message from the Priceline Manager is that they have attempted to contact Andrea and her team and each time it’s either no manager is on staff to take the call OR the person who answers the phone when the Priceline Manager calls is simply refusing to cancel the reservation and provide the Priceline agent with the authorization they need to offer the refund back to me. 

   

   

  In fact. I’ve been on at least half a dozen calls with Priceline on one end and me on the other and each call to Andrea and her team has resulted in the same run around. Although, I spoke with Andrea on or around July 5, 2022 where she blatantly stated that she was refusing to provide me with any refunds.

   

  To date, I’m seeking a full refund of the money I paid for the services that were never rendered. It is up to Andrea to release the reservation and communicate this to Priceline as they have requested her to do on various occasions. 

   

  Furthermore, I’d like to request that my experience with the Holiday Inn Express, New Haven be published for all consumers who may find such information useful when they’re considering a place to stay while traveling. I believe Andrea’s refusal to do all that she could to assure that my refund was taken care of is quite telling of her and her staff’s ability to deal with the general public and their willingness to accommodate the needs of the people who may not look or “Act” how they deem fit. This obviously is counter intuitive to what IHG says they stand for and to the entire hospitality industry as well.

   

  Andrea’s lack of action and genuine concern for a patron at her establishment left me in a huge crisis. Her team has essentially stolen $1,700 from me and left me to grapple with being out of a large amount of money and no place to stay while I was traveling. They placed my well-being in jeopardy and frustrated my entire trip with their outlandish actions. 

   

   

  Please see the below email for an in-depth write up on my experience as well.

   

  Looking forward to a positive outcome and resolve to this matter.

   

  Thank You Kindly once again,

   

  Carmeletta 

  Customer response

  08/14/2022

  Per her admission, Andrea’s team called the police on me to have me escorted off their property. Ironically, they alleged that I was removed from the property due to my language and behavior. However, when the police arrived they stated that they weren’t sure why I was being asked to leave, but that they could only respond to Patricia Pillsbury’s (Mgr) request to have me removed from the property since she told them that I was trespassing. This is despite the fact that I had just paid $1,764.70 in full to be there. The room was rightfully mine and I was legally supposed to be allowed to secure the property and occupy the space that I paid for. The police nor did any member of Andrea’s team produce proof of any behavior or language that should have warranted the assistance of the police. I even requested that Andrea review the footage of any and all of my interactions with her staff, which was being recorded on a daily basis by the cameras positioned at the front desk of the hotel we’re speaking on. AFTERALL, I was a patron at Andrea’s hotel and her team failed me… not the other way around. IF, a thorough investigation was completed as Andrea professed, then Andrea would’ve witnessed firsthand how her staff was acting unprofessional and unruly towards ME…a patron of their hotel. 

   

  What’s important here though, is at the time I purchased the room through PRICELINE, there was a mutual agreement in order between myself and IHG Hotels. In exchange for my money they were to provide me with a room and all of the services that come along with being reasonably accommodated at their house of hospitality…. So they claim. However, when I requested that they live up to their end of the deal by providing me with the services I paid for, her team dropped the ball. It was IHG’s management team that failed to deliver and failed to remain courteous and professional in a situation that most senior level professionals would’ve easily been able to resolve and dissolve. Please keep in mind that this entire situation originated with me making honest inquiries as to why my room wasn’t being cleaned on a daily basis as the IHG team promised it would be. 

   

  Either way, when Patricia asked that I leave the property, she and now Andrea both knew that I was due a refund. Any reputable business acting in goodwill towards its customer is fully aware that when services aren’t rendered a refund is due. Just as Andrea admitted, she told me over 5 times that it would be Expedia… but, it is in fact Priceline, who would have to initiate the refund. This admittance should serve as proof that I have been in communications with Andrea in an attempt to secure the refund of my money. I brought my request for a refund to Andrea’s attention on the very first day that we spoke, which was on or around June 28, 2022. I explained to her at that time that from my previous experience of dealing with Priceline, when it comes to obtaining any refunds it is the hotel who has to release the reservation and authorize the refund. I explained this to Andrea over and over. Only for Andrea to state that according to her 23 years of experience with such a situation, she was sure that any refunds would have to come from the 3rd party in which I booked the reservation. 

   

  Needless to say, I’ve contacted Priceline on numerous occasions since June 27, 2022 and the consistent message from the Priceline Manager is that they have attempted to contact Andrea and her team and each time it’s either no manager is on staff to take the call OR the person who answers the phone when the Priceline Manager calls is simply refusing to cancel the reservation and provide the Priceline agent with the authorization they need to offer the refund back to me. 

   

   

  In fact. I’ve been on at least half a dozen calls with Priceline on one end and me on the other and each call to Andrea and her team has resulted in the same run around. Although, I spoke with Andrea on or around July 5, 2022 where she blatantly stated that she was refusing to provide me with any refunds.

   

  To date, I’m seeking a full refund of the money I paid for the services that were never rendered. It is up to Andrea to release the reservation and communicate this to Priceline as they have requested her to do on various occasions. 

   

  Furthermore, I’d like to request that my experience with the Holiday Inn Express, New Haven be published for all consumers who may find such information useful when they’re considering a place to stay while traveling. I believe Andrea’s refusal to do all that she could to assure that my refund was taken care of is quite telling of her and her staff’s ability to deal with the general public and their willingness to accommodate the needs of the people who may not look or “Act” how they deem fit. This obviously is counter intuitive to what IHG says they stand for and to the entire hospitality industry as well.

   

  Andrea’s lack of action and genuine concern for a patron at her establishment left me in a huge crisis. Her team has essentially stolen $1,700 from me and left me to grapple with being out of a large amount of money and no place to stay while I was traveling. They placed my well-being in jeopardy and frustrated my entire trip with their outlandish actions

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