Holiday Inn

I've been busy with several unpleasant activities since my return. I may not be able to address all of them in one post.

First unpleasant item: Holiday Inn.

I've been staying, for about a year now, at the same Holiday Inn near M.D. Anderson when I go for treatment. Prior to that, I stayed at hotels, like the Crowne Plaza, owned by the Holiday Inn chain. Everything has always been acceptable.

First Problem. During an overnight visit in April for my plastic surgery follow-up, there was no hot water. I only stayed one day and I know that sometimes things happen. I was very gracious about it.

Second Problem. During my last stay, no hot water. Again. We called the front desk, they sent a maintenance person to our room just to make sure that we weren't moronic enough to not be able to accurately determine whether we had hot water. Sure enough, maintenance guy sees we're not idiots and says we'll have hot water in the morning. Yes, we believed.

The next morning, when I had a lab appointment at 8:45, we arose at 6:00 a.m. to find we had no hot water. We decided to go downstairs, get something to eat and speak to the front desk people. I was a little testy.

I told the front desk person that this was the second time I'd stayed without benefit of hot water and I didn't think we should pay this time. She said not a word and walked into the office (I suppose) to the side of the desk. A manager appeared. I explained once again and suggested that a fair way to resolve the situation would be for them to comp the room. He told us to wait a minute and he'd be right back. I pointed out that I had a medical appointment I couldn't miss.

He disappeared behind another door, was gone for about five minutes and returned to tell us that we did, indeed, have hot water. We just were too stupid to use it. Of course he wasn't quite that blunt. He said we "must have done something wrong." He'd be willing, though (since we'd done something wrong) to cut the bill in half. I was amenable simply because I couldn't waste any more time arguing. I could have come back after my late afternoon oncology appointment to argue with him some more, but that would have meant I'd have to stay another night. Probably with no hot water. You know, we're too stupid to figure out how to turn it on, so I for damn sure wasn't going to stay another night in a hotel room that complex.

I made a note to never stay in that hotel again.

Third problem.  When we checked into the complex water facility hotel, the first credit card we offered up was declined.  That was odd.  They ran it again.  Still declined.  Very, very puzzling.  They requested that we provide them with another credit card and we did.  It was accepted.

Yesterday, in checking on why exactly the original card had been declined, we found out that, in fact, it had not been declined.  It had been charged $260.00 for what was (after the discount) a $70 room.  Having found that minor miscalculation, we decided we'd better check the card that had been accepted.  That card had a charge of $235.  I guess they were a little irritable about the complaint.

I was enraged.  I called the Holiday Inn, I contacted Holiday Inn Corporate Headquarters.  They refused to address the charges on the second card because, according to Holiday Inn's records, they had only charged us $70.  I had visions of purchasing a rapid fire assault weapon and taking a little drive back to Houston.

The upshot is that, after spending almost a full day dealing with it, I believe I've gotten the charges corrected.  However, I will never ever stay in another Holiday Inn.  I'm vengeful and I work in a customer service industry.  Not once did I hear an apology.  Not once did I hear someone say they'd try to clear it up immediately. 

No more Holiday Inn.