Great Accommodations, Extremely Poor Handling of Delicate Situation
Jan 2023
| Gabriel C
We arrived on a Thursday, rather early and were met with the friendliest staff. The person that checked us in what an absolute gem and I appreciate meeting them. The room, a handicapped accessible room on the 6th floor, was spacious and well-appointed. It smelled fresh and the bedding was comfortable. No complaints there.
We were booked in for four nights. On the second day I was advised my card for incidentals (it's $50/day) had dropped out of the system. I was advised there was no rush, and to handle it before we checked out. I took that literally, and put it on the to-do list, behind caring for my paraplegic daughter experiencing a horrific pain day, and running a small business remotely on a Friday afternoon.
Saturday, the desk called again to remind me of the card. It had slipped my mind, and I acknowledged it was my mistake, however, my son was at Disney World hanging with friends with the card needed. I advised staff of this and was told that was fine. Yet, sometime after 9:30 PM EST (unsure of exact time as I had dozed off after being up over 24 hours caring for my daughter) the manager knocked at my door with security to ask for a card. I reiterated that I did not have the card on me, but as soon as my son returned I would handle it. The manager was gracious and told me to come back the next day during her shift, after 3 PM EST, to handle it so I could get some rest. I am grateful, because I was tired.
Little did I know, I would need all that rest and energy for Sunday...
Sunday, at 6:30 AM the fire alarm blared and we had to evacuate. As the elevators didn't work, I had to fireman carry my paralyzed daughter down 6 flights of stairs on my own. There was no real emergency, but I was able to safely evacuate her, so I am thankful and applaud them for their well-performing alarm system.
That said, the jostling of going down all the stairs at top speed (we didn't know if it was real at the time, so I was going as fast as possible) severly impacted my daughter, requiring I take her into ED for pain management and nervous system regulation. We left before 3, so I called the desk and advised them I was out of the building and would resolve the card issue once I returned. I did not mention my location. Staff was kind and stated they would advise the manager that I called.
A few hours later, I get a call from the front desk about the card. Once again, I advised I was out of the building and had already called. This time I shared that we were in the hospital and it was taking longer to get discharged because my daughter's care can sometimes be complicated. What can I say; she has a rare neurological autoimmune disease. The staff member acknowledged the special situation, said she would note the account, and wished my daughter well.
Not two hours later, I get another call from the hotel, this time from my teenaged daughter, hysterical, crying, and panicking, because the manager was at the door with "the police." She said they wouldn't let her close the door and needed to hear from me. That had heard from me. All. Day!
Please note, this was a prepaid reservation, and all of this is for a security DEPOSIT hold, on a card that ALREADY HAS A HOLD, according to my internet banking! I called the manager back and shared my distaste for how this was handled, including my petrified child I could not comfort, because I was still at ED. She replied that because they've been waiting 3 days, she wanted to verify what my children were saying was true!
It's not my fault the system didn't keep the card, yet I was made to feel like I it was. She made it seem like I was running from my responsibility, but I swiped the card before I got a keycard. What motivation would I have to make someone feel they needed to chase me down with armed enforcement officers? It was a bit insulting, but most of all, infuriating that I had been communicative and even overshared a bit so this wouldn't happen, and it Still. Did.
To sum it up, on Sunday my children woke up traumatically to an alarm, worried all day as their sister sits in yet another hospital bed, and then get re-traumatized when staff shows up "in force" for an incidentals hold? BTW, it wasn't police, according to management. It was security. My other daughter said it looked like police because they had guns in their holsters. But again, why?!
I can accept that I should've handled it Friday. Although I was under the impression it wasn't urgent, I should've acted urgently, and I didn't. I put it low on the priority list and it slipped my mind, leading to my giving the card to my son for his own theme park incidentals. However, everything after has been handled poorly and has left an extremely bad taste in my mouth and the mouths of my children.
My daughter texted me "Please hurry back. I know you can't rush really but I just so scared. What if they come back? why did they come with security that looked like cops? i don't like hotels anymore". I'm in a hospital room, blubbering tears because my kid is in uncontrollable physical pain that I can't help, and now my other children (teens, but still) are in emotional pain and fear. Feeling insecure and I can't help them! Not OK. I left them where I thought they would be safe. I am beyond disappointed.
And after traveling nearly full-time for nearly 3 years, and staying in tons of incredible establishments (as well as some less-than-ideal places), this is the first time I've felt truly compelled to leave such a raw and vulnerable review. And it was my daughter's text that did it. No one should ever have to feel like that, and as a family-friendly establishment that is handicapped accessible, it might be worth noting how you could possibly (though not likely, since our situation is very unique) be treated.
But, it's not about the situation, it's about how people are made to feel.
I feel angy.
My children feel scared and turned off to hotels.
Springhill Suites did that.
