Hilton Hotel Story
With the amount of travel I have done (as a kid traveled with my family) and still do (I travel with work), you would think I would get used to rude people in the travel business. But my stay last week at the <a href="http://www.hilton.com/en/hi/hotels/index.jhtml;jsessionid=5HOM4IHH0BIZKCSGBIWM22QKIYFC5UUC?ctyhocn=NYCNHHH" TARGET=_blank>Hilton New York </a>was a new one for me. I had 5 separate interactions with hotel employees and they were all like <a href="http://us.imdb.com/Name?Ferrer,+Miguel" TARGET=_blank>Miguel Ferrer?s </a>Agent Albert in the Twin Peaks TV series. Awful. And I have patience for stuff like this. Here is the conversation between myself and the first person, notice how I say <i>FIRST </i>person, I checked in with. It?s an exaggeration, but only a slight one.
[Walk up without being called]
<u><b>Me</b></u>: Hi, I?m checking in, last name is Dobrindt.
<u><b>Check-In Monster</b></u>: Did I call you over here?
<u><b>Me</b></u>: Uh, well, no.
<u><b>Rude Wanna-Be Waldorf Clerk</b></u>: Get back in line.
[I walk back]
[20 seconds later]
<u><b>Arrogant Hotel Guy</b></u>: Next.
[I walk up]
<u><b>Me</b></u>: Hi, checking in please.
<u><b>Impolite Hotel Sloth </b></u><head bend down toward his computer screen, eyes never meeting mine>: Name! Hurry Up! Faster!
<u><b>Me</b></u>: Dobrindt. Here is my corporate card.
[evil hotel guy types away like he is writing the world?s greatest novel. No idea why so many key strokes. He then stares at the screen while ever so slightly moving his mouse]
<u><b>Me</b></u>: I have two quick questions. Can you please put me on a high floor if available? And is there any way I can have access to the club room?
[Hilton guy looks up at me without moving his head, his eyes pointing out the top of this eye sockets, above his glasses]
<u><b>Indecorous Jerk</b></u>: Oh, you want access to the club room? Are you Super High Precious Metal Level?
<u><b>Me</b></u>: No, I just thought I would?.
<u><b>Hotel Guy</b></u>: Platinum level then? Gold maybe? Have you paid for a Club Room level room?
<u><b>Me</b></u>: Don?t think so. Look, I just thought I would ask. I travel a lot and sometimes?
<u><b>Odious A-hole</b></u>: You don?t deserve access to that room. And you know it. It?s for well dressed corporate raiders and well known celebrities. It?s for good looking woman from far off exotic places to unwind after a day of shopping. Not you.
<u><b>Me</b></u>: Ok. Sorry. How about that room on a high floor?
[3 minutes later]
<u><b>Obnoxious Jackass</b></u>: We have a nice room right off this lobby, with no bath or toilet, and plywood on two milk crates for a bed. Plus the outside of the door says ?Utility Closet?. And it?s a smoking room. Will that be ok?
<u><b>Me</b></u>: N?no.
<u><b>Guy</b></u>: That is all we have. We can move you to the presidential suite at no extra cost the day after you check out.
<u><b>Me</b></u>: I used?
<u><b>Him</b></u>: SHUT!
<u><b>Me</b></u>: ?our corporate?
<u><b>Him</b></u>: UP!
<u><b>Me</b></u>: ?travel?
<u><b>Him</b></u>: SHUT!
<u><b>Me</b></u>: ?department?
<u><b>Him</b></u>: UP!
<u><b>Me</b></u>: ?to book?
<u><b>Him</b></u>: SHUT!
<u><b>Me</b></u>: ?this room?
<u><b>Him</b></u>: UP!
<u><b>Rude Hotel Clerk</b></u>: Please sign here. That will be $375 a night.
Believe it or not, I left the lobby with the room key, returned 2 minutes later, waited in a different line for 15 minutes, and told the next check in person that the room smelled like smoke and I was allergic to smoke (I am not allergic to anything and I didn?t go to the room). But that and the other 3 interactions were just as bad. When they screwed up my bill and I had to get another one when checking out, they actually made me feel bad for requesting a new bill. The woman never, ever said anything. Not a thank you. Not a have a nice day. Not a get the hell out of here. She simply took the bill from the printer, slid it across the counter, and walked away. I thought she was going to get an envelope or something but she talked to another clerk for a few seconds and disappeared into the back. It was like she was personally offended by my request.
Eh, what can you do? These things happen and life goes on. There are other hotels in NY.