Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Illinois Marathon: Best Western YOU SUCK


I get it, your a two star hotel, your rooms are supposed to be crappy, your bed uncomfortable and everything about you is supposed just be satisfactory, its not like your a 4 star hotel. However, this doesn't mean your customer service should be non-existent. In fact you should actually step up that battle because I don't mind staying in your mediocre hotel room if you treat me decent.

Here's my complaint: I'm running in the Champaign marathon Saturday, I booked a room there in December because all the nice hotels were booked up and you were the only thing left close to the start. It's OK I just need a place to sleep & shower! Fast forward and it turns out I need to be in town on Thursday night as well. I go online and find you have a king room with a fridge available, but my room is a queen. I don't want to have to check out/check in again so I'll take a queen. But the queen room, which is downgrade from the king/fridge room, is offered at a HIGHER rate than the king/fridge. I ask "Can I have the king rate for the queen room? This is a downgrade I'm taking, so it only makes sense, plus now I am staying TWO  nights apposed to one." And the Best Western said "No, we can't offer that." and when asked why I can't even get a logical reasoning behind this. To make it even WORSE I also request a late checkout because I'm running the marathon, I want to leave my stuff somewhere and come back and shower. I was informed I could have a late check out at NOON (normal check out is 11am) but it will cost me half a nights rate, roughly $40. Are you kidding me? I'm expected to pay HALF RATE for an additional hour! That's absurd!
I get that Champaign/Urbana and the whole surrounding area is sold out of hotel rooms but that is for FRIDAY night and hotels, including the Best Western, will be in a little bit more of a rush to get rooms ready for the following day but if I'm going to pay a half rate I expect to get more than an additional hour in the room.

I haven't even stayed there  yet and I'm already disgusted with this place and sadly all I can say is "What did you expect you're at the Best Western". I can't believe that this is the kind of reputation they are satisfied with having. Honestly if I hadn't already paid for Friday night I would cancel my reservation and book a hotel 30-40 minutes out of town but since I've already paid I can't. And just an FYI two weekends ago I was in Springfield to run their half marathon and stayed at a beautiful hotel downtown and when I requested a late check out, I was given until 2pm...FREE OF CHARGE!

Do you have a hotel horror story to share?

4 comments:

  1. Bummer. I stayed at the Best Western when I ran my marathon in duluth. They were amazing with their customer service.

    No horror stories here. *knock on wood*

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  2. Which hotel did you stay at in Springfield? I am staying at one for the Fat Ass 5k in May! Wish you the best with Best Western and your FULL! GO ANNA!

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    1. I think it was the State House Inn. It was right down town and like a four star hotel, very nice!

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  3. Turns out Best Western ended up not being so bad after all. I think their empolyees had no idea what they were doing. Although the room was pricey they ended up putting us in a room anyway with a microwave AND fridge and they also gave us the late checkout free of charge. And when they asked us if we were they for the marathon they gave us come complimentry water bottles and granola bars. Maybe they saw my blog?

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