Travelodge Complaint - Help Please!!

Jimmy_McGrinny

Hi There,

I have a several complaints to make about a Travelodge in Edinburgh (Rose Street) that I stayed in nearly a month ago with my Girlfriend, and I would like to ask people's advice as to how to proceed.

I would say before I start that I've stayed in about a dozen Travelodges, and have whilst they may not quite be the Hilton, you know what you are getting, they are cheap, cheerful & clean, and I have always had a pleasant, positive experience until now...

A Brief Summary:
On the Saturday, early evening, my Girlfriend and I were in the room when the door was unlocked (They use those keycard type entry systems) and someone walked in despite our very loud protests! Well, they got an eye full of us in a rather compromising position!! Needless to say we were mortified (as I'm sure they were as they bolted!) and after we had dressed, went down to reception to see what had happened, thinking it may have been a cleaner who had entered the wrong room. It turned out that they had many double bookings for the evening and our visitors had been another couple attempting to enter the room allocated to them (namely OUR room!)

The lady was very apologetic, and asked if we still wished to stay the night. As all the hotels had been full when I had tried to book the week before, I was pretty certain this was our only reasonable option, although understandably my Girlfriend was a little apprehensive about staying after our modesty had been somewhat compromised!! Anyway, the girl was very nice about it and said that if we contacted Travelodge when we got home, they would refund the stay.

We went back upstairs and an hour later attempted to leave the hotel by the only available exit (as far as we could see). Meanwhile, two guests were attempting to enter the building. They tried first by walking towards up to the doors, then by pushing the button, and finally by swiping their cards.

We then tried opening the sliding doors by walking towards them and activating the sensor. Stuck!! We buzzed the reception (they had an empty BT base station for a cordless phone, with a note to 'page' them if no-one was at reception. We waited for 10 minutes, buzzing like mad until the receptionist reappeared again, red faced! (I think she'd been trying to sort out another double booking!). She tried the switch behind the counter, but the door wouldn't open! After about 5 mins of fiddling, the sliding doors opened, much to everyone's relief! However, as we were leaving to try to make the restaurant we'd booked, it dawned on me how serious this could have been had a fire broken out!

On the Monday, I phoned Travelodge straight away, and the chap on the phone echoed my concerns, but informed me that it must be submitted in writing. I emailed them that morning raising both the points I have described, asking them to sort it out asap so that no-one else may have to face either of these incidents, but also requesting that they make some sort of gesture in order to make ammends for the 'interesting' experience we had on the night in question.

I sent the email on Monday 29th of March, and received an immediate automated confirmation, which stated that they would endeavour to resolve the query within 5 working days. As this was just before Easter, I waited for 2 weeks until the 12th of April in order to give them longer to respond.

I then sent them a follow up email on 12th April expressing my disappointment at their lack of a response and stated I would give them a further 5 working days before pursuing other channels. I was once again greeted with an automated confirmation, but other than that, it is now eight days on and I have still have heard not so much as a peep from them and am not a happy bunny!

Clearly I want to complain, but I'm not quite sure who I can complain to - is there a Hotel Ombudsman? Is Trading Standards appropriate? Is the Citizen's Advice Bureau the best place to start?!

I'm also genuinely worried about that sticky door! Since they've not acknowledged my email, I know not whether nobody's read it, or if they've knocked down the entire hotel and in its place, built a new super-deluxe Travelodge with transporter pads!!

Would really appreciate your input.

Thank you in advance,

Jimmy McGrinny


p.s. if you're the ones who walked in on us and had the misfortune to see my girlfriend and I in the nip, many apologies - perhaps I can recommend a good therapist!!

4743hudsonj

:whistle:
hmmm im certain their must have been another exit so there not much of an argument there apart from the inconvenience. I dont know the law around fire exits but i know the have to have the keep shut signs etc. Im pretty sure they have to be manual too (common sense more than a certainty if im honest).

As for your other situation. Have you actually tried writing a good old letter recorded deliver? this will be a lot better as you will have proof they receive it and they will have probably read it(or so you hope).

Not sure what else you can do as its hard to put a financial figure on these things.

rl290

Jimmy_McGrinny wrote: »

A Brief Summary:

1. Double booking meant another couple walked in on you
2. Front doors malfunctioned, trapping you for several minutes
3. Offered refund during stay due to (1) , to be claimed after stay
3. Emails haven't been replied to

Solution:

1. Write a letter, recorded delivery to head office. This should state, factually and concisely, what happened and what you expect (full refund?). Give them 2 weeks to honour this, otherwise threaten further action.
2. If they don't reply, small claims may be your only route.

R

Bunter_2

Cor! Seems to me that it is the couple that walked in who should be getting the trauma money.;)

Somehow the lack of response to your emails does not surprise me. The travelodge organisation is massive and they must get a massive amount of complaints, although I agree with you that generally they are cheap and cheerful and uneventful.

I should keep on at them until you get a result. They have this system of double booking because they know that many customers do not turn up on the day so; they get paid twice for the same room. Wont hurt them to compensate you for their (avoidable) mistake.

Good luck.

Jimmy_McGrinny

4743hudsonj wrote: »

:whistle:
hmmm im certain their must have been another exit so there not much of an argument there apart from the inconvenience. I dont know the law around fire exits but i know the have to have the keep shut signs etc. Im pretty sure they have to be manual too (common sense more than a certainty if im honest).

As for your other situation. Have you actually tried writing a good old letter recorded deliver? this will be a lot better as you will have proof they receive it and they will have probably read it(or so you hope).

Not sure what else you can do as its hard to put a financial figure on these things.

Thank you to everyone who's responded so far - really appreciate the comments.

Yes, I think it's letter time. It's quite disappointing that emails are not given the same status as letters, since you can have proof that they've been delivered, they are instantaneous and free! With letters, even if you send recorded delivery, the person can refuse them (although a large business wouldn't really get away with this I would assume!).

Please assume that I am now sending a letter. I would like to know however if there is a hotel Ombudsman as I think not replying to whatever form of communication you receive is unacceptable. If their reason is that they receive a lot of complaints, then it's time for them to employ more staff OR reduce the number of problems people are finding!!

The other point with regards to there only being one exit, there may well have been another exit, but it was not in the Public Domain area. If anyone has stayed at the Rose Street Travelodge, I'd be grateful if you could tell me where the second exit is!

maninthestreet

I'm just waiting for the person(s) who interrupted the OP and his GF 'on the job' to give his side of the story......

mickeypops

QUOTE "On the Saturday, early evening, my Girlfriend and I were in the room when the door was unlocked (They use those keycard type entry systems) and someone walked in despite our very loud protests"

Having spent half my life staying in hotels on business - from budget to Ritz - there are TWO GOLDEN RULES:

1. ALWAYS lock / snib / chain your room door
2. ALWAYS hang out the "do not disturb sign."

It doesn't happen often, but I bet once a year or so I've either had someone try to get in my room with a key; or I've walked in on someone else - both mistakes down to the hotel reception system.

sindygirl58

Never leave the place without having the issue resolved on the premise. in my case of complaint, the manager gave me a voucher to use on my next trip, this I accepted.

go to Preminn next time, they refund at once!

I

horsesr1

I am really struggling with making a complaint to travelodge following a recent stay.
Unfortunately our room was robbed!!! The police have been involved in as much as investigating the crime and hav tried to gather enough evidence to charge the receptionist as they believe him to be responsible.
The police advised that someone entered our room whilst we were out, and the receptionist in question contradicted himself and changed his story several times.
The police have advised me that they will deal with the criminal side but in terms of claiming money back off the hotel is a seperate issue vut we had a strong case to do a claim against them.
I have spoken to the hotel manager who just kept saying the police are dealing with it and she trusts her staff. We were also appaulled by the way the staff treated us the following day and the response I had was laughable.
I have since mailed the mail box numerously and have had no resoinse yet and don;t no where to go next
the manager confirmed they don't do any checks on staff when applying anf I know through my sources that the receptionist is well known to the police. the fact she thought CRB checks etc were only for people working with children were enought for me to see they were a joke!!! where do I go next?

mum2one

We had a ngtmare situation last yr with a travelodge, due to the cleanliness of the room, I was staying in 1 room, and my parents were travelling later with dd, so I picked up there keys, had aquick scat round and the room looked ok.

I should of looked closer, there was toe nail clippings on the floor by the bed, dirty marks like someone had passed wind and misjudged the situation, the worst, after my parents got into bed, they felt the quilt was wet, thinking that my daughter had knocked her drink and not told anyone, they decided to change the quilt cover and use the spare quilt..... it wasn't drink....... it was blood, there was about an inch of that quilt that hadn't got blood on it, we went to reception where we were told it would be dealt with in the morning, and what was the issue as we had a spare quilt.

Next morning, that was it, I dragged the quilt up the corridor, (typical) we were on the furthest room, so I must of looked a site, the staff said they couldn't do anything....... but after refusing to move and threatening to knock on every door showing them the quilt and taking photos for the local council, I was then given a full refund for the whole stay.

RadoJo

horsesr1 wrote: »

the manager confirmed they don't do any checks on staff when applying anf I know through my sources that the receptionist is well known to the police. the fact she thought CRB checks etc were only for people working with children were enought for me to see they were a joke!!! where do I go next?

Have I misunderstood or did you expect them to do a CRB check on a hotel receptionist?