To think that Hilton hotel have pulled a fast one on us here?

[Andallwaswell]

I stayed in the Hilton hotel in Euston for NYE (booked a year in advance for £189 for the night) and right from the start it was a disaster! There was a lady complaining when I checked in (should have been a sign!) and the staff told her to complain to an email address and were smirking to each other about it which I found quite unprofessional.

Got to the room and it was so hot it was like a sauna. Opened the window and left air con on full then left to see the fireworks.

Came back at 1am to find the room the same with the temperature at 25 degrees. Tried to sleep and it was just so hot and the noise of the air conditioning and the outside noise meant it was impossible so just spent a miserable night awake. We went to different floors to see if swapping rooms would be an option but the whole hotel was just so hot.

The following day we were tired and grumpy and unable to do our planned activities as we just needed sleep.

Went to complain to the hotel and it turns out they knew their heating was broken before they checked us in and didn’t bother to tell us or any other guests. Why wouldn’t they tell us so we could make alternative arrangements? They instead let us pay an inflated price for a crappy service- at least on our friends sofa we would have gotten some sleep!

I’ve asked for a refund and the most they will give is 30% and I’m still raging about it. AIBU to think they knew we would be unhappy but just wanted our money anyway?

Worked for Hilton years ago... they are bastards, staff in all departments....especially reception are told to never admit company fault and to avoid giving any discounts/partial/full refund at all costs for complaints, the staff are treated like crap, hesd office assume they are idiots l, with no life skills, they alsi just want the pretty faces.

I was a bar manager however was only paid an entry bar persons wage yet expected to organise the Rota, deliveries stock takes all staff training was up to date organise if it wasn't, i had one part time team member who was in mid 50s i was often told by the higher ups to not place her on shift at weekends evenings (though those are the shifts that worked best for her and her family and she requested them) as she didnt fit the company image!!!!! she was absolutely amazing part of the team but because she wasn't a young stupid bimbo they didn't want her front and centre when all the business men where in! She was an attractive slim women, I didn't see why she didn't fit the bill, it was purely her age I think. also her work ethic was amazing, she was incredible with customers the tips she earned every weekend showed that, yet the higher ups wanted her as a bar back (gofer) I flat out refused to do this because she was the best worker on the team i couldn't of coped running the bar without her Hilton are fuckers good luck getting anything from them!

@potatoscone

I’m perfectly aware thank you, turns out it wasn’t worth claiming.

but because she wasn't a young stupid bimbo

Just because a woman is young it doesn't follow that she's a stupid bimbo.

I think the 30% refund is fine. It's not the hotels fault you didn't sleep properly.

Do you not stay in hotels often? You don't understand about how aircon works and you're whining that a hotel in the middle of a capital city charges an 'inflated' price for NYE.

@Juells i am fully aware of that I didn't pick my words well, apologies, I was only 22 my self at the time, they wanted young good-looking and not very bright girls front and centre the giggling flirty type that wouldn't bat an eyelid when some of the letchy business folk would pinch their bum or make a pass at them, I myself was scolded for putting a customer in their place for doing just that to me, they did not women with self respect, life experience and actual knowledge of the industry same goes for the boys they wanted them who would let the cougars paw at them

Unfair comment about the air con. As a "frequent flyer" in Premier Inns, Hiltons etc etc I can say that the worse thing they've done in recent years is to do away with simple thermostatic radiators where you just turn the knob. I was staying away on Sunday night. Room was chilly, turn up the thermostat and the great big aircon unit over the bed starts noisily blowing out air to get it up to temperature. Later on go to bed with the thermostat turned down... which is fine until the room gets cold because then the unit kicks off noisily and of course starts blowing out air again to get up to temperature. So the only option is to turn it off altogether, wake up in a cold room and scuttle out to turn it on again!

@Juells

That’s not at all what that posted implied, you’re just trying to be offended.

He said she didn’t fit the company image, which Hilton want to be “young, stupid bimbos”. Basically, they want the front of house staff serving the businessmen to be pretty, but vapid. Just something for the customers to look at whilst they serve, to be giggly and charming and have all the “bimbo” traits.

It does not mean that kind young women are bimbos, it means that the company want that particular combination to be front and centre.

If I said I don’t like old creepy men, I’m not saying all old men are creepy. Hilton saying they essentially want young bimbos is not the same as saying all young people are bimbos.

*She said they didn’t fit the company image

*all not kind

Thanks for all the comments. It turns out the air con wasn’t working either so that’s why it didn’t do anything, although good point about the windows stopping air con from working I didn’t realise that!

I’m more annoyed with them because they knew that it was broken and didn’t tell me. They knew it was a problem and people were complaining but still took my money- regardless of how much. I would still be unhappy with this from a travel lodge.

Hilton have given me 50% off but they haven’t been great at any point in this. I think 50% is fair but it’s annoying it could have been avoided but lesson learnt! I’ve never had a problem with any other hotel chain but Hilton so I think I will avoid them in future.

They should have informed you on check in of any issues - such as the heating. And reception sound unprofessional. I'd complain about not being told and reception attitude as well as the heating.

Why wouldn’t they tell us so we could make alternative arrangements?
Well because if they told you, you could have made the alternative arrangements and refused to pay because you couldn't use the room because of an issue on their part. Lost revenue. And if there's 100 guests and 50 of them don't stay or pay as they choose to go elsewhere, then a lot of lost money. If you don't tell anyone, and 50 of the 100 complain and get a 30% refund, that's...... Well not as much I'm shit at maths

It's not right, but I've worked in places like that, even checking people into rooms where you know it's not fit for purpose but you're told to keep your mouth shut. And never give anything - they know the psychology of complaints, and face to face, because the person being complained to will feel at least under pressure and possibly empathy, they will offer more. The person answering your email doesn't have that, they are removed and aren't emotionally involved, so they'll offer less. That's why you're told to email.

I don't think you can complain about outside noise in an inner city hotel on NYE - there's nothing the hotel can do about outside noise, unless it's something like machinery for the hotel or similar.

And as for the air con unit, well it's going to be noisy if switched on, but as pps have said, it's likely that the electric cut out when you took the fob/key out.

I've worked in big chain hotels and small privately owned and run places - I stay away from big chains unless it's somewhere to just get my head down like a Premier Inn (which are really good actually ime!) I find smaller, privately owned places care more about their guests and although may not have all the trimmings, service is usually much better and they sort problems out quicker and to better satisfaction.

I’m perfectly aware thank you, turns out it wasn’t worth claiming.

Bloody hella. Snide much!

Your post made it sound like you were blaming the hotel, that's all. No need for a nippy response there.

Away and get yourself a wee cuppa tea of something eh?

@ChrisjenAvasarala thank you ! Thats exactly what I meant, in no way ĺ meant that all young women are like that, just the company wanted those type or girls (and lads for the cougars)

Which was proved when they didn't want an excellent worker with a wealth of experience working front and centre because she was older, wiser had substance

@potatoscone

Are you ok?

I'm more shocked that you put aircon on and opened the window.