I took a quick trip with my family to Legoland Florida, which is located in Winter Haven, FL. My daughter wanted to stay on-site to enjoy some of the resort amenities, but after a long day at the park, I decided to book a cheap room off-site so we could shower and sleep before making the drive back to South Florida.
At check-in, there was no recognition of my Hilton HHonors Diamond status. At Hampton Inn, Diamond members should be offered a bottle of water and a snack as a welcome gift. When I asked, the team member who checked me in pushed back. She said, “I’m not supposed to be giving water out because of the storm.” (It was a couple of days before Hurricane Ian was due to hit somewhere on the west coast of Florida.) Now, I might understand the need to stockpile essentials ahead of a potential natural disaster, but the credibility of this excuse went out the window the moment she was willing to sell me a bottle of water from their shop for $3.00. This is not the way to make a Diamond member, or any guest for that matter, feel welcome or valued.
The room and remainder of the stay were unremarkable. However, a special shout-out is due for the attendant serving the complimentary breakfast the next morning. She went the extra mile to help my daughter and her friend with some extra waffle batter, and then she continued to be exceptionally friendly to a family that arrived after we did and complained that not all breakfast items were available after the end time for service. She may well have been the most exceptional Hampton Inn team member I’ve encountered to date.
Have you ever had to pay for an amenity that was supposed to be complimentary? Or, have you encountered five star service in value hotels?
