Below I tell how I and my wife were treated by Longwood Inn receptionist and the owner yesterday evening.
I found the address and phone number of Longwood Inn on its web page online about a month ago. I booked a room for two for one night. When we arrived there yesterday evening, a lady in the reception office told the booking was actually for another hotel of the same owner. I said we were never told about that during the booking or after. All we knew is the address and phone written on their web page.
We were given three options:
1) Pay an extra $60 to stay at Longwood Inn for the night.
2) Cancel the reservation and get a refund of $99.
3) Go to the other hotel which is at Crystal Cove. The lady told cab fare to there is $30.
I told the lady it is their responsibility to pay for the cab fare in this case. She called the owner to ask about it, then refused to pay the cab fare. We then asked the lady to let us decide what to do. It was about 4:55 pm and the lady told she will close the office and leave in five minutes. We were looking online for another other hotel nearby, and we were trying to reach a friend to crash in for the night. A few minutes later, the lady said we had to tell if we want to cancel the booking to get a refund or leave the premises.
We did not leave and told her that we want to sit in the lobby until we find a place to go or they solve the problem another way. The lady told she will call the police. I said, ""Go ahead"". She then said the owner wants to talk to me on the phone. The owner said that we had no place to stay in both hotels, and that we had to leave or he will send police. I said ""Go ahead"". The police came a few minutes later and asked us to leave the premises. So we did.
Now, you may notice that, above story does not contain any personal opinions or feelings. In fact, I deliberately presented just the facts about what happened, so that you can put yourself in our place and decide. If you think the way they book the rooms, the solutions they offer for an error, and the way they goodbye the people at their door are acceptable practices in running a hospitality business, then go ahead and book your room at Longwood Inn today! You may also check more great service you will receive during your stay: Just take a look at the other one-star reviews here and on other web pages. GOOD LUCK!
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