Tues. Sept. 16/08: This dream vacation was a nightmare when it had anything to do with Ramada Plaza Resorts Vacation Pkg. From the 3 yrs. We were promised to book it, which turned into 18 months. Because I didn't want to lose the $883.54 Cdn I had already payed for the 3 nights in Ft. Lauderdale, 4 Day, 3 nights in S. FL, sub-compact rental car, updated to minivan, which I was charged twice by Ramada & again by Alamo, 4 nights, 3 days on Carnivals Fascination which I paid to be updated fr. A less desirable cruise ship. The Fascination was actually not too bad.
When we arrived at the Welcome Centre in Ft. Lauderdale, 5100 N. State Rd. (441), FL, 954-735-7474, we found out that the Resort for which we were booked was an hr. Drive to the beach, the receptionist recommended the Comfort Inn at 50 S. Ocean Dr., Deerfield Beach, FL 33441 USa 954-428-0650, same amenities, etc., actually an upgrade from which I had already pd. A considerable amount for upgrades on 2 rooms. Upon arrival & checking in we proceeded to my room first. Opening the door almost knocked us out, there was some god awful smell eminating from we didn't know what. We exited & re-entered a few times, when I decided I couldn't stay in there, I felt like I was to get physically ill. One of my guests actually got a headache. When we entered the 2nd room, removed shoes, as was our habit, walked thru the room to only get our socks soaked through & filthy. We ended up wearing our shoes throughout our stay. Someone fr. Front desk then called to ask my guests how their rooms were, I took the phone then & reported the stench in my room, the second room also smelled, but not quite so bad.
I was moved to another room, where the carpet was also wet, around the fridge & air conditioner. We were told they had just shampooed the carpets. Weird, the carpets in both rooms got wetter in a larger area, kept spreading, not fr. Shampooing. There were burn holes in the carpets & also in the bedspreads. Bugs were crawling on the hallway walls, the maid said they'd have to get an exterminator in. I had upgraded & pd. For top of the line rooms, I believe they were upgraded from the garbage bin in the back alley. My view was of the front entranceway roof. My sink leaked, slipped on a huge puddle of water which I hadn't noticed on the bathroom floor, twice, the second time, the day after it was supposed to be fixed. I have taken several pics of the conditions of the rooms we stayed in during this gold key vacation.
Due to all this we decided to take advantage of the meal vouchers supplied, we didn't want to take a chance on ingesting any of Comfort Inns food. Dinner not bad at Bru's down the street, but were charged for pop, which was supposed to be covered in the voucher. The breakfast voucher was not valid, since they didn't even serve breakfast, they didn't open 'til noon. I found the hotel desk reception, incl. The managers, assistant managers, very rude, tried to ignore us & the problems. Made lame excuses. Never again would we stay there again, I paid way too much money to Ramada Plaza Resorts for the worst hotels I've ever stayed in in my life. I could have walked in off the street & only paid around $30.00 per night, I pd. Approx. 200.00 Cdn. The Ramada Maingate West @7491 W. Irlo Bronson Memorial Hwy., Kissimmee, Fl 34747,407-396-6000, proved to be not much better, it also came w/mold, although water & dirt didn't squish through our toes from the carpets, but it also had some very strange odors, which we tolerated. The entrance, pools, Pizza hut were fine, but our reception at the Welcome Centre were deplorable. We were at once ordered/demanded to attend a 2nd presentation for a time share tour the next morning at 9:00 am., which we had no knowlege of whatsever. I had told Bill, the Welcome Centre (Tour) Mgr. That we had attended one in Ft. Lauderdale, which was supposed to be only 2 Hrs, it extended to 7 Hrs., plus our travel time & gas to & from. No one informed us of the 2nd tour. We were to catch the shuttle bus at 9:00 A.M. To Disney World the next day.
Bill told us we could go to the other tour at 7:30 A.M., we would receive two of our Disney World Vouchers then & the other two after completing the tour which was guaranteed in writing to only take 90 min., to which I sort of agreed. He then ordered/demanded 1 of my guests, my oldest son, age 24 to bring his credit card & drivers licence to the tour.??? After some discussion with my 3 young guests, I returned to the Welcome Centre & informed them that we had decided not to attend the tour. I wanted to collect our 2 Day Disney Tickets, which were already pd. For in the package. I was rudely refused. The next morning I took w/me the Reservation Forms booklet w/the Florida/Cruse Terms & Conditions & showed Bill where it states Attendance at A Presentation on the Benefits of Vacation Ownership is Required. A as in 1 Presentation, which we attended in Ft. Lauderdale, he retored rudely that was Ft. Lauderdale, not Orlando & that it states in our Vouchers that we must attend a 2nd one in Orlando. I don't know what Vouchers he was talking about, we were only given the Vouchers for Meals & hotels & Cruise at this time. We had not received any other Vouchers, I believe he had them. He said we would have to buy our Disney Tickets at the gate, which ended up costing me $695.20 Cdn., which was to be included in prepaid pkg.
As to our stay in the Maingate West, it was a nightmare, I witnessed the Police/Security w/some guy which I believe was trying to gain entrance to hotel rooms, I had heard someoneone at my door twice, I had thought it was my guests returning. Then there was all the arguing in the hallway which escalated to a brawl outside my door on the 4th floor, I was absolutely terrified, for myself & my 3 young guests that were expected to return to the 4th floor at anytime. I really didn't know what they might walk into. Thanfully they seen the police/security & all the other people down by my room, were able to return to their room, in which they stayed until after 3:00 am before they could get to my room safely. For all this I was supposedly refunded 1 nights stay $40.00 for a room which I pd. Approx. $200.00 by the mgr., which as yet does not show on my Master Card statement.
When I tried to call home to my husband in Canada from the room, I couldn't. No calls, other than 1-800 numbers, local calls & in hotel calls were allowed. I couldn't even make a collect call. After numerous calls to front Desk, the mgr. Came on, basically told me I was dialing wrong, although we tried every way that it demonstrated on their in room phoning calls & they way they told us. I asked if someone could come to our room & try it to see if there was something wrong with the phone, she said they didn't know how to call, then they had no one to come to the room. Then she recommended I buy a calling card, which their machine due to problems w/it would only take certain denominations & didn't give change. I didn't bother to waste any more of my hard earned dollars. I got the feeling that because we did not go to the tour, didn't sign a time share that they had turned our phone off. Upon checking in I had asked about using the phones from our rooms, did we need to use a Credit Card to activate them, the answer No, it would be billed to my acct., we felt like hostages, didn't know where else to go that was safe & I had already paid dearly for rooms. We felt forced to stay.
I have tried to call Ramada Plaza Resorts from Ft. Lauderdale & since I have been home in Canada, to speak to Joyce Watkins, my travel Co-ordinator, but she has not been available, not there, doesn't work weekends, so I was told when I called on a Sat. Fr. Ft. Lauderdale, but when I called during the week I was told to call on the Weekend, she'd be in then. I have now checked the internet on this company & resorts, learning that I am not the only one that has been ripped off, big time. I can send pics, copies of MCard receipts, etc., if you should so need.
I would greatly appreciate any help that you can give me on who to write to, etc., I understand that others have received refunds & feel that I should be reimbursed/refunded due to the misrepresentation of goods/services, the services pd. For were not delivered, verbal/oral, pics of their accomodations, etc. Any help that you can advise me on or do for me would be more than greatly appreciated. After our golden vacation, we are so angry that we said we would never set foot in the United States again. That's sad, three respectful young gentlemen have been so discouraged by all this, their 1st supposed to be vacation of a lifetime had been ruined by all of Ramada Plaza Resorts, lies, deception, rudeness & huge ripoffs. Thank you for listening & I very much hope that you will be in touch w/me soon & iform me of what steps I can take to rectify at least some of the huge losses this has incurred me.By the receipts that I have been able to find, I have pd. Well over $5,000.00.
Thank you.
Fumin mad
standard, Alberta
Canada
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