We too answered mail regarding "time share" properties in Ft. Lauderdale. We are familiar with how these things work as we've been involved with a few time shares before this time. Our problem is not with the time share talk or the cruise we took on Carnival Cruise Lines to Cozumel, Mexico which was part of our package but with our accomadations at the Ramada on E. Commercial Blvd, Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Our room was on the main floor, right beside the parking lot in the rear of the building. The hallway to the rooms and the carpeting in the hall was so dirty and smelled like it hadn't been cleaned in a year. The first night there, the fire alarm in the hallway went off. At no time did we see an employee that should have been investigating the fire alarm. We picked up the phone in our room to see what was going on and our phone was dead. The hallway at this time was full of other guests and none of us knew if we could go back into our rooms or not. I went to the front desk to report our phone not working and was told a work order would be placed for it.
The next morning we took our scheduled time share talk, stopping on our way out to tell the front desk again about our inoperative phone. No report was written the previous evening so the person at the front desk picked up a phone and reported it while I was standing there then told me it would be fixed immediately. We came back late that afternoon and the phone was still not working. We reported it again. The front desk claimed they didn't have a work order on it but it would be fixed soon. We left for our cruise the next day and the phone still had not been fixed. This is a matter of security in our eyes. If there had been an emergency, we could not have called out for help.
The second problem was with our bathtub. I started the water to take a shower and the tub would not drain. That's when I noticed that the water that was filling the tub was actually yellow with black particles floating in it. The condition of the tub and the tiles and caulking around the tub were horrible. It was filthy and the caulking was actually falling out from around the tub. We took pictures so we would have proof of the condition.
When we returned home after a really wonderful cruise, we emailed Ramada where we were told that that Ramada was privately owned but they would pass along our email to the owner. We got a letter from the General Manager, Carlos Ortiz, giving us excuses as to carpeting being replaced in our hallway within the month, and that they are having 20 new tubs installed every month, and sorry about the fire alarm but someone pulled the alarm and since there wasn't a fire the staff would have no instruction and that another problem we had with the shuttle service was independently owned and therefore not their problem. Notice, no mention about the inoperative phone at all! He thanked us for sharing our concerns and they look forward to serving our future lodging needs. No compensation of any kind. Like we'd stay there again any time we're in Ft. Lauderdale!
I am in the hotel business and have been for 15 years in the management end of it and we would go out of our way to make sure that if I got a letter like the one we wrote, we would be compensating that guest after a full investigation especially when it is in regards to a matter of safety and filth.
We have booked another vacation that is on our "plan" with them for September so we'll let you know how that one turns out.
0 comments