Letter from Roberta, Boise, Idaho
Last September, my husband and I embarked on a trip to New York City and checked into the Ridge Hotel located in the vibrant Lower East Side. Our stay at the hotel, which boasted a “contactless check-in” system, took an unexpected turn upon our late-night arrival. While we effortlessly entered the hotel using the provided code, we encountered a hurdle when attempting to access our room with the second code. With no staff present, we contacted the hotel’s number for assistance, but to no avail. Our subsequent attempts to reach out through the Booking.com app also proved fruitless.
Left without a room for the night, we sought refuge in the hotel’s breakfast room, which unfortunately required a code for restroom access as well. The following morning, the hotel staff reached out with an apology and the correct room access code, promising a refund of approximately $215 for the inconvenience. However, the refund was never received, despite the hotel’s assertion that it had been returned to Booking.com. Can you assist us with this matter? – Roberta, Boise, Idaho
Response from Tripped Up
It’s a tale of unexpected adventures in the city that never sleeps! Roberta and her husband’s experience at the Ridge Hotel serves as a reminder that even in the bustling metropolis of New York City, travel mishaps can occur. The frustration of a disrupted night’s stay and the subsequent refund ordeal highlights the importance of effective communication and customer service in the hospitality industry.
Upon reaching out to the Ridge Hotel and Booking.com, the root cause of the refund delay was uncovered – a miscommunication between the hotel and the booking platform. Despite the back-and-forth blame game, what truly matters is that Booking.com has now rectified the situation by issuing a refund along with a $150 credit as a gesture of goodwill.
Looking beyond the refund issue, the evolving landscape of hospitality raises questions about the rise of reception-desk-free hotels and the shift towards minimalistic services akin to short-term rentals. Samantha Gladstein, overseeing operations at the Ridge Hotel, shed light on the night of Roberta’s stay, acknowledging the mishandling of the late-night situation and extending an apology for the inconvenience caused.
