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I took several family members to the Kentucky Derby on May 1-2 (the Kentucky Oaks Filly race is on Friday, Derby on Saturday) and one of the hotel reservations made several months in advance was a Holiday Inn Express in La Grange, Kentucky, about 28 miles from Churchill Downs.
The rate was $104/night on the original reservation. Fortunately, I checked online at the Priority Club website (I am Platinum with Priority Club) a few days prior to May 1 and found that the rate for my "reservation" had been increased to $289/night. No notice given, and obviously they thought I would show up on Friday, May 1, and have no other alternative but to pay the inflated rate.
I contacted the Priority Club help desk and they apparently made feeble attempts with the hotel manager, all to no avail. I finally cancelled the reservation and made one for two nights in Frankfort, KY (42 miles from Churchill Downs) using some of my accumulated points due to the last-minute rate inflation at the HI Express there.
A week later I wrote complaint letters to HI International, InterContinental Hotels Group and Priority Club Headquarters. We are now into June and I have not had the courtesy of a reply to any of the three letters, either apologizing or telling me to stick it. If they treat a Platinum member this way, what would they do to a sporadic customer?
I was always under the impression that a hotel reservation was something of a contract, but apparently business is so good at Holiday Inns that they simply do not honor commitments made with them, even in advance. I will probably move my business to Marriott for future stays.
The rate was $104/night on the original reservation. Fortunately, I checked online at the Priority Club website (I am Platinum with Priority Club) a few days prior to May 1 and found that the rate for my "reservation" had been increased to $289/night. No notice given, and obviously they thought I would show up on Friday, May 1, and have no other alternative but to pay the inflated rate.
I contacted the Priority Club help desk and they apparently made feeble attempts with the hotel manager, all to no avail. I finally cancelled the reservation and made one for two nights in Frankfort, KY (42 miles from Churchill Downs) using some of my accumulated points due to the last-minute rate inflation at the HI Express there.
A week later I wrote complaint letters to HI International, InterContinental Hotels Group and Priority Club Headquarters. We are now into June and I have not had the courtesy of a reply to any of the three letters, either apologizing or telling me to stick it. If they treat a Platinum member this way, what would they do to a sporadic customer?
I was always under the impression that a hotel reservation was something of a contract, but apparently business is so good at Holiday Inns that they simply do not honor commitments made with them, even in advance. I will probably move my business to Marriott for future stays.
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