ComplaintsforMeadowbrook Resort, LLC

• Initial Complaint

  07/17/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  My family and I stayed at the hotel a few weeks ago and we while checking in the worker told us the pools would be open until at least 11:00 pm. Before we went out to do stuff and get dinner we asked the front desk what time the pools are open until and she said 11:00 pm. We get back to the hotel a little after 9 and get the kids swimming and at 9:30 a worker came in and told us to get out of the pool. We told him that we just got in and we were told multiple times and on the sheet that it's open until at least 11pm and he just said "No, I'm closing it early I'm already to leave by 10pm." We ended up leaving the pool and the kids were really upset. I talked to the office the next day and I said that's not right that we were told later and that the whole lobby was closed up at 9:30 and that the sat in there in the dark until ***************************************************************** had questions but it was completely shut down. I talked to the front desk people the next morning and instead of apologizing and having an explanation they argued with me. They said it no ones using anything they will close a half hour early. That still didn't make sense the sheet says lobby is open until midnight. There were plenty of people using the pool and game room though so I don't see why this happened. It happened the next night as well. It's really sad to see because we come here so often and our kids loved it here. They use to have movie nights in the lobby with popcorn and then swimming after and none of that happened this trip. I couldn't believe the customer service that I just asked a question and had 3 people raise their voice and act like they didn't tell us that time.

  Business response

  07/25/2023

  Hello, we have no record of the name *************************** in our current files, otherwise we *** have some notes or other information to share. Perhaps she was traveling with someone else? Either way, in response to her complaint about the pools closing, we have our pool hours posted and she *** have been referring to the weekend hours during peak time periods. In any case, our indoor pool closes 30 minutes before our office closes. Based on this information, she would have been here mid-week of which we have a 10pm closing time; the pool would close at 9:30 pm. Our printed literature does state "8am-midnight during PEAK times. Closing times vary so please check with the front desk."  Just as with most industries since Covid, our hours are limited to staffing availability. In a situation involving our swimming pools, time limitations weigh heavily on the safety of our guests to have enough staff availability to handle any situations that *** arise as well as certain days that various chemical balancing and/or other maintenance procedures must be done. We are sorry that we did not meet the expectations of this guest but proper maintenance and safety must be first and foremost. Thank you

  Business response

  07/25/2023

  Hello, we have no record of the name *************************** in our current files, otherwise we *** have some notes or other information to share. Perhaps she was traveling with someone else? Either way, in response to her complaint about the pools closing, we have our pool hours posted and she *** have been referring to the weekend hours during peak time periods. In any case, our indoor pool closes 30 minutes before our office closes. Based on this information, she would have been here mid-week of which we have a 10pm closing time; the pool would close at 9:30 pm. Our printed literature does state "8am-midnight during PEAK times. Closing times vary so please check with the front desk."  Just as with most industries since Covid, our hours are limited to staffing availability. In a situation involving our swimming pools, time limitations weigh heavily on the safety of our guests to have enough staff availability to handle any situations that *** arise as well as certain days that various chemical balancing and/or other maintenance procedures must be done. We are sorry that we did not meet the expectations of this guest but proper maintenance and safety must be first and foremost. Thank you

  Business response

  07/25/2023

  Hello, we have no record of the name *************************** in our current files, otherwise we *** have some notes or other information to share. Perhaps she was traveling with someone else? Either way, in response to her complaint about the pools closing, we have our pool hours posted and she *** have been referring to the weekend hours during peak time periods. In any case, our indoor pool closes 30 minutes before our office closes. Based on this information, she would have been here mid-week of which we have a 10pm closing time; the pool would close at 9:30 pm. Our printed literature does state "8am-midnight during PEAK times. Closing times vary so please check with the front desk."  Just as with most industries since Covid, our hours are limited to staffing availability. In a situation involving our swimming pools, time limitations weigh heavily on the safety of our guests to have enough staff availability to handle any situations that *** arise as well as certain days that various chemical balancing and/or other maintenance procedures must be done. We are sorry that we did not meet the expectations of this guest but proper maintenance and safety must be first and foremost. Thank you

  Customer response

  07/27/2023

  [A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me. 
  
  Regards,
  
  ***************************
  

• Initial Complaint

  10/07/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Stayed at one of the Cabins. Woke up with itching on Arms, next day it got worse, itching, burning, unable to sleep. Left the Cabin one day early to obtain Medical Assistance. Dermatologist confirmed the issue are Bead Bugs. Now needing medical oral medication as well as Cream to provide some relief. I have contacted the Resort by phone and e-mail. No response. Based on the situation, which was supposed to be a Birthday celebration, I would expect a refund, since we now have medical bills due to the stay at the resort. We have documents from the dermatologist.

  Business response

  10/12/2022

  We are somewhat confused about this complaint. We called ********************** on 10/7/2022 -- she was on her cell phone while out shopping and we discussed the situation with her. We explained that we shut the room down and have pest control looking into it and taking any necessary steps to treat it. Her stay was for 4 nights and we offered her a complimentary 4 night return stay and she said that was fine as long as she does not have to stay in the same cabin. We prepared a certificate for the future 4 night stay and it was sent out earlier this week with the outgoing mail. Thank you.

• Initial Complaint

  05/17/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I booked a room on booking.com for me and my kids at a hotel in *************** the website as I there was a pool indoor water park spa and a host of other amenities that simply werent there. We checked into the room which was small and cramped tv was not working in one of the rooms. We requested blankets and were advised they didnt have any they charged me for both nights and a deposit upon arrival I asked to update to one night because I knew my kids werent gonna want to stay in the room wih no pool or spa to which I was denied. I checked out the next day Saturday 5/14 and checked into another hotel in the area I was advised my deposit would be returned. I asked for a refund and was told that because I booked through a third party they would not refund. I complained about the bad service on their ******** page they turned around and kept my deposit and attempted to charge an additional ****** more than 3 days after I checked out. The Manager ***** advised that we left the room filthy and destroyed property and thats why she charged me and thats simply not true we were not there for more than 12 hours most of that time spent sleeping and why would it take 3 days to notice damage. I called and spoke to an agent who advised my deposit was released and then after they saw my review that changed. My fear is that this company retaliated against me for filing a bad review

  Business response

  05/27/2022

  Tell us why here...BBB,
  I apologize for the delay but it is an extremely busy time in *************** with the Automotion Classic Car Show this past week and preparing for the upcoming Memorial Day Weekend. ************************* reserved a 2 bedroom suite via Booking.com on Thursday May 12th for the 2 nights of Fri & Sat, May 13 & 14, 2022 for 5 people. She would have received received a confirmation directly from Booking.com for this reservation at the time of booking. Shortly after making this reservation, she started complaining that she does not want to pay the required $250 security deposit as is stated on Booking.com. She said that she did not read the policies on their website until after she placed the reservation. The next day, we received a phone call in the morning from a woman claiming to be a travel agent (would not identify a company name) asking to verify a reservation for *************************. We explained that we do not work through any travel agent for reservations and to protect guest privacy, we cannot give any information to someone else.  Some minutes later, the same woman called in claiming to be from Booking.com asking about a reservation for ************************* but could not provide any of our information to verify her identity. So, we had two phone calls back to back from the same unidentifiable woman claiming to represent a travel agent and then Booking.com regarding the reservation for *************************. Then at 1:59pm, we received an unusual email directly from Booking.com, which contained the Booking.com confirmation and reservation number, asking if we have the reservation in place for *************************. We replied at 2:04pm that, of course we have it as the reservation has been sent directly to us by Booking.com with the verification numbers, and that this is highly unusual for such a request. 
  ************** arrived to check in at approximately 10:20pm on 5/13/22. She came to the front desk and while we were processing her reservation for the check-in process, she called Booking.com from her cell phone informing them that we cannot find her reservation. So, to sum it up so far, we have received 2 anonymous phone calls earlier trying to establish that this reservation was lost or does not exist and now ************** is calling Booking.com directly trying to claim that her reservation does not exist. We explained to her that we have everything in place as of yesterday when she made her reservation with Booking.com and we will proceed to get her checked in. She gave us her credit card, we ran it for the balance due, programmed her keycards, and finished checking her in. Later that evening, she came to the front desk wanting extra blankets and bedding. We explained that all the bedding is provided on the beds and there is extra bedding -- sheets, blanket, and pillows in the closet for the sofa sleeper. She said she needed more and we explained that there is more than enough for a maximum of 6 persons for that room style and that she only has 5 people. Perhaps she brought extra unregistered guests?
  At 6:54 the next morning, we were "greeted" with the following email from Booking.com:
  On 2022-05-14 06:54, **************************** wrote:
  Dear **********************,
  Our mutual guest, *******, told us their reservation couldnt be found at your property:
  Booking Number: **********
  Arrival Date: 2022-05-13   Departure Date: 2022-05-15
  
  We replied to Booking.com stating that this still makes no sense and that the guest already checked in last night and is here on the property. Later that morning, ************************* called the office from her room complaining that there are NO blankets in the room, the wi-fi does not work, and the pool is too small because her children are "adults" and there is nothing for them to do. The front desk confirmed that there are, in fact, blankets on every bed including the sofa sleeper, we can assist her if she is having difficulty with her wi-fi connection, and the pool size is what it is -- an activity pool and we do not claim it to be anything more. We then received a phone call from Booking.com on her behalf with even more claims and we explained the situation. Booking.com understood and will talk with the guest. Shortly after, someone else from Booking.com called again with further issues including now that the pool is very dirty. We explained that we had confrontations with ************** even before arrival over policy issues and she has been complaining ever since she arrived last night including the several incidents of her claiming that we cannot find her reservation which was completely false. Booking.com saw all the correspondence regarding this situation in their records, confirmed that she is in fact staying at the property, and will make note of everything. We further explained that we have many Booking.com guests this weekend (29 rooms) and if conditions here were "horrible" as she claims, they would be receiving many complaints. They agreed that would certainly be the case. It also turns out that the "dirty" pool was actually our outdoor pool which was winterized and still closed. 
  Late morning shortly before noon, she wanted to check out and wanted a refund. We explained that she booked through Booking.com, she is responsible for the number of nights she reserved, and there are no refunds for early departures. She persisted with her complaints and we further explained that based on her invalid "non-claims", we cannot refund. She asked about her security deposit getting refunded and we explained that will be held until Housekeeping has gone through the room after she checks out tomorrow and then bookkeeping will get it processed.
  About 2:00 pm on Saturday 5/14 (a day earlier than her departure date), she came to the front desk, turned in her keys, and said that she is checking out. She said nothing more and left. Shortly after, housekeeping went to her room and literally walked into a disaster. Management was called to the room and we started taking pictures of the room. There was food and spilled liquids on the tables, dressers, nightstands, beds, floor, in the carpet -- nearly every surface throughout the room had opened food on it. The cables were hanging loose from the TVs and even the cable box was pulled from the back of one of the TVs. A lamp shade was broken off the lamp. Parts of the drapes were pulled from the hooks. The baseboard heater in one of the bedrooms was torn off the wall and hanging loose. We immediately reported this to Booking.com. and they requested the photos and were sent to them. The room was then left untouched waiting for Booking.com to follow up with her and it was immediately decided that she is not entitled to a refund of her security deposit. After seeing the "trashed" conditions of this room, we started thinking there may be a connection to the broken **** sign/light in the cooridor on that floor. We went through the security camera footage and found that at 9:53 am (that same day, Saturday), a young teen girl came from the pool and entered the first floor corridor followed by a boy (**** years old?). He stopped and stood below the **** sign and pointed at it, as if to determine if he can jump to hit it, the girl was watching. He then took a running jump and knocked loose from the ceiling with his right hand. He seemed surprised that it broke and ran down the hall with the girl, with another smaller, younger boy (6-8?) right behind them. They went directly to room 111 (the ***** room) and went in. We should also note that all three children were in their swimsuits and were just coming from the pool that ************** said was too small and not acceptable for her "adult" children. We are unsure what the photo is that you provided from **************. It only shows the name of the resort and our logo. However, we have provided a number of photos of the damage caused by the *****' during their brief stay with us. In addition to what you see in these photos, they do not show the food, drinks, pieces of lunchmeat, etc. that were all discovered the next day when the beds were stripped and we had to get the room cleared out for repairs. We should also point out that those white towels with the blue stripes that are all on the floors and on the beds in the photos are our pool towels provided to them that they used after enjoying the day in our unacceptable indoor pool. In this complaint to the BBB, ************** suggested that we did not refund her deposit in retaliation of her leaving a bad review on the internet. Quite honestly, we did not even see that review until we received the BBB complaint and saw it mentioned. On the contrary, it is ************** that retaliated against the resort by trashing her room and damaging property all due to her dissatisfaction. Needless to say, she is not entitled to a refund and, in fact, still owes $137.71 that we have not been able to collect. She also claims that somehow waiting for her security deposit to be refunded is some sort of indication of our unwillingness to cooperate and done as a deliberate "retaliation" against her. Her damages and the disgusting condition she left her room in upon checkout were all reported immediately to Booking.com. By 3:03 pm, they had it noted and requested the photos. The following is the initial correspondence that day:
  
  On 2022-05-14 15:03, **************************** wrote:
  Dear Partner,
  Greetings from Booking.com, We're sorry to hear you had issues with ************************* (booking **********). Although Booking.com is not responsible for possible damages caused by guests, we want to make sure we register and address this issue properly. Please send us clear photos or videos of each damaged item in your claim. Our team of specialists will follow up on the case and take any necessary measures.
  If you haven't set a security deposit yet, you can do so on the Extranet. This could cover occasional damages by guests, and safeguard your business. For assistance, contact our partner support team. Whenever you need us, we're always here.
  Kind Regards,
  Ashi J.
  **************************** Team
  
  Subject: Re: Reservation **********: Update on your request
  Date: 2022-05-14 16:11
  From: ****************************
  To: ***************************************************
  
  Dear Customer Service,
  Please see the attached pictures of the damage and filth left by this guest. Baseboard heater was torn off of wall and left hanging by the wire. Trash, food, spilled liquids, clothing, etc. etc. everywhere on all floors, tables, nightstands, etc. Cables for ******** boxes disconnected from all TVs. Lampshade broken off of table lamp on nightstand. Security camera footage also shows boy from this room jumping up and breaking the **** sign off of ceiling in the main corridor. Other damage and filth too numerous to mention.
  Thank you
  
  In less than an hour of her checking out, we had taken the photographs of the room, contacted Booking.com, and received their response and request for the photos. ************** claim that it took us 3 days to discover any damage to her room is completely unfounded and as false as any of her complaints about "losing" her reservation, no blankets, pool, etc. etc. Once again, ************** is not entitled to a refund of her security deposit and still owes an additional $137.71. 
  ************** did not contact us directly for any information or clarifications of room styles, amenities, activities, pool, etc. in order to make her decision of where she would like to stay. She made her reservation directly via Booking.com and based her decision on what she researched on their website. The $250 security deposit is clearly stated on Booking.com but she said that she did not read the policies on their site until after the reservation was made. She finally then decided to contact us directly to complain about the security deposit and that she does not want to pay it. When that did not work, she chose to go about getting out of her reservation by claiming several times that the reservation was somehow lost and WE cannot find it. If she had "buyer's remorse" after making her reservation, perhaps we and Booking.com could have worked with her if she just tried to explain why she changed her mind and ask for the reservation to be canceled instead of going through these nefarious means to get out of her reservation and responsibility.
  In conclusion, we held no animosity toward her and did not "retaliate" against her but rather acted in response to her false allegations and damages, which she agreed to be responsible for. Our phone and front desk staff responded to and handled each and every step of her stay as her needs arose. ************** is being just as unreasonable now as when she was here, and actually, before she ever arrived as well. As was discussed with Booking.com, they would certainly have received a number of complaints if something was wrong or unacceptable here at the resort, especially seeing the fact that two thirds of our occupied rooms that weekend were Booking.com reservations. This year of 2022, marks our 50th year here at this location. We proudly serve thousands of guests each year with a tremendous amount of repeat guests, some for decades. Accommodating our guests needs and meeting their expectations is exactly what pays our bills. There is no reason at all why we would compromise our reputation for the sake of a few dollars from an individual guest but we, nor any establishment, can simply overlook blatant damage.  
  
  
  PS. I am trying to load the photos in my response on your site. It will only accept 4 maximum but I have many more showing the damages.
  
  

  Customer response

  05/27/2022

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
  
  [Please type your response here.]
  Just this response alone is dripping of aggression and untruthful statements. This hotel has been sited by the state for false advertising because their website offers things they simply do not. As for my adult children they are 13,11,9,8,7 years of age. A simple ****** search of this businesses reviews will show that they have had this issue many times of overcharging people when they are angry about poor reviews. I asked for an itemized list of what was damaged and why I owed my entire deposit plus they are attempting to charge my card again and that charge didnt come until Tuesday when I was provided a receipt that said I would get a return of my deposit and even called and spoke with someone before leaving the review and was advised I was not getting anything by ***** the manager on duty or at least thats how she identified herself. Please share the pictures of the damages to the property because I can assure you they were not caused by me or my children. At this point the state has advised that this business is being sited for false advertising and they are continuing to pursue them at my request. I will continue to provide updates and will be sharing this response with the state agency that is pursuing them for their faulty business practices.
  Regards,
  
  *************************

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