I got ripped off by a life manager for the first time

I got ripped off by a life manager for the first time

by Gary Leaf on July 22, 2023

I don’t ask for much and I rarely complain. I certainly don’t ask for special treatment. I’d rather experience hotels the same way everyone else does, at least the way other frequent travelers who earn elite status do.

So I got to the Hyatt Regency Boston Harbor at 2:50 PM

I went through the check-in process, and was informed that my room wasn’t ready. The agent who checked me in told me it was cleaned but not checked, and that she would call to expedite it. She asked if I had a car (I had a rental car) and suggested that by the time I parked him and came back she would probably have my keys, anyway it wouldn’t take more than 15 minutes.

So I went and parked, taking extra time in the process, and headed back to the hotel. I waited for the guest to finish checking in, then asked if the room was ready? I was told it wasn’t ready yet. So I waited.

The next guest I helped took a long time to check in. They had a number of questions about the hotel and transportation. Then they checked us into a second room whose occupants would arrive later. This took about 10 minutes. So when she finished, I asked her if she wouldn’t mind checking out the room?

By this time it was 3:30pm a man came forward who identified himself as the manager. began to speak loudly,

This is the third time you go to the office. There are 9 rooms that need to be checked by the housekeeper, they will not prioritize your rooms. You don’t need to check in until 4pm

I was a little surprised. I offered that maybe there was a misunderstanding? He told me I was being rude to his employee by asking again about the room, since it wasn’t check-in time yet. But she told me it was probably ready?

he Shouted“,”probably was the key word. He’s not ready.”

I offered,

You seem to be suggesting I acted inappropriately by asking for my room three times. But the first time was just approaching the desk to check-in. The second time was back the way your agent told me to. And the third time is checking again, 40 minutes passed and I was told it wouldn’t be more than 15 minutes at most.

I am never rude to hospitality staff. When they are having a bad day, I try to empathize and joke with them. I am much more than I claim. So I haven’t experienced this before.

He kept repeating “other guests need to clean rooms too” (there was no one else waiting for the room), “they won’t prioritize you” (his desk agent told me they would), and “I don’t have to check you in until 4pm” At that point, I realized there was no way to get a key before 4, even if the room was ready.

Hyatt Regency Boston Harbor has changed management companies this year. It’s a franchise, which often means you’ll get a sub-par experience. In this case, it’s operated by HEI Hotels & Resorts. I’m not familiar with them in terms of their “do not stay” list the way I would an Aimbridge (I find their specs skimp on maintenance) or a DiamondRock (nickel and diming). But I have to keep them on my radar.

The hotel itself is fine. They upgraded us to junior suites, which are two rooms where one bedroom is a living room with a murphy bed. Spending points here as a Globalist gets free parking, and breakfast is either a buffet or order a menu including lobster Benedict.

The property could use some love, looks very dark, and doesn’t really make use of its stunning location on the water as it should. But apart from the manager on duty when I checked in, it’s a great property near the airport.

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