Millennium Knickerbocker Hotel Chicago - Routine Overbooking!

Greetings:

Think twice about booking this hotel; if you must, do not schedule a late
arrival.

My wife and I were booked at the Knickerbocker for four nights, arriving Sat
evening, Aug 28. When we attempted to check in we were told the hotel was
overbooked and we were being placed in a nearby hotel - the Allerton Crown
Plaza. The Knickerbocker would pay for one night's lodging at the Allerton
and we were advised to return to the Knickerbocker the following day for the
remaining nights of our stay. There was nothing to negotiate. We had no
choice.

The Allerton is a clean, friendly hotel which was formerly a boarding house
for single men and women. Consequently most rooms are the size of dorm
rooms, barely able to accommodate one person. The front desk staff at the
Allerton told us they routinely accommodate guests bumped from the
Knickerbocker. The Knickerbocker itself suggested I read the fine print of
my contract to see that I never was really guaranteed a room at the
Knickerbocker - just a room somewhere. I thought this ludicrous and I have
been unable to find this fine print anywhere.

We canceled our remaining three nights at the Knickerbocker as we could not
even be guaranteed a room if we decided to return. We stayed at the
Allerton upgrading our room to a suite. The Allerton was very accommodating
on this entire issue.

When we returned home I phoned the Knickerbocker three times and Millennium
corporate offices twice asking to speak with management about the issue. I
was "guaranteed" someone would get back to me. Nobody returned my calls.

I politely but persistently kept phoning the Knickerbocker and after one
week I was finally was transferred to the room supervisor who suggested that
if I had returned to the hotel, I would have been "guaranteed" some sort of
"priority" for a room upgrade and we would have been given a free "amenity".
Pretzels?

Chicago is a great city with superb hotels and restaurants. Don't gamble
with the Millennium hotel chain. Your reservation is at best a request and
they do not follow through on customer complaints.



Len

"Leonard M. Wapner" wrote in message
...
Greetings:

Think twice about booking this hotel; if you must, do not schedule a late
arrival.


I believe this is pretty standard hotel practice. Did you book your room
with a credit card? If so you should be guaranteed a room, but perhaps not
at that particular hotel.


My wife and I were booked at the Knickerbocker for four nights, arriving
Sat
evening, Aug 28. When we attempted to check in we were told the hotel was
overbooked and we were being placed in a nearby hotel - the Allerton Crown
Plaza. The Knickerbocker would pay for one night's lodging at the
Allerton
and we were advised to return to the Knickerbocker the following day for
the
remaining nights of our stay. There was nothing to negotiate. We had no
choice.

The Allerton is a clean, friendly hotel which was formerly a boarding
house
for single men and women. Consequently most rooms are the size of dorm
rooms, barely able to accommodate one person. The front desk staff at the
Allerton told us they routinely accommodate guests bumped from the
Knickerbocker. The Knickerbocker itself suggested I read the fine print
of
my contract to see that I never was really guaranteed a room at the
Knickerbocker - just a room somewhere. I thought this ludicrous and I
have
been unable to find this fine print anywhere.

We canceled our remaining three nights at the Knickerbocker as we could
not
even be guaranteed a room if we decided to return. We stayed at the
Allerton upgrading our room to a suite. The Allerton was very
accommodating
on this entire issue.

When we returned home I phoned the Knickerbocker three times and
Millennium
corporate offices twice asking to speak with management about the issue.
I
was "guaranteed" someone would get back to me. Nobody returned my calls.

I politely but persistently kept phoning the Knickerbocker and after one
week I was finally was transferred to the room supervisor who suggested
that
if I had returned to the hotel, I would have been "guaranteed" some sort
of
"priority" for a room upgrade and we would have been given a free
"amenity".
Pretzels?

Chicago is a great city with superb hotels and restaurants. Don't gamble
with the Millennium hotel chain. Your reservation is at best a request
and
they do not follow through on customer complaints.



Len

Might I suggest that you repost your complaint to www.tripadvisor.com where
it will become a more permanent record!

Regards

David Bennetts
Australia

Might I suggest that you repost your complaint to www.tripadvisor.com where
it will become a more permanent record!

Regards

David Bennetts
Australia

Based upon my past experience, I think that the Millennium chain is
pretty minor league although they try to promote themselves as one of
the big guys.

Not sure about the rate that you got, but I recently "Hotwired" a 3
1/2 star (upscale) hotel in Chicago for $109/night and it turned out
to be the Hyatt Regency on Wacker. Great place, newly renovated,
excellent staff. My experience has been that Starwood and Hyatt are
pretty typical on Hotwire for 3+ star hotels.

Dogs can fly.
http://www.flyingmutts.com


On Fri, 10 Sep 2004 14:23:47 -0700, "Leonard M. Wapner"
wrote:

Greetings:

Think twice about booking this hotel; if you must, do not schedule a late
arrival.

My wife and I were booked at the Knickerbocker for four nights, arriving Sat
evening, Aug 28. When we attempted to check in we were told the hotel was
overbooked and we were being placed in a nearby hotel - the Allerton Crown
Plaza. The Knickerbocker would pay for one night's lodging at the Allerton
and we were advised to return to the Knickerbocker the following day for the
remaining nights of our stay. There was nothing to negotiate. We had no
choice.

The Allerton is a clean, friendly hotel which was formerly a boarding house
for single men and women. Consequently most rooms are the size of dorm
rooms, barely able to accommodate one person. The front desk staff at the
Allerton told us they routinely accommodate guests bumped from the
Knickerbocker. The Knickerbocker itself suggested I read the fine print of
my contract to see that I never was really guaranteed a room at the
Knickerbocker - just a room somewhere. I thought this ludicrous and I have
been unable to find this fine print anywhere.

We canceled our remaining three nights at the Knickerbocker as we could not
even be guaranteed a room if we decided to return. We stayed at the
Allerton upgrading our room to a suite. The Allerton was very accommodating
on this entire issue.

When we returned home I phoned the Knickerbocker three times and Millennium
corporate offices twice asking to speak with management about the issue. I
was "guaranteed" someone would get back to me. Nobody returned my calls.

I politely but persistently kept phoning the Knickerbocker and after one
week I was finally was transferred to the room supervisor who suggested that
if I had returned to the hotel, I would have been "guaranteed" some sort of
"priority" for a room upgrade and we would have been given a free "amenity".
Pretzels?

Chicago is a great city with superb hotels and restaurants. Don't gamble
with the Millennium hotel chain. Your reservation is at best a request and
they do not follow through on customer complaints.



Len