All Robin Rosner wanted was a little peace and quiet when she checked into the Sheraton Centre in Toronto recently.
All she got was chaos and noise — lots of noise.
“I awoke to find my message light blinking about 3 a.m. and learned that they would be power-washing the exterior of the building starting the next day,” she says. “They were suggesting people keep their blinds closed for privacy.”
And that wasn’t all.
Pre-stay notifications fall short
“They also pointed out some construction work on one of the main streets might result in a detour,” she says. But the hotel failed to tell her that its garden wasn’t open, even though it was the middle of the summer, which was a problem for Rosner, because she was traveling with her dog.
“I enjoyed the garden and I had planned to spend time in it with my canine, who uses the garden. Of course, I clean up after her,” she says.
Closed garden. Street construction. Power-washing. Had Rosner known about all of these, would she have booked a room at the Sheraton?
No, she says.
But that’s the thing: the hotel didn’t tell her about it until she had checked in.
Is that right?
Well, Sheraton specifically guarantees a “peaceful, relaxing vacation” on its site, so it’s reasonable to assume you would actually get something resembling peace and quiet. In the past, the hotel would send her a note about a week before she checked in, reminding her that her room is nonrefundable and giving her a heads-up on any events at her hotel, including construction.
By the way, Rosner doesn’t expect a noise-free stay at Sheraton.
“I understand these tasks must be done,” she says. “But for leisure travelers, I just think we deserve to be informed in advance. Maybe if folks knew, they’d cancel. But that’s what I’m writing to ask you about. What’s fair to expect?”
“Constructive” resolution
I asked Sheraton to weigh in on this question. A representative emailed me back and admitted Rosner’s “disappointment is understandable.” I’m hopeful they will fix this for her, but I haven’t officially asked it to intervene. (Here’s our guide to resolving your consumer problem.)
I agree with Rosner that she should have been notified of the construction and facilities closure in advance — at the very least, in time for her to cancel her reservation. But that’s easier said than done. A hotel may not know about its facilities closure until the day it happens. In that case, a real-time resolution, like a voucher or an upgrade, might do the trick. (Related: What to do about hotel renovation hassles.)
Construction and noise problems rank as one of the top ten hotel complaints. The last reader query I wrote about, which involved a Hotwire hotel, was only partially resolved, and only after the stay. Ideally, these issues should be fixed before they become an issue for guests.
My advocacy team and I can push Sheraton to consider helping Rosner. But should I? Or is this just a lesson learned about staying in hotels in the big city?
Update: (2 p.m.) Just received a voice mail from Sheraton. This case has been resolved and Rosner is “very happy” according to a representative. I will try to get details.
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