Our 3-day reservation at Victoria Park Lodge (VPL) for July 19, 2016 was made at the end of March earlier this year. We were visiting Leamington Spa to attend and celebrate a family member's graduation from Warwick University on the 20th. Upon our arrival to VPL the temperature was, per my phone, approximately 93F degrees. (www.accuweather.com: historical average is 70F degrees). After checking-in we were led by male from the reception area to a separate building, up to the 3rd floor and let into an extremely hot room. He opened the door and immediately proceeded to the window to open it. When we commented about the temperature in the room, the male chuckled and remarked, "You can take a cold shower" before turning and abruptly leaving. The single window was the only ventilation in the room that merely continued to circulate and add to the hot air.
We arrived from an overnight international flight earlier that morning we wanted to take a nap, however, after attempting to nap for about 45 minutes it became apparent that it was not possible to remain in the room due to the heat. While I cannot confirm, I suspect that it was at least 100F degrees in the room. Our clothes were completely soaking wet from our short attempt at napping. We then left the room hoping that it would be cooler and more tolerable later that evening. Unfortunately, that night the temperature remained in the low to mid 70's with humidity as high as 69% (www.wunderground.com) Needless to say it was completely impossible to sleep or get any rest the entire night. The next morning while down for breakfast we asked if there were any fans available because the heat in the room was unbearable. The waiter said that he could check and see if they had any more fans or if they could get us one. We waited in the hot room for another hour and a half consistently sweating before leaving with the fan undelivered.
When we returned to VPL a single fan had been placed in the center of are what they categorize as their largest family room. Subsequently, the fan coupled with the window being open did very little to decrease the temperature as we continued to try to relax in a room temperature of 93 degrees.
Adding to the issues, the window did not have a screen attached which allowed for undesired bugs to enter resulting in my teenage niece being bitten on her back by a nickel sized spider while she lie in bed. In addition to the discomfort from the heat, she then refused to lie back down for hours in fear of additional spiders. We packed the spider to return home with us in the event that it was poisonous so the doctor could identify the type.
Realizing that we would more than likely be unable to get any rest again that night we decided to depart the next morning and return home a day earlier. We called the desk and informed them of our intent to depart the next morning. The male who answered the phone immediately stated that we could not expect any type of refund or compensation. I stated to him that in light of the circumstances I hoped we could reach some type of reasonable resolution. He said he would talk to the manager. I told him I would come by the office to speak with them in person. Later I went to the reception area and attempted to speak with the older Asian female that was there. She was sitting watching TV and appeared to annoyed by my presence with no interest in discussing the issue with me. I attempted to express to her that considering the circumstances and the fact that we were staying two nights, two nights in which we were not able to rest at all, I believed we should be able to reaching a resolutions regarding the third night. (Our original reservation was for 82 pounds a night, however, about a week prior we called and see if we add an additional teenage guest. They were more than willing to accommodate for an additional 18 pounds per night.) She would only say that their policy requires a 48-hour notice for early departures and that the weather was not her fault. She stated that she was not going to provide any portion of a refund for the third night (charged at 100 pounds) and she adamantly refused to discuss any other potential resolutions. I advised her to expect additional follow-up regarding this issue as I intended to initiate all dispute resolutions options available to me.
For the past 18 years I have traveled extensively for work and leisure, and collectively I spend on average 30+ nights a year in hotels. I routinely patron larger, well known establishments, chains and businesses, primarily for their commitment to quality and customer service. This is a mistake I will not make again. read more
