This is an experience I had one and a half years back.I am updating it now on muthshut as I have joined recently.Please do read.
All that glitters is not Gold - A truth about Hotel Le Meridian
This is not a story, though the title suggests so. This is a true incident which I and my family were caught on the New Year’s Day. The date read as 31st Dec 2005, around 3 o’clock in the afternoon I queried over the phone with Hotel le meridian about the New Year’s extravaganza they were offering, I was told that Rs.2899/- will be charged per couple. I reconfirmed if the charge includes food and beverages(Booze), I was informed that it is all inclusive with unlimited food and drinks. I asked them to block table for 2 couples.
I reached at the venue with my wife and in-laws around 9 pm, it was really crowded. I had to park my car almost 500mts. from the venue(Hotel Le Meridian, Sankey Road, Bangalore). Upon entering the hotel, I went to collect my passes for the evening. I paid Rs.3000/- per couple and again inquired with the hotel staff if it includes unlimited food and drinks? Yes was the answer from the lady behind the reception.
Me with my family enjoyed the lavish dinner and drinks near the pool with live music, it was all fun till the time we decided to call it a day. After the party was over around 1:30 pm, we started walking towards the exit, a waiter came running towards us and handed us a bill. To our surprise it was a bill of Rs.3700/-+ amount for the drinks we had. We refused to pay the bill as we were earlier communicated by the hotel staff that the entry fee
(Rs.3000/- per couple) includes unlimited food and drinks. The manager Mr.
Benjamin entered the scene and told us that the package includes unlimited food and unlimited beer. We told him that your hotel staff communicated to us that the package includes unlimited drinks and we are not paying for it.
Mr. Benjamin started talking in a very insulting tone and blaming that no such communication was made by his staff. We called the waiter who served us and he also reconfirmed that he didn’t communicate to us that whisky and cocktails were not a part of the package deal. After lot of argument with Mr. Benjamin we were introduced to a Sr. Manager named Mr. Sam and we had to explain him the whole scene again. He listened to us patiently and after analyzing the situation and reconfirming from his staff that it was their mistake that they misinformed us he gave us a solution to go 50-50 on the bill. We refused for that. Why should we pay for a mistake made by the Staff and Hotel Le Meridian? Mr. Sam kept on persuading us for almost 2 hours and didn’t let us leave the hotel till the time the matter was settled. It was so embarrassing and exhausting. When he realized that we were not budging for the solution he let us go without paying anything after wasting our 2 hours.
Just put yourself in my shoes and imagine the situation. You go with your family and spend money to enjoy and have fun. To give your family the best you choose one of the best hotels in the country and what do you get after spending so much of money? At the end of it you feel being cheated and curse yourself that why did you choose this place?
I didn’t write this mail to say anything against one of the leading hotels in the world, May be I was unfortunate that I ended up in this situation.
This mail is just to inform you guys what I had experienced so that you can be careful and avoid ending up in a situation like this.
But I seriously feel that the management and hotel staff were responsible for the harassment and embarrassment me and my family faced. I could have easily paid the amount and left the scene without creating any fuzz, but my soul didn’t allow me to do that. I can count on my words and respect everyone who sticks to their word. It’s about time these big shot hotels realize that their customers are not fools. Managers like Mr. Benjamin should learn how to treat their guests. What is the point of paying if you are not served well?
Please circulate this mail to your friends all over and let our voice count.
Thanks for your patience and sorry for wasting your precious time. Have a very happy new year.
Thanks and Regards,
Shailesh S. Agrawal
Mobile - 9341980131