HotelChatter

Hotel Hell / → All Tags

Mandarin Oriental Miami, Please Hold

Where: 500 Brickell Key Drive [map], Miami, fl, United States, 33131

[Editor's note: You expect complex phone communications when you call an airline, not a hotel in Miami...]

I must admit upfront that I have never been to this hotel and my opinion of it being deserving of such category - hotel hell - is solely based on the recptionists. And man, do they deserve it. Not only was it a rarity to get someone who spoke English without an unintelligible accent but their consistent inability to transfer my call to a guest in their room was truly astounding.

When attempting to communicate with a hotel guest via phone, I was told the guest was unavailable and when I asked if I could leave a message I was told "no", but that I was welcome to try back later. Excuse me? What sort of modern hotel will not take a message?

Its no picnic for the guest either. Apparetnly, what is happenging when they are doing all this highly complicated transfering, which requires me to sit on hold for 15 minutes, is that they call the guest, and then they ask the guest to hang up once they have annouced the call so they can then re-transfer. What the?!?

Let me just say that I know, from my own office phone usage, that transfering calls is not brain surgery and does not take 15 minutes EVERY TIME.

From the guest's irritance, to my utter frustration, I plan never to stay at this hotel myself. And no, the hotel hold music is not even close to calming despite its pathetic spa-esque sound - with bells and chimes. Sheesh!