I looked on-line at this hotel before I reserved my rooms. The internet add specifically states that this is a pet friendly hotel. I arrived on a Thursday evening and checked in. My daughter and her service dog in training accompanied me to my room to get a package I had brought to her. The man at the desk, Nate, saw my daughter and the dog come in with me and get on the elevator. My daughter and the dog stayed about 25 mintues and left. The next morning I left for a meeting and then went to dinner with my daughter. I arrived back to the hotel at about 9:00 and could not get into my room. I thought my key had demagnetized and went to the front desk. When I got there I was informed that I had been locked out of my room and could only gain entry by paying $250. They said I had a pet in my room and since this was not a "pet room" they had to sanitize the room and that cost $250. I told them that the dog stayed about 25 minutes, that Nate had seen the dog enter, that the internet add said this was a pet friendly hotel. The clerk said I would have to take this up with the Manager, Michelle Chung on Monday. I aksed the clerk what was wrong with the room and she said there was dog hair on the comforter. I assured her that the dog was not on the bed but that I had taken my suitcase out of my daughter's car and that there might have been hair on it. I did acknowledge that I put the suitcase on the bed. I said I had my medication that I had to take in my room and I did not have $250. She said she was sorry but I could leave or pay the money. She was holding my luggage and medication hostage. I thought about calling the police but I had to have my medication immediately and so I had to put the charge on my debit card. The clerk told me that I could dispute the charge with the manager on Monday and that she would be in at 7:00. I had a 9:30 flight so I was in the lobby on Monday at 7:00. Michelle Chung, the manager did not get to work until 7:25. I explained the situtation to her and told her that if the dog was not allowed in the hotel why didn't Nate, the clerk say anything. She told me that was not his job. SHe said the whole room had to be sanitized. I told her that I saw a dog in the lobby that morning and again on the elevator and asked her if the whole lobby, hallway and elevator had been sanitized. She told me that I was making a scene. I told her that I wanted the charges taken off of my debit card immediately, I felt she had treated me dishonestly and was going to complain to the Corporate Office if she did not remove the charges. She told me, "Since you are making a scene, I am not going to remove the charges". By this time I was late leaving for the airport and asked for the Corporate number. She mumbled something and I did not get what she said and asked for it again. SHe turned to help another person at the desk and left without returning and giving me the number. My daughter came in at this time and had to yell, "Hey you have a customer" before Ms. Chung would return to the front desk and I had to ask three more times for the number for the corporate office. I called the corporate office on the way to the airport. the woman I spoke to was very kind and said that I should have been treated in this manner nor should I have been charged $250. She asked me to hold and she called Michelle Chung. When the woman from Corporate came back on the line, she said that Ms. Chung said she would reduce the charge to $100 if I would not file a formal complaint. I did not have $250 extra dollars so I agreed to the reduced amount. The woman from corporate advised me to wait until the charges had been reapplied to my account and then write a letter to the the Coporation. She said this Comfort Inn was privately owned but the Corporation needed to hear about what had happened to me.
I find this treatment despicable, dishonet and humiliating. I have stayed in Comfort Inns for many years but until I get assurance from the Corporate office that this will never occur again, I will never stay in a Comfort Inn or any of their affiliates again. I have shared my experience with my supervisor and he has assured me that he will never use this Comfort Inn again. This is a loss to them since one of the employees travels to Kent each month for four or five days.