We got to our reserved hotel last night at 11pm. La Quinta, Midlothian.
We tried to park, but were surprised we couldn't find a handicap spot in the parking lot at all. We drove far enough away to have room for our ramp for Michael to get out of the car.
As we walked up to the front "grand" entrance there was not a ramp for a wheelchair on the entire front. I quickly go inside and ask where the ramp for a wheelchair is, the reply I got was, "Ramp? Oh, I think there's one near the back." The back, where the smokers go, by the service entrance, not lighted, classy...
Michael goes all the way around the building, without a ramp onto the sidewalk he goes through the parking lot. He finds the ramp and gets in. We get to the desk and try to check into our handicap accessible room; we are informed that they don't have one. OK. So what's the point of reserving?
"There is one room here that is what you want but someone has it reserved for tomorrow night." I didn't see the connection. We are staying for 4 nights. If the first night and the third and fourth night are available in the handicap room can't we just switch rooms for the second night? "No. We never allow room switches." Says the Desk Minion.
Michael asked in a different, more diplomatic way which gets the Minion to call management. She comes back happily with this reply, "Yes, the Handicap room is available all of the other three nights of your stay but is booked tomorrow night."
Ummmmm that wasn't ever being disputed, we wanted to know if we could switch rooms? "No. We never allow room switches."
I was VERY tired after such a long day and was cranky enough I knew I should just keep my mouth shut! What I WANTED to do was slap the Desk Minion. But Michael was calm, polite, and gracious as he always is in such situations, and as I am always so unable to be. (He completes me lol)
So, fine, we will take a King deluxe room. "It should be ok for him" the Desk Minion says to me completely ignoring Michael even though he is the one speaking to her, the one with the credit card, and the one who's name is on the reservation. OY vey!
So we take the "deluxe king" thinking it would be big enough for Michael's chair to get in.
I go out to move the van into the back (which faces, didn't I tell you, the local Hooters) which is near the only handicap ramp, and there are two handicap spots. NEITHER is van accessible. The hotel basically took two regular spots and painted the lines blue. So no room for our van's ramp. Now we have to park far away on the SCARY side of the hotel to have room.
Michael goes up to the room while I take Penny for a quick stretch. He comes down, huge grin on his face. It's the kind of grin you get when things are either VERY good or VERY bad. As it was midnight after a LONG day I knew it wasn't the good kind.
"This isn't going to work" he says.
The hotel hallway stinks of marajuanna. There was a loud drunken wedding party roaming about. The actual room was to narrow for Michael to enter the door or to turn around if he HAD gotten in. It was creepy, scary movie creepy.
I get on the phone to try and find another hotel while Michael goes inside to get his money back.
I call the Hampton Inn we stayed at last time. They are about 15-20 minutes from our apartment BUT are very good. Clean, cosy, amazing front office staff. Just a good vibe there. They have the EXACT room we had last time available for not only that night but for the next several nights. It is PERFECT.
Michael comes out of the hotel with a very different expression. There had been a new minion at the front desk; a cranky "I hate my job and I hate you" kind of minion. He not only argues with Michael, but refuses to give him his money back. Telling him that since he was offered the other room (the "deluxe") that should suffice for them not having our handicap room. He was rude, unkind, and told Michael "I'm sorry sir, this isn't my problem."
When Michael asked about the number of handicap rooms at the hotel the Minion replies, "exactly what the law says we HAVE to have, Sir, two."
I have to admit, before I married Michael I had never before asked for or stayed in a handicap accessible room, but since we've been married I've stayed in over 30 different hotel rooms that have been accessible, from Wisconsin, Ohio, Hawaii, Florida, California, and this ENTIRE ROAD TRIP. We have always been able to find a room that has what we need and never have had to leave or change rooms EVER. So for this Desk Minion to say such a thing was fairly ludicrous. He refused to credit Michael his money back and only did so when we threatened to stop payment through the bank.
It's about 12:30 now. We drive over to Hampton Inn. Are warmly welcomed by their night desk clerk, Nicole. Who even offers to help us unload the car and bring things in for us. We love our Hampton Inn ;-)
Sleep now. Must...
Sent from Kylie Clapper
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