Shame on Hilton Hotels

[jaspurr]

My sister just lost her holiday in Florida due to the XL Group in the UK going to the wall. In the UK they were the third largest holiday company. Fortunately she was days away from paying the balance and her deposit will be fully refunded eventually.

My sister is a really upbeat person so she swings into action and rebooks flights with Virgin who were more helpful than usual given her circumstances. She contacted the Hilton Hotel who she had booked with via XL who acted really dumb and they would not let her rebook with them as the hotel was fully booked despite XL no longer trading.

Eventually after days of calls and emails she starts making some headway and they agree she can rebook with them but at full market price. The hotel via XL cost ?700 and remember that is what she way paying XL so the Hilton Hotel was getting much less than this. They came back to her and said she could have the same booking for almost ?1100, almost ?400 more expensive. Even if it had been the same price as with XL Hilton would have made more money but they got outright greedy and they have people like my sister over a barrel as they have no choice but to pay up or cancel the holiday with her children.

She is going to write to the MD of the Hilton group, the papers here as it is still a hot story and I even suggested the Florida Governor. I travel a lot and I often use Hiltons, well lets just say I did! Shame on Hilton Hotels

[Apache Warrior]

Corporate greed strikes again.
Apache

[Thrashdragon]

Paris Hilton came from that family. They lost any sense of shame they may have had a long time ago.

[Hammy]

Paris Hilton came from that family. They lost any sense of shame they may have had a long time ago.

Dude- one has nothing to do with the other.

In regards to hotels in general, they are all like this. You sign agreement when you go through a third party that basically states that you dont have an agreement with Hilton, but with the 3rd party, and it is the 3rd party's responsiblity to come up with the promise for services.


That is a terrible story. Are there any other companies out there like XL that would enjoy capturing a new client and make them very loyal by helping them out of this bind?

Thats idea #1.

Idea #2 is to call the corporate number and ask for one of the executives. I spoke to the President of North American Distribution at Sony 5 years ago when a call center rep treated me terribly about a computer we had ordered. It was configured incorrectly and it was a gift for my mother in law so it was a very bad situation.

You'd be surprised what happens when you do that.

The way to get to an executive is to simply call the main number listed on the website and ask for that persons' assistant.

When they answer, tell them that you need to schedule 30 minutes with Mr/Ms X. They will ask you what this is regarding, you will say "it is regarding my business with Hilton Hotels and how due to a recent experience I will be ending that relationship"

Say nothing more.
If you feel compelled, you tell them that "I feel compelled to tell the members of my business chapter and the various non-profits I work for about the relationship I have had with Hilton. But before I do something such as begin a conversation that ends with myself reccomending that they consider an alternative, I'd like to give Mr/MS X an opportunity to disagree with me."

That's it.

Someone will call you back in 48 hours if you sound professional, calm, and you speak patiently. I bet you will also get exactly what you need if they call.

~Hammy

[jaspurr]

Nice Hammy, thanks. My sister is an expert at this so I will pass your words on.

[juneau]

I love how when XL went down British Airways were charging double to what they normally do to bring people back to the UK.

Hope you get somewhere with this jaspurr.

[jaspurr]

I love how when XL went down British Airways were charging double to what they normally do to bring people back to the UK.

Hope you get somewhere with this jaspurr.

And all credit to Sir Richard Branson who sanctioned that any XL passenger stranded abroad would be repatriaed for the sum of ?75 by Virgin Airlines from any destination that they fly from. Now here is a man who truly deserved his Knighthood. Unfortunately with the loss of XL the big boys are trying to re-establish their monopoly on the travel industry, the monopoly that Sir Richard and Freddie Laker before him tried to break.

[Apache Warrior]

I have always admired Richard Bransen. He is a very smart man but, one who cares.
Apache