PECOS, TEXAS -- Suffice it to say, my wife and I were surprised to discover such a big, beautiful hotel just off of I-20 in this dusty little city on the west Texas plains and, when we asked if it was a conference hotel, were told by the clerk that it was not but that many people asked the same question. Our room was big and comfortable and included a number of nice features, including sinks in and outside of the bathroom, a microwave, and a refrigerator.
By the time we woke up Monday morning and started getting ready to leave, we were very pleased and I almost posted a 5-star review here and on Yahoo Local (my inclination being to ignore the first of the annoyances listed below). We did experience a couple of odd things at the the Best Western/Swiss Chalet Inn & Suites, however, which made our stay their less than perfect.
* We were pleased to discover the place had a government rate of $80. That seemed a little steep for Pecos but fine for this hotel so we accepted it. The desk clerk went on to tell us, however, that she had to charge us an additional $10 because my wife was going to have someone else in the room with her (i.e., her husband -- me -- who also has a government ID card). Pretty bizarre and something I have never experienced elsewhere.
* Breakfast looked very promising and the hotel has a large area set up for these purposes and a nice selection of food. When we went to eat, however, we were greeted with NO coffee, NO forks, and NO napkins. We had to specifically ask the slow-moving attendant to make more coffee. We then watched as she shambled out of the kitchen every few minutes to deposit a couple of mugs or stir the food in the serving dishes, oblivious to the fact that we and other guests were eating our bacon with spoons and had no napkins. A manager eventually showed up, but she didn't notice any of these deficiencies either -- and counseled the attendant only about some other things that seemed to be affecting her own breakfast!
Overall, the Best Western/Swiss Chalet Inn & Suites has a lot of promise, and maybe its staff and management will get their act together and make the place a success, but they are not there yet. As always, keep your eye on this space for updates (which, as always, may include direct feedback from the reviewed establishment, which I not just allow but encourage).
Sadly, I am commenting on my own review to note that I am reducing my rating for this establishment from 3 stars to 2 stars. It is one thing for there to be issues with a business and another thing altogether for its managers to be indifferent to them. So, 10 days ago I contacted the managers of the Best Western/Swiss Chalet in Pecos about my concerns and ... Nothing. If they are indifferent to the customer -- and, in this case, a published travel writer no less -- who takes the time to write something about them and the contact them about it, you can be absolutely sure they will be indifferent to the customer that is just passing through. I think there is a pretty good chance that if you stay at this place you will end up being unhappy about it.
ReplyDeleteMr. Varhola, I do apologize for not being more proficient in responding to your thoughts and comments. Your comments and suggestions are very important to us and we do want to hear from our Guests. After all, that is what we are here for and I do love my association with the public. I cannot imagine us not having any silverware on the buffet line. It is always rolled every afternoon in nice fresh linen napkins and placed in a tray at the north end of the hot food buffet line. We do not have a shortage of either silverware or napkins. My procedure every morning when I come for the day between 7:30-8:00 AM is to speak and greet the guests, survey the buffet line to assure all items and facilities are in order. If you were in any way offended or dissatisfied with our facilities or services, I do apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused you. Me and my staff will take to heart your comments and will strive to perfect those areas. We are, at the last rating #5 in the world
ReplyDeletefor Customer Care and Customer Service out of over 4,000 BW hotels.
Thank you for your time to advise us to area or areas where we may make these improvements.
Respectively,
Jean Winget,
GM