Extended Stay America

DEAR EXTENDED STAY AMERICA:

I arrived in Atlanta, Georgia on June 2, 2020, and attempted to book a reservation through Extended Stay America. I was instructed to contact the reservation line to book my stay by the general manager April Grier located at 3103 Sports Avenue Smyrna, Georgia 30038. I contacted the reservation line to set up the reservation and received several amounts for the cost of my total stay. I had to call several times in order to receive an accurate amount for the total cost of my stay. I noticed that for some reason the total amount for the cost of my stay continued to increase even with my promotion being applied. The rate of the room as well as the taxes increased each time I called the reservation line. Therefore, as a result of this I had to keep calling in order to receive accurate information. I drove around for hours at a time trying to book a reservation through Extended Stay America. After many attempts and calls to the reservation line I decided to book a stay elsewhere because it was obvious that something was wrong with the reservation line.

On June 2, 2020, I checked into the Days Inn Atlanta because I couldn't book my stay with Extended Stay America. I was charged $75.26 to stay for the night because I couldn't set up the reservation with Extended Stay. I was highly upset because this was money that could have gone towards my stay at Extended Stay America. After my stay at this hotel I reached back out to Extended Stay to try to book my reservation once more. On June 3, 2020, I drove around once more and tried to book a stay through Extended Stay America. After several attempts calling the reservation line and stopping in at the various Extended Stay hotels in Georgia I finally located one that I thought would be a good fit for my stay during my transition from Cincinnati to Atlanta.

Upon my arrival at the Extended Stay located at 905 Crestline Pkwy, Atlanta, Georgia 30328, I was greeted by the front desk attendant Mekia to book my reservation. I was instructed once more to contact the reservation line to book my stay using my promotional code. I reached out to the reservation and was quoted a price way higher than the actual cost of the stay. However, once the reservation was booked I went back inside to finalize my reservation and complete the check-in process. Once inside I discovered that the amounts for the total cost of stay was still incorrect and the front desk attendant tried reaching out to the reservation line as well. After several attempts on her end she too realized that something was wrong with the information and the reservation line was providing incorrect information to customers. After reaching out to rectify the situation the front desk attendant decided to help me book my stay. At this point, my reservation was complete and I finally was able to check into the hotel.

After finally checking in and gathering all of my things bringing them into the hotel I was able to discover some more issues with my room. The room was not cleaned properly, there was still someone's shoes underneath the bed along with chips and an empty bottle of water. The stove was not working properly and I was only able to use one burner. This was a huge inconvenience because I could not properly prepare meals for my son. Therefore, I couldn't make the most of my in-room kitchen. The microwave in my room was completely dirty. It looked as though it had not been cleaned in years. I complained about these issues to the front desk and was informed maintenance would be notified. The very next day I was given a new microwave and was informed that they couldn't fix the stove issue. In fact, I was told the only way to resolve this issue was to switch my room all the way down the hall after I had already carried all of my things along with groceries into the hotel.

The following week when I went to pay my bill I noticed some extra charges on my bill. I was not only charged extra, however, I was charged for making some local calls as well. In addition, I had to constantly change my room keys because for some reason the system kept voiding my keys along with my son's. I had to request housekeeping to clean my room at least once a week. This was very frustrating because upon my arrival I was made aware that this would occur weekly anyway. I had to request for my kitchen supplies and wasn't given the proper amount which is clearly displayed in the advertisements. When initially requested I was informed by the front desk attendant that all guests did not receive everything, only certain rooms. I received pans without the tops and a dish drying rack without the bottom part to drain the water. I didn't receive a coffee maker nor did I receive a colander or cutting board. I had to request a toaster after requesting to receive my other supplies. The silverware I received was old and dated and clearly needed to be replaced. The grab-and-go breakfast was discontinued along with several other amenities that the hotel advertises. I was informed that this was due to a coronavirus pandemic.

I requested to extend my stay with the front desk attendant and was told that I needed to contact the reservation line in order to do so. This was very frustrating especially being that I had several issues with them trying to book my stay. I reached out to the reservation line and was told that the hotel front desk attendant would have to extend the stay being that I was already in the hotel. I went back to the front desk and tried to extend my stay again and was made aware that the stay was extended and watched the front desk attendant update this information. At this point I was somewhat relieved and felt that my issue had been resolved. However, after a few days later I was made aware that they could not extend my stay once more. This was very upsetting because I was told I had to book a new reservation and that they could not extend my stay at the hotel. I was very livid and then requested to speak with the hotel manager and was informed that the hotel did not have a manager.

During my stay on several occasions I would request various items from the front desk and would be given a hard time by the different staff. I noticed different staff throughout my stay and this made it very challenging because the information that I received from each person was inconsistent. One particular instance I sent my son to request another sheet for the sleeper sofa and was told he needed to bring the old sheets up front. I then went back up to the front desk after my son and requested another sheet and the new staff yelled at me in a very rude and outrageous way. I proceeded to challenge why I was being denied another sheet for my room. I was then yelled at again and requested to speak with a manager and was informed that the hotel did not have a manager. By now I was very upset because I had absolutely no one to express my concerns to during my stay. This left me with no other choice but to leave and try relocating at another extended stay hotel. This was such a huge inconvenience because my son had just started work and I was losing the perks and benefits that come with extending your stay longer.

On June 30, 2020, I checked out of the hotel because of the various issues, particularly the one not being able to extend my current reservation. This created a huge inconvenience because I was forced to change my current plans and adjust them accordingly. I arrived in Jacksonville, Florida on July 1, 2020, and proceeded to locate another Extended Stay to book a reservation. I drove around to the various locations throughout Jacksonville and was informed each time that I had to book through the reservation line. However, after experiencing the issues from the previous hotels I decided that I would request to see the room before booking a reservation to avoid any future issues.

I arrived at the Extended Stay 4693 Salisbury Road, Jacksonville, Florida 32256, and was greeted by a very rude front desk attendant and was informed that I needed to contact the reservation line to book my stay. After speaking with the rude front desk attendant I decided to locate another Extended Stay. I drove to 4699 Lenoir Avenue S. Jacksonville, Florida 32216 and met with the front desk attendant. I asked the attendant about the rooms they had available and was informed that they only had deluxe rooms available. I asked to see the room and was given the opportunity to see the room. When we initially checked the room I didn't observe any obvious issues nor did I observe any smell throughout the hotel. At this time I was a little reluctant to take the room because I wasn't trying to pay extra money after experiencing the previous issues. I left the hotel and attempted to find another hotel with a different and better rate.

I proceeded to the next Extended Stay fairly close to the previous location. I arrived at 6961 Lenoir Avenue Jacksonville, Florida 32216. After arriving I noticed the hotel had a lot going on and several individuals at the front desk complaining about hotel issues. I spoke with the front desk attendant and asked to see the available rooms. After seeing the available rooms I noticed that the rooms were very old and had carpet stains and smells really funny. Some of the appliances were very old in each room and needed some serious updating. I finally went to my room at this particular hotel and decided that I would stay because at this point I was exhausted and tired of driving around. I was then informed that they could not take my method of payment and that I could not stay at this particular hotel using that form. This was very frustrating being that I used the same method of payment for my previous stay in Atlanta, Georgia. After hearing the disappointment I drove back to 4699 Lenoir S. Jacksonville, Florida 32216.

After arriving at the other hotel I decided to call the reservation line back after having to cancel my previous reservation. I set up another reservation for the hotel located at 4699 Lenoir S. After entering the hotel and spending my whole day looking for hotels in Jacksonville I felt I had no other choice because I needed some place to stay. Once I entered the hotel I noticed that the hotel now smelled really funny and overheard a conversation that they had some sort of leak or a pipe busted. I asked the front desk if I could see my room once more to ensure that my room was nowhere near the leak. After checking the room with the front desk attendant everything appeared to be okay in the room minus the smell in the hall. I processed my payment for $369.67 for my stay using the same card that was just refused by the previous Extended Stay. I was now a little relieved after spending the day looking for a room I thought my problem was now solved.

However, after checking the room once more I now noticed things were different. The room had ants everywhere even on the bed and throughout the bathroom. The stove was very dirty and looked like it had not been cleaned in years. The dishwasher was very old and looked like it had just been replaced and I could tell by the stains on the floor. The bathroom door was completely broken and could not be shut. The bathroom wall was very old and you could see the dry wall and water damage. We couldn't take a shower because the knob was completely broken. Things were so bad that I decided that I could not stay in this room and that my stay would not go well. I went back up to the front desk and requested a full refund. I told the lady at the desk about the issues and said that the room I saw didn't have those issues before. She then contacted the general manager and made her aware that I requested a full refund. The general manager agreed to the refund and gave us the room for free.

Although I was given the room for free, however, the room was in such a bad condition that I couldn't sleep in the room nor could I take a shower. In fact, I decided to sleep in my car until the next morning and wait to personally speak to the general manager. After waiting overnight I was able to speak with the manager Laticia Wright in the morning. I expressed my concerns and requested for a full refund. I was informed that it would take at least 7 till 10 days for me to receive my money. This created such a huge inconvenience being that I had just paid for my travel and stay. I couldn't afford to turn around and pay again for a stay that I had already paid. The general manager stated that there was nothing she could do at the time and that I had to wait. By now I was upset and had to start the process all over again. I felt I had no other choice but to move forward and attempt the process all over again.

On July 2, 2020, I arrived in Tampa, Florida at Extended Stay hotel and requested a room. I was informed by the front desk that they did have a few rooms available. I asked to see the room to figure out if the room would be a good fit. After seeing the room I decided that the room was not in the best condition and that I would try locating another and better location. I later arrived at ESA Tampa -Airport -Memorial 4811 Memorial Hwy. Tampa, Florida, 33634. I was greeted by the front desk attendant Byron. I asked if they had any rooms and was informed that they had a few and that I needed to book my stay through the reservation line. I then left the hotel and went back to my car to contact the reservation line. I waited online for a very long time until someone on the reservation line answered. Once the call was finally answered I attempted to book my reservation. I was informed that my promotional code couldn't be located in their system. I explained to the reservation line that I had just received the promo in my email and that the code was fine. I gave her another code and for some strange reason that code did work. However, I noticed that the price did not change even after the code was entered into the system. I then ended the call and tried booking my reservation through someone else.

I later spoke with someone else to book my reservation and proceeded to book the reservation. I was still given a price higher than my previous stay even though I had just stayed for less at the Extended Stay in Atlanta, Georgia. I lost the benefits and savings that typically would be applied for a customer who extends their stay. After setting the reservation I went back into the hotel to finalize my reservation and check-in. I paid $340. 55 as part of my fee for the month that had to be paid weekly. Upon entering the room everything appeared to be okay minus some minor fixes. I noticed that the light above the stove did not work and that the fridge had a leak. The outside of the hotel smelled like urine on top of the broken stand in my room. I had to request my kitchen supplies for the room and noticed that once more I received pans again without lids. I had to request them at a later date.

After staying in the hotel for one night I soon discovered that the toilet was stopped up. I reported the issue to the front desk the right way. I spoke with the manager Kim and noticed she was very rude. She was completely rude to me and was not open to receive any information that was provided to her. I asked her why she was speaking to me in such a way and she stated that I was the second person who stated she was being unprofessional. I was even told that I could leave all because I filed a complaint. In fact, I was told that the only way she could resolve the problem was to switch my room. This was certainly not an option being that I had just brought all of my things in and went to the grocery store. I was then provided with another key to use the restroom in another room across the hall. This was such a huge inconvenience because every time I or my son had to use the restroom we had to go to another room. I was also told that I had to wait for the maintenance man to arrive on Monday. I was very concerned about this feedback because this was considered an emergency and the manager did not try to solve the problem to the best of her ability. I really didn't understand why they didn't have someone on call for an issue like this and I was left with no other choice but to wait until Monday.

On Monday morning July, 6, 2020, I received a call around 10am from the front desk that the maintenance man was now available to fix the issue. Upon entering he appeared to be looking for other things and certainly didn't appear to be the maintenance man. I waited outside the restroom while maintenance and the manager Kim worked out the problem. After the problem was finished I walked to lock my room door and asked a question to the manager and noticed that once more she was rude to me. I even proceeded to express my concerns about the fridge and the other issues in the room. However the manager was not open to receiving my information and told me that I can leave the hotel once more. She spoke briefly with the maintenance man in such a way in which I could tell that they had already discussed me and that she was given instructions to put me out. I was then approached by another so called manager that I needed to leave and I expressed my concerns.

I didn't understand how I was being asked to leave because I had an issue with my toilet in my room. I then asked for a refund because of the inconvenience this has caused me once more. The new manager then stated that he would give me a refund. I then had to start packing my things in a hurry because I was being put out of a hotel for something that was out of my control. In fact, I didn't have a chance to properly dress nor did my son. I had to throw out my groceries that I had just purchased for the week which created huge inconvenience. After packing my things and rushing out I went back to the front desk to finalize my check out. I was then informed that they could only provide me with a partial amount even after the huge inconvenience this created. I was made aware that I had to wait once more 7 till 10 days for the refund. Again, once more my money was tied up in Extended Stay in which created a huge inconvenience. Especially being that my current work status was on hold due to the coronavirus and growing pandemic.

I am processing this complaint because I would like to be compensated for the inconvenience that Extended Stay has caused me thus far. I was forced to relocate on several occasions and even put out of a location. I feel that Extended Stay America is fully responsible for all of the events that have led up to this complaint. Had Extended Stay extended my reservation in Atlanta, Georgia none of the above issues would have taken place. I spent a total $125.00 on gas, $383.24 on food and $1602.57 for my overall stay. All of which total $2110.81. I am requesting three times this amount due to pain and suffering totaling $6, 332.43. I would like for this issue to be resolved as soon as possible and hope that we could come to some sort of agreement soon. I have attached copies of the necessary paperwork and any additional proof needed. Please feel free to reach out if anything else is needed. I can be reached at [protected] and [protected]@gmail.com. I look forward to speaking soon.

Sincerely,

Ciara Jones

[protected]
Ciara L. Jones