A very unpleasant experience at the Country Inn in Banning, CA....
Other than being in an extremely noisy location, I have no complaints about the accommodations themselves. But...!
I bid for a room in Banning through Priceline. Got a room at the Country Inn.
When I arrived to check in, I was told that I had ordered a smoking room. I said that this was impossible, for two reasons - 1) I am a non-smoker. 2) Priceline does not allow people to choose smoking or non-smoking when they bid. The manager insisted that I had ordered a smoking room, and it would cost me $20 to up-grade to a non-smoking room.
I called Priceline's help line, and they very kindly called the hotel to back me up in the impossibility of my ordering a smoking room through them.
Then the manager changed his tune. I was told that they only release their less-desirable smoking rooms to low bids on Priceline. It would still cost me $20 to get a non-smoking room.
To me, this is classic bait-and-switch. I don't think Priceline, nor the people who use Priceline, would appreciate this sort of rigging the system.
To be blunt, I feel there was lying and cheating going on. I know that I was lied to about ordering a smoking room.
That same evening I called the hotel in Palm Springs where I would be staying the next night. They assured me that a non-smoking room would be available at no extra charge. I paid the same amount for a non-smoking room in Palm Springs, also bid for through Priceline, as I paid for the smoking room at the Country Inn in Banning.
This is a long story, but it was a very upsetting experience. At no time was there any apology for the inconvenience, or possible health consequences of sleeping in a smoking room. I could like it or lump it.
For these reasons - dishonesty, greed, and discourtesy - I would strongly recommend that people avoid the Country Inn in Banning, CA, and avoid bidding for rooms in Banning through Priceline, lest you go through what I did.
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
24 July 2008
Hello Pilgrim4Art
Thank you for staying at the Country Inn and appreciate that you enjoyed the cleanliness of the hotel room. We apologize for your unpleasant experience at the Country Inn; however we would like to respond to your complaints regarding your stay at the hotel.
As much as we would love to have the freeway moved, the hotel’s website does describe that the hotel is located directly off Interstate 10 and therefore guest may be able to hear the traffic noise. The hotel was completely renovated at the end of 2003 and during renovation; steps were taken to reduce noise heard in the rooms, from the I10 and train.
As for the misunderstanding with the room type, when a guest reserves a room with Priceline, they have 2 options of making their reservation.
Reserve a room that has a pre set rate, this means that the hotel has set a certain rate for a certain room type for a certain number of guests and this rate changes for different room types or changes based on the number of guest in the room. Example a room with a standard king bed smoking for 2 guest may cost $50 plus tax per a night, where as a room with 2 queen beds smoking for 2 guests may cost $70 plus tax per a night (if there were 4 guests in that same room, with 2 queen beds smoking, the price would now be $100 plus tax per a night). This way of reserving a room allows a guest to confirm the type of room he/she may need, based on personal preference such as smoking or non smoking – 1 bed or 2 beds. The hotel will guarantee the guest receives the room type that they reserved
OR 2- name your own price , this means that a guest bids for a room not knowing the type of room that he/she may be reserving. The only thing guaranteed by this way of reserving a room on Priceline is that the room will accommodate up to 2 adults only. The room may be smoking or non smoking – 1 bed or 2 beds (the room type varies by hotel and therefore Priceline advises the guest to call the hotel directly to guarantee personal preference such as smoking or non smoking – 1 bed or 2 beds). All Priceline’s polices are stated clearly on their website for a guest to read before a guest can confirm his/her reservation.
You mentioned in your review that you had bid for a room on Priceline and that you did not have the option of choosing your room type, hotel record show that we did not receive any enquires from you, regarding the room type or any special requests such as smoking or non smoking – 1 bed or 2 beds; had the hotel received any enquires, you would have been informed that the room reserved for you by Priceline, was a smoking room with 2queen beds. A staff member would have also informed you that there was an additional charge for a no smoking room.
At check in, the Priceline associate that spoke to you from Priceline’s help line should not have said that you were guaranteed a non smoking room, as in Priceline’s polices it states that there is no guarantee on the room type also as you stated in your review that Priceline does not give you the option of choosing your desired room type.
Country Inn has different room types like other hotels; the non smoking bedrooms are larger in size than the smoking bedrooms and are marketed at different a price, that is why you were asked to pay an additional fee. Country Inn has more smoking bedrooms and these are released to Priceline’s name your own price program at discounted rates. All the rooms at Country Inn have the same amenities and bedding so there are no such rooms as “less-desirable smoking rooms”
The hotel staff does not use “bait –and- switch “ tactics on guests. Our records show that the front desk staff explained the reason for the fee to you, as well as printed a copy of Priceline’s polices to show you that Priceline did not guarantee room type as well as apologized to you for the misunderstanding with your reservation. Also noted on our records was that, you were offered a non smoking at an additional cost, but you refused to pay the fee for this room.
Again, I apologize if there was a misunderstanding with the explanation with your reservation; however the staff at Country Inn tried to help you as best they could.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC
