Denise H.
Yelp
RED FLAG - MAJOR WARNING on parking and staff misleading clients. After reading about no parking, I called to understand parking, and I was told 'there is plenty of public parking available next to the hotel, in front of the hotel and a parking garage'. I have a large vehicle that will not fit in a garage, I ask specifically about open parking and was told there was a larger area across from the hotel and next to the hotel that is shared with area businesses. What they did not tell me is that on weekends that area is roped off for private use.
On my first nights return to the hotel, after driving around for 25 minutes, I called the front desk. One staff member did offer to give me his parking space when he got off work at 11pm, but he also explained that I could move the cones and park because the restaurants could not legally block the public parking area. 50% of the lot was blocked off, and he told me they have this problem all the time. I ask if I would get towed, and he didn't know, so I tried this, and had a valet stand in front of my vehicle blocking access and threatening to call the police. I finally talked another valet into letting me park in a blocked area. That valet told me this happens every weekend and that Element hotels continues to lie about the access being public, that the land is owned by the restaurants and on weekends it is regularly blocked.
On my return the hotel I was so frustrated and ask them to help me by getting me access to the neighboring hotel (also owned by Marriott) paid parking (I didn't mind paying), or access to the open area in front of the hotel. The manager on site, Sarah, was polite, but repeated the same corporate mantra about how they don't do that, that the parking is my responsibility. I explained that I had called and clarified this situation prior to booking my reservation, and again, she offered zero assistance in finding a solution. Then I ask for some assistance in finding another property to transfer my reservation, at this point I was angry, tired and frustrated and was just looking for some help. She offered no assistance, told me they would not charge me to cancel my reservation, but they can't transfer or make any calls for me.
I did move to the Element on International Drive, but I had to manage everything and be checked out early, Sarah would not even offer me a later afternoon check out. When I called Marriott Bonvoy they suggested I ask the GM to call me and discuss the situation, that customers should be offered some help. When I checked out, I ask Sarah to make sure the GM called me. After 5 days and no call from the GM, I called the hotel again and spoke to the assistant GM, Lee. Again, the same corporate line was given, with apologies, but no credits or anything offered to me. The attitude remains that they don't offer private parking and that a large public parking is available. He told me they are very transparent, and that I should have read all the reviews. When I explained that I had called and was directly mislead by staff, and there was no mention of the public lots being blocked every weekend, he simply repeated his same line, and politely ended the conversation. He may comment that I was rude to him, and I may have been, but the attitude at this hotel remains that parking is guest problem, no matter what.
So even when I called with direct and specific questions, I was mislead. This is the first hotel I have ever complained about, and as a former heavy business traveler, and retirement job as a Tour Director (Collette, Road Scholar and Story Land and Sea) that is saying something. Do not stay here if you need to park safely.
