Silverlake O.
Yelp
The short version: The staff added irrelevant charges to my bill, totaling about 242 Euros, which they eventually removed. It didn't feel like an honest error. Review your bill carefully, or better yet, go someplace else.
The Long version:
The new ("Roman") wing where I stayed is clean and comfortable, but not particularly charming--comparable to a Hyatt in the US. Room service was excellent, coming more than once a day to tidy up, and the grounds are pleasant (I'm not fond of a fountain surrounded by statues, but otherwise it's tasteful). The location is pretty good for visiting the old city of Utrecht.
I was in town for a conference, and reserved a room for 3 nights. Booking was online through a management service, HMC Reservations, and all written correspondence with the hotel (many emails by the time all the hassle was over) took place through them. The trouble started when I asked to cancel the third night. Plans change when you travel, and I would be going out of town that evening. I was told there would be a fee for doing so, as it was close to the time of my stay. No problem, I said, but what was the charge? After a couple of somewhat coy emails, I was told I would be charged 175 Euros, the same as the cost of the room for a night. That is unreasonable--a first negative impression--but it was late, as they said. I decided to keep the room for the 3rd day so I could check out late, instead of cancelling. My reservation for the 3rd night was reinstated.
Upon arriving at the hotel, I felt like a persona non grata. The staff was unfailingly polite in the testy mode of being over-polite. Then the front desk clerk asked whether I was staying for 2 nights. It's a long story, I said; I had wanted to cancel the third night, but when I was told it would cost the same as keeping the room, I decided to keep it. That is what he would have done, said the clerk pleasantly enough. It struck me as odd that he asked whether I would be staying for 2 nights when he obviously knew I had reserved the room for 3. He wasn't surprised, as he would surely have been had I asked to add a night at that date. Was he hoping I'd say yes to 2 even though I reserved 3? If you reserve for 3 nights, does the clerk ask you if you are only staying for 2?
The room I got turned out to be on the ground floor directly between the car park gate and the parking lot. This was a noisy spot, and I needed quiet for work. Did they put me there because it was the only room ready? I returned to the desk and asked if there was a quieter room I could have instead. This was no problem, they said, and I got another room in that building. Why did they put me in the parking lot room to start? Keep that room for last.
The stay itself was fine. The room was clean, and there was nothing notable about it. There is no business center, so the front desk printed a document for me pleasantly, their one decent act. There was no charge. Then early in the evening of my third day, I checked out. The clerk asked with an arch smile if I understood that there would be a charge for my last day, which could not be cancelled. Yes of course, I said, as agreed. She printed out the bill and put it in an envelope and I went to catch a train. When I opened the envelope I found the hotel had charged me for 3 nights, as agreed, plus a cancellation fee of 175Euros, plus 3 breakfasts for 22.50 each. I hadn't cancelled anything, and I didn't have any hotel breakfasts, which were optional. So this seemed gratuitous at best. It felt frankly like a mean jab.
I wrote my contact at HMC, an ever formal correspondent, and asked for a correction to the bill. She reported that the hotel "had to admit" that I was right, and would correct the bill. I asked for the corrected bill, and received a receipt, but it was the same as the old one. I called MasterCard to see if the hotel had made the correction, and found that they had. I then got another receipt that was again in error, its numbers not adding up. I asked a third time, and did get the corrected receipt, though the taxes listed at the bottom reflect some other figure. I gave up.
Overall this reservation and payment were an unpleasant hassle and involved too many email exchanges. If I cancel, I expect a reasonable charge. If I cannot cancel, then the hotel should be fine with my keeping the room each day for which I pay, instead of trying to get me to leave early. I do not enjoy spurious charges being added to my bill. Bills should be handled professionally, and their numbers should add up. Finally, if you send the wrong receipt 3 or 4 times, or treat your guests poorly, you need to say you're sorry. There was no apology from anyone for any of the hotel's rude and unprofessional acts.
Ugh. This was an aggravating waste of time. I was sorry I went here.
