John Robinson
Google
My wife and I and our son and daughter paid for the VIP package New Years Event. The cost was $250 per couple. Guaranteed seating, early entry, bottle of champagne for each couple. It was communicated that there would be patio heaters and fire pits to keep attendees warm. When we arrived hotel lobby was packed. Event was to start at 9 but Sky Blu was not ready. Stood in a very crowed hotel lobby for over 30 minutes before starting taking attendees up in elevator. There were two lines VIP and general admissions. Elevators were very slow since hotel guests were using as well. By the time we got to the elevators, the general admission attendee line was empty and all were already up at the lounge. So much for VIP package getting you early entry and preferred seating. When we finally got to the roof top, we were seated at bar stool chairs, no table and no patio heater. We noticed “general admission” attendees sitting in comfortable lounge chairs with tables, fire pits and patio heaters. We were sitting in the open, no table, no patio heater. We noticed several couples being served their champagne. We were never served. We found a server and asked about our champagne. She said we would have to speak to one of the event hosts. We did and they brought out our champagne bottles in a large ice bucket. With Dixie cups. No kidding, Dixie cups. Apparently by this time they had ran out of champagne glasses. Now the kicker was we had NO table for this big bucket and champagne bottles. We put the champagne on the edge of a nearby table. At this time a lady informed us the table was reserved for someone else. She said she worked for the hotel, not for the event organizers and the hotel was receiving complaints that VIP guests were not getting the seating promised so she was trying to step in and help because didn’t want it to reflect on the hotel. We told her our situation and said we had no table and no place to put our drinks or champagne despite paying for the VIP package. The lady sympathized and said we could stay at the table until the guests the table was reserved for arrived. We poured some champagne into our Dixie cups, made a toast, then gave our champagne to a table next to us and left. It was 10:45. This was the most disappointing “going out” experience I have ever had and absolutely fraudulent to charge $250 per couple and then not be able to deliver. Hilton should be embarrassed to have their name associated with a sham like this.
