Coty S.
Yelp
Extremely Disappointed - A Terrible Experience at The Read House Hotel
I'm absolutely disgusted with my experience at The Read House Hotel in Chattanooga. I recently stayed there to celebrate my wife's birthday- You would think the premium price for the room and accommodations would come with safety and security.. but no. My truck was broken into because the valet did not lock it. I specifically told the valet that I wanted my truck in a safe spot as we just got off a camping trip and had lots of camping gear that I wanted secured and not just parked on the roadside. My vehicle was ransacked, and my Glock 9 was stolen. If the valet would have done the simple job of just locking my truck none of this would have happened. I'm not just upset about the theft--I'm furious at the complete lack of accountability and follow-through from the hotel. Valet told me they don't have a choice but to park in their off sight parking facility and that your vehicle is guaranteed to have 24/7 surveillance with security officers and other valet attendants making hourly rounds to ensure things are in good shape. When you asked for the surveillance footage it was conveniently "out of the camera's line of vision"..
I've tried multiple times to contact the hotel's management, her name is Stephanie, but they've completely ignored me. Every time I call, I'm told someone will return my call, but they never do. I even got the valet manager's (name Billy) number and reached out to them directly, and after a few weeks, they stopped responding to my calls and texts altogether. Completely unprofessional. They told me to go through MY insurance. Once I told them my insurance isn't an option as the price of the handgun is less than deductible and making the claim would only penalize me they ghosted me..
What made matters worse was how the valet manager tried to shift the blame onto the employee who worked long, grueling shifts (16 hours a day, 4-5 days a week). This was in October and that week there was a big car show so everyone was working overtime. I thought that was just a cheap and tacky move from the company, trying to scapegoat someone who was probably overworked and underpaid, and making most of their money via tips. This should've been the hotel's responsibility from the start, but instead, they've refused to make this right. And their "third party vendor" makes no efforts to make this right.
I'm deeply disappointed that after all this time, no one from the hotel or Valet has taken ownership of the situation. The company should have compensated me for their negligence, but clearly, they have no intention of doing so. I will never stay at this hotel again, and I would strongly advise anyone else to avoid it as well. Absolutely terrible experience.