Lesaint S.
Google
My boyfriend and I had a very unpleasant experience at the Wade Hotel in Chicago that I will never forget. Last night, we entered the hotel with another couple and were immediately confronted by a man who identified himself as security. He aggressively demanded to see our key card while the other couple we walked in with was not questioned at all. Security said nothing to them. The way we were approached made us feel ambushed and treated like criminal. Because no one during the two nights of our stay had ever asked us to show a key card upon entry, and because this individual did not clearly identify himself as hotel security, I continued walking. My boyfriend stayed behind while I went up toward the elevator. The security guard continued demanding my key card in an aggressive manner, which left me extremely shaken and uncomfortable. As a Marriott cardholder traveling on a business trip, this is not how I expect to be treated. Upset, I went to the front desk and saw the same “security” guard speaking with the front desk attendant. I explained that we were singled out while the other couple was not treated the same way, which made us feel extremely uncomfortable. Instead of showing any empathy or apologizing, the front desk attendant defended the situation by saying the other couple had already left and returned, so they did not need to show a key card.
At no point did anyone apologize. Instead, the front desk attendant escalated the situation and stated that he was going to “evict” us from our room. I never provided my room number. He then said that after midnight guests are required to show their key cards before entering the hotel. Ironically, the first night we checked in, we returned after midnight from dinner and were never asked to show a key card to anyone.
If there is a policy, it needs to be enforced consistently. NOT selectively. You cannot pick and choose which guests to stop and antagonize at the door. The front desk attendant claimed he was the manager, which I highly doubt. As someone who has stayed at many five-star hotels and is a repeat Marriott customer, a properly trained manager would have apologized for how we were treated and addressed the security guard’s approach. Instead, he was dismissive, did not listen, and was quick to threaten eviction.
As someone who has traveled to Chicago multiple times for business, I am not going to willingly show my hotel key card to a stranger—especially when I had not seen security present the previous night. For all I knew, this could have been a random individual.This entire situation was inappropriate, embarrassing, and deeply uncomfortable. The security guard approached us aggressively, singled us out, and the front desk staff failed to de-escalate or take accountability. Instead of listening to their guests, they made excuses and threatened to remove us. I would never recommend this hotel to anyone, and I will never stay here again. This experience completely overshadowed our visit and reflects a serious lack of professionalism and guest care.