Hilton Worldwide

We take security and privacy very seriously. The reservation did not have a late checkout and it was after 11:00am. The Housekeeper and Supervisor knocked on the door and announced housekeeping which may not have been heard. If there is not a late check-out, we have a standard operating procedure to make sure they have left. The Housekeeper entered the room and was embarrassed as well. Price-line had our checkout as 12:00pm, which was the information given to ***. I have reached out to *** and awaiting a response in order to resolve.

We have contacted third parties and audited the information for check-in and check-out on their sites for the hotel.

This guest has filed complaint against the wrong hotel.

Not only do we have nobody who was registered under that name, we also do not have an 8th floor. This guest stayed at the Embassy Suites St Charles Convention Center.

Dear ***:

This letter responds to your letter of July 29, 2019 to Embassy Suites relating to a complaint made to your office by Ms. Saundra Brown.

*** was a guest in the Embassy from July 17 through July 21, 2019 and is alleging she was wrongfully charged a smoking fee of $250 and that her room was not regularly cleaned during her stay at the Embassy.

The Embassy is a “Non Smoking” hotel. Smoking is not allowed within the hotel premises. Guests are notified that smoking is not allowed within the hotel premises through the hotel’s website and signage placed in each guestroom.

We have investigated Ms. Brown’s complaint and have evidence that contradicts the allegations made in her complaint. We have gathered statements from the Hotel Housekeeping, Inspector and Front Desk Staff members. A summary of the statements confirms that on July 18, 2019, Hotel associates smelled a strong odor of marijuana smoke in the hallway outside of guestroom number 811. When they entered guestroom number *** the odor became more intense. Because the smell and smoke were so strong within the guestroom, the Hotel’s Housekeeper Inspector made the decision that Housekeepers were not to enter the room to clean it during the time the guest was registered to the room. The incident
was reported to the Front Desk Manager on that same day and a decision was made by Hotel Management to assess the guest the $250.00 smoking fee.

When the guests were checking out of the Hotel at the Front Desk on July 21, 2019, they inquired as to the charge and were told by the Front Desk Manager of the strong smell of marijuana witnessed by Hotel Housekeeping staff. While they argued that they did not smoke in the room, they did admit to having marijuana with them in the room. The Front Desk Assistant Manager asked the Hotel’s Housekeeper Inspector and Housekeeper that witnessed the smell and smoke to come to the Front Desk. When they shared their experience of the strong odor and presence of smoke within the room and hallway, Maurice Frazier, the complainant’s son-in-law, and also a guest within the room, told the Assistant Front Desk Manager to go ahead charge the room and it was “all good”.

The smoking charge is in place for a reason. Because the Embassy is a Non Smoking facility, it is very important to our guests and staff that the policy is enforced. Additionally, if a guest smokes within a guestroom, it requires a deeper cleaning at the time of checkout, so that the smoke smell is completely removed.

Based on the information noted above, we support the decision of Hotel management to charge the guest’s card for the smoking fee. If there is additional information or you would like to discuss, please contact me. My direct dial phone number is ***.