Complaints

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/22/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Wife and I stayed at this Super 8 for 1 night July 31 room 109. They charged my CC for $136.71 the agreed amount. Then I saw an additional charge for $250 post to my CC. I called hotel 8/4 asked Autumn what charge was for-smoke smell in room, pot or cigarettes! Told her there must be mistake we do not smoke anything. We always request nonpet and nonsmoking rooms. Shell pass on to Mgr/Owner. Just met another person that the same scam happened to at the same Hotel-coincidence? I think not! My charge is in dispute w/CC. Since this has happened to two people, must be happening to a lot more. I even called customer service at Wyndham Rewards thinking they might assist me since I have been booking reservations thru them for past 10 years, but they told me youre on your own. I would have thought Wyndham Rewards would at least keep track of type of complaints of their recommended hotels.

  Business Response

  Date: 09/04/2023

  Hello,
  I have two requests:
  (1) Please update the email address for this business to - ************************************
  (2) Please see below message regarding the incident as I know it. Please reach out to me for any additioonal information that might be necessary. My email address is as above. My phone number is ************.
  

  In light of guest comfort, and guest well being, our hotel has a strict no smoking policy. Per ***** standard policy, all guests are made aware that should they smoke inside the room, there is a $ 250 penalty. This is clearly disclosed to all guests at check-in and they are made to initial that document as well. The penalty, is necessary since the room typically has to be taken down and a deep cleaning performed. The room that this guest stayed in, had a smell of pot being smoked. The smell was noted by my night shift employee. The night shift employee noted the smell coming in to the hallway. Other guest staying in the adjoining room also complained of a smell of pot. However, the exact location could not be ascertained at night. The next morning after the guest had checked out, the housekeeper who entered the room also noted that the room had a strong smell of pot smoking. Housekeeper then alerted the manager on site, who also confirmed the presence of the smell. So after three separate employees confirmed that the room had a smell coming from it and an additional guest had complained about it. In light of these findings, we had to do a thorough deep cleaning of the said room and the adjoining rooms. The guest was therefore charged $250 smoking fee. I was not present on the premises at that time. Since I had three different employees tell me that there is evidence of smoking, I feel obligated to believe them. I do not take any pleasure in charging guests a penalty. Nor is this a frequent thing. In the past 9 months, we have only had to charge the penalty a total of three times. We do not take this lightly. We only do this after a thorough investigation and only after multiple independent individual verification.
  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 09/12/2023

  We did not smoke in that room. We are both 35+years x-smokers, both over the age of 70 who truely despise the smell of tobacco especially pot. Your night shift employee smelled pot in the hallway and guests in adjoining room complained of same. Why didnt your employee knock on doors especially adjacent to complaining guest no matter what time since you are 100% smoke free hotel? That would have solved the problem then and there. 
  The only persons I saw with cigarettes and/or smoking were staff. When we first pulled up, the desk clerk was just outside the front entrance smoking. At breakfast a couple of women were talking about work with their cigarettes on the table. 
  At checkout time, went to front desk for copy of bill and return keys-no one at desk or call button. Put keys in open tray on desk. Had to return later to get blanket we forgot in room-no one at desk but keys available for anyone. After getting item, returned keys with holder stating room number to open tray, I thought not a good key drop system anyone could grab key and access rooms like I did. Still no one at desk. When I left that room there was no pot or cigarette smell. Dont know who else could have gained access to room?
  When everyone was supposedly investigating this alleged pot smell, why wasnt I called, texted, or emailed while I was still in the area? Instead I had to call Super 8 4 days after our stay to ask Autumn what the additional $250 charge was. I asked her to have whoever initiated the charge to return my call-never received a response. 
  2 weeks after our stay we were at a gathering in ******************* and told my story of the accusation of a Super 8. A guest there asked what town was this in-he said the same thing happened to him in the same Super 8. What are the chances of finding one of the other 3 accused?
  CoincidenceI think not
  

  Business Response

  Date: 10/20/2023

  Hello *****************
  I received your message dated Sept 12th, 2023 - I recieved the message today October 20th, 2023. I was notified by BBB about that message today. Hence the "delay" in responding to you.
  
  As you know from being an "x-smoker", there is not photograph or snapshot that I can present to you that would prove that there was pot smell in the room. As to night shift employee knocking on the door, it is not practical to wake up three or four rooms at night in an effort to find the source of the smell. That would not go over well with other guests who would be resting and don't want to be bothered by a staff who is investigating the source of the smell. 
  
  We can go back and forth about this without end. What is it that you are seeking from this discourse? Please advise and we can can look to close this saga. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 10/21/2023

  I considered this dispute settled when I received a letter from my credit card company 9/18/23 stating that We credited your account for the full disputed dollar amount . Sorry that this situation arose and so that it doesnt happen again we will not stay at this Baker City Super 8 and recommend the same to any of our friends.