TL : DR
Beyond an absolutely abysmal check-in/reservation snafu:
Background:
My immediate family stayed at the Occidental in Dec. of 2018 for Christmas Week. It was our first trip to Mexico and my wife wanted to be somewhere safe with a beach. The Occidental fit the bill. The property was/is nice and well maintained. The food was OK - we didn't starve, but nothing to write home about - it's AI food. Overall good value for what it is and easy.
In the interim, I went back to Cozumel for the '22 SB invasion and got a taste of San Miguel and loved it.
2023:
We decided in August to do a trip to Cozumel with our sister-in-law's family. US: 2 adults, 2 young-adults in 2 rooms. - SIL's family: 2 adults, 4 young-adults. All young adults 18-22yo. It was decided (over my desire to stay in-town) that an AI was "easy" - we didn't need to figure out/coordinate meals with everybody. Folks could do what they want. Occidental was a known quantity. Booked in August for the week before Christmas for 5 nights.
SIL had originally booked a "Royal" level room for them as a treat. Somewhere along the way SIL realized that the kids would be unable to come to their Royal room (a gated section within the compound) and called reservations to downgrade out of the restricted area. That left them with one "Concierge Deluxe room for them (2-persons) and US$1200 and one Deluxe for the kids (booked as 3-persons - note this was an "oversight" as one of the kids was not originally certain to be able to come and it didn't get corrected before the trip) at about US$1300 (with 50% prepaid).
Arrival- Sunday Dec 2023 approx 4pm:
We arrived at the Occidental and were taken down to the Concierge and Royal office for check-in.
My immediate family checked-in - quick, easy, no problems.
As we were finishing up I saw that my SIL and husband were agitated and walked over. I got a quick quip that there was a problem and that the hotel wanted $4800 for the reserved $1200 room.
I got my family across the way and dumped the luggage in our room and then walked back to see what was going on.
When they went to check-in, the paperwork showed the US$1200 reservation, matching the confirmation email that my SIL had, but the concierge/royal check-in clerk said that the computer was showing it to be US$4800, nothing she could do, work it out with reservations. My SIL's phone was not connecting calls, they had been traveling for about 14 hours, and she was getting upset. I tried to intervene and asked for someone to connect us to the appropriate people (i.e. place the call since the cellphone wasn't working) and guide us to fixing the problem. Sorry, no. In the mean-time guests are piling up trying to check-in and starting to notice that something is going on.
We asked to speak to the operations manager on duty. Nope, not there. Again asked for help sorting it out. Finally after about a half hour, the premium area manager on duty comes over, with obvious reluctance, and we go through everything again. SIL shows him the reservation confirmation. He says you need to work it out with reservations, but agrees to try. After a few minutes of him working on the computer, SIL is finally able to get a connection, calls reservations, and explain the situation. The reservations person seems to see the issue and say that they should get the room at the reserved rate - it should be charged at that rate for the current night and then the balance of the nights corrected when fully staffed in the morning. SIL tells the premium-area manager this and tries to hand him her cell phone with the Barcelo reservations agent, but is declined - he says that "this way is better", SIL notifies the agent that the managers says he's got it and disconnects.
After another 10 minutes the manger finishes on the computer and comes over saying it might be that a CC update triggered the system to "update" the reservation internally. They won't charge the room night yet, but they want a US$4800 hold and authorization to charge and then she can talk to the next level up tomorrow to get things worked out. SIL is angry, upset, and unwilling to hand over a charge authorization for 4x their confirmed reservation! Manager says it is the only way! Manager goes over and noodles on the computer and actually sniggers when SIL is briefly crying quietly as we are trying to figure out what to do.
Discussions resume with the manager:
Finally after a lot of back and forth, the manager agrees to a US$3000 charge authorization and of course, the charge hold authorization that SIL is asked to sign is only in Spanish. Eventually SIL is worn down enough to sign instead of just walking away completely and abandoning her US$650+ pre-payed deposit on the other room plus the likely US$900 they would probably then try to charge as a "no-show" on the disputed room.
After a good 1-1/2 hours of this they need to go back to the front of the hotel where the kids are to check in for the other room.
When they get up front, the hotel wants approximately an additional US$1000 to add one person (a 4th) to a room that is booked for 3 at US$1300. Somehow, the decision is to check in and pay the balance for the room without adding the additional person (no bed, no services) and sort it out in the morning.
The next (Monday) morning:
We (the 4 adults) arrive at the main desk to sort things out with the hotel's "experiences manager". We were treated with an attitude of pointed dispassion.
The disputed room rate was acknowledged as having been triggered by the use of a different credit card during a telephone adjustment and they would allow the original rate to be honored. On the additional person they wanted their US$950! (Keep in mind that that is adding 1 person to a room with 3 people in it already with an apportioned rate of about US$430/person). In the end they got an additional room for about US$400 more than just adding one person.
Beyond an absolutely abysmal check-in/reservation snafu:
Even in follow up correspondence with the Director and General Manager after the stay only an non-apology apology was offered ".. my apology if we failed you at any time during your stay."
Commentary IMO:
- Their booking and reservation system is "twitchy" and may recast existing reservations, without notice, at wildly different rates (like 4x) for trivial updates (ex. an updated credit card in this specific case.)
- Check-in staff (even premium area manager) do not want to be bothered and are either not authorized or unwilling to immediately or provisionally handle corrections even in light of obvious and extraordinary circumstances.
- Adding an extra person to an existing room at check-in can result in ridiculous charges.
- The feel that we got from the management chain is coldly impersonal to mercenary.
Beyond an absolutely abysmal check-in/reservation snafu:
- The property remains well-appointed and well maintained.
- Most staff were very nice and efficient.
- Food was solid AI fare.
Background:
My immediate family stayed at the Occidental in Dec. of 2018 for Christmas Week. It was our first trip to Mexico and my wife wanted to be somewhere safe with a beach. The Occidental fit the bill. The property was/is nice and well maintained. The food was OK - we didn't starve, but nothing to write home about - it's AI food. Overall good value for what it is and easy.
In the interim, I went back to Cozumel for the '22 SB invasion and got a taste of San Miguel and loved it.
2023:
We decided in August to do a trip to Cozumel with our sister-in-law's family. US: 2 adults, 2 young-adults in 2 rooms. - SIL's family: 2 adults, 4 young-adults. All young adults 18-22yo. It was decided (over my desire to stay in-town) that an AI was "easy" - we didn't need to figure out/coordinate meals with everybody. Folks could do what they want. Occidental was a known quantity. Booked in August for the week before Christmas for 5 nights.
SIL had originally booked a "Royal" level room for them as a treat. Somewhere along the way SIL realized that the kids would be unable to come to their Royal room (a gated section within the compound) and called reservations to downgrade out of the restricted area. That left them with one "Concierge Deluxe room for them (2-persons) and US$1200 and one Deluxe for the kids (booked as 3-persons - note this was an "oversight" as one of the kids was not originally certain to be able to come and it didn't get corrected before the trip) at about US$1300 (with 50% prepaid).
Arrival- Sunday Dec 2023 approx 4pm:
We arrived at the Occidental and were taken down to the Concierge and Royal office for check-in.
My immediate family checked-in - quick, easy, no problems.
As we were finishing up I saw that my SIL and husband were agitated and walked over. I got a quick quip that there was a problem and that the hotel wanted $4800 for the reserved $1200 room.
I got my family across the way and dumped the luggage in our room and then walked back to see what was going on.When they went to check-in, the paperwork showed the US$1200 reservation, matching the confirmation email that my SIL had, but the concierge/royal check-in clerk said that the computer was showing it to be US$4800, nothing she could do, work it out with reservations. My SIL's phone was not connecting calls, they had been traveling for about 14 hours, and she was getting upset. I tried to intervene and asked for someone to connect us to the appropriate people (i.e. place the call since the cellphone wasn't working) and guide us to fixing the problem. Sorry, no. In the mean-time guests are piling up trying to check-in and starting to notice that something is going on.
We asked to speak to the operations manager on duty. Nope, not there. Again asked for help sorting it out. Finally after about a half hour, the premium area manager on duty comes over, with obvious reluctance, and we go through everything again. SIL shows him the reservation confirmation. He says you need to work it out with reservations, but agrees to try. After a few minutes of him working on the computer, SIL is finally able to get a connection, calls reservations, and explain the situation. The reservations person seems to see the issue and say that they should get the room at the reserved rate - it should be charged at that rate for the current night and then the balance of the nights corrected when fully staffed in the morning. SIL tells the premium-area manager this and tries to hand him her cell phone with the Barcelo reservations agent, but is declined - he says that "this way is better", SIL notifies the agent that the managers says he's got it and disconnects.
After another 10 minutes the manger finishes on the computer and comes over saying it might be that a CC update triggered the system to "update" the reservation internally. They won't charge the room night yet, but they want a US$4800 hold and authorization to charge and then she can talk to the next level up tomorrow to get things worked out. SIL is angry, upset, and unwilling to hand over a charge authorization for 4x their confirmed reservation! Manager says it is the only way! Manager goes over and noodles on the computer and actually sniggers when SIL is briefly crying quietly as we are trying to figure out what to do.
Discussions resume with the manager:
- Would they put it in writing that it will be fixed tomorrow? - No.
- Would they acknowledge and specify the confirmed rate for the current night at least - No.
- Can we please contact the property manager on an emergency basis - No.
Finally after a lot of back and forth, the manager agrees to a US$3000 charge authorization and of course, the charge hold authorization that SIL is asked to sign is only in Spanish. Eventually SIL is worn down enough to sign instead of just walking away completely and abandoning her US$650+ pre-payed deposit on the other room plus the likely US$900 they would probably then try to charge as a "no-show" on the disputed room.
After a good 1-1/2 hours of this they need to go back to the front of the hotel where the kids are to check in for the other room.
When they get up front, the hotel wants approximately an additional US$1000 to add one person (a 4th) to a room that is booked for 3 at US$1300. Somehow, the decision is to check in and pay the balance for the room without adding the additional person (no bed, no services) and sort it out in the morning.
The next (Monday) morning:
We (the 4 adults) arrive at the main desk to sort things out with the hotel's "experiences manager". We were treated with an attitude of pointed dispassion.
The disputed room rate was acknowledged as having been triggered by the use of a different credit card during a telephone adjustment and they would allow the original rate to be honored. On the additional person they wanted their US$950! (Keep in mind that that is adding 1 person to a room with 3 people in it already with an apportioned rate of about US$430/person). In the end they got an additional room for about US$400 more than just adding one person.
Beyond an absolutely abysmal check-in/reservation snafu:
- The property remains well-appointed and well maintained.
- Most staff were very nice and efficient.
- Food was solid AI fare.
Even in follow up correspondence with the Director and General Manager after the stay only an non-apology apology was offered ".. my apology if we failed you at any time during your stay."
Commentary IMO:
- I have never seen such lack of empathy, hospitality and customer service in a "hospitality" setting.
- The Occidental and Barcelo Group have lost 2 families as customers. There was talk of this becoming a yearly trip - certainly not there.
- Key staff does not seem to be empowered to make corrections, even for things that are pretty obviously "wrong".
- The reservation/back-end system has clearly got issues.
- The takeaway feeling is that the corporate priority is wringing a dollar out of a customer now, damn the future.
- The whole thing felt like a portrayal for a hotel-school's "what not to do" lesson.
