Tried to stick us in smoking room

[Ed T]

Recently we had a problem checking in at Boardwalk. When we made the reservation we told MS that wife and daughter had serious allegeries to cigarette smoke. Effects their breathing. We checked in late and made mention of our request for non smoking room. They confirmed it and said that the room they were assigning us was non smoking. It was on the second floor and as we walked down the hallway we saw the no smoking signs on the doors. All of a sudden the no smoking signs stop and there was a group of room without the sign. Wife and daughter immediately could tell there was smoking going on in the room. Called the front desk and they gave us a run around and said perhaps the sign fell off the door. We said then they fell off about 20 doors in the area. They claimed they could not control what went on in the rooms. We spoke to the manager who was as much help. Finally after about 20 minutes of back and forth and it getting close to 11:30pm he put us in a room over a the Boardwalk Inn for our 3 nights. Very disappointed with the customer service and no consideration of allergies. We used points to have a preferred Boardwalk view which the room was but the Inn room was 1st floor over looking the front entrance through a lattice fence. You know the one that is by the walkway to the buses. Anyone every have an issue with check in and poor service?

Thanks

Ed

 

[pumpkinboy]

We have almost never had an issue with customer service at BWV. Housekeeping we have found especially good, followed by bell services. The folks at the desk at BWV do pretty well too, tho I have heard others complain about getting smoking rooms when they have needed non-smoking.

My DD also has athsma, so we always put "Non-Smoking for Medical Reasons" on our reservations. Apparently later check-ins still have problems, but the medical reasons notation should block off a non-smoking room for you.

But really, it's about time that DVC made all units non-smoking, with huge cleaning fees for those who smoke in the rooms, the way the Club IntraWest resorts do (and some other timeshare groups). The current smoking rooms could allow smoking on the balconies but not indoors.

I am sorry you had a bad experience here. Be sure to let them know. If they get enough dissatisfied customers who have gotten smoking rooms, perhaps we can make the resorts all non-smoking at some point. Or at least make them do a better job of blocking out non-smoking rooms for those of us who need them.

 

[NHLFAN]

We too had the same problem at the BWV in Oct 2003...we booked nine months out and requested a non-smoking due to astma.
After they put us in a "smoking optional" room, which means smoking allowed!, I went back to the front desks and the CM was very rude and told us it was the only room because the resort was booked and that was the room that was assigned and they couldn't change it...take it or leave it.
My question to her was "why don't they our switch room with others that hadn't checked in yet?" Her comment was that it wouldn't be fair to them because they must have booked earlier.
Well...after talking to "everyone" at the front desk finally one said they found a room that just became available.
I filled out the comment card that was sent to us a few weeks after our return and never heard back from them.
BWV is a nice location...but after their rudeness...We choose to stay at the other resorts now.

 

[debbie in Seattle]

First trip home-probably my LAST!

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Purchased DVC memberships for both the Boardwalk and Beach Club and last week went 'home' for our first visit. Made my ressies for the Boardwalk last February and the only request I had was non-smoking, MEDICAL REASONS. 3 days prior to leaving, called to confirm my ressies again stating non-smoking, MEDICAL REASONS. Even ofered to fax/bring in a note from my doc. Was told no problem, it's in the system. After a long day of flying from Seattle to Orlando, going up to the desk to proudly announce I'm a DVC, meet up with CM Linda. As she was putting in all my info, she started muttering to herself and said she'd be right back. About 10 minutes of standing like fools at the desk, she comes out some door and announces, "We have a situation here". Wrong words, no matter what situation there is. Ends ups there were NO non-smoking rooms available! She proceeded to tell me that I should of stated my request was for medical reasons!! Our options were to stay in the smoking room or stay one night in a nonsmoking room, change to another nonsmoking room and then finally on day 3 of our trip, settle into one room.
We went to see the smoking room, which at the time, smelled not too bad.
Being as exhausted as we were and not wanting to spend 3 days like nomads moving from room to room, decided to stay where we were. While waiting for our luggage to arrive, husband went to turn on the lamp next to the bed, no lightbulb! I opened the fridge, food in it from prior guests! Then went to the bathroom where the toilet and shower are, NEVER CLEANED! Well, Linda sure 'had a situation' going at this point! I called downstairs and said I didn't want Linda, I expected a manager in my room immediately. I was so upset I was ready to just get my luggage and go to a hotel. Never, in all the years we've traveled, have enountered such poor service. James, a kindly manager from Tennessee came up along with the houskeeping manager (who looked like he was about 25 and scared to death). James (the manager) offered to walk us down to the Flying Fish and have us seated immediately and have dinner on the Boardwalk. To us at this point, he had done things right. Even during dinner, he came back to see how dinner was (By the way, the Flying Fish was one of the best meals we had). We go back to our room, all is cleaned and well, until my husband goes to the bedroom to turn on the lamp, still no light bulb! We just started laughing. Nothing else to do at this point. By the way, only through reading these boards, I was aware we were to be given a print out of all our reservations for dining,etc upon check in. Never did receive it, had to go back down the next day and request that and the "Welcome Home" folder. Even though our room didn't smell of smoke on day one, as each day progressed, the odor became very evident. To sit on the patio, our neighbor was also outside, smoking, and had to deal with smoke wafing over to us. I ended up calling my doc back in Seattle and getting an rx for an inhaler called in for me. Not too happy. Some housekeeping, upkeep issues that really concern us. The ceiling light next to the washer/dryer was out and never replaced, the latch to the bathroom door was broken and you couldn't close the door completely, the resin furniture on the deck was awful, I mean fithy and when we first checked in there were matches left on the patio floor and some food, obviously never swept by housekeeping and even during our stay, never swept. We thought the room itself was very nice, bed comfy, had the dishes, pots, pans, etc we needed, very quiet room. It's the general housekeeping, upkeep that have us concerned, not to mention we feel as if we're being penalized that we live on the West Coast and cannot check in as early as some people do and so get the 'left overs' even though I needed a nonsmoking room for MEDICAL REASONS.
As of right now, am seriously considering selling our membership. Sadly, Disney just isn't for us. We didn't ask for a certain room # with a certain view, next to some certain pool and not too far down the hallway so we wouldn't have to walk far after a day in the parks. All we asked for was a nonsmoking room and a room that had been cleaned, had working lights, in fact, in one lamp, just a light bulb and not the prior guests uneaten food left. Guess our expectations are just too high.

Disappointed? You better believe it!

 

[cheerbop]

I am staying at the GF in Dec and also am allergic to cigarette smoke.
If they put us in a smoking room I will hit the ceiling!!! I am NOT letting someon's smoke ruin my vacation!!!!!!
Hopefully it won't be a problem!

 

[pumpkinboy]

I am staying at the GF in Dec and also am allergic to cigarette smoke.
If they put us in a smoking room I will hit the ceiling!!! I am NOT letting someon's smoke ruin my vacation!!!!!!
Hopefully it won't be a problem!

Just make sure that your Non-Smoking request has "Medical Reasons" attached to it.

Sadly, it's not the front desk's fault that the room assigners did not block out enough non-smoking rooms. Again, I have always found the BW service staff to be among the best. Perhaps what they need is a new room-assignment staff, who can juggle the competing needs of the various incoming parties.

 

[Simba's Mom]

I think Debbie in Seattle did have Medical reasons for non-smoking attached to her reservation (or at least she was told it was). It concerns me that they have the attitude "well, we can't control what happens in the room." Maybe Disney should get tougher with guests who leave a non-smoking room smelling of smoke. But then they could get the "It wasn't me. Must have been someone else. Prove it was me!" Oh, I just don't know the answer!
But I do have to agree with some posters who've had trouble with front desk staff at BWV. That's the only place where I asked "I'll take this room as long as it's not handicapped" and I was assured it wasn't. Well, you guessed it.. it was. For the third time in 10 trips, I've gotten a HA room without being told-and this time I was told it wasn't.

 

[JerJan]

The first time I went to my home resort SSR in january 2005 I too had NON-SMOKING for MEDIACL REASONS DD5 and DD13 both have asthma. Guess what I too got a non-smoking room that had been smoked in...it reaked. Many complaints and nothing done about it (mousekeeping sprayed but it was in the drapes hanging in the windows). I was tempted to sell my DVC then but I am goint to give it one more try this December I have 2 nights BWV and 5 nights SSR in 2 bedroom villas....."WISH ME LUCK" or I am selling this time!

 

[cruise-o-matic]

Frankly, IMHO, they need to make all rooms N/S.

 

[bobbiwoz]

Frankly, IMHO, they need to make all rooms N/S.

If they did this, it would be fine with me! I'm sorry to hear about the problems some people have been having.

Bobbi

 

[Simba's Mom]

Frankly, IMHO, they need to make all rooms N/S.

It seems that in some cases the problem is enforcement. People have gotten away with smoking in non-smoking rooms and nothing happens. But then, as I said somewhere else, how does Disney enforce this? Suppose they send a bill to someone, saying "You smoked in the non-smoking room so you have to pay to clean it" and the person says "I didn't smoke in there, someone else must have. And my sense of smell isn't too great so I didn't even notice. You can't prove it was me!" So where does that leave Disney?

 

[cheerbop]

hmmmmm....
Maybe they should have EXTRA sensitive Smoke Alarms in the rooms that are extra loud when they go off while people smoke in the NS rooms?

And, if the drapes smell, then it is DISNEY'S responsibility to clean them or carpets, or whatever.

When there is a medical reason, there should ALWAYS be extra steps taken to make sure they get the non smoking rooms.

 

[dianeschlicht]

hmmmmm....
Maybe they should have EXTRA sensitive Smoke Alarms in the rooms that are extra loud when they go off while people smoke in the NS rooms?

And, if the drapes smell, then it is DISNEY'S responsibility to clean them or carpets, or whatever.

When there is a medical reason, there should ALWAYS be extra steps taken to make sure they get the non smoking rooms.

I like your ideas! I also think anyone who smokes in a NS villa should have an automatic $200 fee charged for cleaning.

 

[JimC]

hmmmmm....
Maybe they should have EXTRA sensitive Smoke Alarms in the rooms that are extra loud when they go off while people smoke in the NS rooms?

And, if the drapes smell, then it is DISNEY'S responsibility to clean them or carpets, or whatever.

When there is a medical reason, there should ALWAYS be extra steps taken to make sure they get the non smoking rooms.

Good idea. They should use the tamper proof alarms they use on the airlines!

 

[rbuzzotta]

Happened to us this past April at BWV. Although we had a non smoking room, the person in the room before us smoked in it!! We called the front desk immediately and they could not change our room becuase the hotel was booked adn we needed a handicap room this trip. I could feel my asthma beginning to kick in and the poor bellhop that waited in our room in case we were changing rooms had to step on the balcony because he could feel an asthma attack coming on himself!!! Finally he left................for his own health. They brought up a room freshner and we had to leave the room for most of the day into early evening...............kind of stunk since we just drove for 2 days and wanted very much to get to bed early!!

I think those who smoke in non smoking rooms should be assessed a fine!! But as the front desk told us, it was not a member that had the room before us................so, we, as members, lose out!!!