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| - I have been to the Valley Ho many times and confidently gave them a five star rating in the past. However, my last experience made me question whether I'll ever stay here again. I have waited some time to write this review because I don't want to write it out of resentment. So, here's to hoping I can be as objective as I can.
In past visits, I have witnessed many people having large paries here. Bachelor and bachelorette parties, birthday parties, weddings, and parties just for the fun of it. This hotel has a swanky, modern party flair. So when my husband's 30th birthday came up in February, I thought the Valley Ho would be a perfect place to host it. I called them about a month in advance and let them know that we were going to have his birthday party here and I rented out the most expensive room at the time (Tower Loft Suite, almost $600 with taxes). The person on the other line did not in any way tell me this isn't allowed. During the month leading up to the party, I made invitations, decorations, and spent hundreds of dollars between food and alcohol/mixers for classy drinks. We rented out the largest room to ensure that it would hold our guests (about 20 people) and I was very clear of our intentions when reserving the room. Fast forward to the day of the party. I was so excited because I had put more effort and time into this party than any I've ever hosted. The valets and bellhops were super nice and helpful. If I could still give them 5 stars, I would. However, when we approached the front desk, I was forced to sign a "no party" waiver. What. My heart dropped into my stomach and I went into panic mode. Since it was the day of, I was unable to get a refund. So there I was with a $600 room, car full of decorations and food, and according to this waiver, not allowed to have more than 4 people in this huge room at once. The group of friends that we invited are very tame, very respectful people. This wasn't going to be a party where people got trashed and created havoc, so I figured we would be quiet enough that we wouldn't bother our neighbors. You have to understand, I had no other choice here. I couldn't call off the party just hours before it started.
So fast forward to 10PM. Nobody is drunk, nobody is being obnoxious, the music is so quiet we could barely hear it, and everybody is behaving themselves like adults. Literally just mingling and talking with each other while a couple of the guys hung out on the balcony. There were maybe 13 people left at this point (I'm telling you, we're not party animals). Then there is a knock on the door and a man and woman in official uniform tell me I need to kick everyone out but 3 other people. Tears started welling up in my eyes and again, I began to panic. It was 10 PM. In downtown Scottsdale. At a supposed swanky party hotel. I was at a loss for words and was forced to sign another paper that said they'd kick us out if we didn't kick our guests out. They weren't friendly, helpful, or apologetic in any way. They shrugged me off when I asked about the other parties going on throughout the hotel. And then they left. When I went back in the room, I had to deliver the bad news to grown adults (some of which had traveled from over an hour away) that we had to move the party from the room to the bar downstairs (my idea to save face). It was humiliating, although our guests did sympathize with me after explaining the situation. We didn't order much at the bar, as we had unlimited drinks and food in the room and we were all pretty disappointed. The party died out pretty quick after that. Let the record show that not one of our guests went home drunk, and I am confident the outcome would have been the same had we stayed in the room.
It frustrates me because I was not warned that parties weren't allowed when I scheduled the reservation, especially since I told him we were going to have a party. However, I had seen several parties going on on the balconies the night of ours. And parties every other time I have ever stayed here. People were yelling and partying at 3 AM that night next door to us. I felt like the staff treated us like we were having a frat party, when in reality, we were very respectful and chose this particular hotel so we could have an upscale, classy party. That $600 could have easily gone toward a different venue that would have happily allowed us to have a classy party.
I felt like this experience was so unfair, both to me who had put so much time, thought, effort, and money into it, and for my husband, who only turns 30 once. We were regulars here, but I don't think I'll ever come back after how we were treated.
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