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| - This update is for the reservations process only. See my other post below for a review of my actual stay.
My experience with the Fairmont conference reservations manager almost made me change my mind about wanting to stay here. After speaking to a helpful person at the 1-800 number, I was transferred to the hotel since I was requesting a conference rate. After waiting several minutes for someone to answer, the conference specialist came on the line. Even though this hotel wasn't listed in my conference literature as participating, she assured me that she could offer me a conference rate. Interestingly enough, the rate she quoted me was higher than the rack rate on the website--and I told her so. She basically told me I was wrong, but I decided to book a room anyway, knowing that I could always cancel it up to 24-hours before check-in.
A few weeks later, I received a notification from Hotels.com that some hotels in Montreal were having a summer sale. Upon checking the Fairmont's website I discovered that the Queen Elizabeth was included. Daily rates were 20% off with every third night free. I immediately called the 1-800 number again and asked if I could change my reservation to take advantage of the sale. I was told that I couldn't change an existing reservation, so then I said I wanted to book a new reservation and I'd cancel the original one.
The reservationist said this was fine and calculated my cost under the new rates. I'd be saving at least $350. The catch was that I'd have to prepay for the room, and changes or cancellations were not allowed. I decided to check a few of the other hotels participating in the sale first before booking. When I did call back to make a reservation, the agent I got wasn't nearly as helpful as the first one.
I explained that I had an existing reservation but wanted to make an additional one for the discounted rate I'd been quoted, then cancel the original reservation. This reservationist told me I'd have to cancel my first reservation by calling the conference manager at the hotel; she couldn't do it for me. I said this was fine. Then she told me that even though I was creating a new reservation, I might be charged the original conference rate anyway. WTF?
When I asked why, she said that if I was attending a conference while in town, an agreement between the conference organizers and the Fairmont might result in my being charged a higher rate regardless. To this, I responded that it sounded like a highly illegal practice to me. And then I asked who exactly would be enforcing this? The Fairmont? And she said no, the conference organizers. Huh? I told her I was booking independently, not through the conference organizers, so how would they know where I was staying and for what rate? She's lucky I didn't just choose another hotel, but I really wanted to stay at the Fairmont.
In the end I told her to book my second reservation using the same dates and room type as my original one. All seemed ok. The total she quoted was correct. But when I checked the reservation online later, she'd put me in a smaller room than I'd originally booked. Argh!
By the time I noticed this, the sale dates had passed, but I called the 1-800 number anyway. The reservationist I spoke to this time told me he couldn't make any changes to my reservation, as per the sale restrictions. I explained to him that I shouldn't have to be inconvenienced because the reservations agent had a made a mistake. He said he'd have to put me through to the hotel itself to speak to the reservations manager, so I said fine. Again I had to wait several minutes for someone to answer, and when I explained why I'd been transferred, she read me the details of my reservation, which mysteriously had been switched to a king from a queen during the time I'd been on hold. Still, I don't know why I had to waste my time on the phone with the hotel if they'd already corrected their error.
So, after such a horrendous experience with the Fairmont's reservations people, I was starting to think I'd made a bad choice in hotels. But once I arrived at the Fairmont in Montreal, I had a 4-star experience. (Please see the review of my stay at the Fairmont Queen Elizabeth below.)
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