Let me make one thing clear right at the start - we were meant to be here on business for a conference but actually ended up not even staying here, thanks to the issues dealing with the Menger Hotel. We were travelling from the UK to attend a conference at the Menger. Due to the costs involved in a transatlantic trip we overran the deadline for booking rooms at the conference rate. However the conference organiser had spoken to the hotel and was assured that rooms were still set aside and that we would indeed be given the con rate - but we had to call the hotel to book and ask for the con rate. So I did that, only to get a flat (although polite) refusal from rep Sascha. I tried to explain that the con rate was assured by the Events person at the hotel, but Sacha had little interest or intention of either giving me the rate or trying to find out information. Why can't a rep take just a few minutes to check something? I was offered a rate of almost $200 per NIGHT instead. Incidentally the online booking system showed NO rooms available at all, so it's highly likely these were indeed the rooms set aside for the conference, except they had no intention of giving them at the agreed rate.
I do not like bad customer service. Customer service is not just about being polite, it's about behing HELPFUL and showing a desire to help customers. I am so against poor service that I refused to stay there period. An email later to the CS manager did get a back-down and an agreement to honor the rate, but by that time we had made our minds up and decided to stay in Dallas and just come down for the last part of the conference - an awards banquet on the evening of the last day. We stayed at the Hilton hotel that night after it.
But it doesn't end there. Traffic in downtown San Antonio was so bad it took us over 15 mins from the freeway to go the short few blocks to the Menger. Street parking is non-existant in San Antonio so we drove to the hotel car park, to be told it was valet parking only, at $15. We were cutting it fine for time so we took that and got into the ballroom for the evening. Dinner was a pre-ordered meal - each person ordered their food from a choice well in advance of the conference. Yet the hotel still got it wrong and started serving a beef entree all-round, when many had chosen chicken. We had to wait while the kitchen got the chicken sorted out. How on earth can you get a fixed-numbers, pre-chosen meal serving wrong??
San Antonio looked beautfiul and I'm certain it is. In fact we do plan to visit again to take in many of the sights that we would have taken this time round, but we will not be considering the Menger Hotel for accommodation. It's clear from this experience that there's some apathy there, and apathy + customer service does not mix well.
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