Hilton Garden Inn

Letter I sent to Corporate explain the issue. Be very careful with this Hotel.

We booked this hotel for two nights to attend my daughter’s graduation at UCF. I am a Diamond member that uses Hilton exclusively very often across the South East (until now). Thanks to my job at a large American corporation, I am a frequent traveler. Today in the morning, I realized my car was not where I left it. (the hotel parking lot). When inquiring the Front Desk clerk (who was very polite and cooperative), he explained we needed a parking permit and the car was towed. I asked for a manager and was given a card (attached) but his number was the front desk number, he was not in the hotel. No way to escalate for help. Since I am a user of the application, I check in online, book online, checkout online and have never been asked for a parking permit in any Hilton location, specially when using the app. He showed a posted letter (In the Front Desk) where they provide explanations and told me “we cannot do anything, you have to call the towing company”. He repeated several times, very politely, it wasn’t their problem but the towing company.
I booked a room with the Hilton hotel, not with the tow company.

At some point during our argument, a lady who identified as something like “Housekeeping Supervisor” jump in, with a sarcastic smile, and began accusing me of being aggressive because my voice was loud. The front desk clerk told here to stay out that he had things under control but she kept pushing. Her intervention and attitude plus the problem itself were very upseting, of course I was loud; I am normally loud and this situation was very upsetting but never advanced against anyone of got close to anyone or even moved my arms toward anyone. Again, witnesses available (guests). The cars of others guests were also towed (some of them, frequent users as me), they are witnesses (totally independent from me) that saw the whole incident. I have never threatened anyone in 63 years of my life. I don’t even have a traffic ticket. This lady, whose name seems to read Elvona Kycyle according to the police report, called the police because “she felt threatened”.

When I asked the police why were they there, they said the above mentioned lady called because she felt in “danger“ because of “my aggressiveness”. Later she said that I kicked a door (which is totally false, in fact, there are no doors around the front desk). She said everything is recorded by the hotel cameras (I am contacting my lawyer to subpoena those recordings). Here are my concerns:

1- Hilton promotes the use of the application. I don’t stop at the front desk unless there a problem (like today, my car was gone). If guest have to stop in the front desk for a parking permit, then the application is useless.

2- Why the application doesn’t ask for the car information to register the car?

3- Why a housekeeping supervisor intervenes even when the front desk clerk told her that everything was under control? The clerk never called for help.

4- When I went to pick up my car, I was asked to pay cash, the place doesn’t even have a sign showing they are a Towing Company, it is a used car sales place, junkyard, repair shop. Honestly, very shady, I would have never have imagined Hilton will have a contract with a Company like this.

As a result of the incident, there is a police report thanks to a false accusation (witnesses available), I was kicked out the hotel and prohibited to go back for life. I suspect, and I stress suspect, there is something going on between the tow company and someone in the hotel. Since there is a police report, I have no choice but to involve my lawyer. After so many years using Hilton, this comes as a huge disappointment. It is the first time in my life that someone calls the cops on me using false arguments or any argument whatsoever. I expect you to review the situation, I am waiting for Monday to talk with my lawyer anyway. Needless to say, this marks the end of my relationship with Hilton, simply you are not reliable and I consider your hotels unsafe to stay.

Again, I hope you review the situation and investigate to take corrective measures.