Valet abuse

OK, here goes. The Cliff Notes versions.

#1. August 2000. I had had my brand new 550 for a month. 836 miles. A friend was in Austin for business, at a lunch at the downtown 4 Seasons. I was gonna meet him there, take him back to our house where he was gonna spend the weekend with my wife & me. I told him I had a surprise for him. Had doubts about taking the 550 to downtown, as the streets were all torn up due to a building boom. But I figured, it will be safer at a 4 Seasons than anywhere else.

Valets almost came in their pants when I drove up. The specifically had me park under the porta cochere, right in front of them. They gave me no valet ticket--they had the key but the car was right there. I went in, joined my friend & his boss for lunch. Afterwards, he got his luggage & we went to the front entrance. Valet said, "Mr. Xxxxx, there has been a problem with your car." Well, the car was right in front of me--looked ok. WTF?

He shows me to the front bumper, where there is a HUGE gouge in the bumper. WTF???? he says that another regular customer's Suburban had been brought out for him when he checked out and parked in front of the 550 (which had no cones or anything around it)...and he got in, put it in reverse to get around another car that stopped in front of him...and backed his trailer hitch right into my car.

When he felt the resistance, he stopped...which prevented the hitch from scraping all up my hood. The dude--the Suburban's owner--was a stand up guy & was nearby, and he owned up to the mistake. I asked the valets how this could have happened not 5' away from where they were all standing. Blank stares. The head of security came out & took pictures. The Suburban's owner said he'd pay for it 100%...and gave me his contact info. So, steaming all the while, my friend & I headed home after giving the security guy my email address for the pictures.

Well, we had to replace the entire front bumper cap. Dealer wants to get paid. Suburban guy, who is an oilman, is out of the country & unreachable for 2 weeks. I ain't paying it, so I asked the hotel to do so, and then collect from the guy. Focking POS hotel manager said GFY...that it was my fault for parking there...and Valet agreement absolved them of all responsibility, as it said on the back of the valet receipt (which I did not receive).

I responded that I was TOLD to park there by his employees, and was not given a valet receipt. He still said No.

So I went straight to the top of 4 Seasons International, in Toronto. Long story short, upon threat of a MAJOR negligence lawsuit, they paid 100%, and said they'd collect from the guy. And the chairman & CEO apologized to me. I never heard a damned thing from the local hotel management ever again, though. Not a peep. So I will never grace 4 Seasons ever again. They lost a customer for life.


#2) Sept. 2001. We planned ot drive to Calif. to celebrate my 40th birthday. Day 1, 9/7/01, we drove the 900+ miles to Tucson, where we were gonna park for a couple of days at the Loews Ventana Canyon. When we arrived, I noted my odometer, out of force of habit. Arranged with valet guys to keep the car in front, under porte cochere. Also arranged with valet captain to wash the 50 lbs opf bugs off the car, for $$$.

Had a wonderful visit, and on 9/9, we left for San Diego, where we would spend my birthday. As we left the hotel, I noted the odometer had advanced by 17 miles. Spoke with hotel mgt., got security director, who said there were digital cameras all around, and he'd find out what was what, since allegedly the car had only been moved to wash it in the back (1/4 mile).

The car seemed to drive OK, but I was REALLY concerned that some assshole had burned up my clutch, hit a curb, etc. And all as we were embarking on a long drive to Calif.

Days went by...9/11 happened...and still no response. Finally, they let me know that an employee had been seen on the video, talking my car one morning at 4 AM. It was NOT one of the valets we had dealt with. When confronted about it, he claimed he had just gone round & round in the parking lot....for 17 miles. The videos did not bear this lie out... They said he had been fired. I demanded that they pay for my car to be thoroughly checked out at an authorized dealer to look for damage. The gen. mgr. REFUSED, saying that they could not be sure any damage found was not preexisting. I said, WRONG ANSWER, AZZHOLE.

We had planned on stopping back there on the way back to Texas. When we did, they bought us dinner...but never comped any of our before or after room charges. THEN the fun began. Gen. Mgr. still refused to pay to have car checked. I told him that, had his employee wrecked the car, I would own his hotel. In conversation, he let it accidentally slip that...get this...they had known my car was taken BEFORE WE CHECKED OUT THE FIRST TIME. Apparently, the fired employee had been caught bringing the car back, and fired on the spot.

So right there, I had evidence of a cover up. They could have told us before we went ot Calif. We could have had the car checked. Instead, they covered it up, and allowed us to drive a potentially damaged & unsafe $200,000 car to the west coast. INCREDIBLE.

So I stopped dealing with that asshat. Upon returning to Texas, I went straight to th etop: Jonathan Tisch, head of Loews Hotels. Long story shory, he was AGHAST, and agreed that Loews was liable. Agreed to pay whatever it took to check the car, and repair it if necessary. Which he did. No damage, thankfully.

No one could ever determine where the fired employee had gone for 17 miles---doubtlessly to his neighborhood to show off. I never pimped Loews for any $$ other than repair money. I could have. But I am not that way. Nevertheless, I was EXTREMELY disappointed that even Tisch never offered to even comp one of our room nights.After all the BS that I was put thru, you'd think he could have done so as an apology. So I will never grace Loews Hotels again, and I tell everyone I know not to. He has lost a customer for life.

 

Wouldn't have helped me in either situation...

 

Good point.

It still pissses me off....