The Ritz-Carlton Hotels in Miami

The hotel is empty on a Sunday night, and I am here for business for three nights. They stuck me in Room 419, which has to be the absolute worst room in the whole property. I am platinum and will probably be titanium this year. Room 419 is less than six feet above several heating / cooling machines that whir like you are in a wind turbine. (I have a video of the horrible noise.) The headboard is against a draped window. (Picture below.) For an hour, I rolled around trying to sleep until I called to demand a new room. Room 419 has no business being a room and should be a storage closet. (And when I called, I had to use my cell phone because the phone wasn’t working.). The front desk knew what my night was going to look like. I last stayed at this hotel in February and had a lovely experience and spent a good chunk of money. After being less than helpful and offering me the “option” to move, the front desk clerk said she found another choice. She brought up a key. No apologies for putting me in this situation, just claims of ignorance. As she has me open the new room, she sheepishly tells me that it is an accessible room. You have got to be kidding me, I said. The only two rooms were that one and this one? Of course, there were lies about not knowing what was available when I checked in. (I checked in online at 3 pm.). Yes, in a completely vacant hotel, these are the only two rooms available of the kind that I had to book — through my job and corporate rate. For the unaware, platinum means an upgrade when available. Again, the hotel is obviously close to empty. Except for my neighbor who is blaring some action movie — but that is better than a wind turbine. I am in my pajamas (short shorts and a tank top) with no bra. My stuff is unpacked. I throw all of my stuff together, pissed that I was supposed to be asleep already for a stressful week ahead. Now I am wandering the halls with my alarm going off in four hours. Not Ritz-Carlton behavior. Absolutely unacceptable. If it weren’t midnight, I would be heading for the door. And remember — Room 419. This is why I started staying at Hyatt’s.