Tuesday, August 26, 2008

The worst of human behavior...

I have been fascinated with hotel reviews and the sites providing that outlet since the beginning. It is interesting how people give the comments posted in hotel reviews such credibility when they have no idea who wrote them or if the likes and dislikes of the reviewer are the same as one's own. It is important that the readers/users of the reviews understand that.

As I read reviews of San Francisco hotels, people write that their particular hotel was in a great location and other things about it that I think... Not in my opinion! There are many other hotels I think are in a better location. I read all sorts of stories and statements about hotels I am familiar with in San Francisco that I surely do not agree with. It may be true for the reviewer, but not for me. Keep that in mind when you read reviews from strangers. A good old fashioned friend or family referral is much more reliable than what you read from a stranger.

One of the worst things someone can do in my opinion is use the internet hotel review sites as a tool to "get even" when they do not like the rule or policy they agreed to being enforced on them. Here is what was posted by a disgruntled guest that signed the no smoking policy, yet smoked in their room anyways and was charged the fee. The hotel was fully booked and had to refund the following guests charges that stayed in the room because it was so bad they could still smell the odor of smoke for days afterwards. People doing this really hurts the integrity of anonymous reviews and the value they are supposed to provide to the public.

TripAdvisor:

This hotel sucks and smells like old weed and nasty cigarettes.No appliances work ! Its hot as hell in the room and it smells like the worst weed or dead skunk smell ever !Never stay here for a whopping 250 a night.They will tack on extra charges and [--] you off and worst of all it stinks like crap in there !

TravelPost:

I have stayed at this hotel in the past. This time they came up with all these really horrible extra charges like 21.76 a night for internet.
Plus the whole room stunk like cigarettes and was very dirty. Plus wierd characters knocked on my door late at night.
Very wierd place. I do not like it one bit.

Horrible Hotel. Had a bad odor and was very unclean. The bathroom could not of been cleaned. I found pubic hair in the toilet, sink, and shower.
Fowl odors came from the toilet. Smelled like a stink bomb or a sewage system.
Overall a stinky horrible rip off.

AOL:

This hotel was rude to my child ! They would not let him walk around the grounds. He was scared of the front desk and said one fo the girls hit grabbed him.I WOULD NOT STAY HERE IF YOU HAVE KIDS !

This hotel in short tried to charge me an extra $89 internet charge for 4 days.Also tried to tack on a whole slew of extra BS charges. Stay away from these shady characters. They play nice but are desperate for your money and will try hard to take it.

I did not enjoy my stay. The place smelled like marijuana and cigars. A wierd spanish drunk started knocking on my door late at night. Very unsafe. The place also smelled horrible and nothing worked. Do not stay here.

I was robbed. I came back to my room and everything was gone !VERY UNSAFE ! They will not help you when you loose your luggage money, credit cards and everything !Plus the place smelled like weed ! I bet they sell drugs from this hotel ! Very sketchy !


It is one thing to be dissatisfied and go on the review sites and tell your story, but it is another thing to out and out lie. What this person did is outrageous and wrong! In my opinion, people will see right through this, but unfortunately, this person has checked the one dot rating for each review which actually hurts the rating of the hotel. I believe in Karma and this type of behavior will be rewarded. What goes around, comes around. I just wish I could be around to see it when they get theirs.

Everyone Likes a Party!


San Francisco Culture Bus

I thought I would pass on a bit of news from the Union Square Association Bulletin: In a report to the Municipal Transportation Agency (MTA) Board earlier this week, Executive Director Nathaniel P. Ford, Jr. advised the directors that the MTA will launch a pilot project on September 27 in conjunction with the reopening of the all new Academy of Sciences. The pilot project will provide transit for visitors and residents to some of the City’s wonderful cultural institutions. Known as the “74X Culture Bus,” the service will travel from downtown, including Union Square, and will stop in close proximity to many cultural institutions prior to heading out to Golden Gate Park.

Here are some further details from the San Francisco Examiner:

SAN FRANCISCO – ...San Francisco Municipal Transportation Authority chief Nathaniel Ford said his agency is partnering with The City’s cultural institutions and the San Francisco Convention and Visitors Bureau to have the bus up and running by Sept. 20. Its official launch is Sept. 27, to coincide with the opening of the California Academy of Arts and Sciences.
The two-way route will begin South of Market, stopping at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, Union Square and the Asian Art Museum before driving directly to the Golden Gate Park Music Concourse to connect with the California Academy of Sciences and the de Young Museum.
If successful, the bus line will bring more people into shops and museums, and more money into the coffers of The City’s financially strapped transit system. At $7, the bus will cost $2 more than riding a cable car, but is in line with Muni’s “special event fares,” such as express service to Candlestick Park for 49ers games, Ford said.
Muni riders with Fast Passes will have to pay an additional $3 to ride the Culture Bus, as will tourists with Muni Passports, which are all-day passes of up to a week.
The 74 will run from 8:40 a.m. to 5:50 p.m., seven days a week.
The bus line will be marketed through hotel cards and through museum Web sites and brochures.

Culture Bus by the numbers
Hours: 8:40 a.m. to 5:50 p.m.Stops: San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, Union Square, Asian Art Museum, California Academy of Sciences, the de Young MuseumPrice: $7 (or $3 with Muni Fast Pass or Passport)
Price comparison
$1.50 Regular bus fare
$5 Cable car fare
$7 Culture Bus and other special events fares
$11 One-day Passport
$18 Three-day Passport
$24 Seven-day Passport
Source: SFMTA

Thursday, August 21, 2008

TripAdvisor's Traveling Movie Tour Comes to San Francisco


They had a kids luggage donation station, a booth of computers to enter to win a Roman Holiday and a very nice lounge with great food, movie treats and drinks. They really did it right.

There was a huge screen in Union Square. You can see the Chancellor in the background. I thought about trying to get them to turn the screen to face the Chancellor so our guests could watch the movie from their rooms, but I figured they wouldn't like my idea.

The TripAdvisor Owl was wondering around taking pictures with people. He's fatter in person.

Above is the lounge they had set up.


Here is the movie in progress. Several hundred people had a great time watching a classic travel themed movie in the Square. The night was actually pretty comfortable. Often times the cool fog and wind rolls in, but not this time. It was a great night!

I still think they should have turned the screen toward the Chancellor!

Thanks TripAdvisor!

Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Football Season is Starting!

The Chancellor Hotel has a great 49er Football Package!

$284 Per Night. All Inclusive. Two Night Minimum Stay Required
Deluxe Room with choice of One Queen Bed or Two Twins
Valet Parking
Two Tickets to a 49er Game
One Fleece 49ers Blanket

San Francisco 49ers Tickets
Lower Box - Section 16 Row D

Rate: $284 per night. Two night minimum required. Available either day BEFORE or AFTER game. Reservations are non-cancelable and will be charged at time of booking. Upon purchase of the package, the 49ers tickets become the property of the guest and there are no cancellations, refund or exchanges for postponements, rescheduling or time change of an event; the original tickets issued will generally be honored for the new date and time of the event.
** NO SUBSTITUTIONS**


Call 1-800-428-4748 For Reservations



The Seats are UNBELIEVABLE!