Here’s one of my scariest stories. This really happened to us. We had a hotel stay right out of a “B” horror movie.
Below is an email exchange between me and the corporate complaint person at a major budget motel chain. My family had survived a night of spiders in a motel in Interior, South Dakota…home of the Badlands (named such by the Indians for a REASON). Here is the email trail (reads from bottom to top) which followed my initial email (lost) and my follow up phone call to make sure they got my email:
Dear Lisa,
At this point, all that is important is that this problem is corrected…even if it only exists in that one room (#8). Perhaps the spiders are getting in from outside through the large gap between the wall and carpet on the far right hand wall. That is what I suspected at the time, but really had no way of knowing. Again, the problem happened in the middle of the night. Since we had been warned of rattlesnakes, there is no way I was going out into the dark, across the courtyard and up those stairs, to bang on the door of the motel owner.
Thanks,
Theresa K.
—–Original Message—–
From: corporate office of offending motel
Sent: Wednesday, August 27, 2003 2:26 PM
To: offended motel guest
Subject: Re: your motel in Interior, SD
Theresa:
I will talk with the owner again. I agree that if the problem is that bad, someone else would have found spiders. I will ask her about the towels you used to kill the spiders. Again, I am so sorry this happened to you. I really wish you had felt comfortable mentioning it at the time it happened. That is always the best time to resolve a problem.
Lisa
Theresa K. wrote:
Dear Lisa,
Thanks for your email. I am simply amazed that she and the maids are not aware of a spider problem. It would be impossible not to see spiders of that size. (Housekeeping should have noticed two dead ones I left in the towels!) I assure you that they DO indeed have a problem with spiders. Someone needs to find out what kind of spiders those are and make sure they aren’t poisonous. I now feel obligated to warn others travelers by forwarding my complaint to AAA, the South Dakota Tourism board and Fodor’s travel book (they mention the motel in their book).It is sad that you and the owners are not taking this more seriously. It is ridiculous to think that I would be required to document my experience with photos or samples. You know, we were simply visitors to that motel, tired and with a busy itinerary before returning to our lives of school and work. We were unfairly drawn into a situation of an unclean motel in the middle of the night and in the middle of nowhere. I use the word “drawn” because I trusted the name of (your hotel chain) and I trusted Fodor’s travel book. Never again.
Theresa K.
—–Original Message—–
From: Lisa at corporate headquarters
Sent: Wednesday, August 27, 2003 11:51 AM
To: theresak@myworkemail.com
Subject: spider motel in Interior, SD
Theresa:
I called the owner of the motel in Interior to discuss your complaint. She said she is not aware of a problem with spiders. She said the maids have not seen spiders, and she has not heard from other customers that there is a problem. She said they will check each room carefully and spray where necessary. Since you did not notify them about the problem while you were there, she is not willing to issue you a refund.
Lisa
(offending hotel chain) International
Tags: holidays, my life by TK
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