1
Lisa Howard -
2 years ago
We had had a terrible transport day having been in 5 airports during the day travelling from Poland through Belgium to Berlin due to fog....delays...rerouting etc.
We kindly called Hotel Axel Springer to let them know about our day and that we would be arriving after midnight. We also asked if they could possibly order a taxi for 5.45am for us to go to Berlin airport the next morning for our final 20 hour leg home to Australia!
As their reception is open from 6am to 10pm, coming in after midnight and leaving before 6am seemed to have freaked them out, so instead of talking to us about it over that phone call, they finished the call with us and immediately tried to access our card for payment. There was a slight problem in that we were given a renewal of the card prior to our European trip and the only thing that had changed was the expiry date. We received an email telling us that the card was invalid and to contact the hotel within 24 hours!!!! Well, we had just got off the phone with them and called back immediately and continued calling from 8.30pm to 9.30pm with no response!!!! before we boarded our plane to Berlin. Once in Berlin we hired a taxi to take us to the hotel and there we stood at a locked door and gate speaking to a rude lady over an intercom. 'You cannot stay here. You have not paid' she said. We could not believe it!!! She gave us no room to explain and we were now standing in a dark street with all our luggage....literally stranded!!!
We had to quickly grab the taxi before it drove away and after dropping in to 2 hotels nearby....the first was full, we finally found accommodation at 1.30am at the secong hotel and slept there for 5 hours!!! for 200 Euro!!! (they only had a suite available) and guess what...our card was good!!
We have stayed in many establishments around the world...from boutique hotels, hostels and grand 6 star resorts and have never written a bad review....but our feeling is that we will never book with this hotel again....they are certainly not in the 'people' business or 'hospitality' and there are many other hotels/airbnbs out there to choose from.....don't sell yourself short by booking with Hotel Axel Springer....not worth the anxed!!
one whole bunch...haha