Briarcliff Motel Red Lion Inn Jenni Hallock They charged me a smoking fine when I did not smoke Great Barrington Massachusetts
I arrived on 2/13/20 and departed on 2/15/20. After my departure, I noticed a $100 charge on my debit card. On 2/17/20, I called and Jenni Hallock the Innkeeper answered. She claimed it was a smoking fine and she had to take the room out of service for one night to use an ozone machine.
First, neither my partner nor I smoked in the room. I am not a smoker and my partner is. If you look at the cameras and the keypunch audit, you will see regular intervals of her going out to smoke in our shared vehicle or outside. I am sorry if she might have a smokey odor due to her bad habit but she did NOT smoke in the room. Jenni even saw her smoking in our vehicle as she was cleaning our room where she proceeded to touch all of our personal items including LEGAL marijuana that was sealed and NOT smoked and a sex toy.
When speaking to Jenni, she implied that my partner and I are dishonest. We aren't! I personally hold an insurance producer license in 26 states where I have to uphold a high level of ethics and integrity. As a professional marketer, I also understand the importance of ethical marketing and public relations. Jenni admitted to my partner when my partner called that she touches or "clean's up" people's personal things to actively look for evidence of smoking. It seems as though she is out to start trouble.
Either way, I have also reported the business to the attorney general and if this is not resolved and she does not apologize with sincerity and admit that there was no smoking, I will be escalating even if it costs me more money. I will not let other HONEST customers be treated in this manner. It may only be $100 but its the principle of the situation. I am appalled that a local business would do this.
By the way, I saw the snarky rebuttals to bad reviews on platforms such as Tripadvisor and they reflect poorly. If there is a sincere apology and I get my money back, I would be happy to remove any negative reviews.
1 Updates & Rebuttals
Robert
Irvine,California,
United States
You admit there was an odor
#2Consumer Comment
Thu, February 20, 2020
Your title is a bit dis-ingenous. You say YOU were charged when YOU weren't smoking, nothing indicating that there is more to your story.
I am sorry if she might have a smokey odor due to her bad habit but she did NOT smoke in the room
- And that is why you got charged the fee. If she is a heavy enough smoker and smokes marijuana which has a very distinct and strong odor. The residual smell in the room would be quite disconcerting to a non-smoker who was expecting a room to NOT smell like smoke. So if they had to do additional cleaning or take steps to remove the smell then the fee was 100% valid. If you get hung up on what they called the fee..you will also lose.
As for the rest of your report it is quite hillarious as to your reasoning and expectations.
You are quite hillarious in making sure we know it is legal to smoke marijana. But you failed to note it is not legal to smoke anywhere you want. So if she only smoked it in the car, why would she bring it into the room?
If you look at the cameras and the keypunch audit, you will see regular intervals of her going out to smoke in our shared vehicle or outside.
- You really think that is proof? There is NO camera in your room, and there is no proof that she did or did not smoke in the room. But it isn't even about smoking, as by your own admission there was a residual odor.
Keycards also are not coded to a person, they are coded for a room. They don't know what you were doing or where you were before you came back in. So all those logs would show is that someone came into a room at some time. The expectation for a hotel to monitor your movement during your entire stay is unreasonable.
By the way, I saw the snarky rebuttals to bad reviews on platforms such as Tripadvisor and they reflect poorly
- And why didn't those reviews bother you BEFORE you booked the room?
Either way, I have also reported the business to the attorney general and if this is not resolved and she does not apologize with sincerity and admit that there was no smoking,
- You are kidding right? Don't expect much help from the AG, other than perhaps a nice form letter saying that they have taken note of your complaint or perhaps a suggestion to seek legal council. Also, you want her to do it with "sincerity"? Just how are you going to determine that? Perhaps at some point if they refund part of all of the fee as some sort of compromise. Are you going to throw the money back in her face if she refunds it but refuses to "apologize"? I think not.