- Report: #1300330
Complaint Review: Sea Horse Resort Motel - Pompano Beach Florida
Reported By:
Craig Mawson -
Pompano Beach, Florida, USA
Submitted:
Updated:
-
Author Confirmed
Why?
Sea Horse Resort Motel
901 North Ocean Blvd. Pompano Beach, 33062 Florida, USA
Phone:
9547861359
Web:
www.seahorsepompamo.com
Categories:
Business Rating:
(0)
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Sea Horse Resort Motel NO ONE AROUND AT CHECK IN AND TREATED RUDELY. Pompano Beach Florida
The whole journey started when I needed to get some work done inside my Pompano Beach, FL. home. This time around, I wanted to find a locally owned small Motel to stay at for the couple of days I needed to be out of the house. I found a couple locally owed Motels right around the corner from where I live. I decided on the Sea Horse Resort Motel, 901 North Ocean Blvd. Pompano Beach, FL. 33062. I booked the Motel room through Booking .com for Thursday, 4/14/16 and Friday 4/15/16. Booking.com has a feature on its site that allows you an early check in request. After making the reservation and request, the Sea Horse Resort Motel, Darren Smith, Proprietor, did not respond to the early check in request. I needed to get in early due to having a couple hundred dollars of meat in my freezer that I needed to transfer. I called the Sea Horse Resort Motel, Darren Smith, on Monday, 4/11/16, to ask directly for a early check in and to explain why I needed it. Darren Smith, Proprietor, said that there would not be a problem, and to call back Wednesday, 4/13/16, to see if they had a one-night reservation in the room that was reserved for me. I followed Darren Smith recommendation, and called back Wednesday, 4/13/16 to confirm. Darren Smith explained that there was not a reservation as of 3:00 P.M, and could check in any time past 9:00 AM. Darren also said that if they had an overnight reservation, that he could accommodate me and put the freezer and refrigerator food into another room until I could check in. On Thursday, 4/14/16, the workers came to my house, and my guest and myself had to vacate my home. I had a large cooler full of refrigerator and freezer food, and belongings that we needed for the couple of days away from the house. We got to the Sea Horse Resort Motel, 901 North Ocean Blvd, Pompano Beach, FL. 33062. Around 9:20 A.M. to check in. When we got to the Motel, the office was locked, so we called the number on the door. The phone call went into voice mail so we decided to sit down by the pool and wait for Darren Smith, Proprietor, to open up the office so that we could check in. We spoke to a nice man that was a guest, and he told us that the owners lived on the property, and their apartment was right above the pool overlooking the whole property. After making several calls, and waiting two hours for Darren Smith, Proprietor, to come down, I left the property to see if I could store my food in a neighbor’s refrigerator. At 11:20 AM, Darren finally came down and checked my guest in. He explained to my guest that he had his phone turned off and over slept. He asked my guest if either of us smoked because there was no smoking allowed in the room. I rushed back to the Motel with the cooler to get the food into the refrigerator. We got all our food into the refrigerator, and decided to go out by the pool and relax. The two Proprietors came out, Darren Smith and Phillip Gillespie, to say hello. Phillip, a very nice man, said that they were sorry and that Darren had too much to drink the night before and that is why he turned off his phone and overslept. My guest, who smokes cigarettes, sat down on a lounge chair near the pool and lit up. She had a plastic cup with her for any ashes that she might have had. Darren Smith, Proprietor, saw that she was smoking and started raising his voice and belligerently explaining the smoking rules at the Motel. Of course he didn’t go over the full smoking rules when he checked my guest in because he was hung over from the night before. Apparently, there is only one table at the east end of the property that is the designated smoking area. Of coarse, there are no signs stating that table is the designated smoking table. Darren Smith looked at me and said that he needed an additional $150.00 deposit because we didn’t follow his rules. We got out of the pool and went back to our room. Within two minutes Darren Smith, Proprietor, banged on our door and wanted me to sign for an additional $150.00 deposit. After I signed, he started sniffing, and asked if my guest was smoking in the room. I invited him in so that he could get a better whiff. I didn’t want to make a big deal out of it because of what we went through with him to get into the room. I left the Motel to go to my gym to work off some steam, and my guest went back out to the pool. She called Darren over and said that she didn’t want any problems with him. Darren Smith, Proprietor at the Sea Horse Resort Motel at 901 North Ocean Blvd, Pompano Beach, FL. 33062, told my guest, while pointing his thumbs towards his chest, THIS IS MY HOUSE AND IF YOU DON’T FOLLOW THE RULES…GET OUT… He offered a full refund to her if we wanted to leave. I guess he thought that he was the only resort in town that could accommodate us. My guest called me and said that she felt uncomfortable staying at the Motel. I came back and called Darren and explained to him that I wanted to take him up on his offer and get a full refund. He started back peddling, but agreed to the full refund. We left the property, and checked into the Surf Side Motel, 710 South Ocean Blvd. Pompano Beach, FL. 33062, 954-785-9713. The hotel had a more modern room along with a full refrigerator. Darren Smith told me good luck when he handed me my refund receipt. I responded to him with also a good luck, and that he was going to need it if he treated his guest that way. If you are looking for a hotel that is run down, and has the two owners, one very rude ( Darren Smith), watching every move that you make from their bird nest apartment overlooking the property, then this is the place for you.
2 Updates & Rebuttals
Do not want anyone else to deal with two QUEEN owners that disrespect their paying guests.
#2Author of original report
Wed, June 29, 2016
The only reason why I wrote a complaint was to prevent other guests from making the same mistake I made. We arrived at their property at 9:15 AM, and started calling. The two Queens didn't come down until after 11:00 AM. Phillip Queen admitted that the two of them where out the night at a QUEEN convention and tied one on. That is all great, but when you are in the Motel business, you have responsibilities. When my guest finally was able to check in, she was asked by Darrell Queen if we smoke pot. My guest responded that we didn't smoke pot. I guess that is one of their amenites at this run down Motel. It would explain why they have a D rating with the Better Business Bureau. See for yourself at www.bbb/south-east-florida/businessreviews/hotel/seahorse-motelin-pompano-beach-fl-90240119
How do you approach a paying guest and tell them that this is my house, if you don't like the rules get out. So we did. We asked for a full refund, checked out and went to the Surfside Motel at *** *. ***** ****. Pompano Beach, FL. 33062 ***-***-****. A more modern, up to date room closer to the beach. I have lived in Pompano Beach, FL. for over twenty years, and would not recommend this run down Motel to any guests of mine.
Seahorse Motel
Pompano Beach,Florida,
U.S.A.
Confrontational Pot Smoking Paranoid Guests
#3REBUTTAL Owner of company
Tue, June 28, 2016
As small business owners, we are not bound by strict corporate policies and are able to allow for early check-ins, late check outs and a number of other personalized services that, at most corporate chains, are almost always a-la-carte and can be quite expensive. We abide by the “Golden Rule” at our motel and try to treat others as we appreciate being treated ourselves. Our attempt at being helpful this time by providing additional resources for storing perishables and allowing for an early check-in has caused us to re-evaluate how we conduct business.
The reason for our phone being temporarily silenced doesn’t require explanation but had nothing to do with cocktails the night before (unfortunately), but rather a most over bearing, presumptuous guest that started calling at 7am and called 19 more times that extended over 2 hours. So yes, the phone was silenced immediately until 9am, when our office normally opens.
I’ve found that most people on our property respect others and their personal space and therefore understand why we’ve restricted smoking to one table and no longer allow smoking elsewhere. That stated, there is of course, the occasional disrespectful, ungrateful individual that is going to do what they want, when they want, and where they want with no regard for ourselves or others. Smoking damage in rooms is quite costly and having to repaint a room to eliminate smoke damage averages ~$500 excluding the time the room remains un-rentable.
Perhaps the reason these guests, who thought they would treat others so disrespectfully and felt uncomfortable at our motel had more to do with the fact that they were later found smoking pot in their room and were extremely paranoid. We could have easily had the Broward Sherriff’s office remove these guests immediately for illegal activity but tact is usually preferable over force so we graciously refunded their entire stay so they would quickly leave before disturbing other guests.
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