"A Very Disappointing Experience at Crowne Plaza Paris
What a shocking and deeply disappointing experience at the Crowne Plaza Paris.
As a long-standing IHG guest and Platinum Elite Ambassador, I stay at IHG hotels around the world and have always regarded the group as a brand that recognises and values the loyalty of its guests. Unfortunately, my recent experience at the Crowne Plaza Paris has left me extremely disappointed. This stay fell well below the standards I expect from IHG.
I booked and prepaid four nights of accommodation for my son. I had planned to join him for the final two nights of the stay. Unfortunately, I became ill while in Australia, and my son needed to cut his trip short and return home to be with me.
My son stayed for two nights and, importantly, gave the hotel 24 hours’ notice that he would be checking out early. Despite this reasonable notice, the hotel refunded only one of the remaining nights.
Even more disappointing was the decision to cancel the entire remainder of the booking, rather than simply recording an early departure. As a result, I received no IHG points or qualifying night credits for the stay. Given my Platinum Elite Ambassador status and long-standing loyalty to IHG, this was particularly frustrating.
I understand that hotels have cancellation and rate conditions, and I am not suggesting that policies should simply be ignored. However, when a guest provides 24 hours’ notice of an early departure because of genuine and unexpected family circumstances, I would expect a reputable international hotel to demonstrate at least some discretion and goodwill.
There was another issue that made the experience even more disappointing. My son is not someone who normally complains about hotels, yet he sent me photographs showing stained towels in the room. This is simply not what I would expect from a Crowne Plaza or, indeed, any IHG hotel. Cleanliness and basic presentation should be fundamental standards, particularly for a hotel operating under an international brand.
What has perhaps disappointed me most is the response—or lack of response—from the hotel management. I have attempted to raise my concerns, but the hotel management has refused to speak with me directly. For a guest with a long-standing relationship with IHG and Platinum Elite Ambassador status, I find this extremely poor customer service.
This is not simply about the amount of money refunded or the points and qualifying nights that were lost. It is about how a loyal guest is treated when something unexpected happens. I chose an IHG hotel because I trusted the brand and expected a certain standard of service and understanding.
Instead, I was left with a hotel that refunded only one night despite 24 hours’ notice, cancelled the remaining booking entirely, resulting in the loss of loyalty benefits, provided accommodation where my son encountered stained towels, and then declined to discuss the matter with me.
I have stayed at many IHG properties around the world and have had some excellent experiences. Sadly, the Crowne Plaza Paris has been very different.
This is simply not the level of service, cleanliness, communication or recognition of loyalty that I would expect from an IHG hotel—and certainly not from a property dealing with a Platinum Elite Ambassador guest.
I sincerely hope senior IHG management will review what happened, because this experience has seriously undermined my confidence in the Crowne Plaza Paris and has left me questioning whether the loyalty that I have shown to IHG over many years is genuinely valued."
