Homewood Suites By Hilton Bakersfield, CA, Bakersfield

We still can't believe how poorly we were treated by Homewood Bakersfield. Our reservation was not honored and we were literally forced into the night. We were coming for a family reunion and had a reservation two months in advance under my in-law's name (Deaner). We are a family with 4 children, two under the age of 8. We were to stay 7 days. When we arrived at the hotel, exhausted at 9:45 pm after flying to LA and driving over the Grapevine, we were told there was no room for us. First, the desk clerk said the 2-room suite reserved was double booked. She called the sales manager and then the story changed to "the room is damaged." When I asked when it would be repaired, the story changed again to "there is a guest that has decided to extend her stay." We were offered two smaller rooms next to each other, NOT adjoining, but with four underage children that was not an option. So there we were, at 10:30 pm on a Friday night with other hotels filling up, sleepy, tired, kids, and no room. Why couldn't the hotel have found another room for the person who decided not to leave? Why didn't they offer to find us a room somewhere else and pay for it, like other chains do when they make a mistake? The desk clerk gave us a phone book, but the hotel page was torn out (perhaps by another jilted guest?). Then she wrote down some numbers of other hotels and gave that to us. Fortunately we did find a place, but didn't get our kids to bed until after 2 a.m. (4 a.m. our time, since we came from Texas). The desk clerk was nice enough, was embarrassed, and was obviously put in a bad situation by the sales manager and the dubious excuses she had been told. Bottom line: a reservation at this hotel means nothing. Don't risk it.