Good hotel - bad Yahoo!
By A Yahoo! Contributor, 02/22/05
The Ramada was a nice hotel. It is nicely located for business in Metairie and the surrounding areas. The room was comfortable with fresh paint and well kept grounds. The staff was excellent, especially Luann (sorry if I'm off on the spelling). They will go the extra mile for the guest!
The problem I had with the trip was with Yahoo! Travel and Travelocity. I booked the room early on the day of the trip and arrived at the hotel after midnight. When I arrived after driving 5 hours, I didn't have a reservation. I called the 24 hour toll free customer service number, only to be on hold for over 30 minutes. After that hold, it took me 20 minutes to break through the language barrier with the Indian customer service rep and make her understand that I didn't have the reservation I paid her for. So, one hour after my arrival at the hotel, post the five hour drive, the person on the phone tells me the fax will be at the hotel in 5 minutes.
Over an hour later, I decided to pay for the room at the hotel and fight it out with Yahoo! and Travelocity later. Thankfully, Luann decided to call them back for me at stay on hold until it was cleared up.
When I checked out, it was straight. The hotel manager told me the fax from Tavelocity was sent at 3:45 a.m., almost FOUR HOURS after my arrival at the hotel and 5 hours from the start of the meeting I was in town for.
In closing, Ramada on Causeway Blvd., nice hotel with a very nice staff. Yahoo! travel and Travelocity, BAD. Book with the hotel, they'll match the "discount" price anyway!