I am close enough to the ocean to enjoy the cool ocean breezes in Southern California. I wanted my parents to come to visit, and for their anniversary I wanted to take them out to dinner and get them a nice hotel near the ocean. I chose the Hampton Inn – Hermosa Beach. Maybe this was a mistake…read on to find out.

The hotel
This is a 4 story newer hotel, right on Pacific Coast Hwy (PCH). It is a few big blocks to the Pacific Ocean and the Hermosa Beach pier. There is only one driveway leading into this hotel, so you don’t want to miss it, because having to make a U-turn on PCH is difficult. Once in the driveway, there is what seems enough parking for as many rooms as the hotel has. The parking is free (which is surprising being located in a beach city).

There is an automatic sliding glass door when entering the spacious lobby. There are comfortable couches and chairs and a coffee table. The check-in counter is small, but adequate, and there is a small open area (what they call) gift shop right next to the check in counter. It offers gum, soda…basically it has items on a small shelf area that you’d find in your local 7-11. It has a large eating area for the morning’s continental breakfast, and a very slow elevator. There is no pool, but there is an ocean view sun deck on the 4th floor that has 2 tables and some chairs.

The management
Since I live 3 minutes from this 4 story hotel, I went in personally and spoke with the manager about 2 weeks before I wanted the reservation. She told me that since I was reserving a room for my parents, they would need a copy of my CC and DL and I’d have to fill out a CC authorization form with my parents name on it. At check in, my parents would only need to show their ID and they’d be all set. This was all fine with me.

But which room to choose? I either wanted the King Study or the King deluxe, but I didn’t know the difference. I was given two card keys to check out each room, both on the 4th floor. Since they were both incredibly similar, I chose the less expensive King Study. Since this hotel is not right on the water, only the 4th floor is truly ocean view. I then was very specific with the manager that I wanted a full ocean view room on the 4th floor. She put it in the computer that I needed any room from 407-411, as all 5 of these rooms are full ocean view. The manager told me that my parents could check in at 2:00, and check out is at noon. I left satisfied.

NOT the management
Of course, when my parents got to the hotel, there were problems. Earlier my parents had called the hotel at 10:00 AM to ask if they could check in early. The young girl that answered their call told them they couldn’t check in until 3:00 because the room that was for them on the 4th floor wasn’t ready yet. As I was originally told 2:00, now being told 3:00 was conflicting, but my parents took it in stride. They got there are 3:05 to check in. Problems arose when the girl told my parents they had to give her their credit card. I won’t go into all the nitty-gritty on this exchange, but finally she assigned my parents a room on the 4th floor without getting their credit card, but it was not a full ocean room that I had paid for, or agreed to, since full ocean view rooms cost more.

I ended up going right over to the hotel and told the girl she gave my parents the wrong room. She told me that all the rooms 407-411 were now full (it was 3:15 PM), yet at 10 am she told my parents on the phone that they could not check in until 3:00. That tells me that between 10 and 3, she mistakenly assigned someone else to my parents reserved room.

I then asked to speak with the manager and she told me that there was no manager on duty. I said that there was a sign right above her head that said “Manager on Duty, Pat XXXX.” She said that the manager wasn’t there, she was by herself. There wasn’t even anyone there to help my elderly parents with their luggage! I asked her for the District Manager’s phone number, and she wouldn’t give it to me. She told me to come back on Monday to ask the Manager for that phone number. I said my parents are here now, and I wanted to speak to someone besides her. She told me to call 800-hampton. So, I made myself comfortable in their lobby, and called on my cell phone.

800-Hampton Representative
I spoke with William at the Customer Service number. He asked me why I am calling them, and not speaking with the manager of the hotel or the district manager. I told him the above story, and then I asked him why this young girl, who has no authority, is the only one running this hotel on a Saturday. He said he has no idea, and that it was not their policy. He asked me to hold while he called her. After speaking to her, he got back to me apologizing all over the place. He said he’d offer me a free night’s stay in any Hampton or Hilton hotel in the future and that he’d call me in 3 days to see how the rest of the stay went. I asked him if instead I could get this stay free, and he said my parents would have to launch a complaint with the hotel at check out, as they have a satisfaction guarantee policy.


The room
My parents ended up getting a room that was partial ocean view. Upon entering, there was a very large tiled bathroom to the left which sported a granite countertop, marble tub with shower curtain, hair dryer, and shampoo and soaps.

The room had a closet with extra pillows and an ironing board inside, and a large king bed that was very comfortable. Next to the bed, it had a side table with lamp, phone and alarm clock on it. Against the wall was custom built shelving for the TV, and dresser drawers below. In a pyramid shape was the coffee maker, basic microwave, and ‘fridge.

The room had a nice little sitting area, with a couch and coffee table. Across from that, there was a small desk with a business chair, but there were no other chairs or a dinning table.

There was one French door that lead out to the balcony. As my parents got an oddly shaped end room, the balcony was strangely shaped, but looking off to the side and over a small wall you could see the ocean. What mattered most was that my parents were satisfied with this clean room.

Breakfast
Sunday morning, my parents went down to the eating area for the self-serve continental breakfast. There were scrambled eggs that were compressed flat & cut into squares (that according to my parents tasted awful), sausage, cereal, oatmeal, biscuits, toast, rolls, muffins, fresh fruit, coffee, tea, milk, juice, and tea.

Check out
I had been personally told by the manager that check out was at 12:00 PM, and when my parents checked in, they were also told that check out was at 12:00 PM.

But Sunday morning, their phone rang at 11:10 AM. It was a different girl at the front desk asking them if they were going to check out today! My mom said she was told that check out was at noon, and the girl said that check out is at 11:00 AM and that 12:00 is considered “late check out.” My mom asked if late check out costs more, and was told no. So, then my mom said, “OK, then we’ll do a late check out, since that’s what I was told.” The girl said fine, and hung up.

Did Michael (the 800-hampton rep) follow up 3 days later?
Sadly, the answer is no. So, I never received a certificate for a “free night’s stay,” and my parents are too classy to make a fuss at check out in order to get a free night stay.

Bottom Line
At this hotel, the left hand does not know what the right hand is doing. Whoever is at the front desk makes up the rules for the day.

Since I have to say yea or nea on recommending this hotel, I would say recommend it, because of how clean it is and its location. But, I personally will not stay here or put anyone up at this particular Hampton Inn in the future.


A Thank You needs to go out to SurgRN911 for getting ready the link to review this hotel. Thanks!

This is part of "The Great Hotel Write-Off" at http://www.angelfire.com/trek/greathotel2004/


©Sherri (cubmomma) 2004

Recommended: Yes