HOMETOWN INN...............VERY, VERY BAD!
We found our need for a temporary home while escrow closed, and the new home was still to be finished....it could be as long as 6 weeks total.
So off we go on the hunt for local, inexpensive, not total dives, but just a cut below a Hilton and not as reasonable as a hotel 6, we thought we had found the suitable solution.
Wow, a very nice, empty pool, very clean, a room with all the minimum things we required, internet, a/c, cable, mini fridge, etc. and since it was not on the "expense account" , but an "out of pocket", it was even reasonably priced, too good to be true, YUP!
The nightmare begins, our first question was "can we stand this for 6 whole weeks"....maybe if the microwave, refrigerator, the TV set, internet, some of the lights, and the bath tub worked, we might be able to rough it. YEAH SURE and it did not get better, but even worse.
We thought to mention the corrections so immediately needed, while stopping by the pool. Another small mistake, but we found out why the pool was so beautiful, no one ever swims in it....yes, locked for no good reason except that they choose not to open it when anyone feels like swimming. The afternoon of the earthquake, upon asking again for the 3rd time, I was given an actual reason "they must inspect it for damages after the quake, it will be open again tomorrow" Yes, another bunch of crap, and having owned many pools through much larger quakes I was amazed at this additional BS I was being feed.
Now most of you are probably thinking "why did you not leave immediately?". Well, I paid for a whole week and at the time I expected things would be resolved quickly and we would make it through. Have you ever tried to get a cash payment back from an independant hotel operator.? Even after that, I was almost with no other options, and I find myself giving consideration to a 2nd week, due to the hectic schedule I was stuck in. Figuring we could rough it, since we had made all necessary repairs except for cable and the internet access. We were actually stupid enough to stay another week while we were looking for a better solution.
I was so amazed at the lack of response to any repair requests, and being that the pool was at the top of my wife's list, i had to write a note in regard to pool access and all the defects that we had put up with since arrival. At the end I suggest that we come up with a reduction in rate or some kind of compensation for all the "less then" minimum standards. I left this with half the next weeks payment and said "that upon returning" that afternoon we could hopefully resolve the matter and whatever the balance that THEY had determined would be fair. This was not a demand, but a detailed suggestion with a positive stroke, as to very carefully offend NO ONE.....ohhhh, but I did offend, not more then 10 minutes down the road that morning, and already late for a meeting, I receive a call from the manager, ....well, people person he is NOT, I was told that I must check out in less then 2 hours from this call and my jaw just about dropped, I did not even know what to say, not expecting anything close to that response I choked and mildly said "I would not be able to address this issue until at least 2pm, maybe even 3pm".
Now we have already stayed a week, and made it clear that it could be a stay of up to 6 weeks from the start, a deposit for this next week totaling either 3 complete nights rate or half the weeks rate and I was told I had no other options except to "check out" asap, that day, with my money already in his hand.
We packed our things in an irrational, panic struck, and schocked mode. We were way past the time of check out, and we were way overloaded because this was not your average vacation or business trip, this was home away from home.
When thinking back, I am amazed that I was even cooperating with this idiot's request....it was only due to the lack of time and irrational state of mind that allowed this to take place. And after accommodating this fool's ego by packing and scooting off, I finally had a moment to realize how bad we had been abused, and how many times we had been lied to.
This is the first opportunity I have had to vent.....in retrospect it was the greatest hotel mistake of my life and as I sit here in the greatest of comfort, while properly connected to the internet and after a nice swim in the very accessible pool, and with even less money spent , I realize that the absolutely asinine act of the HOMETOWN INN's [--] manager was truly a blessing in disguise.
Just because I Iam not on the companies dime, I can still afford a reasonable hotel with quality service and proper activities throughout....thank you , thank you!!!! I almost punished myself for 6 weeks at that dump and only due to the typical LA guilt some of us carry around, we would have continued to tolerate it.
I wasted most of my week thinking my poor little computer was the criminal in the inability to access the internet and those idiots were trying to convince me of it.
Well, since I am able to write this letter on the first night in the new hotel, I guess they were lying again and I am just going to use my computer to write these wonderful reviews to all the hotel sites I can find along with the "better buisness bureau", "consumer affairs" I might even put a good word in for them with my "building and safety" inspector buddy, he even works at their local office. Maybe that will help adjust a few additudes and give a little more thought to the concept of "customer service" !!!!!!
Our reccomendation is for "most hated mother in law" or anyone you just don't like, this would be the place!
If any of the commentaries on this site, or anywhere else in regard to the HOMETOWN INN have the slightest of good to say it must only be from one of their own reviews (please screen all this hotels reviews carefully).
THE WORST HOTEL IN ALL OF LOS ANGELES.....
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.