I made my booking via email for my birthday with the Reservations Manager at the Chevron. I was originally going to stay at Conrad Jupiters as the Hotel Manager was very helpful and considerate of my birthday but it was just a bit expensive for a 3 day stay, even when I cancelled my booking the Hotel Manager he wished me a lovely birthday and a great stay at the Gold Coast and said to contact him anytime if we ever wanted to stay again, which I most certainly will do, his customer service was exceptional.
As the price at the Chevron was very affordable I decided it would be better for a short stay and I kept asking if I could also book with their Hotel Manager but was advised they do not deal with guests and I was so put off by that response that I considered paying the extra for Conrad Jupiters but then after thinking about it the price the Chevron was offering was very good.
Unbeknowns to me at the time in discussing my booking over the email with the Reservations Manager, the Hilton is being built and is causing unbearable noise very early of a morning, (had I have known this I would have definately stayed at Conrads as it woke me up every morning at 6.30 am), when the confirmation came through it stated: NB ** Please note: Construction in Surfers Paradise is currently underway and will continue until late Dec 2010 which may effect the noise level during the day**, at no time in any of my email correspondence was this mentioned to me.
The rooms were lovely and we were up on the 33rd and 34th floor and it was very comfortable, (the 33rd floor had a terrible smell of rubbish left by the garbage shute and also in walking into reception it also had a dreadful smell in the whole foyer area, everyone commented when walking in about the horrible smell), but we had a lovely view which I almost had to beg and plead for when emailing so I was thankful for that.
I asked for another room that wouldnt face the Hilton but was told there were no rooms that didnt have any noise.
I had asked for a late check out as our flight was not leaving until 7pm, it was most important for us and they said I could have complimentary until 11am, (big deal) and then $40 extra until 12 midday and after that they wanted the full day rate of $170 just to stay until about 2 or 3 at the latest would have been a great help, and they absolutely could not care that we would be out walking around the street all day instead. I actually said what if it is raining and my mother is not well do we have to walk around the streets all day and the answer was YES.
There are absolutely no niceties or friendliness at all at this resort from most of the staff, (not all but most) one girl in particular was just horrid, very efficient, but very abrupt and awful, she feels everyone is going to do the wrong thing and the rules are just too much as they must have had so many bad things happen now they trust no one, even though I had been in contact with the Hotel Reservations Manager it made no difference we could NOT use the key to go to the pool area or in and out of the lifts to go to the shops after we checked out, someone had to push the lift button for us to go to the pool and then the suggestion was just wait until someone comes out to let you out, I had to get changed in the toilets for the flight and the lady from reservations came in as I was changing too see what I was doing. It was very insulting that we were treated like common crooks who would do the wrong thing with the key.
Not once did any of them say Happy Birthday or hope you had a lovely stay and the Reservations Manager was no where to be seen when he had said he looked forward to meeting my family.
The lagoon pool area is really lovely, but there are so many people drinking and swearing down there it spoils it a bit otherwise it had a lovely atmosphere.
The activities desk was run separately and they were both very friendly and helfpul and made my booking at the Revolving Restaurant for my birthday and did say Happy Birthday.
This resort is not for a special occassion as they couldnt care less what you are there for, they just want their money and the $200 credit card deposit and the keys back on the dot of 10am and if you are very very lucky you can have a complimentary late check out until 11am.
I travel alot around the world and this resort was so lacking in customer service, there actually was none. Its not unusual to get a late check out at 2pm when getting a later flight.
I have never been made change in a toilet after having a swim and waiting for someone to let us out of the pool area, it was a great inconvenience and I had thought the reservations manager would have left us a key to get around for that last day, but not at all.
I was most offended that not one of the staff said Happy Birthday and that is the impression I walk away with and for that reason I would not recommend this hotel as I said for a special occassion.
It is worth it to pay the extra where they will acknowledge your birthdayor special occassion or even send up a bottle of wine or cake on the day as well.
It wasnt a bad stay but it was certainly not what I had hoped or expected.
