1 reviews | Active since May 2016
City Lodge Group is on the decline
As a business traveller and lodger club member I have to report that I am looking for alternatives as the hotel group which I initially bought into and have supported over the past 15 years or so does not exist anymore. Despite a few exceptions (on my travels) such as Town Lodge Sandton, City Lodge Pinelands, City Lodge Barbara Road and Town Lodge Airport I have experienced nothing but incompetence and "unkindness" (their so called slogan). Her are just a few reasons: 1. You have been staying in a place for over 10 years as a Lodger member and when you check in they ask you if you have ever stayed in a City Lodge before ..........hello systems??? 2. You book into a non smoking room which reeks of smoke and other unpleasant odours... 3. You have a food menu at City Lodge which has not changed in over 5 years. No fish or other alternatives - if you don't want to do it properly then don't do it at all.......... (so you obviously order in - what a pain). 4. They start serving you red wine in white wine glasses at the same price and think that you are stupid enough not to notice it 5. You only get follow up survey questions after some visits but not after all visits...... 6. Your Lodger points tallies are a complete shambles 7. Most managers are never to be seen
I am afraid it's time for myself and my corporate colleagues to seek what I would term as something closer to "The City Lodge of old"
Dear Mr Jennings,
At the outset please accept our sincere apologies for decisions we have taken and the actions of our hotels, that after many years of loyal support, have caused you to feel the way that you do.
We are able to supply an explanation to a number of your comments and it is highly concerning that you and potentially your colleagues will be seeking alternative accommodation.
In response to your comments:
- Simply not acceptable from our side. We do have systems in place, specifically designed by ourselves to recognise our regular guests. We will again stress the importance of this to the hotels.
- Again, not acceptable. We at City Lodge Hotel Group pride ourselves on our high standards of housekeeping throughout the group, as we know that this is one of the things that our guests value most.
- We make regular changes to the menu of #Café, based on the popularity of dishes and food and beverage trends that we observe. If menu items continue to be popular sellers, these remain on the menu. As you rightly state, we do not currently offer a fish option. We will consider including a fish dish in the future.
- In the past we offered our red and white wine by the glass as a 250ml serving. For this capacity we used a red wine glass. Following feedback from numerous guests advising that our per glass pricing was too high, we opted to change our serving size to 187ml, in order to control the cost per glass. Hotels therefore changed the size of the glass.
- Guests advised us that when staying regularly and repeatedly in the same hotel, they did not want receive a survey invitation for each visit. Based on this we made the decision to limit the distribution of our email surveys following a stay. We set parameters not to send a survey should a guest stay at the same hotel within a three month period. However, if guests stay at different hotels within the three month period, they receive a survey for each hotel stayed at.
- In terms of the CLHG Rewards programme, due to a system change, we are aware that there have been technical difficulties and these matters are being resolved.
- It is not acceptable that our managers are not visible. We require them to be present, especially during peak times.
We are pleased to read that there are hotels within our group that are delivering the standards of service, competence and kindness that you have come to expect from us. We are very proud of our ‘I’m Kind’ ethos and are disappointed to read about the lack of kindness that you have experienced. It is after all, our people, that make all the difference.
We will be sharing your valuable feedback with all of our hotel general managers. In today’s economic environment no hotel group can afford to lose any guests.
Please also expect a call from our operations department to further discuss your comments.
Kind regards,
The CLHG Team
Dear Mr Jennings,
At the outset please accept our sincere apologies for decisions we have taken and the actions of our hotels, that after many years of loyal support, have caused you to feel the way that you do.
We are able to supply an explanation to a number of your comments and it is highly concerning that you and potentially your colleagues will be seeking alternative accommodation.
In response to your comments:
- Simply not acceptable from our side. We do have systems in place, specifically designed by ourselves to recognise our regular guests. We will again stress the importance of this to the hotels.
- Again, not acceptable. We at City Lodge Hotel Group pride ourselves on our high standards of housekeeping throughout the group, as we know that this is one of the things that our guests value most.
- We make regular changes to the menu of #Café, based on the popularity of dishes and food and beverage trends that we observe. If menu items continue to be popular sellers, these remain on the menu. As you rightly state, we do not currently offer a fish option. We will consider including a fish dish in the future.
- In the past we offered our red and white wine by the glass as a 250ml serving. For this capacity we used a red wine glass. Following feedback from numerous guests advising that our per glass pricing was too high, we opted to change our serving size to 187ml, in order to control the cost per glass. Hotels therefore changed the size of the glass.
- Guests advised us that when staying regularly and repeatedly in the same hotel, they did not want receive a survey invitation for each visit. Based on this we made the decision to limit the distribution of our email surveys following a stay. We set parameters not to send a survey should a guest stay at the same hotel within a three month period. However, if guests stay at different hotels within the three month period, they receive a survey for each hotel stayed at.
- In terms of the CLHG Rewards programme, due to a system change, we are aware that there have been technical difficulties and these matters are being resolved.
- It is not acceptable that our managers are not visible. We require them to be present, especially during peak times.
We are pleased to read that there are hotels within our group that are delivering the standards of service, competence and kindness that you have come to expect from us. We are very proud of our ‘I’m Kind’ ethos and are disappointed to read about the lack of kindness that you have experienced. It is after all, our people, that make all the difference.
We will be sharing your valuable feedback with all of our hotel general managers. In today’s economic environment no hotel group can afford to lose any guests.
Please also expect a call from our operations department to further discuss your comments.
Kind regards,
The CLHG Team