I used to remember when i pass by makati, i always see this big hotel wishing that someday i could go inside and take a peak of how wonderful and refreshing it would be to spend a night in Dusit.
My first visit inside the hotel was amazing. I was the choir conductor of my choir and they have performance in the hotel lobby as part of the hotel's treat to their customers during the holidays. We were assisted by the hotel staff, mostly interns, with our costumes, snacks, and dinner. The dressing room was ok. With a small tv that played cartoons to keep the children at ease and seated as they wait for their time to perform. The room was spacious, cool and comfortable enough for us to get dressed. My choir was able to perform twice in that hotel. The staff always greeted us with a warm smile.
We, the teachers, were given discount or membership cards for a year because of our first performance. 20%discount on weekday room rate and 10% discount on weekends. With this, I celebrated my 30th birthday in dusit. Renting a room for 3 days and 2 nights.
The day before we checked in, we have dinner to celebrate my brithday. Having a dusit Fountains card, i have a birthday cake and picture (which after 2years, was not given to me) complimentary (applicable only if you dine in one of their restaurants any day of your birthday month. when I asked for the bill, they informed me that I was free because its a part of celebrating my birthday with them. so we were happy because I was not expecting that.
The following day, we checked in for our 3 days 2 nights stay. After an hour or so, the cafe called me up and informed me that the bill(our dinner the night before) in the restaurant was wrong and that they have to charge it in my room. I was really furious because first of all it was not my fault, second, just because we were staying there they will have to just charge it in my account? Their fault was, my meal was not free in the first place! Haha! funny isnt it? Is that mis- communication or poor accounting skills?
On the first night, we discovered that the emergency flash light is not working and my mom was
turn off by that because they neglected little things and come to think of it they have a good reputation as a hotel. Anyway, that's not all. The hotel's built-in cabinet has two sliding doors that cover the drawers and hangers. There's a front slide door and the back slide door interchanging with each other. Well, we were all startled when the hotel's back slide door fell when a 7 year old girl opened them. We were all shocked. But fortunately, the little girl was not harmed because that door fell to the front sliding door. if the First sliding door was moved a few inches away, the second sliding door would have landed on the child's head. Imagine the problem and accident it would have caused!
Another thing i hated about that hotel is their security. I understand that security measures have to be made and i am thankful for that. But i am a person that believes that rules should imply to all or none at all. I observed that when my bf enters the hotel, super duper "kapkap" and scan of the bags was being implemented BUT if its a foreigner (caucacian, koreans, japanese) the security just let them pass by. I received these concerns from some of my friends, cousins and visitors who came to the hotel as well. I didnt believe them, so what i did, i try to observe in a distance. And its true. They just let foreigners pass by even without asking where they are going. If security measures needed to be done, it should be strictly implemented to all.
Still many mishaps happend during our stay which i do not want to discuss anymore, but after we checked out the hotel, my mom decided not to return to that hotel again.
Just recently, i attended an e-commerce congress held in Dusit Hotel. I was in the congress from 8:45am to 8:45pm. I was there the whole day. The congress was held at the side entrance of the hotel facing SM makati so i waited for my dad who will fetch me in the front lobby of the hotel. I do not want to sit anymore (because that's all ive done the whole day), so i decided to stand in the lobby and wait. I went to the restroom first to freshen up because i very exhausted and pampering myself in the mirror will help ease the stress i felt. After I left the restroom and strted heading for the lobby, i noticed this certain security guard who kept on watching me and guarding my every move! I am certain of this. If there are times he loss sight of me, you will see the worry in his eyes and try to locate me and try not to look very suspicious. Still, i stand there and obrserved. He is not contented, he stood at my back, just a few steps away, seems like guarding the hallway to the elevator. I looked at myslef and wondered if i look like a terrorist or something. He didnt move and stayed there and guard my every move. As in, if i step to the right, he will step to the right, if i made sudden movements, same with him. I felt like we are playing "patintero". I called up my dad on the cellphone and informed him where ive been and where i am standing so he could see me. (i purposedly talk loud enough for the guard to hear where ive been and why i am there). Feeling a bit bored, i walked toward the bar and looked at the garden of the hotel, as i turned around, the guard was still there watching me and not even blinking to see where i am going next.
I cannot stand him anymore so as i approached him, looking in his eyes, i told him, "Hwag mo akong bantayan, di ako mawawala, dito lang ako (why are you guarding me? i am not going anywhere! I will just stay here!)" he answered, "security lang po mam", i answered "di totoo yan, di kayo ganyan dati. Galing ako sa congress dyan sa gilid, tanong mo pa pangalan ko, maghapon ako dyan. kahit di mo sabihin alam ko at nararamdaman kong binabantayan mo ako. Hinihintay ko lang ang sundo ko (that's not true, you are not like that. I attended the congress at the back, you can check my name if you want. I was there the whole day. I can feel you are watching me, i know it. Im just waiting for my companions).
After that confrontation, he walked away and i saw him checking out the congress if its true. And he distanced himself from me from that time on.
What have i done to experience that kind of a treatment? They should be informed of the activities inside their hotel. "Mukha ba akong terroristta? (Do i look like a terrorists?). My God! They should know how to see people if they are a threat or not! If they are in doubt, they can have a simple chit chat with the person just to know what's up. Come to think of it, im in business attire at that time. This insident made me hate Dusit hotel even more. They do not know how to coordinate with each other and do security checks properly.
And of course, as i stand there, i came to watch the people that come and go the security area in the front lobby. And same as always, foreigners come and go without security checks. One caucacian guy just entered asking where is the bar (obviously he did not stayed in that hotel) and they welcomed him with no security checks implemented. Knowing these, i do not find any reason why i have to return and stay even for just a night where i have no assurance of my security, satisfying and working amenities to use, and courteous staff to entertain me in the reception area or in their cafe.
My first visit inside the hotel was amazing. I was the choir conductor of my choir and they have performance in the hotel lobby as part of the hotel's treat to their customers during the holidays. We were assisted by the hotel staff, mostly interns, with our costumes, snacks, and dinner. The dressing room was ok. With a small tv that played cartoons to keep the children at ease and seated as they wait for their time to perform. The room was spacious, cool and comfortable enough for us to get dressed. My choir was able to perform twice in that hotel. The staff always greeted us with a warm smile.
We, the teachers, were given discount or membership cards for a year because of our first performance. 20%discount on weekday room rate and 10% discount on weekends. With this, I celebrated my 30th birthday in dusit. Renting a room for 3 days and 2 nights.
The day before we checked in, we have dinner to celebrate my brithday. Having a dusit Fountains card, i have a birthday cake and picture (which after 2years, was not given to me) complimentary (applicable only if you dine in one of their restaurants any day of your birthday month. when I asked for the bill, they informed me that I was free because its a part of celebrating my birthday with them. so we were happy because I was not expecting that.
The following day, we checked in for our 3 days 2 nights stay. After an hour or so, the cafe called me up and informed me that the bill(our dinner the night before) in the restaurant was wrong and that they have to charge it in my room. I was really furious because first of all it was not my fault, second, just because we were staying there they will have to just charge it in my account? Their fault was, my meal was not free in the first place! Haha! funny isnt it? Is that mis- communication or poor accounting skills?
On the first night, we discovered that the emergency flash light is not working and my mom was
turn off by that because they neglected little things and come to think of it they have a good reputation as a hotel. Anyway, that's not all. The hotel's built-in cabinet has two sliding doors that cover the drawers and hangers. There's a front slide door and the back slide door interchanging with each other. Well, we were all startled when the hotel's back slide door fell when a 7 year old girl opened them. We were all shocked. But fortunately, the little girl was not harmed because that door fell to the front sliding door. if the First sliding door was moved a few inches away, the second sliding door would have landed on the child's head. Imagine the problem and accident it would have caused!Another thing i hated about that hotel is their security. I understand that security measures have to be made and i am thankful for that. But i am a person that believes that rules should imply to all or none at all. I observed that when my bf enters the hotel, super duper "kapkap" and scan of the bags was being implemented BUT if its a foreigner (caucacian, koreans, japanese) the security just let them pass by. I received these concerns from some of my friends, cousins and visitors who came to the hotel as well. I didnt believe them, so what i did, i try to observe in a distance. And its true. They just let foreigners pass by even without asking where they are going. If security measures needed to be done, it should be strictly implemented to all.
Still many mishaps happend during our stay which i do not want to discuss anymore, but after we checked out the hotel, my mom decided not to return to that hotel again.
Just recently, i attended an e-commerce congress held in Dusit Hotel. I was in the congress from 8:45am to 8:45pm. I was there the whole day. The congress was held at the side entrance of the hotel facing SM makati so i waited for my dad who will fetch me in the front lobby of the hotel. I do not want to sit anymore (because that's all ive done the whole day), so i decided to stand in the lobby and wait. I went to the restroom first to freshen up because i very exhausted and pampering myself in the mirror will help ease the stress i felt. After I left the restroom and strted heading for the lobby, i noticed this certain security guard who kept on watching me and guarding my every move! I am certain of this. If there are times he loss sight of me, you will see the worry in his eyes and try to locate me and try not to look very suspicious. Still, i stand there and obrserved. He is not contented, he stood at my back, just a few steps away, seems like guarding the hallway to the elevator. I looked at myslef and wondered if i look like a terrorist or something. He didnt move and stayed there and guard my every move. As in, if i step to the right, he will step to the right, if i made sudden movements, same with him. I felt like we are playing "patintero". I called up my dad on the cellphone and informed him where ive been and where i am standing so he could see me. (i purposedly talk loud enough for the guard to hear where ive been and why i am there). Feeling a bit bored, i walked toward the bar and looked at the garden of the hotel, as i turned around, the guard was still there watching me and not even blinking to see where i am going next.
I cannot stand him anymore so as i approached him, looking in his eyes, i told him, "Hwag mo akong bantayan, di ako mawawala, dito lang ako (why are you guarding me? i am not going anywhere! I will just stay here!)" he answered, "security lang po mam", i answered "di totoo yan, di kayo ganyan dati. Galing ako sa congress dyan sa gilid, tanong mo pa pangalan ko, maghapon ako dyan. kahit di mo sabihin alam ko at nararamdaman kong binabantayan mo ako. Hinihintay ko lang ang sundo ko (that's not true, you are not like that. I attended the congress at the back, you can check my name if you want. I was there the whole day. I can feel you are watching me, i know it. Im just waiting for my companions).
After that confrontation, he walked away and i saw him checking out the congress if its true. And he distanced himself from me from that time on.
What have i done to experience that kind of a treatment? They should be informed of the activities inside their hotel. "Mukha ba akong terroristta? (Do i look like a terrorists?). My God! They should know how to see people if they are a threat or not! If they are in doubt, they can have a simple chit chat with the person just to know what's up. Come to think of it, im in business attire at that time. This insident made me hate Dusit hotel even more. They do not know how to coordinate with each other and do security checks properly.
And of course, as i stand there, i came to watch the people that come and go the security area in the front lobby. And same as always, foreigners come and go without security checks. One caucacian guy just entered asking where is the bar (obviously he did not stayed in that hotel) and they welcomed him with no security checks implemented. Knowing these, i do not find any reason why i have to return and stay even for just a night where i have no assurance of my security, satisfying and working amenities to use, and courteous staff to entertain me in the reception area or in their cafe.
2 comments:
Interesting post. Yes you are right. The same security surveillance should apply to everyone.
In Europe increasing numbers of caucasians with Christian backgrounds are converting to Islam and some are recruited by radical Islamic groups. It is rather naive of the hotel management to assume that foreign guests can be exempted from scrutiny.
Thanks for the information.
Because of this incident, i never want to set foot to that hotel again. As long as i have a choice.
Post a Comment