Worst accommodation experience weâve ever had!
We arrived at Esplanade at 7:15pm to check-in, however reception was closed and there was no way to access our apartment. We called and messaged the afterhours contact number several times over the next two hours, but nobody returned our calls.
There was no alternative accommodation available nearby and so, after waiting for several hours, our only option was to drive 2.5 hours back to Auckland that night! The next morning I got hold of Terry. He advised me that theyâre not a âhotelâ and we should have arrived before 6pm to check in. The check-in deadline was not disclosed to us at the time of booking, and we had no idea of this requirement.
Unbelievably, Terry let me know that he received our messages the night we were trying to access the apartment, but he didnât bother returning our calls because he was out to dinner and it wasnât an âemergencyâ. He couldnât have been more flippant about the situation.
Although Esplanade had emailed us that day asking us to arrive by 6pm, I wasnât monitoring my emails on the road (and the email went to junk anyway). God only knows why they didnât try calling us at any point to let us know about the 6pm deadline. Leaving people stranded without accommodation for the night seems worth a phone call.
Esplanade charged us for the accommodation and is refusing a refund.
We are well seasoned travelers, and this is hands down the worst accommodation experience weâve ever had. Stay
