New York Marriott Marquis: Associate Came To My Rescue after Flight Cancellation – Great Hotel in a Great Location
Imagine your vacation is over and your suitcases are packed, in the taxi ready to take you to the airport and you are ready to go home. Imagine you are with your family with whom you have vacationed in NYC, all of you coming from different locations and meeting up for your annual pre-Christmas NYC holiday. Now imagine that you make one last call to the airport and find out ONLY YOUR FLIGHT has been cancelled but the flight of your four traveling companions (who live in the same town) is leaving on time!
What do you do? Well the first thing I did was try not to panic 🙂 then I panicked LOL…. The representative for the airline told me the flight was cancelled because of bad weather. I explained to her that that explanation did not make much sense since my co-travellers were traveling on the same airline and at the same time and going further than me. I actually said, “Wait, my family’s plane is on time and since they are flying over my house to get home, maybe I can parachute out!” She was not amused 🙂 The clerk had no explanation, not that one would have helped me, but she did tell me the airline was not responsible for the cancellation and I would have to cover the cost of my own accommodations for the night. They re-ticketed me for the next day. Lovely.
Now I had three choices: 1) I could head to airport of departure, Newark, with my cousins, see the airline rep and see what hotel they might recommend. That meant I would wait in line to speak to someone, then start making calls to see if there was any local availability and pay for a taxi to get to the hotel and then pay for a taxi the next morning back to the airport; 2) I could bivouac an the airport floor and stay the night there (not happening); 3) I could just stay where I was at the great hotel (New York Marriott Marquis in Time Square) and head to the airport the next day.
If any of the people I was traveling with had been delayed I probably would have gone to Newark and tried to find a hotel. But being all alone I decided to remove my luggage from the taxi and sent my cousins to the airport without me.
So I schlepped my luggage back up to the reception area of the hotel we were staying at, the New York Marriott Marquis in Time Square. What I did not take into consideration is the time of the year, December. The rates for hotel rooms were very steep, especially since the Rockefeller Tree Lighting had happened the week we were there so the city was packed.
Crossing my fingers I explained the situation to the Front Desk Associate at the New York Marriott Marquis, Nazia Aleem who was extremely understanding. She told me the current rate and I was shocked and dismayed, but I understood. This flight cancellation was going to be expensive!
Nazia could see how upset I was and she told me since I was grounded by the airline she would give me a better rate. Even the new rate was high and I asked her if considering the situation she could do better. Finally, although I am not a senior, she gave me the senior rate. It was better than the rate she originally quoted.
Nazia was kind and understanding and she went and got me a bottle of water and then she asked me if I would be using the Internet that night. I told her I would be and she said she would waive the $16.99 fee. Nazia went out of her way to make me feel better. It was a frustrating situation but thanks to Nazia it was not as bad as it could have been. That human kindness and consideration really helped to ease my stress. Thanks Nazia!
The next day I checked out and hopped in a taxi and I explained to the taxi driver how I had been grounded. He was so nice he waved the empty car fee for coming back to NYC from Newark!
Most people think that people in big cities don’t care, that they are not compassionate. Well my experience was anything but that – these two people I did not know went out of their way to be kind to me.
I will certainly be coming back to NYC and I will be staying at the New York Marriott Marquis in Time Square again. We were treated very well during our regular stay and the amazing location and accommodations can’t be beat – we had great value and a great time. The hotel staff was helpful and went out of their way to make sure we had reservations and clear directions for all our outings. My family is from a small town in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia and they were impressed at the comfortable and courteous feel of the hotel.
The special help I received during the difficult time when my flight was cancelled showed me that I can trust Marriott – and this is so important, especially when travelling. As a person who travels the world professionally I unequivocally recommend the New York Marriott Marquis in Time Square for a fine time in a great city.