# I'm not a happy camper...guess where am I?



## alwysonvac (Jan 19, 2013)

Yes, I'm at HGVC resort and I own a week at this resort :annoyed:  

I wish I noticed these things earlier when we first moved in this morning. I did a quick glance around the room before we left for the day.
I'll wait to talk to mgmt in the morning. In the meanwhile....


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## dougp26364 (Jan 19, 2013)

I'm going out on a limb and guess you're at one of the Orlando resorts where the humidity can add to issues with rust and mold.


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## JM48 (Jan 19, 2013)

I would say Sea World, one of the original buildings.

JM


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## ricoba (Jan 19, 2013)

I know you go to the Lagoon Tower quite often....????


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## RX8 (Jan 19, 2013)

Hmmmm detective work.  i checked your photo properties (some camera photos have the lat/long embedded) but that info was not present. 

Based on the time of your post I also guess lagoon tower.


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## chriskre (Jan 19, 2013)

I hope you aren't at I-Drive my home resort.


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## piyooshj (Jan 20, 2013)

I bet its not flamingo


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## alwysonvac (Jan 20, 2013)

Yes, I'm at the Lagoon Tower. 

Even though we have experienced maintenance issues with each of our previous stays at the Lagoon Tower, I never felt the need to comment about it on TUG until now. I guess I was shocked that they let the bathroom get to this state. I would have been embarrassed if we had guests staying with us.

We had a very nice conversation with one of the resort managers yesterday. I will be doing some follow up with the corporate office as well regarding ongoing maintenance. 

My biggest issue was with the toilet seat. It's something I would expect at a gas station or rundown motel not at a Hilton. Well, I still have the same toilet seat but the resort manager is working on getting a replacement. He couldn't make any promises because he didn't know if they have any in stock. In the meanwhile, I'll have to do with a makeshift seat cover using toilet paper. 

It appears things such as bathroom sinks and toiliets are placed on a longer cycle for replacement (10-15 years).

My second biggest issue was understanding how ongoing maintenance issues are addressed. We're always providing a list of maintenance issues during each of our Lagoon Tower stays. I wanted to know who was responsible for reporting these items. Why didn't housekeeping report that the bathtub needed caulking, sink drain and toilet seat need replacing, light bulb out, luggage rack broken, door stopper detached and laying on the floor, etc. I received confirmation that the housekeeping staff is suppose to notify the maintenance staff.  We also had a conversation about deep cleaning. It appears that they do a deep cleaning on each floor at least once per year (sometimes twice).

I don't want folks to think that the Lagoon tower is rundown but the resort is at maximum occupancy year round (the resort manager said 98% occupancy). I'm assuming this places a lot of challenges for them to have each room constantly cleaned and prepared for the next guests. Overall, I think the housekeeping staff does a decent job based on the limited six hour timeframe between check out (10am) and check in time (4pm). 

The one bedroom plus unit, we're staying in has updated furniture. It's very nice as usual. I will post photos of our room later.

The resort manager also shared that the Lagoon Tower has started replacing the major kitchen applicances (stove, fridge, dishwasher and microwave). It will be black instead of white. The kitchen cabinets will also be replaced (from white to wood) similiar to GW and Kalia towers. No news when the small appliances will be changed.


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## DaveC (Jan 20, 2013)

Regardless of the "cycle" of replacement. Housekeeping should report these things and they should be fixed. In addition, I'm sure there are periodic inspections of the units where these issues should be corrected. Those things didn't just happen overnight. 

I had an issue at the Bay Club which was never resolved. There was a water leak and their fix was to put a towel there and that was it. The leak was already causing damage and they didn't seem to care. The resorts need to keep up on maintenance or it will cause them more trouble in the long run.


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## Talent312 (Jan 20, 2013)

My idea: Call HGVC and ask for Kim Krieger, Hilton's VP of Club Operations.
Say that you'd like him to fix it.
.


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## dougp26364 (Jan 20, 2013)

DaveC said:


> Regardless of the "cycle" of replacement. Housekeeping should report these things and they should be fixed. In addition, I'm sure there are periodic inspections of the units where these issues should be corrected. Those things didn't just happen overnight.
> 
> I had an issue at the Bay Club which was never resolved. There was a water leak and their fix was to put a towel there and that was it. The leak was already causing damage and they didn't seem to care. The resorts need to keep up on maintenance or it will cause them more trouble in the long run.



And cost the HOA and owners more money in increased MF's for the more expensive repairs later.


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## jestme (Jan 20, 2013)

Talent312 said:


> My idea: Call HGVC and ask for Kim Krieger, Hilton's VP of Club Operations.
> Say that you'd like him to fix it.
> .



Actually, posting pictures on the HGVC facebook site or Tripadvisor gets more reaction from them. Internal complaint communications are definitely handled, but external ones get more exposure to potential customers, and therefore more immediate reaction from management, and their managers. I was in the Lagoon Tower last week and saw some things that were "inappropriate" as well. I commented on them on my "comments on recent HGVC stay" online survey I received after I checked out. After all my stays here, I thought my problems this time were room specific and didn't warrant anything more than the internal communication.


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## alwysonvac (Jan 21, 2013)

update.... the toilet seat was replaced this evening


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## TheWizz (Jan 21, 2013)

alwysonvac said:


> update.... the toilet seat was replaced this evening



Excellent!  Now you won't have to run down to the lobby RR all the time!!


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## ronandjoan (Jan 21, 2013)

despite what others say. we have found Wyndham maintenance of their resorts was much better than the HGVC units.


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## HatTrick (Jan 22, 2013)

alwysonvac said:


> My second biggest issue was understanding how ongoing maintenance issues are addressed. We're always providing a list of maintenance issues during each of our Lagoon Tower stays. I wanted to know who was responsible for reporting these items. Why didn't housekeeping report that the bathtub needed caulking, sink drain and toilet seat need replacing, light bulb out, luggage rack broken, door stopper detached and laying on the floor, etc. I received confirmation that the housekeeping staff is suppose to notify the maintenance staff.



Lately it seems that we've had to deal with a major maintenance problem at least once per stay. 

Most recently, the sliding lanai doors in the living room of a Lagoon Tower premier unit were so badly misaligned that there was a large gap between them when closed and they couldn't be locked. This was a half-day repair.

Prior to that, several of the shower heads in the master bathroom of a Waikoloa unit were dripping uncontrollably. It took three days to fully correct that problem.

If such issues are being reported by housekeeping, are they being ignored until the guests complain? That's how it appears anyway...


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## alwysonvac (Jan 22, 2013)

ronandjoan said:


> despite what others say. we have found Wyndham maintenance of their resorts was much better than the HGVC units.



Which HGVC resort(s) are you referring to? and how long ago was it?

Years ago, the Bay Club on the Big Island was getting a lot of bad reviews but that was pre-renovation. 
See this old 2009 thread regarding the Bay Club - http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=96512

Thanks


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## alwysonvac (Jan 22, 2013)

Yes, it appears that some maintenance issues are being ignored until a guest complains.

The resort manager we spoke to at the Lagoon Tower indicated that they are trying to address the housekeeping challenges. There was also a recent shift in the way housekeeping disciplinary actions were being managed @ HHV which may also help the situation going forward at the HGVC towers.

I hope all hilton owners take time to report maintenance issues to the resort manager during their stay. The resort managers needs to know which housekeepers are not addressing room maintenance issues.
NOTE:At HHV, the resort manager's desk is across from the check-in desk at the Grand Waikikian.

We normally provide the resort manager with a written list of the issues along with our room #.  We then review each item on the list in detail. We find it easier to show photos from our camera or phone when we talk about each specific issue.


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## GregT (Jan 22, 2013)

Hi Phyllis,

How is the vacation otherwise?  I hope you are getting some time outside too!   Sorry we missed you, we will be there over Presidents Day weekend, and looking forward to it.   It was a pleasure to meet up with you and your husband in Aruba!

What room are you in?  I assume you're not in the Dreaded Room 68, because you're an owner?

All the best,

Greg


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## alwysonvac (Jan 23, 2013)

Hi Greg,

Our vacation otherwise is wonderful. 

LOL, all vacations to Hawaii are wonderful 

It was a pleasure meeting you and your wife too in Aruba. We got to meet jestme and his lovely wife yesterday @ HHV. Frank is the 3rd tugger I've met so far. We've enjoyed meeting everyone.

We're in room 1063 at the Lagoon Tower. We also spent two nights in the Grand Waikikian Tower room 2208 via Open Season. We stayed in a one bedroom plus in both towers. We like the Lagoon tower room layout and views the best. We found the Grand Waikikian room layout awkward and we didn't care for the limited partial ocean view on the marina side and the extremely loud city noise while sitting out on the balcony.

Since it's our first time on Oahu by ourselves (no family & friends), we tried some new things this trip (see list below).

(1) Pacific Aviation Museum @ Pearl Harbor - http://www.pacificaviationmuseum.org/ 
We've visited the Arizona Memorial and the Battleship Missouri (Mighty Mo) several times taking family & friends and we've enjoyed each of our visits. This was our first visit to the Pacific Aviation Museum. We enjoyed our visit and tooked the guided tour. I would recommend the museum and guided tour if you've already hit all of the major sights and have time. It's not a must do but if you're in the area and have time, I would recommend it.

(2) Home of the Brave Tour - http://www.pearlharborhq.com/
It's a family own business. Our tour guy Duke (son of the owner) was great however I didn't think the tour was worth $89pp therefore I can't recommend it.
Perhaps our expectation was too high. We've been to Pearl Harbor several times taking family and friends. We were hoping to get more out of the visits to the military bases. I came away feeling we got a brief tour of the bases but the time spent on the base was not specifically focused on seeing things related to WWII. 
I also should have spent time reading the detailed description of the tour on their website which indicates what would be seen at each of the stops (I mistakenly booked a Monday tour which prevented us from visiting the museum at Schofield) - http://www.pearlharborhq.com/pearl_harbor_tour.html

(3) Alan Wong's Honolulu @King St - http://www.alanwongs.com/node/176
Alan Wong is one of our favorites. We normally recommend the Classic Tasting menu at Alan Wong's. Since the Classic menu hasn't changed in years, we decided to try the more expensive Chef Tasting menu. We're glad that we tried it but I didn't think it was worth the price therefore I won't be recommending the more expensive Chef Tasting menu to friends and family. It just wasn't as good as the classic menu and some of the courses were nothing special.

(4) James Campbell Wildlife Refuge (for birding) - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Campbell_National_Wildlife_Refuge
It's up north near the Turtle Bay Resort in Kahuku. We drove up there but the site was closed because they lost some of their staff. I got to see some birds but hopefully it will reopen again in the future when their staffing levels increase. It looks like a wonderful place for birders.

(5) The Hawaiian Railway - http://www.hawaiianrailway.com/
My husband's hobbies are trains and birds. So we had to hit the trains this trip. The train ride is basically for family with kids and diehard rail fans.
The 90 minute ride is available every Sunday.

Phyllis


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## GregT (Jan 23, 2013)

alwysonvac said:


> We're in room 1063 at the Lagoon Tower. We also spent two nights in the Grand Waikikian Tower room 2208 via Open Season. We stayed in a one bedroom plus in both towers. We like the Lagoon tower room layout and views the best. We found the Grand Waikikian room layout awkward and we didn't care for the limited partial ocean view on the marina side and the extremely loud city noise while sitting out on the balcony.



I'm happy to hear that you have a good room and I will hope for the same.  I've been in D.R. 68 once, and made my peace with it, but I refer the Diamond Head side.  

I also agree about the city noise for Grand Waikikian -- it's a tough thing.  Ala Moana is a busy street, and here Lagoon is a clear winner over GW.




alwysonvac said:


> (3) Alan Wong's Honolulu @King St - http://www.alanwongs.com/node/176
> Alan Wong is one of our favorites. We normally recommend the Classic Tasting menu at Alan Wong's. Since the Classic menu hasn't changed in years, we decided to try the more expensive Chef Tasting menu. We're glad that we tried it but I didn't think it was worth the price therefore I won't be recommending the more expensive Chef Tasting menu to friends and family. It just wasn't as good as the classic menu and some of the courses were nothing special.



I'm looking hard at Alan Wong's for our trip.  We're debating between AW and a trip to Vintage Cave, which is a new restaurant in Honolulu.  BocaBum99 has heard interesting things about it, but no one has been.   Your recommendation for AW goes a long way, because I know you are a foodie!

We also have ressie's at Nobu and BLT Steak (a sentimental favorite here).

Any thoughts here?   Enjoy the rest of your trip!

Best,

Greg


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## alwysonvac (Jan 23, 2013)

Hmmm...it sounds like bocabum99 likes the Chef Tasting menu at Alan Wong. Perhaps we experienced a bad sampling of their Chef Tasting menu (which is different than the Classic tasting menu). If you've never been to AW, I would opt for the Classic Tasting menu with wine pairing. 

Sorry, we haven't been to Nobu, BLT Steak or the newly opened Vintage Cave.


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## PearlCity (Jan 23, 2013)

Alan wongs is one of my favorites too. Nobu is good but its pricey. I probably wouldn't go back but it was good to go once. . I never get out anymore so I don't know any.New places!


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## vegasVIP (Jan 23, 2013)

Alan Wongs was by far our best dinner.  On the expensive side, but the food and service are about 2nd to none.   Kinda a funny building it is in, you would never expect it.


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## GregT (Jan 23, 2013)

Okay, we booked a reservation for Alan Wong's, so I think we will have a great trip.  I called the Vintage Cave people to try and make a reservation and they never called me back!

Maybe they didn't like my area code?    In any event, we are looking forward to it!  

Best,

Greg


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## Tamaradarann (Jan 24, 2013)

*Sorry for the Problem, but you are in Waikiki*



alwysonvac said:


> Yes, I'm at HGVC resort and I own a week at this resort :annoyed:
> 
> I wish I noticed these things earlier when we first moved in this morning. I did a quick glance around the room before we left for the day.
> I'll wait to talk to mgmt in the morning. In the meanwhile....




I am sorry you had the problem in the Lagoon Tower.  We are also in the Lagoon Tower but don't have that problem now.  We have had problems in the past in the Lagoon Tower as well as in the rest of Waikiki  It has its  disadvantages as well as its advantages. We don't get a car in Waikiki for the economic as well as convenience perspective.  We pick Waikiki because we can stay without a car.  We feel that if you are going to have a car the disadvantages in Waikiki made it a poor choice in comparison to the rest of the Hawaiian Islands with respect to parking, traffic, resorts, and environment.


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