Hilton Grand Vacations – McAlpin South Beach (Unit 2106) – Advice on What to Request from Management?

[ukpete82]

Hey everyone,

I wanted to get some feedback from fellow owners or experienced HGV members on what kind of resolution I should reasonably expect from management after a rough stay.

Stay details:

• Property: Hilton Grand Vacations at The McAlpin – Ocean Plaza (South Beach, FL)
• Unit: 2106
• Reservation: Paid with points
• Dates: October 18-23 for eXpcon conference

What happened:

• The unit the remainder last day had a severe ant infestation—even in the showers and walls.
• Maintenance was called twice, but the issue wasn’t resolved.
• Staff brought us cleaning supplies and told us to clean it ourselves (obviously not acceptable).
• I was told a manager would call back, but no follow-up ever came.
• Another guest in our group spoke to the front desk multiple times—they admitted they’ve had prior issues with this unit stack.
• We have videos and photos documenting everything.

Goal:
I’ve stayed here 2x before with great experiences so I’m not trying to complain for the sake of it—just want to handle this properly and know what’s fair to request.
I’m thinking along the lines of:

1. Points refund or credit for the affected nights
2. Waiver of resort/parking fees
3. Some form of goodwill compensation (bonus points or certificate)
4. Confirmation that the unit will get professional pest treatment

For anyone who’s dealt with HGV’s guest relations or owner care, what’s the best path—contacting the property GM, Owner Services, or HGV Guest Assistance directly?

Would it help to use specific language like “service recovery” or “points reinstatement” in my request?

Thanks in advance—any guidance or success stories with similar situations would really help before I escalate this through corporate.

 

[Janann]

I don't have an answer, but another option you might ask for is something like:
Based on the circumstances, I feel that some sort of compensation is in order due to the difficulties of the trip.

In other words, don't ask for anything specific, just see what they offer. It could be something better than expected; you never know.

 

[BingoBangoBongo]

I had an issue a few years ago at Kings Land where a mouse was able to enter our room early one night. I wasn't really bothered by the fact that the mouse got in the room, but more by the process that was offered to move us to a new room (before the mouse was caught) if we wanted to. They would not give us a key for a new room and allow us to move our own belongings. We tend to spread out our stuff pretty widely and it would be enough of an effort to move that I didn't want to involve/tie anyone else up in the process. We ended up staying in the same room and they put a strip down that caught the mouse that night. The next day I spoke with a manager, not to complain about the mouse, but to offer some feedback on what I thought was a chunky recovery offer. I think they may have given us a modest credit to use at the resort, which was nice of them.

Unrelated to HGVC, but during a stay at Hilton Garden Inn in Palm Beach about 4 years ago, they had a water main break outside the hotel (totally out of their control) and had to turn off all the water for an extended period one day. I was in line at the front desk to find out if they had an estimate for the repair, so we could make plans for going out that night and the woman in front of me was voicing her displeasure and the manager offered to give her points for the night. I didn't even get a chance to say one word to the manager and she asked me my room number and said she would also give me points. Was really only looking to find out if we would be able to shower before we went out and found HHonors account had 40,000 points added.

I your situation, I'm a little confused by what you wrote in the first line of the "What Happened" section. In that it sounds like one night, but your Goals section it states "affected nights". I guess, if the problem were a infestation with a large amount of ants that affected your use of the unit, I would look at the total points I used and try to come up with a reasonable percentage of those in a request for a service recovery. I highly doubt that they will offer a large amount or full refund for the stay.

It seems like local management isn't interested in dealing with you, so I would approach Owner Services.

JMHO

 

[ukpete82]

thanks I'll likely go with that route with Owner Services.