Just before 2 a.m. on a recent Thursday night the fire alarm went off at the Park Hyatt Washington. There was substantial smoke near the hotel’s gym. Guests fled the building to the street. And while no actual fire took place, everyone was out of their rooms for a full hour.
In May, on the last night of my stay at the Seabird Resort, the fire alarm went off. My daughter was already asleep. The hotel didn’t communicate at all, either while it was happening (never even telling people when it was ok to go back inside) or afterward (to explain what had occurred).
The Park Hyatt did much better. A staff member was keeping guests standing outside the hotel updated and distributing water. The general manager was assisting everyone back into the hotel once the event had ended. However no explanatory note or apology followed the next day. What you knew about the event depends on what you happened to hear, or what you may have gleamed through the staff grapevine.
I’ve argued that when a hotel is without water it owes compensation to its guests. Even if the hotel isn’t at fault for maintenance or a water main break, they haven’t delivered a fundamental part of what the guest was paying for (e.g. the ability to shower).
Here I was up for two hours in the middle of the night – one of those hours outside. As best I can tell the smoke that made its way into the Park Hyatt may have even come from the building next door. So the hotel may not have been at fault. But all guests were ordered out of the hotel, and the hotel therefore was unable to deliver an even more fundamental part of what a guest is paying for – sleep, at night.
Does a hotel owe anything to guests rousted from their beds for an hour in the middle of the night, and of course also losing however long it takes them to fall back to sleep? I didn’t ask for something, but still felt that a follow up letter of explanation and apology the next day would have been appropriate. What say you?
Frankly a little self centered IMHO! If there is a problem w the system that causes it to go off in middle of the night (especially repeatedly) I could agree it is reasonable to ask for something.
However if there was smoke and a potential danger (like at the Hyatt in Washington) the system did what it was designed to do and possibly saved lives. Sorry you lost some sleep but some things are bigger than you! God I can’t believe you even posted this!
The Hyatt Regency in Sarasota, a franchised property managed by Aimbridge, was without water from about 3 pm until 5 am on a stay of mine a few months ago. They literally had no water for toilets, sinks, etc. Yet the kitchen and bar stayed open. How did staff wash their hands or wash dirty dishes? Needless to say, I didn’t eat there. They offered no compensation.
I stayed at the London Marriott Hotel County Hall about four years ago. Around 10 p.m. on a Sunday, the fire alarm went out. Another alarm went off to evacuate the building. Nearly a dozen fire trucks arrived. No manager was on duty. No staff or security from the hotel were directing guests where to go or stand until the cause of the alarm and evacuation were determined. Many guests stood outside by the River Thames in their pajamas for the better part of 45 minutes. We only knew we could re-enter the hotel when the firemen started to leave the scene. The hotel never apologized, never explained anything and clearly had no trained staff working that night.
I think an explanation and apology is due, but no compensation. A warning system did its job and potentially saved the guest’s lives. I take don’t see any “fault” here. That’s just my take on it as a retired airline veteran.
Gary, I was at this hotel back on September 8 when this happened (Gym smoke aswell). I’m wondering if this is the same event or a new one that just happened again. Everything you mentioned was on point with regards to staff . Water was provided and staff was out there directing guests. At check out on sunday an apology was made actually, and the charge for that night was deducted out of my bill. YMMV
My take is both No and Yes. When you book a hotel you are not only booking it to get some sleep but more importantly you are entrusting the hotel with keeping you safe! That is exactly what the fire alarm did – it kept you and every other guest safe. Period.
However the hotel could have turned it into an excellent PR event if they had staff in the lobby the next morning, along with complimentary coffee and bagels/pastries, answering questions from the guests on what happened. Along with Gregg above, I just finished a 50 year career in aviation and have experienced more then one middle of the night fire alarm.
Nothing…. It is outside of the hotels control, and asking for compensation is just greedy. What if it had been a real fire, would you have preferred they let you sleep?
@ Gary — I would ask for compensation in points equal to the full cost for the night. So, for a $300 night, I’d ask for 20,000 points.
A faulty alarm system going off in the middle of the night, sure, they owe you. A real smoke event where safety systems worked as intended? Sometimes shit happens in life.
I see this as a bigger issue. All providers (airlines, hotels, etc.) should communicate much better and more transparently/consistently. I don’t think that compensation is in order, but I do think that customers should have a right to know what’s going on. Seems so simple, yet is not.
Same thing happened to me at a Sheraton back when Starwood was Starwood. The staff kept us informed and was helpful throughout the ordeal. Without asking, the manager gave everyone a pretty substantial slug of points, although I don’t remember the exact amount, it was at least more than what it would take for a free night at that particular hotel near DFW.
We had a similar situation recently at an ultra-luxury property (don’t want to shame them here, but it’s one of the top resort/hotel groups in the world; rooms start at over $2k/night) – fire alarm goes off in the middle of the night. The next morning I ask at the desk what happened, mostly trying to understand how to keep it from happening again. They said that another guest had been smoking in their room (all rooms are non-smoking) and set off their smoke detector.
I suggested that the guest in question should buy a round of drinks for everyone else in the hotel. In the end, this ultra-high-service hotel offered no compensation at all.
A letter with an explanation. Thank the guests for their understanding. No apology necessary since it wasn’t their fault. And an apology might open them up to compensation claims.
They should have left you sleeping. In the best case we wouldn’t need to read posts like this anymore…
How petty. Poor baby lost a few hours sleep. Hotels are committed to safety, for all guests. Having you outside, was the safest place, regardless of the situation.
Just think, if there was a fire, and you were never woken up?
Suck it up. Consider yourself lucky. Next time, you could be a statistic.
I suggest, you take a baby bottle with you, when you stay in hotels.
First time? It happens all the time to me. Hotels don’t do anything and unless there’s a local law in place to force hotels to do something. Worst offender is the Aloft Downtown Brooklyn/Metrotech. Tall skinny building with 2 elevators. People screw around and pull the alarm often, and then you have to evacuate using the stairs from like the 15th floor. Always happens in the middle of the night on a workday.
I had to stay where the alarm went off either 2 or 3 times in the middle of the night each time we evacuated. It all seemed to be due to some faulty sensor. The hotel did not offer any compensation but I requested one and they credited me one night stay.
If it’s not under the control of the hotel, they owe you nothing, just like if you book a resort and rain ruins your stay after you check in. The best places would keep you informed about what’s going on during the event, but a follow-up may be impossible. Even the hotel may not know.
To think you’re owed something for an actual safety-related evacuation (not a faulty sensor or misbehaving guest) seems to be up there on the Entitled Scale.
Another “whiner’ looking for something free.
Unfortunately, when a fire alarm goes off and people have to leave the hotel it takes a while to get back inside. The hotel does not owe you a full night’s sleep in a situation where a guest’s life might be endangered if not evacuated. The management provided water and was present. I believe they met an acceptable level of service. Yes, a letter the next day would have been lovely as would the gift of some points but, honestly, I do not believe it is necessary. Chalk it up as yet one more anecdote from a traveling life.
I think compensation is due if the situation is not handled correctly.
If a fire alarm went off, the most senior staff on duty need to be there immediately assisting guests, overseeing the scene and taking charge to protect the safety of guests and employees as well as the asset. If there was an actual fire or smoke situation, I expect the general manager to show up even if the incident occurred during the middle of the night. I also would expect the owner’s asset manager to respond as soon as possible.
As Spencer Rice commented, even a false alarm could be turned out by competent manager through the proactive owning of the situation by providing coffee, food, etc.
You have to assume an overnight fire alarm (whether a hoax or an actual incident) is going to result in a lot of zombie guests unable to fall back asleep. The hotel needs to be prepared for that. Again, the most senior staff member should start brewing coffee or, if allowed by licensing laws, open up the bar for stiff drinks.
I agree with Gregg B, PDT, and several others – stuff happens and when it is outside the control of the property, then the following are due: clear, timely on-site communications; an explanation; appropriate compensation when it is their fault.
@FNT Delta – I assume this is sarcasm as it is totally unreasonable but that doesn’t come through well in responses.
If not sarcasm you are obviously as entitled as Gary!
Gary, this one is easy. The hotel owes you a full explanation. But shame on you if you left the property without talking to the GM. I am quite sure that he knows who you are, and would take your call.
Likely he would from any Globalist.
As to compensation- I would rely on root cause. Did the hotel do what it could to prevent the incident. Or did they cause it. If they have any part of the blame then they should comp the night.
And you should have insisted on it.
If your name is Sebastian you would DEMAND a comped stay, the points equivalent of a free night AND a private helicopter transfer to the airport!
Five years ago, first night of 2 wks at the Hilton Clearwater Beach, having arrived after a flight from London, totally knackered, I woke at 3:00 to use the bathroom, there was no power, no lights, totally dark. Look out of the window, there’s multiple fire trucks. No alarm, no emergency lights in the corridor. We get dressed quickly and walk down the stairs from the 6th floor using only the lamp on our phone. No hotel staff to be found. There’s a small fire in the kitchen. It’s pouring with rain. There’s a Pizza Hut across the road with a small canopy. We, me my wife, daughter and 10 yr old grandson, wait there for at least two hours. Eventually, we’re admitted. Elevator doesn’t work. Walk up to 6th floor and hope to sleep – but of course, we can’t. Hotel didn’t provide any compensation. The manager gave me her number, if I stay again, she’ll find me a nice room.
I sincerely hope they have fixed their non functioning fire alarm and non functioning emergency lighting.
I have to wonder how many people ask for pay at their job when they didn’t perform quite as well as they should
This was not a false alarm, so no compensation is called for. “Substantial smoke” was properly detected by the system and the evacuation was rightly ordered. But the hotel still failed at basic communications. All the hotel needed to to was to print and tape a notice inside the elevators:
“Dear valued customers: Regarding the disruption last night, please know that the safety of our guests and staff is our highest priority. The fire alert system functioned properly when it detected smoke that had entered the hotel from an outside source. We thank you for your excellent cooperation in evacuating the building. We are grateful that there were no injuries or damage. We wish you safe travels always and everywhere, and we hope to welcome you back again for a more restful visit.”
See? That wasn’t so hard. You can inform and sympathize with the guests regarding an incident for which no apology was called for.
Back when I worked for DCFD we had a working fire where one person called an odor of smoke in the building. Over 100 outside watching as we arrived. Compensation for not calling? I can’t tell you how many working fires I have been to where people complained about being outside as we had to find the fire.
If it is truly a faulty system and they know then a different story.
On fire that was a big one was in a building next to the fire station. 2-4 times a day we were called. Then one night when the guards were lax and no one thought anything different than a false alarm surprise surprise! You never know what is going on when a fire alarm goes off. Compensation for a life saving device having an issue? So many stories I can tell you all.
Just curious – how is a hotel supposed to provide coffee, alcoholic drinks, etc. to guests when the fire alarm is going off? (You might be able to grab some cases of water bottles.) That means the entire hotel is evacuated. Including staff. Even from the kitchen, lobby, and bar.
I have a feeling some of you would be sending the pursers back below decks to retrieve the jewelry after the ship hit the iceberg. “Don’t you know who I am!”
Weird. The one time I’ve stayed at this hotel, there was a fire alarm as well. This was in 2019. They handled the situation the same way with a staffer handing out waters outside. It was in the afternoon though, not the wee hours of the night.
I really do think that hotels should offer *something* nominal in situations like this because on the one hand, I do think that when you book a hotel, you can reasonably expect a decent nights sleep. It doesn’t have to be a comped room or anything, personally, I just want the situation acknowledged more than anything else.
My experiences have varied: at the DoubleTree in Oak Ridge, I was there when it was without power from about 8 PM to ~3 AM, and they offered no compensation at all (not even like a few HHonors points or something).
On the other hand, while I once was at a Courtyard in Louisville and the fire alarm went off (was blaring for 40 minutes until the fire dept came to clear the building) during the early morning (6 AM hour), the manager on duty proactively offered complimentary barista made drinks for folks who were checking out in the morning as an apology. I walked away from that Courtyard impressed that they proactively offered a little something, which probably didn’t cost them much monetarily, but was amazing service recovery.
Free night. The contractual service wasn’t provided. Period.
Last November the fire alarm went off during the day at the Park Hyatt D.C. they later sent an apology letter and chocolate.
In the Park Hyatt incident, I would request 100 shares of H.
My time is money and if my time is disrupted I want my compensation.
/s
When Hyatt Hotel guests are burnt beyond recognition due to a pesky 2 AM hotel fire, I think these guests will receive an instant upgrade to Lifetime Globalist status.
Several years ago a similar situation occurred at the Sheraton Pentagon City in Arlington, VA. Guests were on the street for about an hour in the wee hours of the morning. No compensation was offered for the false alarm, and I requested none.
An apology, an explanation, and some token gesture would be nice. If the situation caused special harm to an individual guest and the guest provides an explanation and makes a request, then the hotel should consider additional compensation in the form of points or maybe free food or beverages.
John.
It’s amazing, the “make believe” scenario you fabricated. What a vivid imagination you have.
Humor me for a moment. Let’s make believe, you were at your grandmother’s house, and a similar (identical) situation happened. Should your grandmother give you 50,000 points? Or cookies and milk? Or dinner for 12, at the local gourmet restaurant? What compensation would you believe, is due you or anyone from your grandmother’s?
Or is it different, since it happened at a hotel, and you feel entitled to compensation?
Better to be woken up in the middle of the night than die in a fire. At least this was a true fire, not a false alarm. If a false alarm compensation might be a more reasonable request .
Smoke kills considerably more people, than an actual fire.
An explanation whether its was within their control or not is warranted. It is the courteous thing to do. A reputable hotel would have easily given a partial credit even a 10% or points. It should never have waited for someone to ask. An email/text should have been waiting for the guest. Alternatively, if checking out the employee should have mentioned and offered the courtesy discount. We apologize for last night… – staff should be guided as what to say.
If you are paying for a service you expect it to be safe, whether it is beyond your control or not if you do not deliver you have to refund. In theory the hotel can go after the culprit. Had the building burned down and you were safe you still get your refund. If it was not the hotel’s doing the hotel gets to claim all of that as lost revenue and get to make a claim against the party that did the doing and/or insurance. It all boils to doing the right thing. Not being asked to do the right thing. When done right it is so easy for people to return without hesitating and to speak well of that hotel.
For example, the other day Southwest had crappy clipping internet. I paid for that service. The cause of it was the wind that was beyond their control. I did not say anything. About an hour after getting off the plane SW had sent out an email stating it was crediting back the fee due to not being able to provide reliable internet. Two days later I see the credit on my card. That’s doing things right. Even though it is not a luxury carrier I continue to fly them because I know SW will make things right versus United they won’t unless you expend lots of energy and time. I fly United when I must but they are not my first choice.
Great topic Gary I welcome all such discussions.This one is rarely discussed. .
You bring up a great question despite the judgemental nature of a number of social media posters. Over the decades I’ve had this happen unfortunately more times than I care to remember all over the world..
To those who say no compensation is due I have to disagree.
That of course depends on the circumstances.
When its the real deal with actual smoke or fire and the hotel has performed its due diligence,explanation and communication to the guest reasonably for their protection I don’t believe compensation is due. Perhaps a small good will gesture wipe off any remaining breakfast charges or a resort fee etc might be thoughtful none the less..
However when the issue is poor maintenance of fire & safety alarms and there is no communication before or once you exit the building or when to return that IMO falls into another category..Just like faulty maintenance on an aircraft with an unnecessary delay due to neglect and complete lack of communication of any kind. Lets face it the vast majority of these are false alarms are from improper maintenance sadly or perhaps just defective equipment that should be inspected better.
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There is an expectation especially in a 5 star to have a defect free experience as much as possible.That’s why you stay at a 5 star.You certainly can find a cheaper accommodation in DC!
Negligence to maintain a proper premise isn’t the guest responsibility to worry about or deal with especially when traveling with loved ones and their safety.
Staffing the facility properly and have an emergency plan in place is vital.
Someone should page guests on a PA/ group text call to let the guests know the status of the situation immediately where & when possible.Not have a recording scream exit the building unless a true genuine emergency.Accidents can occur with false information.Of course this sometimes takes time to substantiate depending on the situation..Just letting any guests know accurate updated information in real time can make a difference from not ruining someones stay.
This happened to me this past year in Los Angeles @ a Hyatt.I didn’t ask for anything either but a free night was issued for a future stay which I think was appropriate as there was 0 communication from the hotel and guests waited for hours in the cold and when they perceived there was no threat and no communication from the hotels team at anytime how to proceed we all went back to our rooms @ 4AM @ our own risk.
Also having come out of surgery on my knee the month prior using stairs was not something I welcomed while I was still healing
While I am a fan of the management at this given property I do believe they are completely ill prepared for a real emergency of any kind and for the most part its every man/guest for themselves.For that reason I am slightly hesitant to return despite being a fan of the property otherwise and its wonderful team members.
In closing I suggest all guests look for fire exists at all hotels before turning in for the night
At the end of the day at some point there will be the real deal and every precious second counts
I know those that lost family & colleagues in what was a real fire/smoke emergency situation and then know one is thinking goodwill gestures just there very survival.
I made a reservation at a HIE at the Sandusky Milan property for 2 non consecutive nights, one for a Friday night stay and again one day later for a Sunday night stay. On our first stay my wife and I were trying to sleep in until 8:00 after a long travel day. We were woken by the fire alarm around 6:50 and left our room to stand outside for 30 minutes. The fire was caused from smoke created by cooking bacon for the breakfast buffet. We didn’t ask for compensation. There was no direction from hotel staff. We started returning to our rooms when the firemen said you could go back inside.
On Sunday night’s stay, we were awoken about the same time for the same reason. Again, there was no communication by the staff at all and there were people still sitting in the breakfast area still eating their breakfast as if nothing was going on.
When I checked out I reminded them that this also happened on Friday night and wanted them to comp one nights stay. The manager said if I wanted to get compensation I would have to take it up with IHG customer service since what I was asking for was out of her control. No thanks. I know that IHG customer service is perhaps the worst in the industry and I would get no where quick, so just dropped and moved on. Life’s to short arguing over $125.00.
I stay in that city 6-8 times a year and just stay at a different property in the area making sure that that properties franchisee is not affiliated with any of the other hotels in that area.
I think what you’re missing is the fact that “wake me up and evacuate me if there is smoke or some potential threat to my safety” is also a fundamental part of the service you paid for, and I suspect for the vast majority of people it takes priority over the good night’s sleep.
So, they did not fail to deliver the service you paid for, they simply delivered in a service you don’t typically expect to use. But I think any serious person who had the right to choose between “wake me up and evacuate me if there is a real threat to my safety” and “let me sleep no matter what” is going to choose the former in the terms of their room rate – therefore, the hotel delivered the full terms of the contract.
Stayed at the Chateau Lake Louise about 10 times in the last 5 years, mostly pre 2020 and EVERY single time there was an alarm in the middle of the night, a warning alarm with then an all clear.
Never had this happen to me at an AirBnb. I’ll be adding another reason to my list of why I prefer Abnb. Right below “never have to wait for elevators” and just above “never have to ride on a hotel elevator with a screaming kiddo, peeing dog, or the dude who just worked out and smells like it.” And two spots down from “never get woken up in the middle of the night by drunk revelers in the hallway, an ice machine, or the amorous, arguing, or hard-of-hearing in the adjoining room.”
Big difference if it was an actual fire or a) some kid pulled the alarm or b) someone smoking in their room?
I had a similar incident at Hilton Garden Inn in the Orlando area. Fire alarm sounded off at 3:00 am. The hotel evacuated with several fire truck and firefighters on property. No fire but the alarm had an electrical malfunction that took over an hour to turn off and restore it. No compensation given nor did i ask. Management gave no apologies. Quite frankly i thing only one or two personnel were on duty and seemed helpless. I just wanted out of there and never to return. IMHO customer service has almost disappeared in the service industry in America.
The hotel owes guests a refund when the service contracted for isnt provided (uninterrupted sleep, water etc.)
If you went to a restaurant and ordered a steak but the waiter told you their supplier didn’t deliver steaks would you still pay for the steak you didnt receive?
Gleaned not gleamed (that is unless a staff member took a shining to you and shared some information).