After years of exclusive IHG loyalty, I gave Best Western Plus another chance, having left the brand years ago over poor service. As someone who books 175 to 200 rooms annually for business and personal travel, I wanted to see if things had improved.
We arrived at 1:40 PM after an 800-kilometer drive. The rooms were ready, but I was told early check-in would cost an extra $60 combined for two rooms, a charge every other hotel I’ve stayed at in the past three weeks waived without question. I was told to wait until 3:30, despite check-in being at 4:00, and sat in the parking lot for just under 2 hours.
What happens in Saskatoon matters everywhere. Customer retention isn’t about one booking. It’s about loyalty and word-of-mouth across markets. Nickel-and-diming a tired traveler sent a clear message: Best Western hasn’t changed.
To be fair, two gentlemen who later checked us in were genuinely professional and understood hospitality. But the damage was done. You can’t punch someone in the face and then expect them to accept you as a friend.
I came back to give you a chance. You reminded me exactly why I switched to IHG, and why I’ll be returning there exclusively. You lost 175 to 200 rooms a year over one staff member’s gatekeeping decision.