I stayed at Paradisus Palma Real Golf & Spa Resort, which is managed by Meliá Hotels International, expecting a luxury experience. Instead, my trip was completely ruined due to mismanagement, misinformation, and unprofessional staff.
I am writing to express my deep disappointment and frustration with the treatment I received from your nighttime supervisor, Samson, during my recent stay at Paradisus Palma Real Golf & Spa Resort. What should have been a memorable and pleasant experience was completely ruined by his unprofessionalism and lack of customer service.
To provide some context, I paid for an upgrade to my room to enhance my experience at your hotel. Part of this experience was meant to include my girlfriend spending the night with me, making my last evening truly special, as she was staying at a different hotel in Punta Cana with her family.
Prior to this incident, I spoke with my butler, Irwin, about bringing my girlfriend to spend the night. He informed me that it was possible but that I should confirm with the front desk. On March 21, I visited the front desk and was assured that my girlfriend could join me at any time as long as she was registered upon arrival for an additional fee of $135. I made it clear that this was not an issue, and I planned my evening accordingly.
When we arrived at the security gate, we were told that we needed to wait for permission to enter, which they said would take about five minutes. After waiting for 30 minutes, Samson, the nighttime supervisor, came out and outright refused to let us in, stating that he would not allow her to be registered. I tried to explain that I had received prior approval from the front desk and that I was fully prepared to pay the registration fee. His response was dismissive and unprofessional, stating that he was the supervisor and made the decisions.
I attempted to convey how important this evening was to me and how deeply disappointing it was to have our plans disrupted in such a manner. Instead of listening or trying to resolve the situation, he remained indifferent and continued to refuse entry. His lack of empathy and unwillingness to even consider my explanation was appalling.
What makes this experience even worse is that when I returned to the hotel alone to find out his name, he refused to properly identify himself. He mumbled his name so quickly and quietly that I could not understand him. I had to ask another staff member to confirm his name.
This entire experience was deeply upsetting and has left me with a very negative impression of what was otherwise a pleasant stay. The fact that I paid for an upgraded room and was assured that my girlfriend could be registered only to be treated so poorly is unacceptable.
On March 22, I spoke with the daytime supervisor and my butler. They both apologized, but I told them that a simple "sorry" did not give me back that night. They assured me they would conduct an investigation and get back to me with the reason why Samson did not honor what I was told and let my girlfriend in. I have followed up multiple times, yet to this day, they have not provided me with any answers.
After my complaint to the parent company, I received the following response from Meliá Hotels International:
Dear Mr. De Oliveiro,
Warm greetings from the Guest Service Center, part of the Customer Experience office for Meliá Hotels International. We are dedicated to addressing all post-stay comments regarding our properties in the Dominican Republic.
First of all, we appreciate the time you have taken to share your experience of your recent stay at Paradisus Palma Real Golf & Spa Resort. We deeply value our guests' comments, as they allow us to continually improve our services and ensure that each stay is as pleasant as possible.
We regret that your experience did not meet your expectations as a whole, especially with regard to the handling of your request at the front desk and the information provided. At Paradisus Palma Real, we strive to provide excellent service and ensure that all procedures are handled in a clear and consistent manner.
Regarding the specific situation you mention, our team follows established protocols for the safety and well-being of our guests. In this sense, we understand the importance of having clear and accurate information in every interaction, and we will take into account your experience to reinforce internal communication and alignment of our procedures. However, as our security team did not have a record of the additional person in your reservation, access was not possible due to the fact that your reservation 2405590182 was only for one person and therefore it was not possible to enter the property.
We would like to ensure that all of our guests enjoy a memorable stay with us, and we appreciate your feedback, which allows us to continue to optimize our services. We hope that this situation will not deprive us of the pleasure of welcoming you back to any of our properties in the future and providing you with the exceptional experience you deserve.
Kindest regards,
Carolyn Rijo
Insight Department
GEX Service Center - Dominican Republic & México
The hotel acknowledges the miscommunication but refuses to take responsibility. They claim they follow strict security protocols, which prevented my girlfriend from entering, despite prior approval from their own front desk staff. Instead of offering a real apology or a solution, they provided a generic corporate response and ignored the impact their incompetence had on my trip.
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