Feb 14th - Time to check out our room at AKL. After NRR, we got a text that room was ready, so we decided to head back to resort and go swimming. Swimming outside in February is a treat for us and we didn’t want to pass it up.
AKL - First off, we were greeted by Willie the Security Guard at the guard shack. As always, he was DELIGHTFUL! I look forward to seeing him each time we stay here. He has such a nice disposition.
Our room was 1/3 mike from the parking lot. We were on the 4th floor overlooking the Uzima Springs.
Thoughts on AKL: Let me preface with that I have stayed here multiple times and they have been great. Staff has always been friendly and mousekeeping great. Unfortunately, that was not the case this time.
Here are the toiletries left in our room for the entire trip. Nothing refilled except soap, which we didn’t need because B has to use a scent-free, dye-free soap.
First thoughts was how many more toiletries with a wider variety was given CSR. That was disappointing, as was not having items replenished as needed.
I did enjoy looking at the animals off the balcony. The young giraffes were especially cute, but the room is in serious need of a refurbishment. Outlets were loose and wouldn’t keep things plugged in. Had to charge phones, watches, and I-pads by sink, which was not optimal and there wasn’t enough plug for all devices. The bed mattress was seriously sagging. Then, there was Mousekeeping! I know they have a lot of rooms to turn over and being a mousekeeper is hard work, but unless I opt out, I do expect room to be cleaned. Most days it was, kind of. Plastic bags in the trash cans weren’t put back in for two days, which we would prefer so that we discard food into. Towels were left on the floor one day and not replinished. I left them in a big pile outside the bathroom door, so they would have to have been seen. Toiletries were not replinshed. I tried to call mousekeeping, but after being on hold for about 20 minutes, I gave up.
In addition, the overall furniture in the room has taken a beating.
General areas in the hotel looked fine, except for the duct tape covering cords at the Samawati Springs pool.
I wouldn’t expect this at a Hampton Inn, so I don’t expect it at a hotel costing almost $400 a night.
Customer service was off this trip too. There was nobody greeting guests upon entry to the resort any of the times I entered or exited. There was a couple of employees talking to each other a few times. There was simply no “Jambo” at Jambo House. It may be silly, but I like the little things, like somebody saying “Welcome Home”. It is one of the reasons I choose Disney.
I had to go to guest services to get some tickets to Disney After Hours printed. I went at 6:45 am and there was nobody but the workers and myself. I showed them the email that Disney sent me stating I needed to print off tickets and asked if they could direct me to a business office to print them. She said since I was a guest I just needed my magic band, but she didn’t know that for sure. I told her I would feel better just printing them out to be on the safe side. She proceeds to heavily sigh at me and writes down her email address on a post-it, stating that “I’ll just print them for you, but I bet you won’t need them.” Afterwards, she holds out her hand and tells me she will need her email address back. I guess I looked like the type that would stalk people via email. It turned out that I did need the physical hard ticket, so I am so glad we had them printed out.
I was also surprised to see a large dance group filling up 2 Mears buses staying at the hotel. I had never seen teen groups staying at a deluxe before. This doesn’t have anything to do with Customer Sercice, just an observation.
Last rant, during lunch hours there was only one worker at the SS pool. I felt so bad for her, as she was taking drink orders and getting food (lots of it since Kidani has no lunch QS). Lines were always long and people were frustrated.
Overall, the quality of service and thus experience was not the same level as it has been. That disappoints me. I won’t be staying here again for a long while.
