{Travel} My Stay @ The Ivy Boutique Hotel

One of my resolutions this year is to pamper myself monthly with things like massages, mini getaways, etc.

So for Valentine’s Day, I wanted to treat myself to a staycation at a small hotel that was still convenient to anything that I wanted or needed in the city but that was removed enough to feel like being away.

In my quest for this nirvana of accommodations, I chose the Ivy Boutique Hotel.

The reviews I had read beforehand were all pretty positive and the hotel is very new and the pictures of the amenities were definitely appealing and the rate was doable.

Upon arrival I was greeted by Albert and checked in pretty non-eventfully. The only thing that garnered a brow twitch was that in addition the to room charge, if you used a debit card, they would also authorize an additional $250 on my card for up to 10 days.

I thought, ok it’s annoying but no big deal. That was until today when I found out that in addition to the $400 that they originally authorized on my card, they had also authorized the actual room charge of $150.16 plus $13.59 for bar charges that I had not actually incurred when I checked out.

#WHATTHE…

So, they had basically hijacked and put in limbo 400 of my dollars for a $150.16 stay.

Of course I called and tried to be civil but when you speak to a “customer service” rep and they are lax about an issue, especially when it involves your hard earned cash, civility can be hard to come by.

I travel several times a year and I have never encountered an establishment with such a ridiculous policy, although I know that places will hold certain amounts, it is usually not this much (more like $100 to cover potential incidentals and definitely not for up to 10 days) and they have more to say than that it’s a new policy and it should have not been processed that way when they jack your cash.

ALSO, one of the main things that they stressed upon check in was that they are a non smoking hotel…blah…blah…If you know me, this could not apply to anyone less.

But lo and behold, when I came in from going out to grab dinner, I stepped off the elevator and into a smoke cloak of weed that was in the hallway on the floor I was staying on.

#SIDEEYE

Being the smoke hating narc that I am, I called down and reported it because I wasn’t paying for a contact high.

They seemed to have addressed the issue and I settled in to enjoy the quiet before the Scandal storm came on and took it all away.

Side note: GAHHH did you see the episode!?!??!!

FAST FORWARD: Scandal wore me out with it’s twist and turns but I eventually recovered and fell off into a peaceful slumber only to be awaken by the slamming of a door at around 1:30 in the morning.

I ignored it the first time although it was of course beyond ANNOYING. But then it happened again. And then again. And then it was followed by voices. People hollering at each other. And what sounded like wrestling or fighting.

Finally at 1:44 am I try calling the front desk about 5 times and didn’t get an answer. The craziness kept going so I picked up the phone again, this time to call Chicago’s finest and the front desk picks up and I tell the guy on the line that they need to do something about these people and he apologizes and says that they are removing them from the hotel because “they can’t get alone”. Mind you, these are the same people who were filling the halls of the joint with their weed stench hours before.

So much for a quiet, relaxing enjoyable staycation.

The Ivy Boutique Hotel is relatively new with very nice appointments.  I stayed in a queen room, which featured a platform bed, marble bathroom with a stand-in rainforest shower, flat screen tv, complimentary wireless access, iHome alarm clock radio with iphone/ipod base, remote control curtains/blinds and other amenities. They also gave me a one day gym pass upon arrival.

There are 63 rooms at the Ivy Hotel and 5 rooms on each floor. I was put in one directly off the elevator, something I normally would not accept but I was there to chill and not interested in causing a commotion, so I just went with it.

While The Ivy Boutique Hotel is as pretty as the pictures imply and I am aware that things occur that an establishment can not control, in 2013 there is absolutely no reason for the authorization policy that they have and they definitely have a way to go when it comes to addressing issues.

“I apologize” only goes so far until it means nothing.