Extended Stay, Musty smell, stains on floor, told to remove batteries from chirping smoke detector at 1 am, no one at front desk for check out, charged $500, told I was lying about smoke detector incident. In late September, I, along with my two sons, stayed at the Extended Stay America located at 3421 E Elwood St, Phoenix, AZ 85040, in preparation for an early flight the following morning for a service. At approximately 1:00 AM, I contacted the front desk regarding a persistent chirping sound from the smoke detector. The staff member at the front desk attempted to locate a replacement battery but was unsuccessful. She subsequently instructed me to disable the detector, assuring me that I would not incur any charges. I found this suggestion concerning, as it posed a potential safety risk. Ultimately, I located and removed the battery, placing it near the television. Upon attempting to check out early the next morning, I discovered that there was no staff member present at the front desk. After waiting at the counter for approximately 15 minutes, I instructed my son to leave the key in the room, as we needed to catch our flight. I had made the reservation and completed payment through Priceline and subsequently filed a complaint regarding the smoke detector issue and the recommendation provided by staff. Later, while preparing for my tax filings, I noticed a charge of $500 on my credit card. Unaware of the reason for this charge, I disputed it with my credit card company; however, the claim was denied after several weeks. In order to clarify the nature of this charge, I reached out to the facility, where I was informed that it was attributed to tampering with the smoke detector. I explained the situation, and the staff member assured me that the area manager would contact me within 48 business hours. I initiated contact with the corporate customer service line to formally register a complaint, which resulted in a request for the area manager to reach out to me. After a two-week period without any communication, I decided to follow up with corporate customer service, leading to a second request for the area manager to make contact. A week later, I received a call from the customer service line, during which I was assured that the district manager would reach out to me within 48 business hours. Subsequently, I contacted the location directly and spoke with the manager, Vanessa, who was notably unprofessional and informed me that she had consulted with her staff, concluding that the events I described “did not happen.” At no point have I been contacted by any management representatives, except when I reached out to the facility. On March 4, I contacted customer service once again, where I was informed that an investigation had been conducted by management and upper management, concluding that no further action would be taken and that the $500 refund would not be issued. I inquired as to why I was not contacted if an investigation was conducted. Furthermore, I questioned the rationale behind my alleged untruthfulness, especially given that I submitted a review on Priceline regarding the incident within days of my stay, well before I was aware of any charges. Additionally, it raises concern how I would know there was a female staff member on duty at 1:00 a.m. rather than the male employee who checked me in late that night.
This situation has been exceedingly frustrating, and it is evident that the actions requested of me posed a safety violation, indicating that this facility does not prioritize the well-being of its guests.