C-Hotels Club

DO NOT STAY AT THIS HOTEL GROUP!!! To begin, I go back to our check in on 6 May, where I had booked a four night stay to check out on 10 May via Trip.com Upon checking into the room I gave feedback that the room condition was not ideal. The room had a smell, the wall paper was peeling, the window was set so high that it was above our shoulders (my friend and I are both 1.79m tall). I asked if there was a chance to change to a different room as we acknowledge that Florence hotels may have different configurations due to the old buildings. I was told none was available during our stay and it was impossible for a refund - partial or otherwise. Disappointed and unable to accept the condition of the room as it was vastly different from the pictures on the website, we moved to stay in another hotel while keeping our room at Club Hotel. At all times we had placed the DO NOT DISTURB sign at the door. On the day of check out, we returned the key and checked out at the reception at 9am, we wanted to go back to our room for one last check to make sure we didn’t leave anything behind. The following ensued: The front desk staff could not find my name in the booking. And then we asked for the key back to go to the room. The staff refused to let us go to the room and didn’t offer any explanation. They kept saying no but with no effort to explain. I insisted that I had the right to go back to the room since check out is only at 11am but each time they refused. Finally I called the police to lodge a complaint out of frustration and a lack of transparency. At that point after I called the police, the staff said they will accompany me to the room to check the safe etc. When I reached the room I was shocked that someone opened the door: there was another guest staying in our room! It became very clear then why they did not allow me to go back to the room as the hotel had SOLD OUR ROOM to some one else. I want to address the following points: Why did a supposedly four star hotel SOLD my room without letting me know. It’s improper, dishonest, unprofessional and unbecoming of a major chain hotel, while the staff refused to explain or be transparent about this situation. Why did no one at reception, housekeeping (they were also around) say anything about the room having been sold and just be honest about it. Instead they were dodging our questions and basically ignored us until we called the police. Why did people go into our room despite the DO NOT DISTURB sign at the door. I’m have already written to the hotel management and tourism board in Florence but no one have given me any response, it has been a week already. DO NOT STAY AT THIS HOTEL GROUP!!!