Do not go to NW Portland Hostel and Flophouse for any reason!

I recently traveled to Portland, Oregon.  A friend suggested that I get a room at NW Portland Hostel and Guesthouse because I planned to take the Amtrak to Seattle the next day.  The station is very close to this flophouse. Unfortunately, I was treated poorly and actually had my money taken without staying there. Did I cancel the private room at this flophouse from afar?  No, I was in their lobby and I discovered I had made a mistake in booking dates.  Instead of offering me a private room for the same price that had already been charged to my credit card the clerk showed me a room for $20 higher and, wow, it didn’t even have a private bath. 

Swell, so I’ve walked up way too many stairs to see a room I don’t want for the higher price. I might have said OK for the same price. It was not like I was in a luxury hotel here. In fact what I saw was an unkempt flophouse they call a hostel and guesthouse.  The couple of people I saw were not to my liking either.

I don’t have a problem with Portland’s nice attitude to be kind to homeless or panhandlers or druggies but I sure don’t want to spend the night in the same place for $84 plus tax.  I’ve tried to be communicative with them like the letter below to one of the people on their management team.  They avoid real contact since the clientele they apparently have most of the time just may walk out on a bill. 

Anyway, below is my attempt at talking to somebody via email. I’ve tried the telephone but to no avail. 

Their address is: 425 NW 18^th Avenue, Portland OR 97209.

So, as The Gourmet Critic I absolutely recommend that none of you go this flophouse.  Go find a Best Western for $64 that has a private bath instead of this place for the lost and the desperate.

The letter below says it all.

Dear Tracy Larson,

A little time has passed and perhaps hospitality can prevail.

My problem is this.  On 19 August I walked into your lobby and discovered that my reservation for a private room at your Guesthouse was for 20 August.  I had booked it on the wrong day.  The lady I was with had recommended your Guesthouse because I wanted to be near Amtrak.  I had a reservation to take the train to Seattle on the 20^th.

I stood in the lobby and the young lady/clerk told me that the private room I had booked wasn’t available on this day, the 19^th.  I told her I that I had to leave Portland the following day.  She told me that I would be billed because the Guesthouse policy for a private room was 48 hour cancellation policy.  She then suggested I might consider a different private room for the higher price of $84.  The room I apparently had reserved was for $64. 

Now, I am a couple of weeks shy of 65 and I followed her up a lot of steps and she showed me a room that I didn’t like.  I discovered a room without a private bathroom.  It just wouldn’t work for me. Somehow I didn’t grasp that your Guesthouse was really a hostel when I booked from my home state of Illinois.  I told the clerk I didn’t want the room and that I also didn’t want the room on Monday since I was leaving Portland on that day.

I realize that I made the mistake of reserving a private room for the 20^th and was ready to stay at your place.  Once I discovered I wouldn’t have a private bathroom I also realized your Guesthouse was not the right place for me.  Now, I am asking you to refund the $72 you charged my card because of my mistake.  Do you really think this whole situation is the same as cancelling?  I could understand if I tried to cancel a day in advance from some other location like my home state of Illinois.  But, I was at your Guesthouse in your lobby.  Do you really think I should be charged for a mistake?  Is this really how your idea of hospitality works?

I can accept that at a youth hostel or international hostel that people come and go and having an inflexible cancellation policy may over come people from simply not showing up and from keeping you hanging in the wind. And, so I’ve decided to try again to see if what your idea of fairness is and to ask for a refund.

During this last year I’ve been fortunate to have traveled a lot of it.  After leaving Portland the motel I stayed at in Seattle, Days Inn asked me to fill out a survey explaining how I felt about their place.  I hadn’t counted the days but last year I was in a motel or hotel 61 days.  I spent a month in Vietnam, visited Thailand, Mexico, Belize, Sarasota, Florida, Seattle and also Chicago. Your guesthouse is the only place that treated me the way I’ve described in this email.

I didn’t cancel from afar.  I stood in your lobby and discovered I made a mistake with the dates.  I don’t think I should have to pay $72 for a mistake.  Not in the “hospitality” business. 

 I look forward to a reply.

 Regards,

 Mario K.