Meriton Suites Bondi Junction

“First "Black " Makes History at Meriton Suites !”

Sydney Australia was my last stop of my trip to Southeast Asia, South Asia, and Oceania returning to the USA. A suite with an open balcony was reserved through Booking.com but at check-in, a room without an open balcony was assigned. The next day the error was brought to the attention of morni… more

Sydney Australia was my last stop of my trip to Southeast Asia, South Asia, and Oceania returning to the USA. A suite with an open balcony was reserved through Booking.com but at check-in, a room without an open balcony was assigned. The next day the error was brought to the attention of morning staff and there was instant pushback. I was told than an enclosed balcony is essentially the same as an open balcony as the difference was attributed to mere nuance. Another staff member chimed in and interjected false misinformation was attributed to false advertising on Booking.com . To be clear, Booking.com is merely a third-party online travel agency (OTA) who receives information from hotels to post on their website and has done nothing wrong. I then showed them a pic taken from my room of the adjacent tower that clearly shows open balconies; and I showed them photos from the booking.com website which was the reserved suite which clearly showed an amazing view with an open balcony. There was an uncomfortable silence before a staff member walked their lie back by saying they may not have any open balcony suites available, but he will check his computerized system and then have me the good news that a suite with an open balcony was available. I was instructed to repack and leave my luggage inside the room next the door before I left the hotel for the day such that before I return to the hotel that evening, my luggage would be transferred to a suite with an open balcony. I was told I only need to retrieve the key to the new room at the front desk upon my return to the hotel that evening. Upon returning to hotel that evening, no reassignment to the correct room was done, and there were no notes to the file for my account such that I had to explain the entire situation again to the evening staff who also gave similar pushback, and disingenuously blaming booking.com for false advertising. After finally agreeing to my request , they put me in danger by assigning me to an OCCUPIED ROOM! I noticed a backpack on a kitchen cabinet as I entered the room, and I immediately exited the room without discovery of the occupants that I entered their room! I was then re-assigned a third room, but it was on a lower floor which no amazing view. Moreover , the sliding door to the balcony was locked so I could not access the enclosed balcony. I was initially told maintenance would be there momentarily to unlock the sliding door to the balcony before later being told that the door would be unlocked the next day. The next morning, I asked the morning staff to reassign a suite with a nice view and open balcony consistence with the photos posted on Booking.com; and once again, they told me to repack and place my luggage by the room door again and before I returned that evening, they would move my luggage to the correct suite with a nice view and an open balcony. Upon returning to the hotel that evening, the evening staff did have notes in the file this time but told me that I had not reassigned me to another room because only 2 bedroom suites with open balconies are available at the upper floors with the spectacular views, as if to suggest that the slight difference in cost of a 1-bedroom suite and 2-bedroom suite would be of consequence to me. I eagerly paid the extra cost for the 2-bedroom suite at an upper floor, and the evening staff begrudgingly reassigned me to a suite with an open balcony. After a multitude of excuses, and after FOUR ATTEMPTS over a period of THREE DAYS, the Meriton Suites to finally get it right. Based upon my experience, I am likely that the first Black to ever be assigned a premiere suite with an amazing view and an open balcony at this hotel. All is not bad, as there is a hotel receptionist, a dapper White lad with bland hair named Alexandro who was exceptionally professional, courteous, and who tried his best to assist me within the confines of his management , and who understood my frustration who is NOT a racist. Alexandro was apologetic on behalf of his staff , and his efforts were sincerely appreciated. I interfaced with virtual all Meriton Suites staff, both in the morning and the evening staff and received their relentless pushback in my effort to be assigned the 1-bedroom upper floor premiere suite with an open balcony that was prepaid due to covert systematic racism. Like Austria, the USA also has a shameful barbaric history of unprovoked invasions and encroachment by Western Europeans which includes their brutal slavery and cruel genocide of millions of innocent victims in their own ancestral homelands. This legacy of racism is just as prominent in the USA such that I recognize racism and understand why it exists. My recommendation is that the Meriton Suites hire at least two indigenous Aborigine ‘Blacks’ such that their staff may develop a professional relationship with Blacks to change their racist sentiments and grow to understand that Black people should not have to endure their continued discrimination. Future potential patrons are urged to apply soft pressure by simply referring to this review and inquiring whether their first Aborigine receptionists has been hired before you book; and, please tell Alexandro that “Earnie” , the Black African from the USA says “hello”.

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