It was actually one of the most famous hotels in the country--The Flamingo in Las Vegas. Here's the Trip Advisor review I wrote a couple years back:
The wife and I stayed there a week in mid-September for a district attorneys conference. I'm about as uninsistant on luxury as they come, but this place was frankly nasty.
The rooms have a tacky pink fur type of motif with 1970's throw rugs; not fun Vegas kitchy tacky, but just cheap. The gap under the door to the adjoining room was literally about a full inch high; we had to stuff towels underneath the door to keep from clearly hearing everything said by guests in the other room (and vice-versa).
We were on the 21st floor, but still were woken every night by the next door cover band. Yes, Vegas is a 24/7 party, but that doesn't mean it should feel like you're crashing at a frat house.
The concierge desk couldn't be reached by phone at almost any time. When I finally got ahold of them (in person, for lack of option), it it was staffed by earnest and well-meaning, but frankly clueless, kids. We discovered better suggestions for things to do at night from the TV infomercial channel than this crew.
The worst part was the stench outside the room. The entire 100+ room corridor our room was on didn't smell of mold--it reeked! My wife put it best: "It smells like a swimming pool died here". :-P The pervasive mold odor persisted throughout the ENTIRE week!
Don't get me wrong: my wife and I had a WONDERFUL week in Vegas. The Flamingo--well, it is on the Strip after all. We'd merely role our eyes and chuckle over the poor accommodations that couldn't ruin an otherwise perfect week.
And then, the checkout scam.
The national group running our prosecutor's seminar had a deal with the Flamingo to comp seminar attendees for use of in-room internet and the hotel gym. Great. I explicitly mentioned when I checked in I was part of the group. "Yes sir, of course sir"! We were told by the organization guy running the seminar that some attendees were noticing internet and gym charges on their invoice, but don't worry as the Flamingo promised to square things when we checked out. Great again.
Then actual check out happened, and they flat out--and with amazing rudeness--refused to honor their comping these expenses. Even talking to the desk manager--who was the rudest of all!--didn't help. I pointed out my organization had a contract with the Flamingo: 'NO!' I noted i'd explicitly checked in as part of the seminar: 'NO!' I offered to show documentation of my being a seminar attendee: 'NO!' I left being screwed out of a nice chunk of change that took me several weeks and multiple hours of time through my credit card dispute office to get the money refunded (YAY JUSTICE! :-D), including sending my organization's contract to my credit card PROVING the Flamingo was in the wrong.
Sadly, it appears the original Strip hotel is now unwilling or unable to spend the money to update their shabby dilapidated dump to the 21st century, and have to chisel bucks out of their guests anyway possible.
The Flamingo should, quite simply, be bulldozed.
I accidentally booked a 'kink' hotel for my European vacation last week*.
Some highlights:
1) The 'room service' menu consisted entirely of whips, dildos, handcuffs and other sex objects that you could rent.
2) The lights in the room were all purple
3) The maids set the stereo system to a porno music playlist each day.
*It was far and away the cheapest option on Expedia with a good location and a king size bed
OK, but what was the bad part?
Wasn't my worst hotel stay... just the most memorable.
Hahaha this is awesome
