Thistle Westminster Hotel

I travelled with my wife to London for a short relaxing break at the start of October 2009. We were staying at the Thistle Westminister and attending a private function on Monday 6th October. Before leaving the Hotel (just before 7pm) that night, I needed an iron and the hotel safe open for our valuables. From our hotel room I rang and rang, then rang some more! but there was no answer from both the hotel reception and housekeeping! I even phoned the main hotel number from my mobile!!! Still no answer. Because the safe was locked and after having been frustrated spending 15 mins+ trying to speak to a hotel member of staff, I decided that a safe place for our passports was under the phone, instead of taking them with us that evening. We had a truly wonderful evening at our function, returning later that night to the Thistle.
The following day we checked out at 1pm. Did the usually sightseeing and shopping (when in London) and returned to the hotel at 6 pm to pick up our bags and catch the express from Victoria to Gatwick for our flight home to Belfast at 9.20pm that night. Then I remembered the passports! I told the concierge and hotel Manageress who checked the room, they were gone! The hotel had nothing listed in the housekeepers book! A couple had just checked in, they happened to be in the room and asked me if I would like to check myself, I did, but nothing! Panic, REAL PANIC!
I then explained to the Manageress that the only person that could have taken our passports was the hotel housekeeper! The Manageress tried to get in touch with housekeeping but couldn't! And told me that she didn't want to upset her!? I thought I was hearing things! Did she not understand what I was saying? Unbelievable! I then phoned Easyjet to see if we could travel home without passports?, unfortunately under BAA legislation you need photographic identification! I then contacted the Police and reported both passports stolen. After about two hours and while speaking to the Police they mysteriously appeared, although there was no previous record of them anywhere!!!? The Manageress stipulated that anything found in a guests room is always logged, maybe that excludes British passports! Consequently, we grabbed our luggage and the passports and rushed to catch the Gatwick express! On the Express my wife rang the hotel Manageress at the Thistle who then informed her that the passports were found in the head housekeepers drawer! Passports are very important documents, so why was there no record? The Manageress could not answer this question!
Because of the complete mess that only concluded when I spoke to the Police. We missed the earlier Express to Gatwick and consequently our flight back home (to Belfast), for both days that we visited London we had arranged a babysitter for our 4 year old son, the babysitter had to stay another night (having work the next day!). Unfortunately there was no other flights from London to Belfast from any of the London Airports. We then had the extra expense of two more flights home and another nights accommodation, plus transfers two and from the hotel to Gatwick, not to mention the unnecessary stress and annoyance!
I felt so strongly about the unfortunate situation I asked my solicitor to forward a letter. The reply was that the Thistle Westminister believed they followed all the correct procedures. Unbelievable! And adding insult to injury the Manager from the Thistle Westminister refused to compensate, or even reimbursing our expenses! As you can imagine, I was angry before this and my anger has been elevated to a much higher level! due to customer service that simple does not exist! Quite simply, appalling! If the Thistle had been sympathetic to this unfortunate incident and covered our extra costs I would not feel so hurt.
There is a funny side to this highly unfortunate incident, that I now find amusing and simply had to share with everyone! That is on the Thistle headed paper. the strapline reads, 'the way it should be' .
The Thistle may need to reconsider their brand! They obviously don't practice what they PRINT! This irony I feel may have been lost on the Hotel Manager. If this is how they treat customers! I would suggest that anyone traveling to London for business or pleasure simply avoid the Thistle if this is 't 'the way it should be'...... unbelievable, could it get any worse?