I'm staying here for a conference. Tonight, a group of 13 of us got together for dinner at a local restaurant. We asked the bellman for cabs. Limousines arrived. Some in our party specifically asked why we had limousines instead of cabs. The bellman told us these were cabs. A couple of us who had been out around the town already remarked that we had not seen cabs in the city, and we thought maybe this was another of the weird surreal things about this very weird surreal city. In hindsight, we should have been more wary. We were being screwed. Of course these weren't cabs. There was no meter, just an announcement of a charge at the end of the trip. The limos cost a total of $95 plus tips to take us about 5 miles. At the end of our meal, we asked for cabs, and got...cabs! Total fare: $39 plus tips.
We confronted the bellman, who first said we had asked for limos. We were clear that we had not. Then he said he was using "our regular car service," but said that we had been overcharged. We protested that the problem wasn't just that we had been overcharged, but that in fact we had gotten what we did not ask for and that we were not dealt with honestly. He told us we were free to talk to the manager. We did so. The manager apologized, but when I asked him directly what the hotel's policy was on calling limos when guests asked for cabs, he denied that this was their practice. However, in discussing the issue with other conference attendees, it seems that consistently guests who ask for cabs are being ushered into limos, and then stuck with bills at the end of the trip.
I have seen the limo/cab scam elsewhere. it's not unique to this hotel. I wouldn't be surprised if there's a kickback involved. But guests have a right to be treated fairly, not be hustled into scams, and to be able to trust our hosts. The Phoenix Hyatt failed on all counts. I won't be coming back. If you must stay here and need a cab rather than a limo, be sure to be explicit with the bellman, and don't get into a car without a meter unless you negotiate on price up front. Know also that cab fares are relatively low, so you should probably expect to pay less than you might think.
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Would I recommend this hotel to my best friend?
no way!
I recommend this hotel for:
An amazing honeymoon, A romantic getaway, Girlfriend getaway, Older travelers, Families with teenagers, Tourists
I do not recommend this hotel for:
Young singles, An amazing honeymoon, A romantic getaway, Girlfriend getaway, People with disabilities, Older travelers, Great pool scene, Pet owners, Families with young children, Families with teenagers, Tourists