These Guests Are Off The F****** Chain

I was working the afternoon/evening shift at a hotel. A valet called to inform me that there were a few cars of people that had pulled into the lot with music blasting. They got out of the car and continued blasting music while hanging out in the middle of the lot where cars are supposed to go through. They didn’t listen to the valet attendant when he asked them to turn the music off and move out of the valet lot. They also had professional camera equipment, which we do not allow and are very strict on. In situations like this, we’d rather take the loss of revenue from cancelling their reservations than check them in and deal with potential problems.

I called the general manager to inform him of the situation. Once the guests came in twenty minutes later, they were still standing there talking. I heard one of them mention that they were filming a music video. Finally, they came to check in.

Me: “Good evening, guys. The general manager was monitoring the cameras and noticed you carrying professional camera equipment. We have a strict policy against that, and paired with the scene you caused out at our lot, the manager has informed me that we have to cancel your reservations. Luckily, they weren’t prepaid.”

Guest #1: “Look, sir. We apologize for the way we acted out there. I understand it makes us look bad and that’s not what you want at your hotel, but that’s not who we are. We won’t be doing things like that anymore.”

Me: “Unfortunately, we’ve already cancelled the reservations per the manager’s request.”

Guest #1: “We weren’t taking the camera equipment up to the room. That guy isn’t even going to stay with us. He lives around here; he just came to say hi.”

Me: “He came to say hi carrying a shoulder-mounted camera? Unfortunately, I’ve already cancelled the reservations, so either way, we cannot check you in.”

They started pulling out their phones and recording.

Guest #2: “You’re a racist hotel. You don’t care about the camera or the music. You just don’t like us because we’re Black.”

Me: “The valet called me and told me there was a group of people with camera equipment that were being loud and causing a scene. The reservations got cancelled before you even walked in. Race has nothing to do with this.”

Guest #2: “Smile for the camera. You’re going to be all over the news and media.”

Then, they began talking to the camera and pointing at me.

Guest #2: “This man right here is racist and is not letting us check in due to us being Black.”

Me: “We have the right to refuse service to anyone.”

Guest #3: “BLACK LIVES MATTER!”

Me: “Yes, they do.”

Guest #3: “If you actually thought that, then you would let us check in. We aren’t even filming anything; we just have the camera.”

Me: “I literally heard that guy say that you’re shooting a music video.”

Guest #1: “We’re not shooting it here! We’re just sleeping here.”

Me: “Then why bring the camera onto the property?”

Shortly after, two guys that the group seemed to know came to check in. Both they and the group were rocking some iced-out gold chains. The two guys started pretending like they had no idea who the group was, while the group was telling them to cut it out. Shortly after, the main guy in the group got a phone call and said, “My lawyer is finally calling me back. You guys are done.” He explained the story to the lawyer, and then the lawyer started cutting him off and wouldn’t let him speak. I don’t know what the lawyer was saying, but the guy gathered his group and left shortly after, including the two guys.

Later on in the night, those two guys returned to check in.

Me: “Unfortunately, you cannot check in since you were a part of the group.”

Guy #1: “We weren’t with them. You heard us tell them that we had no idea who they were.”

Me: “When they left, you left with them. You were with the group.”

Guy #1: “No, I left because my friend and I had to go do something. We didn’t go with them.”

Me: “Unfortunately, I can’t check you in, sir. The general manager was clear that nobody from that group can check in.”

Guy #1: “Can you go ask that manager if we can check in? Tell him we are not with that group; they just pretended to know us so that we couldn’t check in.”

Me: “All right, I’ll go tell him.”

I walked out of the lobby and called the general manager on my phone. He said we weren’t checking them in. I went back.

Me: “I spoke with the general manager, and unfortunately, he isn’t going to let me check you in.”

Guy #1: “Please, sir. please. It’s already very late; I have nowhere else to go. I spent the last money I have paying for this reservation. Even if you cancel and refund it, it takes days for the refund to process. We just want a place to sleep for the night. Please ask him one more time.”

Me: “All right, I will.”

I walked out of the lobby and chilled for a few minutes before going back in.

Me: “Unfortunately, we can’t check you in, sir. Of course, we’ll be refunding you completely, but the manager won’t let me check you in.”

Suddenly, his whole demeanor changed. At first, he seemed like an innocent little victim, but now he changed to very angry. His eyes widened, his fists were clenched, and the tone of his voice changed.

Guy #1: “For all I know, there is nobody back there and you aren’t talking to anybody. How do I know the general manager is back there?”

Me: “You can choose to believe me or not, but either way, we aren’t going to be able to check you in.”

Guy #1: “I paid for this f****** room. If you refund me, the money is not going to come back for a few days. We have nowhere else to go. Let me into the f****** room.”

As he was talking, he was slowly getting closer to me and clenching his fists.

Guy #1: “I have on a $50,000 f****** chain. Gucci bag. Gucci shoes. If you kick me out, I’ll have to sleep on the f****** streets. I’ll get killed for this s***.”

Me: “Unfortunately, we aren’t going to be able to check you in.”

At this point, he was right in front of me.

Guy #1: “Well, what if I do this?”

He took a swing at me but didn’t actually go through all the way and stopped his fist just before it made contact with my face. I did flinch, which I’m embarrassed about. I was very angry and felt disrespected, but I did not try and fight back physically.

I was exhausted because it was already past 12:00 am, so I was there over an hour past the time I was supposed to leave; I didn’t want the front desk girl to deal with the group or these guys. I just lashed out at him verbally before kicking him out.

Me: “Get the f*** out of this hotel. Not only am I not checking you in, but you’re also not getting your refund.”

Guy #1: “I have on a $50,000 f****** chain—”

Me: “Go sell your chain if you need a place to stay so bad. $50,000 f****** chain and you can’t afford a hotel room for a night? We both know it’s fake. Get the f*** out of here.”

Guy #1: “I’ll see you after your shift, motherf*****. I’ll see you after your shift!”

I’m 6’6” and this dude was like 5’4” and a stick.

Me: “Yeah, I’ll see you after my shift.”

Guy #1: “And I’ll be bringing the whole group to meet you after your shift!”

Me: “OHHHH, there we go. Now you admit you were part of the group. Get the f*** out.”

Then, the dude left. I stayed for an extra thirty minutes to make sure nobody came back. Then, I left, and sure enough, nobody was outside to meet me. I did get unprofessional, but I was dealing with all those dudes way past the time I was supposed to leave. Once he fake punched me, I stopped giving a s***.

An employee did end up calling the cops; she told them that the group threatened to jump me after my shift. I said I was good, and the cops basically said that they would keep a lookout for anyone matching their descriptions.

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