The sheets were dirty, trash was full, and counters were covered in dust.
To top it off, he had no idea he’d have to cross a picket line to make it to his room, TripAdvisor user Jose wrote of a recent stay at Grand Hyatt San Francisco.
The one-star review is one of dozens left by guests frustrated with “abysmal” service and “filthy” rooms as a months-long strike kneecaps six upscale Union Square hotels.
TripAdvisor reviews since the start of the strike have plunged by an average of nearly 1.5 stars from the same time period last year, The Standard found in a data analysis.
Affected hotels include the Grand Hyatt, Hilton, Marriott, Westin St. Francis, and Palace Hotel in Union Square, where roughly 2,000 workers have been on strike since mid-September. On Sunday, an additional 500 workers at the Marriott Marquis joined the picket line to demand better wages and benefits.
Rooms typically start at $200 to $300 per night — and guests aren’t pleased about the value for their money.
“The shower obviously had NOT been cleaned,” a user called goldenfan wrote of the Westin St. Francis. “When I turned on the water, I saw a contact lens wash away. I also noticed what looked like two spots of blood on the caulking.”
Simon114 stayed at the Hilton for eight nights. His room was cleaned once, he wrote on TripAdvisor.
“As an apology for the lack of housekeeping, the duty manager offered free breakfast for the four of us,” he wrote. “Unfortunately, the breakfast was abysmal.”
And then there’s the noise.
Striking hotel workers arrive at Marriott's Palace Hotel, telling @Hilton, @Hyatt and @Marriott that we're not giving up.
— UNITE HERE Local 2 (@UniteHereL2) November 21, 2024
A rainstorm can't stop us, and neither can the hotel bosses. It's time to Bet on SF and reach a deal. pic.twitter.com/sYghldv0Ol
Picketers are “banging on loud steel drums and blowing horns from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.,” sydnijenn wrote of the Westin St. Francis. “We could hear it in our room from morning until night with no relief.”
At least a dozen reviewers said they weren’t alerted at the time of booking that there was a strike at the hotels.
A spokesperson for Unite Here Local 2, the union representing the striking workers, was quick to share footage of a pile of linens in the hallway of the Hilton and a bathroom without toilet paper at the Westin St. Francis.
“We urge guests not to eat, sleep, or meet at any hotel that’s on strike,” the spokesperson wrote. The workers “love their jobs and just want to get back to providing excellent hospitality,” but “extreme negotiating tactics” on the part of the hotels have forced their hand, he added.
Michael D’Angelo, head of labor relations at Hyatt, said the company “remains willing to continue bargaining in good faith” and accused the union of stalling negotiations.
“The safety and security of guests remains a top priority, and we have contingency plans in place to minimize the impact on hotel operations related to strike activity,” he wrote.
No other hotels returned requests for comment, and Hyatt did not reply when asked how large its crew is compared with typical staffing levels.
Reviewers, for their part, appear split on the striking workers.
“I was yelled at, harassed and I was not provided a safe environment,” Judy Anne S wrote of the Grand Hyatt in a review under the headline “The Rebellion.”
“I’m all in favour of unions and workers rights, and as a guest it was extremely uncomfortable having to cross the picket line to get into the hotel,” wrote Jeff H, who stayed at the Hilton. “I was not informed of this prior to my stay.”
Some recent negative reviews, though, have nothing to do with the strike.
“I SAW NOTHING TO JUSTIFY CALLING THE PLACE A RESORT,” Richard H wrote of the Westin. “FURGETTABOUT!”