In my 46 years, I've never filed a complaint of any kind. I give 15% tip as a insult for bad food service. My motto is kill people with kindness and you will live a happy life. But this really hurt so I'm taking the time away from watching my kids and working full time to tell this story. Imagine being the daughter to a mom who had this experience at the Rancho Bernardo Inn.
You are 79 years old, finish 6-months of chemo (2nd reocurrance of the illness) during an already scary time with COVID. You make it to your 50thwedding anniversary and you’ve been looking forward to celebrating with your kids and grandkids over a long weekend. Everyone has busy lives and it takes weeks to plan a weekend that accommodates the group. Because of COVID you call a week in advance and agree to pay the $400 to get your whole family in the private pool area (which caps at 40 people) so you can spend the day with the group and enjoy watching your grandkids have fun.
You arrive to the pool area to find out the person (Arleen, Spa Manager) did not log your name down for the reservation so there is no place for you to go. Literally nowhere to hang out with your family as restaurants are booked up, there are no shared outdoor spaces that work and the pool manager will not budge in allowing you into the area (Olympic size pool, looks this empty the 3 x’s you send your grandkids to scope it out). You consider moving hotels, but are too exhausted for that.
Front desk offers you a space for 2 at the adult only pool (but you have a party of 10). They also offer you time at the pool you booked the next day (but your party has to leave at 8am for a pre-booked event). You are reminded that you got to go to this pool the day before (but part of your party wasnt present, that day wasn't your big anniverary day and yes you were there but you also paid your $180 to get in).
This was your big day to all be together. You find yourself that you can go to the FREE pool for 2-hours. You are (1) afraid to be close to people as you have a compromised immune system (2) you have your swimsuit on for the first time in 10 years, but the pool water is murky from so many people so you don’t want to go in (3) you decide to go to the public pool but your seats are in the back row so you cannot see your grandkids and pretty much as soon as you sit down, it’s time to get up.
From 10am - 6pm (minus the two hours at the free pool) you all hang out in your 500 square foot room so you can at least be together. You are with your family, but you are disappointed, don’t leave with the pictures or memories you’ve been looking forward to after months of planning.
I’m heartbroken for my mom. All she wanted was to be well enough to enjoy one day with her whole family. It’s not about the money, it’s about the experience. It was ruined. And the stress on my mom feeling like she failed is something that would make you cry.
The free pool and gated pool area was 1/3 the size of where you had booked and there was 3x's the people present. Literally people right next to eachother in the pool - SCRAY with COVID. Could you not bend your rules for the day in that pool and have let us in? CDD did not require you to have that 40 person cap in that area. We were repeatly reminded we got to go the day before. Thats not the point, we were not all together that day. And PS you charged dearly for it.
Rancho Bernardo Inn Reviews
In my 46 years, I've never filed a complaint of any kind. I give 15% tip as a insult for bad food service. My motto is kill people with kindness and you will live a happy life. But this really hurt so I'm taking the time away from watching my kids and working full time to tell this story. Imagine being the daughter to a mom who had this experience at the Rancho Bernardo Inn.
You are 79 years old, finish 6-months of chemo (2nd reocurrance of the illness) during an already scary time with COVID. You make it to your 50thwedding anniversary and you’ve been looking forward to celebrating with your kids and grandkids over a long weekend. Everyone has busy lives and it takes weeks to plan a weekend that accommodates the group. Because of COVID you call a week in advance and agree to pay the $400 to get your whole family in the private pool area (which caps at 40 people) so you can spend the day with the group and enjoy watching your grandkids have fun.
You arrive to the pool area to find out the person (Arleen, Spa Manager) did not log your name down for the reservation so there is no place for you to go. Literally nowhere to hang out with your family as restaurants are booked up, there are no shared outdoor spaces that work and the pool manager will not budge in allowing you into the area (Olympic size pool, looks this empty the 3 x’s you send your grandkids to scope it out). You consider moving hotels, but are too exhausted for that.
Front desk offers you a space for 2 at the adult only pool (but you have a party of 10). They also offer you time at the pool you booked the next day (but your party has to leave at 8am for a pre-booked event). You are reminded that you got to go to this pool the day before (but part of your party wasnt present, that day wasn't your big anniverary day and yes you were there but you also paid your $180 to get in).
This was your big day to all be together. You find yourself that you can go to the FREE pool for 2-hours. You are (1) afraid to be close to people as you have a compromised immune system (2) you have your swimsuit on for the first time in 10 years, but the pool water is murky from so many people so you don’t want to go in (3) you decide to go to the public pool but your seats are in the back row so you cannot see your grandkids and pretty much as soon as you sit down, it’s time to get up.
From 10am - 6pm (minus the two hours at the free pool) you all hang out in your 500 square foot room so you can at least be together. You are with your family, but you are disappointed, don’t leave with the pictures or memories you’ve been looking forward to after months of planning.
I’m heartbroken for my mom. All she wanted was to be well enough to enjoy one day with her whole family. It’s not about the money, it’s about the experience. It was ruined. And the stress on my mom feeling like she failed is something that would make you cry.
The free pool and gated pool area was 1/3 the size of where you had booked and there was 3x's the people present. Literally people right next to eachother in the pool - SCRAY with COVID. Could you not bend your rules for the day in that pool and have let us in? CDD did not require you to have that 40 person cap in that area. We were repeatly reminded we got to go the day before. Thats not the point, we were not all together that day. And PS you charged dearly for it.
Rancho Bernardo Inn, shame on you.