Amway Grand Plaza Hotel

We stayed at Amway Grand Plaza hotel this last week for the 101st /Screaming eagles reunion where as Randal Underhill, Executive Director, 101st Airborne Division Association stated for Fox 17 "veterans from the 101st Airborne, from the airborne glider-era of WWII, Korea war and the air mobile-era of Vietnam and the current day area of air assault, coming together to share and share traditions and history,” The hotel was clean, beds comfortable and most staff very pleasant. However the hotel, nor staff was Not very accommodating though.

"The legacy of these gatherings was established in WWII. And continuously upheld. With meetings , dinners ,events and hospitality rooms , merchandise is sold to those who are proud of and who love to display their dedication to their units. To those who have lost military coins or pins and need to replace them etc...

so when our group asked for 1 additional table for merchandise and was so rudely told our contract only listed x amount of tables and no more would be provided... excuse me with the vast amount of meeting rooms, ball rooms and offices you had empty last week, but we couldn't procure 1 extra table and a comfortable chair that rolled ?! Our group had a wine tour scheduled but your hotel found it appropriate to ask for more money after changing the rules and declaring we could only buy alcohol from your establishment, I understand this was a change in state laws but you think you'd be a bit more accommodating considering we booked this hotel approx 2 years ago and were notified 2 weeks prior to event . Also during the formal dinner on both Friday and Saturday, there was butter on each table that was rudely removed with the curt explanation that our dinner budget did not cover rolls.

Seriously it would have cost less than $40 to provide rolls with each dinner together. These are the men and women who sacrificed their Ives ,their health, their families. Their wives who sacrificed their normal 'family lives' to fight in wars to protect our freedoms. And a table a chair and some rolls were to much for your hotel to provide.

As John Sosa stated "you know, these men left whatever they were doing and many of them had never left their community and now they found themselves in Europe fighting a war against tyranny and injustice… And did not ask for anything, but just the dignity of work to help build this country into a family,” but not just Europe, but Korea, Vietnam, Afghanistan, Iraq, Semolina etc... And weather your hotel believes in our military and the wars its fought these men and their families deserve respect. But several members of our group said things like housekeeping refused to clean their rooms. We only asked for trash to be removed, I am able, unlike many others, to clean our room but they couldn't even be bothered to remove our trash.

Or replace our hand towels or washcloths. Some of these people are much older and with military injuries and unable to make their beds and clean properly. We are platinum members of Hilton. MARRIOTT ,AND DRURY GRAND PLAZA And in all the hotels we've had the pleasure of staying yours is the only one we're we as guests could not access the gym or pool/hot tub area after our days activities.

I was disgusted . But the worst was when on Thursday, I can only assume was the house keeping manager , because she had on a blue button up blouse and was going around making sure flower arrangements, pillows , charis etc were in place ,was overheard by myself and my husband blatantly disrespecting and degrading the screaming eagles to other customers from the bank association about our "stupid" reunion. We were walking through your second floor of many empty meeting rooms and offices that we couldn't possibly borrow a table from and overheard her talking to a group from Michigan banking association sitting at a small table . Not acceptable in anyway shape or form.

For one we all paid good money to stay at your hotel, more money to grace your hotel with our event. Money to have our formal dimners there. Even more money buying our food and drinks from your restaurants and bars to which the bars located upstairs for our hospitality room and our meet and greet before both dinners only provided nasty well liquor and cheap beer overpriced .but cancel our wine tour because we wouldnt pay additional 100 per person and be petty about providing dinner rolls ... In all the reunions and events that Screaming eagles , Rakkasans, 101st, 50duce ,Hamburger Hill, Snow birds etc put on that we've attended this was by far the absolutely least accommodating hotel we've ever experienced.

In my opinion what Fox 17 should be reporting on, the descrace we were showed by your hotel for our reunion and the fine men and their families from. WWII, Korea, Vietnam, Desert Storm, Iraq, Afghanistan etc... We chose to dine at one of your fine eating establishments ,Ruth's, made our reservations and arrived they first attempted to sit us in extremely low chairs , these are men who were Airborne with bad knees, hips, ankles and myself and the other wife who are 5'3short.the table literally came to my chin. When asked to be moved the concierge told the larger of the two men in our group he was large but he could get him a pillow to sit on.

?! Excuse me . My husband and I stood up and stated we would also not be eating at a table that felt as if I were sitting in a highchair. They then in a practically empty restaurant made us go back to the reservation podium and wait while they discussed where to sit us.

Then after being seated we were graced by the worst possible waiter that I've ever encountered kept reaching in front of us , like right in front of our faces inches away to wait on the person on either side of us. We asked him kindly to not do this but he did not stop. He was all hyped up as if on drugs or had extreme ADHD, he didnt listen when taking our order, Spilled our water all over table. It was awful, thank heaven someone else brought us our food and that is who we tipped not him.

I was in noway impressed with Amyway Grand Plaza or the service to our organization.

The only good thing is the Valle service they were pleasant courteous and respectful. Although I hope noone ever has to go anywhere during the middle of the night or wee early morning hours because our car was wherever they parked it and our keys in their locked office with noone around,.