This weekend I travelled to Halifax to attend an event honouring a colleague who is retiring from the Canadian Armed Forces. It was a lovely event.

Afterward I planned to spend a night at a short-term-rental unit in downtown Halifax. That didn’t happen. Here’s why.

I had booked my night at Cameo Hotel and Suites. I had shopped around for a deal on a place that looked cool at a good price. I landed on this place through Expedia. Expedia booked it through Vrbo. I was then able to connect the stay to my Vrbo account. When I logged into Vrbo I could see the reservation and figured it was good to go.

The Vrbo listing said I would receive an email with check-in instructions 48 hours before my stay. I never got the e-mail.

When I reached out to Vrbo for assistance, they tried to reach Cameo Hotel and Suites but there was no answer to their call. Eventually they reached them by email. Cameo Hotel and Suites said the following:

Checkin instructions are provided in four locations:

1. By automatic email to the address received by our system from your system. VRBO reservations don’t typically send direct guest email addresses to our system and any messages our system sends don’t reach your guests.
2. Our website.
3. Calling our general number and selecting the option to listen to checkin instructions. ( +1 902-709-0222)
4. Checkin instructions are listed in the lobby wall next to the check-in kiosks.

Guest will require the hotel confirmation number to complete their online check-in.

So… I booked through Expedia/Vrbo and wouldn’t get an email from them because of a glitch in how the systems are connected. Therefore it was up to me to know that they have a website or to call them or just show up at their doorstep to find out how to get an access code for my suite.

Had I called them I wouldn’t have reached a person. A recorded message would tell me to go to their website to check in and get an access code. (I tried.)

So I went to their website. I needed a booking number. I didn’t have access to that since I booked through Expedia/Vrbo. After reaching out to Vrbo again, I got the booking number.

I made a typo in the email address I submitted. But not to worry, the recording said I could resubmit with a different email address if I didn’t receive my access code message.

I tried again. I waited. No email. No access code to get in.

I submitted again. Then I tried another email address. Nothing. I tried several times.

I called Vrbo again. They put me through to Expedia. After Expedia tried again unsuccessfully to call Cameo Hotel and Suites, Expedia refunded my stay and cancelled my Vrbo reservation.

I then contacted Camero Hotel and Suites to let them know what had happened, because I had provided them with my credit card information when I followed (unsuccessfully) their online checkin process.

They replied, blaming me for the issues I was having.

Some excerpts from their reply:

Please note that there is a phone number posted in the lobby to receive urgent assistance by text. We did not receive any texts from this number to allow us to assist you upon your arrival.

They didn’t receive a text from me because I didn’t go to the lobby. The listing was clear that there were no staff at the front desk so without an access code I very logically assumed there was no point going to the property.

VRBO does not provide the hotel with your email address.

Then perhaps they shouldn’t be listed on Vrbo?

We are a staffless, fully automated facility. Guests are responsible for checking themselves in and for reading the available information on how to troubleshoot issues with their email and how to get immediate assistance. Guests are also responsible for contacting the guest assistance number by text from the lobby if they arrive and have difficulty accessing the security door. 

So… it’s all my fault.

They still didn’t provide me with a code to get in.

I got in my car and headed toward home. An hour later they sent me the code, 2 hours after the checkin time.

The moral of this story? If you’re going to Halifax for a little getaway, beware of Cameo Hotel and Suites. If anything goes wrong with your check in process, it’s your fault and they won’t so much as apologize by email for the inconvenience let alone answer their phone.