My family showed up at the Marriott Hotel and it was closed

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Imagine flying to Johannesburg, South Africa after a two-week safari in Botswana. After an exciting and dusty adventure, you look forward to all the familiar comforts of a Marriott hotel. Hot showers, delicious dinners, TVs with multiple news and entertainment options, and soft beds are just around the corner.

Or are they?

Upon landing, you are suddenly struck by another reality. The transit hotels Marriott has confirmed are permanently closed. In fact, airport employees say it has been closed for over two years.

That’s the terrifying situation Mike S. faced last month when his family returned from a dream safari. Worse? When he called Marriott for emergency assistance, he was met with a recording warning that the hotel was closed, but no further information.

Now Mike wants to know why Marriott sent his family to a hotel that was completely closed and abandoned them there.

TPG wanted to know too, so I pursued his case. Here’s what we found.

Plan exciting family adventures

Over a year ago, when travel restrictions began to ease, Mike and his family planned to go on a safari in Africa this summer.

Mike left all the complexities of planning this trip to Natural Habitat Adventures. His NHA, affiliated with the World Wide Fund for Nature, is known for its expertise in planning unique African safaris with a strong focus on conservation. The company’s mission statement, Conservation through Exploration, appealed to this nature-loving family.

Soon, the family was confirmed on a Botswana safari scheduled for June of this year.

But there was one small detail that Mike thought he could easily do himself.

The family had a 27 hour layover in Johannesburg on the way back from Botswana. They weren’t planning on spending any more time in South Africa, so Mike confirmed with Marriott a convenient hotel in Johannesburg near He OR Tambo International Airport (JNB).

“I logged into the Marriott website and found the Protea Hotel Transit at Johannesburg Airport. It was perfect as I didn’t have to go through customs or exit the transit area. I was able to stay until my evening flight. Booked for 2 nights. Second day.”

As a Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite, Mike was happy that he earned points during his stay. He immediately booked his two rooms for his family and received confirmation from Marriott within minutes.

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“Your African adventure awaits”

Mike double-checked all the details of the Marriott reservation, which said, “Your African adventure awaits.”

Unfortunately, the African adventure that awaited them at this Marriott hotel was not a good one.

unpleasant surprise

Fast forward to the summer of 2022. The family was looking forward to an African safari.

“Before we left, we double-checked all the details of our trip, including our Marriott hotel at Johannesburg airport,” Mike explained to me. There were no indications that anything was wrong with the property.”

Believing all was well, the family left for Africa in the first week of June. Mike says he and his family had a great time on the Botswana safari.

“The safari was amazing!” Mike recalled. “I’m sorry that your adventure is over.”

The family then embarked on a long journey back to California. They flew from Maun in Botswana to Johannesburg.

“We were exhausted. It was a relief to know we didn’t have to go anywhere when we landed,” reported Mike. When I told the woman at passport control that she was doing so, she looked in disbelief and said that the hotel had been closed since 2020.

Surprised, Mike asked the police what to do. The agent explained that her family had to go through customs and find another place to stay in Johannesburg, she sent the family through customs and wished them well.

At an airport with nowhere to go

As the family packed up, Mike called the number listed on the Marriott confirmation, hoping this was all a mistake. It wasn’t.

Here’s what Mike did next.

“I called the Marriott phone number and got a recording that the hotel was closed. I ended up asking for advice at the Lost Luggage Desk. They have one just outside the terminal exit and across the street. Tell me about the Intercontinental.

“It upsets me to find myself suddenly outside a foreign airport in the evening with no reservations or plans.”

Upon stepping into the Intercontinental, displaced and exhausted travelers hoped the hotel would be empty. His one night charge at the Intercontinental was double what he expected to pay at the Protea. Still Mike was willing to pay and the crisis was over.

The group flew home the next day and Mike set off on a new mission. He wanted to know why Marriott had booked, confirmed and reconfirmed her family at her hotel that had been closed for over two years.

He also wanted Marriott to refund the expensive last minute room he was forced to book at the InterContinental.

But instead of an explanation or apology, he received a surprising email from Marriott.

“Tell me about your stay.”

A few days after Mike submitted his complaint to Marriott, Mike found a message in his inbox from the company. He thought it would be a small fault from Bonvoy for his terrible experience.

Incredibly, it was nothing more than an automated message asking for a review of a family’s stay at Protea Hotel Transit. The investigation revealed that Marriott didn’t even know the property was closed. Oddly enough, it was signed by the manager of a closed hotel.

Naturally, Mike would not recommend this hotel to his friends or colleagues.

A few days later, Mike reached out to TPG for help when a follow-up request for the review arrived without confirmation that anyone at Marriott was going to address his complaint.

Ask Marriott for clarification

When I received Mike’s plea for help, I shared his surprise at how many mistakes Marriott had made here.

“Marriott gave me terrible customer service of checking, rechecking and ignoring my emails,” complained Mike. “Just thought it might be worth sharing this with TPG.”

It cost the family nearly $400 extra to go to the Intercontinental. Mike hoped Marriott would reimburse him for the unexpected expense.

I reached out to a Marriott executive contact and explained my family’s unpleasant experience.

80,000 Marriott points — and an apology

The next day Mike emailed me the good news. Marriott called him back and offered the apology he wanted and his 80,000 Bonvoy points over that. Here’s what Mike told me in an email:

“Hello Michelle!

Marriott apologizes [over the phone]that was good, and [the corporate representative] I explained a few things:

1. Marriott does not know what happened, but they are investigating and will confirm that there are no other reservations in their system for the closed Protea Transit Hotel.
2. My case was closed by a Marriott customer service agent, who did not respond to me. And without your assistance, my complaint would never have been resolved.
3. Marriott has credited my account with 80,000 points to compensate for this situation.

thanks again! I used 80,000 points for two nights at an Autograph Collection hotel. 🙂. Mike S.”

The Protea Transit Hotel at Johannesburg Airport is currently displaying a message online that it is closed. And the Autograph, his collection hotel that Mike just booked? We have confirmed that we are open.

TPG hope you enjoy your stay, Mike!

Make sure this doesn’t happen to you

Mike had no way of knowing that Marriott had repeatedly provided inaccurate information about his confirmed reservation. Concentrate on the part. Ironically, this exotic adventure never ran into trouble until the part he assumed was easy.

Mike made some mistakes in planning his trip, but his experience has some lessons to offer. Here’s how to avoid ending up in faraway lands booked at permanently closed hotels.

• See our review: Even with a trusted brand like Marriott, the quality of hotels varies greatly depending on location. If you book the accommodation yourself, don’t miss the published reviews. In addition to understanding what to expect when you arrive, if your review ended abruptly, you’ll want to find out why. For this hotel, since fall 2019, there have been a flurry of 1 and 2 star reviews and nothing since. I understand why.
• Always check directly with the hotel. When booking accommodations through a branded centralized booking system (or third-party booking agent), always contact the hotel directly. Many resorts will send a separate confirmation in advance after the front desk has received your reservation. However, if you do not receive such confirmation, be sure to request it by calling or emailing the hotel. Please review your booking carefully to ensure the details are correct.
• Reconfirmation of reservation: We recommend double-checking directly with the property before starting your journey. This is true now more than ever. Unfortunately, many airlines, cruise lines and hotels have not survived the pandemic. You can double check its feasibility and see if you have any special requests by speaking with a hotel representative just prior to your arrival.
• Use a professional travel advisor: With Trip Advisor you can be assured there is no place to stay on the other side of the world. These professionals pride themselves on keeping abreast of the ever-changing world of travel. And if you have any problems with your booking during your trip, our professional trip advisors will help you out. You can find an ASTA-accredited agent here, one that specializes in destinations and modes of travel.

Conclusion

It’s rare to see stories of travelers being sent to hotels that are completely closed, but this is not an isolated case. It is worth taking steps to

If you or someone you know has had a similar experience and a property or brand has ignored your plea for assistance, please submit your story to Tips@ThePointsGuy.com. I will be happy to investigate and help.