Hilton Malecon Bar 2 for 1... rip off alert..

[william webster]

500 pesos for the wine is beyond NYC and Toronto prices (Toronto takes the cake for food/wine prices over NYC)

Pushing $12 for the glass if my math is right..... ridiculous.
*****************************************
Backing up CCCologne on restaurants and poor service...
one of the favorites here in Cabrera is on the malecon - run by a bit of a nutcase

Couple of years ago we took our wine (he allows this) and offered him a sip to see if he wanted to carry it.... what I call 'value' wine, good combo of price and quality.
He says - Don't waste your money on that again - and walked away.

Now, this fellow has a habit of deteriorating as the evening shadows fall ( his habits get the best of him)

He returns to the table singing our praises.....
You people are so nice, I'm going to help you out with that awful wine.

Proceeds to pour himself a full tumbler and walks away.

None of us have ever returned......... not that he cares

must have trained at Vesuvio......

 

[keepcoming]

So true about Vesuvio's. Years back the place was always crowded. Now empty. Last time I went with some family in town I was disappointed. And the place was practically empty and it was a Friday around 7:30/8:00.

 

[dv8]

In a poor country where jobs are scarce and many take any job they can, you think punishing a low-level employee who had NOTHING to do with establishment policy is making some kind of morally outraged statement?

it makes total sense to punish the lowest workers. they may just get annoyed, start huelga and burn some tires in a foyer.

 

[keepcoming]

While I am not totally sure the workers are to blame I did have one issue where clearly the waiter was. We went out for dinner and when the bill came I questioned it. I was with my son who doesn't drink, not 21 (I know doesn't matter here) and my niece who is 12. The bill had 2 glasses of wine (me), 2 sodas (kids) and 3 beers???? I could not find my waiter so I caught the attention of another waiter and he brought over the manager. I explained to the manager there is no way anyone at our table had beer. The manager then found our waiter and asked him about the beer. The waiter seemed embarrassed and said he must of made a mistake. The manager apologized and said the sodas and wine were on the house and took them off our bill. And no lie as we were leaving the table next to us were arguing their bill with the manager saying that they had not ordered some of the stuff on their bill. Makes one wonder but then again no.

 

[tommeyers]

Damn, I wish I could afford to pay 250 a glass. I only can justify 250 per bottle; I am a cheap date.

 

[william webster]

My wife used to cringe when I checked the bill.... anywhere in the world.

You'd be surprised how many extra entrees I found..... so many, she began to urge me to check it!!

Drunk even and I found them..... an old restaurant trick.

 

[william webster]

Damn, I wish I could afford to pay 250 a glass. I only can justify 250 per bottle; I am a cheap date.

Carlo Rossi loves you........ try Cru de Balzac ( something like that) the white is good

In LT, its the house wine at Mi Terrasse

 

[toriemannetje]

Damn, I wish I could afford to pay 250 a glass. I only can justify 250 per bottle; I am a cheap date.

come to think of it, i never went on a date where i had to buy a glass of wine and when i hear people saying they went to the hilton to have dinner??? #richpeopleproblems

even tho i lived for quite a time in miami and a lot of time at miami beach it only happened once that i went out with a girl on rodeo drive and when we were walking she wanted something to drink. i always had my regular spots by i was like hmmm let's try, i don't know what type of drink it was but it was 15 dolla!

i told ol'girl that she's beautiful and all that but i ain't that type of baller! 15 dolla!?!

 

[keepcoming]

Those of us who live here know better then to eat in tourist/business hotels like the Hilton (I know I should have known better). But for those who visit and know no better take this as the norm.

 

[TropicalPaul]

I run a hotel, and you honestly don't have to put up with this sort of nonsense. Wine in Santo Domingo doesn't cost RD$500 per glass, clearly there is some sort of scam going on here. I suggest that you call the hotel and ask to speak to a manager tomorrow, say you want to complain, and say that you feel completely ripped off by their drinks prices. I imagine that the staff have decided to double the drinks prices tonight, and pocket the proceeds. If you don't get anywhere, then go to Hilton Hotels & Resorts | Hotel Rooms, Reservations & Business Hotels and use one of the Contact Us links to speak to guest relations and make a formal complaint. Knowing Hilton, I would be amazed if they don't do something about this, I've always found their complaint handling to be excellent.

Maybe also worth mentioning to Hilton when you speak to them that a lot of expats are commenting on this pricing on DR1.com, they will be concerned about this, trust me.

If all else fails, put a negative review on Tripadvisor.com, this always gets read.

All of us hoteliers are petrified of bad press on the internet, any bad reviews are analysed and analysed to see what we can learn from them. I'm not sure if customers realise how much impact a bad review on something like Tripadvisor.com has, but trust me it is very very serious.

 

[bigwhiskey]

I'm sorry did I miss something the OP say's he was to buzzed to argue with the waiter or talk to manager ,was he drinking something else or just the one glass of wine ?

 

[pauleast]

it makes total sense to punish the lowest workers. they may just get annoyed, start huelga and burn some tires in a foyer.

It must be a great feeling to stiff a guy who's making 8,000 U.S a year with a family.

 

[TropicalPaul]

I don't understand why everyone is feeling sorry for this waiter, who is clearly running a scam. Nobody would charge double RD$500 for a glass of wine, and it doesn't make sense for the Hilton to double its prices during happy hour. There are lots of scams like this - I went to Hard Rock Cafe and we had lots of drinks on their 2 for 1 night, so was pretty drunk when the check arrived. But I looked at it and realised they had only given me the 2 for 1 on the first two rounds, and then charged full price for the rest. The waitress said that the button had stopped working on the register. WTF. Some of my guests had exactly the same experience there during a 2 for 1 night the other day, so obviously this is a scam. And what's going on at Hilton seems very similar.

 

[pauleast]

I don't understand why everyone is feeling sorry for this waiter, who is clearly running a scam. Nobody would charge double RD$500 for a glass of wine, and it doesn't make sense for the Hilton to double its prices during happy hour. There are lots of scams like this - I went to Hard Rock Cafe and we had lots of drinks on their 2 for 1 night, so was pretty drunk when the check arrived. But I looked at it and realised they had only given me the 2 for 1 on the first two rounds, and then charged full price for the rest. The waitress said that the button had stopped working on the register. WTF. Some of my guests had exactly the same experience there during a 2 for 1 night the other day, so obviously this is a scam. And what's going on at Hilton seems very similar.

Some people are victims everywhere they go and some people aren't.

 

[JayinRD]

Google Hilton Malecon... the thread was bottom of page 1 yesterday... today top of page 2...nice. I was there Fri night, I emailed their contact us page Saturday, will see if they respond this week but i doubt it. I dont think customer service at a Hilton in RD is as good as their customer service in the USA or Europe. Repeat business tends not to be important for these tourist traps.. just a one time orgy of profit from a rich compliant visitor seems to suffice for management and ownership. Conrad Hilton wouldnt be happy.

 

[SKY]

The Hilton has been for sale for at least 3 years with no takers.

 

[dv8]

It must be a great feeling to stiff a guy who's making 8,000 U.S a year with a family.

it's a pleasure to stiff a guy who regularly stiffs his customers. wtf is with your obsession to tip, even for the mediocre or downright awful service? it is NOT an obligation to tip. you are not happy? DO NOT TIP. simple as that.

 

[pauleast]

it's a pleasure to stiff a guy who regularly stiffs his customers. wtf is with your obsession to tip, even for the mediocre or downright awful service? it is NOT an obligation to tip. you are not happy? DO NOT TIP. simple as that.

No obsession. I just treat service workers with respect and give them the appropriate tip.As a frequent business traveler who frequents the Hodelpa and Hilton property's I have had only good service and experiences. Especially at the Hodelpa chain on he island.
I guess some would recommend berating the waiter in public and complain to him and not the manager as the correct way to resolve an issue. Some consistently complain about food and drinks and send everything back where ever they go to justify not tipping the wait staff or maybe they are on a bizarre power trip.
FYI, The waiter does not cook the food or make the drinks. He takes your order and facilitates your dining experience by bringing your food and drinks in a correct and timely fashion.
Not tipping is tacky or classless.

 

[dv8]

not tipping for BAD SERVICE you have received is normal and commendable. i am not going to reward poor work. we are talking here about overcharging, not about sending food back to the kitchen.

 

[pauleast]

not tipping for BAD SERVICE you have received is normal and commendable. i am not going to reward poor work. we are talking here about overcharging, not about sending food back to the kitchen.

I understand. Why do I get the distinct feeling that some people never tip no matter how the service is and justify not tipping by countless reasons beyond the control of the wait staff.
Its O.K , the wait staff in your nicer and more established restaurants are experts at profiling people and their class, they know when they are going to get stiffed.