Dear CUITLAHUAC,

Thanks for taking the time to post your opinion. It is my pleasure to reassure you, and lay to rest fears that you or our future guests may have. I verified the reports documented from Housekeeping and Front Office.

CONCERNING THE 1ST MATTRESS

The lining you referred to, was no more than stitching directly from the manufacturer. I agree that with the bed bug concerns globally, they could've used a lighter coloured thread instead of the burgundy coloured one? I guess the manufacturers did not expect this slight imperfection to cause the type of misunderstanding

*** Please review below, our detailed plan of action established in order to prevent (daily) ***

Currently, the room attendants notify their immediate supervisors when they have a doubt.
1. At each change of bed linen, attendants check for the presence of small spots of blood. If so, they communicate immediately with one of the maintenance supervisors household.
2. Upon arrival in the room, the supervisor inspects the sheets, the mattress and the bed in search of any trace (bugs, defecation ...). If the supervisor does find any trace of one or the other, it communicates with the maintenance manager.
3. The maintenance manager inspects meanwhile, headboards, bed bases and edge of carpet along the wall behind the bed.
4. At the first sign of activity, the room is quarantined and an appointment with a exterminator is taken in as soon as possible (usually the same day or the day).
5. The exterminator inspects the room and treats only if there is confirmation or trace
of bed bugs (preventive treatments are unfortunately of no use).
When the room is treated, it is unusable for a period of seven days so that the products work.
6. The destroyer also inspects two rooms adjacent to that which was treated or some rooms where the host went to make sure there is no transfer.
7. Subsequently, a thorough cleaning is done by the room attendant, and this, in all corners. Bedding is, meanwhile, cleaned separately from other laundry cleaned in the laundry room and is put in the dryer for a period of 60 minutes at high intensity (within proper regulation) to fully destroy the bugs (the heat kills the bugs, if any remain).
Travelers are advised to lay down their suitcases or bags on the luggage rack or on the desktop. Also, it is advisable to leave the clothes inside the suitcase and maintained closed by the zipper. Remove the least clothes on beds or on sofas to protect your transfer.
However, if the traveler is worried about bringing back bed bugs with you , something easy once at home is to put everything in the dryer at high temperature for a period of 60 minutes to kill potential bugs.
It is sometimes very difficult to detect the presence of such intruders since at the beginning, The bug color is transparent. It takes a reddish color, almost black, the more it feeds. It can live very long without feeding.
Note that if the situation became out of control (epidemic - which is not the case now), the procedures would be revised in consequence.
The presence of bed bugs does not mean that the premises are unclean or unhealthy.



CONCERNING THE 2nd LESS COMFORTABLE MATTRESS

In the second room you were transferred to, thank you for stating this as it had lost 33% of its original comfort, so it was changed, along with the 12 other (less than comfortable ones) of our 230 rooms in December 2010.

CONCERNING EMPLOYEES LACK OF REACTION

Management proceeded after the summer of 2010 in making certain necessary reassignment to appropriate departments to bette rsuit to customer and the hotel needs

CONCERNING THE CHANGE OF LINEN BROCHURE

We do take this very seriously and this system has been implemented for several years. This is greatly used by customers, but unfortunately the chamber maids records indicated that the brochure was left at the same location in the room from prior to the check in.

CONCERNING THE DRINKING GLASSES

We can assure you and all customers that our drinking glasses are washed well within the norm of the industry’s recommendations
The chamber maid must of become nervous, thus not specifying that a special cloth for each and every room is used and not any used towel... and saying sterilized. Both glass and plastic cups are available.

CONCERNING THE RESTAURANT FOOD

I’m sorry you didn’t enjoy the meal. We get very positive feedback for our restaurant high quality food but realize that we cannot (as much as we’d love to) please everyone. I can assure you that had anything been brought to the attention of the Manager on duty, you would have been heard through and taken care of.

Thanks once again for the comments and hope you will consider us for your future stay in Montreal. I am at your disposal for any extra information you may require.

Best regards,
E Nicita (Director of Sales)