Bad behavior by the Atlantic City Hilton, tell your stories here

[calgrad]

(Moved out of the review thread, so we can leave that one to talk about HLN.)

With regard to the arbitrary seating, I was first on line both nights, having gotten there at 4:45 for the 8pm show and 3:15 for the 7pm show, and the first night they wouldn't put me any closer than the middle of the theater(!), and the second night they wouldn't put me any closer than the side section, and I only got the closest spot in that one through a lot of arguing (which, of course, is what I look forward to doing every time I go to a HLN concert...).

As one of the ushers candidly (as well as condescendingly) admitted, the Hilton lies to you ("Everything they tell you is a lie," I believe he said): 
- They lied when they sold you the ticket, when the ticketmaster seating chart shows you the whole room being general admission, when in reality only some of it is.
- They lied when the box office wouldn't tell you that part of the cost of the ticket was the money you needed to grease the maitre d's palm with.  In fact, when specifically asked if there were these hidden charges, they said no.
- They lied when they were specifically asked how to get up front, and they told you to be first in line, but after expending all that time and effort in accordance with their instructions it turned out that the front was still not available for you.
- They lied when the usher put us in the middle of the theater and told us that the front middle section was all "reserved seats."
- They lied when they said they would move you if anything else turned out to be available and at showtime the center of the front row was still vacant, yet spitefully they just left it that way rather than move people as promised.
- They lied when they said you were not allowed to move up on your own, but they turned a blind eye to all the people who ignored that instruction, who then got in the way of all the people who had.
- Oh yeah, and don't forget how they lied when they continued to advertise that the tickets were on sale for $55 when in reality they were actually on sale for $75.
- Along with the "HLN isn't playing here, but if they were tickets would go on sale 6 weeks before the show" lie.

Etc. etc.

I actually had a very nice time both nights despite all this, but thanks only to the presence of good friends and good band.  Beyond that, I'm livid, and if I have the time I hope to not let the issue rest.  The Hilton is at best skirting the spirit, if not also the letter, of the law, and they need to start facing consequences for it.

Incidentally, was anyone charged the Atlantic City Luxury tax and/or state sales tax on their tickets?  How much do you want to bet that the Hilton isn't sending the state the 13% due on the gate receipts it's supposed to...

[greyhound]

I was not charged the Atlantic City Luxury tax on our tickets - only a convenience charge and an order processing fee.  I take it that you didn't purchase your tickets through Ticketmaster?

[calgrad]

I take it that you didn't purchase your tickets through Ticketmaster?

No, I did.  In fact, even the one ticket I bought at the box office in person (in New Jersey, so no messy interstate commerce issues to contend with on this) the credit card receipt still showed it as being a Ticketmaster sale.  But I think Ticketmaster is a red herring.  However the tickets are sold, they're supposed to charge the tax.  Or at least I see nothing in those linked pages that would seem to exempt the Hilton from the requirement.  Plus I saw a Ticketmaster page for Taylor Hicks concert at a different AC venue, and on that one it said that the total price included the AC luxury and sales taxes.  But that was not indicated at all on any of the Ticketmaster pages for the HLN Hilton shows, nor was it communicated by the box office directly.  I suppose the tax still could have been built into the price, like some sort of VAT and the Hilton sends that portion of the proceeds to the state anyway, but I'm inclined to doubt it.  Given the Hilton's predilection to do anything for a buck, I can't see why it wouldn't have tried to pass the tax onto the customers on top of the ticket price if it could. 

[greyhound]

I also purchased my tickets through Ticketmaster.  I went back and looked at the receipt.  It doesn't list an AC luxury tax, but as you said, it could be built into the price of the ticket. 

[Bill]

That's the last time any of you will have to deal with the A.C. Hilton.
The band refuses to work there again.

[O-Rod]

I had to log in just to applaud that news. 

"What a dump!"

[montanafan]

Bill,

We are so glad that you said the band refuses to play there.  They didn't really treat any one nice there except maybe the high rollers!       Do you think the band will play in AC but at a different venue?  We hope so - that was our annual girls weekend away!   

 I agree with O-Rod -- what a dump!!!

[greyhound]

That's the last time any of you will have to deal with the A.C. Hilton.
The band refuses to work there again.

And I think that's a good thing.  Atlantic City is a great place to travel to for a concert.  Unfortunately, the staff at that particular hotel seemed to have flunked their customer service tests.   

[ChrisBecker]

I expected the worse from the AC Hilton....so I could not say anything as bad.  But the reviews are bad and you guys are correct.  On the bright side.... Great show boys.  However, a nice change in AC will be nice.  See you in 2008.

[hueyfan1]

Whew ... a venue change ... ya'all can count me in in 2008!

[calgrad]

Bill, thank you, that's good news.

[Bill]

No disrespect at all to the people who grew up in, around or near Atlantic City, I am sure at one point in time it was gorgeous. Uninhabited beaches, a few houses upbeach and dotting the coastline down to Cape May. Awesome! But for me, I never liked it. I had a caddie at Pine Valley on Sunday and I told him the very same thing. He said," yeah ,I grew up at the shore in A.C. and it was o.k. then, but you're right, it's a dump." Don't get me started on the accomodations and customer service at the Hilton. They treated our entire organization like S&#@. Take care, y'all. If you haven't, come check out the guitarist who's filling in for Stef while he's in Italy, James Harrah. He's tremendous.

[calgrad]

Terrific.  The Hilton sucks, and now Bill won't set foot in New Jersey ever again...

I would be interested to know if anyone had to buy their tickets at the $75 (or even $85!) price, and if so, when they bought them.  I had earlier spoken with someone at the state attorney general's office to complain about the situation.  Nothing came of it because I think the person misunderstood the issue, but if I have the time I'd like to follow it up in writing.  The Hilton is greatly dependent on the good will of the people of New Jersey, who let it do what it does.  It's a highly regulated business, and the regulators need to know when it is acting contrary to the public's interest.  Even if not immediately investigated there should be a record of the Hilton's behavior so that the next time the Hilton asks the state for a favor (e.g., permission to expand its facilities) the state is in a better position to decide whether it's in the public's interest to accommodate it.

[hueyfan1]

... If you haven't, come check out the guitarist who's filling in for Stef while he's in Italy, James Harrah. He's tremendous.

Well, if you handsome boys could'a made it anywhere near the vacinity of Ohio, maybe we could'a ... 

[greyhound]

Yeah, the Ohio deal was something I looked forward to every year.  I'll miss that.  As far as Seven Springs goes - I won't attend the concert there because of accommodations I once had at a neighboring resort - quite possibly one of the scariest places in which I've ever stayed.