The Shartgarden Saga: How One Hotel Won the 'World’s Worst' Award in Spectacular Fashion
There are bad hotels, and then there’s Shartgarden Suites—a property so notoriously incompetent, they managed to get banned from a franchise portfolio and still one-up themselves in the customer service disaster Olympics. If you’ve ever wondered what the hospitality industry’s “World’s Worst” award looks like in action, buckle up.
This is the story of a hotel night auditor, a stranded guest, and a rival front desk that redefined unprofessionalism. Reddit’s r/TalesFromTheFrontDesk has seen its share of horror stories, but this one? It’s a five-alarm dumpster fire—with a side of corporate drama, walk-ins, and the kind of insults you’d expect from a middle school hallway, not a hospitality desk.
Welcome to the Shartgarden: Where the Guest Experience Goes to Die
Our tale opens on what seems to be a blessedly uneventful shift for u/MaidenOfTheAudit. The hotel is fully booked, check-ins are winding down, and the sacred peace of a quiet night is upon them. Enter: a guest clutching a “walk” paper—industry code for “another hotel overbooked and sent me here.”
But the plot thickens. The walk paper lists all the right info, so this isn’t a simple case of mistaken identity. When the guest asks why her reservation was canceled, MaidenOfTheAudit quadruple-checks the system and realizes: this is a mess handed down from the infamous Shartgarden Suites downtown.
What follows is a round robin of phone calls, denial, and finger-pointing. The Shartgarden front desk insists they called ahead—except, as OP clarifies, “I’ve been the only one here since 4pm and the only other person who was here today said he didn’t get a call either.” The interaction quickly nosedives from confusion to outright hostility, punctuated by Shartgarden’s staff muttering, “this hoe is calling me a liar,” before hurling a racist insult at OP and hanging up. Classy.
When Colleagues Become Combatants: The Backstage Drama
If there’s an unspoken code among hospitality workers, Shartgarden tore it up and set it on fire. Redditor u/Severe-Hope-9151 spells it out: “I have never heard of such unprofessional and disrespectful conduct at any property. I've always understood there to be an unspoken connection between hotel associates to try and help each other because you never know when you will need help.”
Instead, OP is left to call every nearby property herself, confirming that—surprise!—no one has been contacted by Shartgarden, and all are fully booked. The guest, understandably frustrated, demands confirmation numbers and is told she needs to go in person (to properties that don’t have rooms). The situation escalates: Shartgarden’s GM emails the guest, accusing OP’s team of “drama seeking” and claiming they got “approval” to send her over. Meanwhile, the poor guest is having a meltdown, and OP is scrambling for help.
The Reddit comments section turns into a roast for the ages. As u/LutschiPutschi quips about Shartgarden’s GM, “Your GM should contact the other GM tomorrow and ask if his swing was too close to the wall when he was a child.” The comment section lights up—one user claims to have “shot water out of my nose” from laughing so hard.
Lessons in Hospitality: What NOT to Do (with Community Wisdom)
The story’s not just a trainwreck—it’s a masterclass in how NOT to handle an overbooking. As u/CheckYoSelf8224 notes, “How disrespectful, making their problem yours is just unprofessional.” Others chime in with practical advice: u/justmedownsouth suggests, “Do you have a list of incoming calls available? You can prove they did not call that way, and escalate the whole thing.” OP responds that while she doesn’t have call logs, “our franchise corporate can access all the call logs through our phone provider!”
Several commenters point out what’s obvious to anyone outside Shartgarden’s employee lounge: there’s a toxic culture at play, from the ground floor to management. u/shaggy24200 puts it bluntly: “Holy hell, it sounds like toxic management with matching toxic employees. If nothing else the reviews of their ‘customer service’ are going to take their business if their incompetence doesn't.”
There are even nuggets of industry wisdom buried in the thread. u/Straight_Ranger_7991 argues for email as a paper trail—“When we have agreed on the terms I email them with the relevant data, and ask for their confirmation. Then I can send the guest over or contact them if they haven't arrived.” OP points out that it wouldn’t have mattered here, but the idea of a digital paper trail resonates with hospitality vets.
The (Toilet) Paper Crown: A Silver Lining and Hard Lessons
After hours of chaos, a last-minute cancellation at a sister property saves the day—OP secures a complimentary room for the stranded guest at nearly midnight. The message to Shartgarden? “You dropped this: 🧻” (Yes, that’s a toilet paper emoji. Subtlety is dead.)
Reddit’s consensus is clear: hotels are supposed to have each other’s backs. As u/Strawberry_Kenny puts it, “Remember kids: it's important to be polite and honest with colleagues in this industry!” Unfortunately, Shartgarden isn’t getting that memo.
One thing’s for sure—the next time you check in somewhere and things go smoothly, spare a thought for the front desk warriors who keep the industry running, and maybe avoid any property with “Shart” in the name.
Conclusion: Have You Survived a Hotel Horror Story?
What’s the worst hotel experience you’ve ever had—either as a guest or on the clock? Share your tales of triumph (or disaster) in the comments! And if you’re ever sent on a “walk” by another hotel, keep your cool, keep your receipts, and maybe bring your own toilet paper—just in case.
Original Reddit Post: World's Worst Hotel award goes to...