Good day -
I write to respond to the recent critique "The bedbugs bite here" .

Firstly, it is true that we are located very close to a couple of nightclubs. It is not normal for the partying to carry on as late as it did on this particular night, but having said that, I must point out that we are located on what is know as the "hip Strip" which is famous for its nightclubs including Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville, popular hotels, beaches and restaurants. The Miami Herald has stated, "Altamont West is our choice for Budget Hotels on the Hip Strip".

We have rooms of differing sizes, locations and rates. We purchased this property five years ago and have been upgrading constantly but gradually since then. In this business constant upgrading is almost a necessity since without customer satisfaction one's occupancy level decreases. Since we have been in business this is the first time we have had allegations of bed bugs being in any of our rooms. In fact, when the guest called and asked that the spread and sheets be changed, despite the fact that the sheets are brand new (less than two weeks old) which are washed and treated with fabric softener in our inhouse laundry facility, the housekeeper (as well as the housekeeping supervisor) both inspected the spread and found neither any bedbugs nor any evidence of holes or damage in either the spread or the sheets. The guest made absolutely no mention of bedbugs nor discolouration when the housekeepers came to the room. It is possible that any bugs that the guest may have seen in the room could have come from outside of the room when the door or window was momentarily opened. We are in a tropical climate and this is not so strange, whether one stays in a five star Ritz Carlton or a three star Altamont West. However, I strongly refute the allegation that there were or have ever been bed bugs in our establishment.

We have an over 80% repeat guest rate. At any given time most of the guests in the hotel would have been here before. Our level of guest satisfaction is fairly high for a hotel of our size.

As aforementioned upgrading the hotel is a costly and gradual process. Because there is little we can do about the noise factor we have identified soundproof windows which we wiill be installing soon. Despite the high level of customer satisfaction with the product, our rooms likewise are constantly being upgraded.

All hotels which are a part of the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association , as we are, are guided by strict inspections criteria given by the Ministry of Tourism with the inspections being carried out on a regular basis by the Public Health Authority and the Tourism Product development Company.

Although a rare occurence here at Altamont West, the Front Desk Staff's behaviour was unfortunate and we apologize for this. The staff member is no longer a part of our team.

We would have hoped that the issues mentioned by the guest in this forum might have been mentioned to Management at the moment of the dissatisfaction so that steps could have been taken to alleviate her concerns (ie. possibly moving her to other more spacious available rooms further away from the noise).

We urge anyone reading these comments to understand that all experiences are but a moment in time.