ComplaintsforKalahari Waterpark Resort Convention Center

• Initial Complaint

  05/18/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I recently spent three nights (4/19-22/2023) at the Kalahari Resorts in the Pocono Mountains, PA. We paid the required deposit using our **** Check card. When we arrived at the resort I used the same card to check in at one of their unmanned kiosks. Even though I had checked the account balance prior to doing so and there were funds to cover this transaction, the kiosk declined the card. We were instructed to go to a front desk attendant and while waiting, I checked the account balance on the check card and it had a pending charge for the balance of the stay, $351.00. When we officially checked in with a different card, I showed this pending charge to the attendant and he assured me that the charge would not go through because we paid with a different card. On the day of our check out I looked at the balance of both cards and found that I was charged twice for the same room. I called immediately and the billing department told me they corrected the error and assured me I would receive a refund in 10-14 business days. After waiting 20 days and still no refund, I called and was told that they were aware that the funds did not go through and the matter was referred to "finance" (who is not reachable by phone, I was told). It is now over a week later and I have yet to receive any resolution on the matter and neither card has been refunded $351.00. I am extremely frustrated and unwilling to go through the same tedious process of attempting to contact billing on the matter. I will never stay in this resort again (or recommend to others) as they clearly do not have the customer's interest or satisfaction in mind only $$$$$ in their pockets.

  Business response

  05/19/2023

  Good Afternoon **** and ***********************************,
  

  First and foremost, I would like to thank you and your family for choosing Kalahari Resorts in the Poconos. I understand you some had some issues that impacted your most recent stay with us. On behalf of the Kalahari Billing Department, I wanted to apologize again for the disruption of your refund and how long it took to resolve this matter. On paper, it looked like the refund was successful. It did take about 2 weeks for the refund to kick back to Kalahari to let us know that the refund was unsuccessful.
  
  Reflecting back on our previous phone conversation, I did refund the $351.85 back to the original card. Although you stated you had no intentions of returning to our resort, I am still sending you a return stay voucher for a $199 room rate in our Double Queen Suite with a balcony for 6 guests. I would really love the opportunity for you and your family to try it again. This voucher is good for a year, so you do not have to return right away. But the option is still there in the event you change your mind. 
  
  I wanted to thank you again for taking the time out of your day to make us aware of your Kalahari experience; it is greatly appreciated as we continue to try to exceed the expectations of our guests. 
  Thank you for choosing Kalahari Resorts,
  ************************;

• Initial Complaint

  04/13/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  We are in a room that had no hot water and on drops coming out - they attempted to fix it and needed a supervisor as there was no water pressure. No one came to fix for hours.

  Business response

  04/17/2023

  Good Afternoon *******,

  First and foremost, I would like to thank you and your family for choosing Kalahari Resorts in the Poconos. We understand you had some issues that impacted your most recent stay with us. I would like to let you know that we checked into your concerns about the issue you experienced. 

  After investigation, we concluded that Facilities came to the room for low water pressure. They deemed it was a good idea to move the room. Once offered, you declined. You were given $150.00 in arcade cards and one of your packages was refunded on your reservation. Management has attempted calling you several times in regard to this matter and were unsuccessful reaching you. 

  Please understand that we are truly sorry to hear that you were disatisfied with your stay. We have made multiple attempts to contact you to rectify the situation. We thank you for taking the time out of your day to make us aware of your Kalahari experience; it is greatly appreciated as we continue to try to exceed the expectations of our guests. 

  Thank you for choosing Kalahari Resorts,

  ************************;

• Initial Complaint

  03/23/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Reservation to water park/hotel from 02/23/23 to 02/24/23 Made a reservation by phone with Kalahari Spa for 02/24/23. The spa staff made an error and reserved the spa day for 01/24/23. We were not aware of this until we extended our stay on 02/22/23 to avoid a winter storm. We called to see if we have the 1 hour couples massage a day earlier and they stated that we missed our appointment 1 month prior and we were charged as a no show for $270.00. They apologized for the mistake and were not able to accommodate us and still provide the service, as they were booked. They did offer 2 separate 30 min massages in replace of a 1 hour couples massage without refunding any money. The employee stated that they were not able to refund their mistake in reservation and it has to be a manager. We were transferred to the managers phone and left a message. We then went there while at the resort and were told the manager wasn't available. Since then, we have left multiple message and with no call back to date.

  Business response

  03/27/2023

  Good morning *******,

  First and foremost, I would like to thank you and your family for choosing Kalahari Resorts in the Poconos. We understand you had some issues with the Spa that may have impacted your stay. You have stated that the reservations agent at the Spa booked you for the wrong date and then issued a No-Show Fee. I did reach out to the Spa to confirm the error. A Supervisor stated that she tried to reach out to you via the phone number provided on your reservation and left a voicemail. I can assure that once contact has been made, they will issue a refund of $270.00. I apologize for the inconvenience of incorrect booking dates and a delayed refund. Please know, this will be rectified by the Spa Department. 

  Thank you for taking the time out of your day to make us aware of your Kalahari experience; it is greatly appreciated as we continue to try to exceed the expectations of our guests.

  Thank you for choosing Kalahari Resorts,

  *************************

• Initial Complaint

  03/11/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Unresolved

  More info

  I purchased one indoor water park day pass on March 9 and another on March 10 for use by my daughter and a friend. The first pass totaled $135.99. The second pass totaled $149.99. Upon arriving at the water park, I was informed that I would have to pay the full price to enter the park with my children because the typical spectator passes were not available on this particular day due to high volume. I inquired where that policy was stated to inform consumers prior to purchase. The employees stated that this policy is not communicated on the website or receipt prior to or after purchase. I asked if the two passes I purchased could be refunded. The answer was No. Therefore, I purchased a pass. I would like a refund of $124.99 to provide the difference between the price of admission I paid and the spectator pass.

  Business response

  03/13/2023

  Good Morning,

  First and foremost, I would like to thank you and your family for choosing Kalahari Resorts in the Poconos. We understand that you had some issues with the purchase of a day pass that impacted your day with us. We have discontinued the purchase of Spectator Passes almost a year ago. We apologize this was an inconvenience to you. As per policy, anyone entering the Waterpark has to purchase a valid waterpark pass for that day regardless of participation. I understand you spoke with ****** who went over this with you and offered admission at the half day rate. At this time, there will not be a refund being issued. Our website does not give the option for Spectator Passes. We give guests the opportunity to reach us in several ways. On the website we have a chat option on the bottom right of the screen that gives you access to speak with an agent on property. You can also reach us via telephone that is listed on the website. This gives ample opportunity to ask any and all questions you may have leading up to your arrival. If Spectator Passes come back for purchase in the future, the website will provide that information. 

  We thank you for taking the time out of your day to make us aware of your Kalahari experience; it is greatly appreciated as we continue to try to exceed the expectations of our guests. 

  Thank you for choosing Kalahari Resorts,

  ************************;

  Customer response

  03/18/2023

  [To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed as Answered]
  
   Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:I was not offered a half day pass. This is proved by my receipt. I paid full price. Secondly, it was YOUR staff who told me that spectator passes are available but not available on the date of our trip due to “high volume.”   Third, I attempted to reach someone in advance because I had issues with your website and had question.  However, I had trouble reaching someone  by phone.  When I did reach someone, she said, “I don’t know. I will transfer you to the water park.”  I was transferred. I left a message.  My request for a return call was not honored.  
  
  Regards,
  
  *********************************
  

• Initial Complaint

  03/06/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I had some safety concerns. My 2 year old and her dad were going to a big slide and they said the dad couldn't go down because he was bigger. It was 15 minutes and she still hasn't come down. I spoke with a life guard and he laughed about it. I didn't know if my daughter was lost, drowning, or what was happening. Thankfully she was behind the slide playing. I spoke with with the water park manager. Life guards are there to save lives not to just look at the water. The manager said the life guards are there to watch the water. He said there is a lot of foreigners working and there is nothing he can do about them not being able to speak English very well. 

  Business response

  03/17/2023

  Thank you for taking the time to submit your feedback, it is used by our management staff to ensure all of our guests receive services beyond expectations. I apologize for the experience you had during your stay. Here in the waterpark, we do take our guest feedback very seriously, and it is important to us, as the feedback often times assists us in creating a more safe, and fun environment for our guests. Our lifeguards are trained to be both courteous and attentive. Safety is our number one priority which requires our lifeguards to maintain constant vigilance of their assigned area. Our lifeguards are there to help, but they cannot take the place of a parent or guardian in supervising and safeguarding their child. We require our guests to stay in close proximity of their child and closely supervise their activities. 
  
  
  

  Customer response

  03/21/2023

  [To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed as Answered]
  
   Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  We are within close proximity of our child. One parent was up in the slide, but they didn't allow him to go in the slide with a 2 year old, and another one was waiting at the bottom which is why their slow response was unacceptable.
  
  Regards,
  
  *****************************
  

• Initial Complaint

  03/01/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  In August 2021 my family purchased a one night stay in a standard Queen room, the cost was approximately $700. During our stay in the Pocono resort there was a rain storm that flooded one of the main power rooms which operated the water park. As a result the water park was out of service and therefore guests could not use the facilities. In September 2021, Kalahari Pocono mailed me a Gift Certificate for a two night stay in a queen room with up to 4 guests. I was grateful for this kind gesture. Unfortunately due to circumstances i could not redeem my certificate by their date of September 30, 2022. I called FOUR times today (3/1/2023) to kindly ask that Kalahari honor the certificate. The first three calls were with the same representative who never even asked for my name or phone number, instead I was immediately told no. I asked for a supervisor which left my call in a queue for at least 20 minutes. I called again and spoke with another representative who told me she couldnt help me and transferred me to the Reservation Desk at Pocono. I was told no but I had the option of speaking with their management team to which I agreed. My call then landed in someones voice mail. I left a message and at this point, given the runaround thus far, Id be surprised if anyone returns my call. Im kindly asking to redeem this certificate not for the two night stay but rather a one night stay. Kalahari already absorbed the money I paid so Im unsure why an expiration date was assigned. Not to mention the poor customer service I experienced today. Looking for fair resolution. Kind regards ***************************

  Business response

  03/03/2023

  Good morning *******,

  First and foremost, I would like to thank you and your family for choosing Kalahari Resorts in the Poconos. We understand you had some issues that impacted your most recent stay with us. Although your gift certificate may be expired, we are happy to work with you and your family on a return visit. We would love to offer 4 complimentary waterpark passes for you and your family. We understand that the Waterpark closure on your last stay affected this experience and want to have you back to have a better waterpark experience. 

  Please understand that we are truly sorry to hear that you were not able to fully enjoy your vacation with us, but we thank you for taking the time out of your day to make us aware of your Kalahari experience; it is greatly appreciated as we continue to try to exceed the expectations of our guests. 

  Thank you for choosing Kalahari Resorts,

  *************************

• Initial Complaint

  02/07/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  My family and I visited Kalahari Resort from 12/31/2022 to 01/01/2023. Two days after returning home I was violently vomiting from a confirmed case of Norovirus. At the same time I was also developing severe pain and swelling in around my right ear. Three days later I was admitted to the Hospital with a confirmed bacterial skin infection (cellulitis) of the ear. After disclosing to my doctors where I had been days before they immediately treated me for the bacteria found in dirty water. I spent 5 days in the hospital where i was given multiple antibiotics and steroids, and another 5 days at home with an IV line in to administer antibiotics myself. The treatment from Kalahari EMS Safety Manager from the hotel and water park was horrendous afterward. After my experience the only compensation they offered was an upgraded room and arcade cards for my next stay. I have never felt more humiliated by their response in my entire life. They even denied refunding me for my stay or taking care of any medical bills at all. This could have happened to one of my 3 young children. They even requested my medical records to review in order to make their decision on compensation and even before receiving them sent us an email denying any further compensation! It is completely unacceptable. I do not wish this experience on anyone else and just want my story to be heard. They should be ashamed of the way they treated me.

  Business response

  02/19/2023

  Good morning ******************,
  First and foremost, I would like to thank you and your family for choosing Kalahari Resorts in the Poconos. We understand you had some issues that impacted your most recent stay with us, and I would like to let you know that we have checked into your concerns. Someone from our Leadership Team tried to reach out to follow up with you via telephone but was unsuccessful and left a voicemail.
  Unfortunately, we are unable to explain why or how you developed an ear infection. For a future stay we offered a $500.00 Resort Credit that can be used towards your room as well as Food and Beverage and towards items from our Retail outlets. We were also happy to provide $100.00 in arcade cards and a complimentary upgrade to a Penthouse (if you make a reservation for a 3 Bedroom Living Room Suite) for you and your family to enjoy.
  Please understand that we are truly sorry to hear that you were not able to fully enjoy your vacation with us, but we thank you for taking the time out of your day to make us aware of your Kalahari experience; it is greatly appreciated as we continue to try to exceed the expectations of our guests.
  Thank you for choosing Kalahari Resorts,
  *******************************

• Initial Complaint

  01/29/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  Check in was late. Long wait in lines to even get to front desk. When test message was sent to cell phone, went to room only to find dirty sheet, I dusted room and floor not vacuumed. Ask for management to contact room. Cleaners came in to only change linen on bed. Communication with staff was difficult as they did not understand what I was saying. Will do not back and this is a first time visit to the facility!

  Business response

  02/03/2023

  Good afternoon *****************,

  First and foremost, I would like to thank you and your family for choosing Kalahari Resorts in the Poconos. I have had some time to look over your experience with us this past weekend and found it very disheartening to hear that you were not entirely comfortable during your stay. I understand that you had multiple issues throughout your stay with check-in and cleanliness and I would like you to know that your complaints have been forwarded to the correct department managers to ensure the appropriate action is taken.

  I want to ensure you that our staff generally does a fantastic job when it comes to maintaining our facility and preparing the rooms for upcoming guests and we are extremely sorry for not achieving our goal of providing you with a top-notch stay. We appreciate you staying with us on this visit, and we sincerely hope that you will give us another chance to restore your faith in our hotel and hospitality. With that being said, I would like to offer you 30% off of a future one-night stay in our Double Queen Sofa Room (up to 4 guests); therefore, you and your family have an opportunity to return and receive an experience beyond expectations. If interested, I can have a certificate created and sent out as soon as possible. Please confirm the mailing address we have below is correct.

  *****************************
  **** ***********, Apt **
  Maspeth, NY *****

  Additionally, I would like to thank you for taking the time out of your day to make us aware of your Kalahari experience;it is greatly appreciated as we continue to try to exceed the expectations of our guests.

  
  Thank you for choosing Kalahari Resorts,

  *******************************

  Customer response

  02/03/2023

  [A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me. 
  
  Regards,
  
  ***********************
  

• Initial Complaint

  01/29/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I’ve been to Kalhari many times before. This time around we checked in on Monday January 23 after sleeping one night in the room we noticed my baby having a rash on her legs. I notified the front desk and they said it’s probably from the chlorine in the water park so we said okay. The next day my son woke up with the same rash and started itching his head a lot. We told the front desk of possible bed bugs and they said they will check and let us know. After leaving kalhari we arrived home and all my 4 kids who slept on this bed had lice in their heads. My kids have been to water parks in the past before so I know the chlorine from the water park was not an issue. I knew the beds in the rooms were dirty and something was up and the front desk kept telling us it was the chlorine. I spent so much money hiring a lice company to clean my children head. We never had lice before so clearly it came from the beds in our room. On top of the lice my kids developed a rash around their body.

  Business response

  02/09/2023

  Good morning **********************,  

  
  First and foremost, I would like to thank you and your family for choosing Kalahari Resorts in the Poconos. We understand you had some issues that impacted your most recent stay with us and I would like to let you know that we have checked into your concerns and after thorough inspection, our inspection team has communicated that there were no abnormal findings in room ****. Our Front Desk Manager, *****************, has tried to reach out to you via telephone regarding the inspection results but was unable to make contact.
  
  Unfortunately, we are unable to explain why or how your children developed a rash, as rashes can occur for numerous reasons (injury, heat, medication side effects, use of certain beauty products, soaps, etc).
  
  Please understand that we are truly sorry to hear that you were not able to fully enjoy your vacation with us but we thank you for taking the time out of your day to make us aware of your Kalahari experience; it is greatly appreciated as we continue to try to exceed the expectations of our guests.
  
  Thank you for choosing Kalahari Resorts,
  *******************************

• Initial Complaint

  01/22/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  Dear Kalahari Resource,For the last few years, the our family made time to go to Kalahari Resource for relaxation. With Covid-19 infection and other viruss infection, our routine was paused. We are still live in unprecedented times, and we all have to adapt to these changes. Now that we are trying to go back to our normal routine, my family are making time to go back to Kalahari Resource once again. We planned to visit the Kalahari Pocono Mountains Resource in February 2023. When we picked the date and ready to pay will our gift cards, the Kalaharis agent said that the gifts cards expired and she can not do anything about it. We end up charged the visit with our credit card. With the two gift cards that have a total of $275, I tried to contact Kalahari customer service. The answer was the same. My complaint are that the two gifts cards do not have expiration date on them, and how do Kalahari resources expected us to vacation at the peak of Covid-19 infections. Even the government advised us not to come together in a large group indoors. Because of this unusual circumstances, we request Kalahari to extended these gifts cards expiration for us, so we can use on our next visit.Thank you for your time and consideration,

  Business response

  01/27/2023

  Good morning ****************,

  
  First and foremost, I would like to thank you and your family for choosing Kalahari Resorts in the Poconos. I understand you had two gift cards (listed below) which expired late last year.
  
  ******************** - $200.00
  ******************** - $75.73
  
  Because our gift cards have a five year expiration period, we do not typically grant extensions on gift cards. However, we are so happy that we were able to accommodate your request by applying $275.73 (expired gift card balance) to your upcoming reservation, *********.
  
  Thank you for choosing Kalahari Resorts and we look forward to your stay!
  *******************************

  Customer response

  01/27/2023

  [A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me. 
  
  Regards,
  
  *********************
  

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩