HomeMy WebLinkAbout03-12-25 Public Comment - C. Droll - My personal Safety was at risk Dr. Carol Doll
1701 Ridge Drive SE
Mandan, ND 58554
February 28, 2025
Jolyon Bulley, CEO
InterContinental Hotel Groups Americas
3 Ravinia Drive, Suite 100
Atlanta, GA 30346-2149
Dear sir,
On February 12, 2025, 1 flew from Bismarck,ND to Bozeman, MT. I had made a reservation for
a room at the Holiday Inn Express in Belgrade, MT, about 3 miles from the airport. The final bill
was $190.99. 1 knew that the hotel's airport shuttle quit running at 11:45 PM. My plane was
scheduled to arrive about 11:15 PM, so I should have been able to get the shuttle.
Unfortunately, my plane was delayed, and I arrived in Montana about 1:00 AM. I knew the
shuttle wasn't running, but I called the hotel to ask for help. The front desk clerk, Kymya, was
very pleasant and tried to help any way she could. She gave me the phone number of a taxi
service. The taxi company did not answer the phone, so I left a voice mail. I called the hotel
again, and was given a second phone number. Again I left a voice mail. I called the hotel a third
time, and Kymya consulted her manager. The manager, Kelly Opperman, said there was nothing
she could do.
I am a 75-year-old woman who was travelling alone with no smart phone. The hotel was the
only contact I had in the Belgrade/Bozeman area. It was now about 1:30 AM in a mostly
deserted airport. And I had no way to get from the airport to the hotel. The taxi companies
never responded to my voice mails.
I found a young lady working as a custodian, and she immediately began to look for a way to
help me using her smart phone. A security guard approached and asked whether there was a
problem. When I explained, he remarked that this situation was not unusual at the
Bozeman/Belgrade airport. Some of the hotels make no attempt to help travelers arriving late at
night when unexpected travel delays happen. I did see a couple of hotel vans outside the airport
when I arrived, but none from the Holiday Inn Express. The security guard helped me get to the
hotel, and I arrived there about 2:00 AM.
The lack of concern for my predicament displayed by the hotel manager is indefensible. I am not
asking for 24-hour shuttle service. But I can identify several ways this type of situation could be
avoided. And I am sure that others could identify other possible solutions.
1. The hotel can ask for and record the arriving flight information for the incoming guest.
Then late arrival times could be identified. The shuttle driver could then be paid to work
later when necessary.
2. The traveler could (if possible) notify the hotel about a late arrival. Then the hotel could
work with the traveler to plan ahead. If an Uber or taxi has already been scheduled by
the hotel for the late pickup, the traveler would pay a reasonable fee for the ride.
3. The hotel could identify someone(Uber or Taxi or other option)who would, upon
demand, do a late night pick up at the airport. Of course, the traveler would expect to pay
a reasonable fee for the service. This would require some advance preparation for the
hotel to have such a service or person in place.
4. Several hotels could work together to rotate a late-night shuttle service.
In this case, my personal safety was at risk. The hotel manager's total lack of concern is a major
issue—both for me and for others with whom I have shared this story. This type of business
model does not bode well for tourism in the Bozeman/Belgrade area and for the entire state of
Montana. Please rest assured that I will never again stay in a Holiday Inn Express, Holiday Inn,
Crowne Plaza, Staybridge Suites or any of the IHG hotels in the future. This experience cost me
$190.99, and I cannot afford to put my personal safety at risk again in this manner.
X ly,
Dr. Carol Doll WAe
Cc: Kelly Opperman, Holiday Inn Express manager
Russell C. Nelson, Belgrade mayor
Terry Cunningham, Bozeman mayor
Greg Gianforte, Montana governor
Steve Daines, U.S. Senator
Tim Sheehy, U.S. Senator
Ryan Zinke, U.S. Representative
Troy Downing, U.S. Representative