Melecia J.

I am writing to express my profound disappointment regarding my son's recent DC trip organized by World Strides. Despite paying the same fees as other parents, my son was forced to endure an unacceptable and distressing experience during his stay at the hotel.

Upon arrival on March 13,2023, my son was assigned to a cramped room with four other boys, with only two beds available. To make matters worse, two of the boys promptly claimed the beds, leaving the third to his air mattress and my son with no option but the cold, hard floor to sleep on.

Upon learning of my son's sleeping arrangements, my heart sank. My husband attempted to rectify the situation by purchasing an air mattress from Amazon to be delivered to the hotel. Unfortunately, the hotel accepted the delivery but refused to give it to my son, citing "safety regulations" as their excuse.

I was met with rudeness and apathy when I contacted the manager on duty for assistance. He showed no concern for my son's predicament and insisted that it was not his responsibility, it was not his issue, instead referring me to the program coordinator.

My son has been forced to sleep on the floor for two consecutive nights thus far, an ordeal no child should endure. While I understand that the program may need to place multiple children in a room to make the trip more affordable, it is inconceivable that any parent would be okay with their child sleeping on the floor.

I implore World Strides to take immediate action to rectify this situation and ensure that future trips are more comfortable for all participants. Parents should be offered an additional option to pay extra for a room with fewer children so that each child can have a bed rather than being subjected to such deplorable conditions.

I sincerely hope that World Strides takes these concerns seriously and takes swift and appropriate action to rectify this unacceptable situation.