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Fiascos and Fixes
Our consumer advocacy team receives no shortage of complaints from travelers who have experienced problems at a hotel or resort. These issues are often quite dramatic and have ended in a financial hit to the guest. We publish these cautionary tales so that our readers can learn from the information and guidance that we can learn from each fiasco.
During a family trip, Anna Eardley’s son got sick in their hotel room. Really sick – all over the room. After spending the rest of the night cleaning up the mess, she left a hefty tip and drove home at dawn. So why did she later receive an angry call from the manager telling her that she must pay for the extensive damage to the room — including all new carpet?
Searching for the best hotel for your vacation can be challenging, with so many different properties and booking options. Choosing the wrong hotel or booking site can take your trip from one of excitement to a real disappointment. And if it’s a nonrefundable room, you’ll have to pay for that disappointment.
Let’s keep that from happening.
A Canadian Super 8 hotel blindsided Mirko Dulic, accusing him and his boys of damaging the TV in their room. After checking out, the franchise helped itself to $500 from Dulic’s bank account without even a shred of documentation to support its accusations. When pressed to provide some concrete justification for the $500 charge, the management went silent.
And Dulic went straight to our advocacy team for help.
What happens if your hotel price drops after booking your room — by $1,000? That’s what Jackie Ng wants to know.
She booked a hotel in Singapore that dramatically reduced its rates after Ng prepaid for her nonrefundable stay. Ng thought that the Hotels com best rate guarantee would protect her. But the online booking agent swiftly rejected her $1,000 price reduction refund request.
The surprising reason why might leave you as bewildered as Ng.
When Marriott takes over The Stamford Hotel in Auckland, New Zealand, employees discover and throw away some seemingly abandoned luggage. (Surprise! It wasn’t.)
Two weeks later, the owner of those bags turns up at the Marriott looking for her now discarded belongings. Emily G. says the previous management assured her she could safely store her luggage at the hotel while traveling – and never mentioned that the property was about to switch hands.
Now Emily is asking Consumer Rescue for assistance. She values the contents of the suitcases Marriott tossed in the garbage at $5,000 and hopes we can get it.
But does Marriott owe her anything for the bags it trashed, and what should you do if you need to store your luggage abroad? That’s what we’re exploring today.
Linda Ralston has been fighting an expensive hotel billing error for months. Several weeks after her 3-night stay at the Westin La Paloma in Tucson, Arizona, she discovered an extra night’s charge on her credit card. Now her battle seems to have ended in a lost chargeback, with the resort coming out the winner.
But with all the evidence on her side, how did she lose?
Elisa Boyd says her experience at a hotel in Scottsdale, Arizona, has been the most embarrassing of her life. This story begins with two friends on a relaxing desert getaway. But it ends with a mortifying accusation by W Hotel employees and a giant post-stay credit card charge.
Now Elisa wants her name cleared and her money returned.
Elisa’s experience is one more to add to the file of hotel guests blindsided by unexpected and dubious post-stay fees. And it serves as a reminder to make sure to leave your room in the same condition you found it. Otherwise, you might find yourself with hefty and embarrassing charges on your hotel bill — and no way to defend yourself.
Sara Hernadez recently found something critical missing from the all-inclusive resort she booked on Priceline: the inclusive part. After booking the Sheraton Buganvilias All-Inclusive Resort in Puerto Vallarta, she received a confirmation for the Sheraton Buganvilias Convention Center. Her rate included a room — but nothing more.
Now Sara wants Priceline to confirm her reservation for an all-inclusive vacation, as advertised. So why is the company blaming the problem on her?
Could a hotel charge you for fake damage long after you’ve checked out? By the looks of our advocacy team’s files, it seems so.
Imagine this. You’re suffering from a terminal illness and hope to experience some adventures while you’re still able to enjoy them. But then, the COVID pandemic comes along and throws a wrench into your plans. After nearly a year of waiting, things seem to be subsiding, so you take off for a short vacation with your family. Unfortunately, an opportunistic hotel manager has been waiting, too — for unsuspecting guests to hit with hefty fake charges.
What would you do if it happened to you? Give up, or fight back?
If you’re Sherry LaSalle, you choose to fight back — with help from our consumer advocacy team.
Rosalva Paulino recently used Travelocity to book a pleasant-looking historic property in a remote area of Mexico. However, upon arrival at the location, she was confronted by a permanently closed hotel. Complete with blocked entrances and overgrown vegetation, it was clear the hotel had been shuttered for some time. Bewildered, she scrambled to find alternative accommodations on her own.
Rosalva assumed Travelocity would apologize and quickly refund her prepaid reservation for the permanently closed hotel.
She was wrong. Her shock turned to anger when Travelocity rejected the refund request, claiming the hotel refused to approve it.