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In strange Inauguration Day spat, hotel takes a hard line while customer care caves

January 30, 2009

Here’s a strange case involving the presidential inauguration, a Courtyard by Marriott property in Washington, and Marriott’s customer care department.

Earlier this month, Lynita Robinson booked a non-refundable room at Courtyard Capitol Hill/Navy Yard for the night of Jan. 20. Then she discovered that all personal vehicles would be prohibited from entering Washington from Virginia on that day because of the presidential inauguration.

I called the hotel and spoke to the general manager. I told her I was from Texas and at the time that I made the booking, I was unaware of the bridge closures into Washington, DC and that I have no way of getting to this hotel to check-in. She told me that this is an unprecedented event and that it is a new experience for us all, but that she could not cancel my reservation nor prevent the $572 room charge.

Unhappy with that answer, she wrote a letter to the hotel, requesting a refund. Same answer.

As we discussed yesterday when we spoke on the phone, because your reservation had restrictions on it that collected full payment and did not allow cancellation, refund, or changes, I am not able to refund the money. While I understand that traffic and road closures in Washington, DC are going to challenging on that day, those restrictions were in place when your reservation was made on January 9, 2009.

At this point, Robinson asked me for help.

I reviewed her correspondence, and told her that while I agreed that the Courtyard could keep her money, it had accepted her reservation without adequate disclosure. If the roads to your hotel are closed, you need to tell your guests and allow them to make a booking decision based on those facts. Marriott hadn’t done that.

I suggested Robinson contact Marriott’s customer care department. She called its toll-free number and after explaining her problem, a representative suggested she dispute her credit card bill.

Excuse me?

An interesting twist. A hotel is taking a hard line, but the corporate customer care department is caving in? Was Robinson stepping into some kind of intramural squabble at Marriott?

I recommended that she get Marriott’s position in writing. Having an email would be the rough equivalent of a letter of credit, and would allow her credit card company to settle the dispute in her favor and process a refund quickly.

Amazingly, she did. Marriott sent her an email saying win or lose, it would try to help.

Should your credit card company decide in your favor, your credit card company will refund the charge. If they decline your request and you provide documentation to us indicating you have lost your dispute, I will be happy to provide a complimentary night voucher valid at any Courtyard in the United States or Canada.

What is going on here?

Is this Courtyard managed by Marriott or is it a rogue property flying the wrong flag?

Is it possible that the presidential inauguration was test case for hotels imposing airline-like restrictions on their rooms? Based on this case and several others like it, I think the answer may be yes.

If it is, then hotels are stealing more than one page from the airline playbook. By failing to disclose important restrictions, they are in danger of alienating their best customers at the worst possible time.

Christopher Elliott is the author of Scammed: How to Save Your Money and Find Better Service in a World of Schemes, Swindles, and Shady Deals. Critics have called it “eye-opening” and “inspiring” — it’ll “grab your attention and won’t let go.” Order your copy now on Amazon, Barnes & Noble or iTunes.

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28 comments

  • Mike

    That is odd indeed. What I find slightly disturbing though is that while their CS department basically said to dispute the charges, it also said that if she loses they would give her a free night that would be worth significantly less than the $572 she had to pay out. At that point, the hotel chain would have still made a lot of money even with the free room.

    I would also like to know if the hotel kept a room free for Lynita. It would seem that in a time when rooms were at such a premium that the hotel may have just turned around and offered her room to someone else. If the hotel was then full, they would have no reason to keep her money.

  • SirWired

    I just thought I would point out that it was by no means impossible to enter the city. While the VA bridges were closed (they are all quite close to downtown), the city was easily accessible. (Okay, it was accessible as any city could be on such a day.) In addition, even on a normal day, the VA bridges are not the best way to that hotel. (Just check Google Maps.)

    Not even all of the bridges into the city were closed. There were three bridges over the Anacostia open (the Anacostia is the river that forms the Eastern border, and those are the crossings closest to her hotel.)

    The ideal open route would have been the Sousa/PA Ave. bridge over the Anacostia (that bridge was open to all traffic) and then the SE Frwy -> I St -> 8th St -> M St -> Hotel. This is not much farther out of the way than a normal day. (She would have to do all this after 6PM on the big day, due to M St. being shut.)

    Certainly if the whole city was sealed off on the big day, she would have a case, but there were plenty of ways to get to her hotel via car.

    SirWired

  • rich

    In this case I think the customer could have been a bit more savvy as well. Common sense says there are going to be disruptions at such an unprecedented event with all the security theater we have today, and before parting with $572 anybody with any savvy at all would find out what those are.

  • ct

    I think Robinson failed to use some common sense and creativity in this situation.

    For starters, the inauguration had been hyped since Obama won in November. The number of people expend to attend ranged from 1 to 4 million in the weeks before the event. And the unprecedented security preparations for it had been all over the news. To expect to be able to drive into the middle of it all – to Capitol Hill, no less – without problems is ludicrous.

    And while access to the District from Virginia via the four bridges was prohibited for personal vehicles, the District is not an island, and access from Maryland was not impeded at all. Robinson could have asked for directions to the hotel that avoided the road closures. It might have taken a bit longer to get there, but she could have gotten there. (People I spoke to who drove on Inauguration Day said traffic was light because so many people heeded the organizers’ requests to take public transportation.) Also, the bridges in question eventually re-opened to all vehicles in the evening after the swearing-in ceremony and parade were finished and the majority of crowds had left.

    And speaking of public transportation, Navy Yard is a Metro station and happens to be quite close to that Courtyard Marriott. Robinson could have asked about taking public transportation to the hotel. While Metro parking lots filled up very early on Inauguration Day, Robinson could have explored other parking options. Paying to park at another hotel, private garage, or even National Airport in Virginia and taking (a very crowded) Metro or a cab or bus (both of which were permitted to cross at least some of the bridges) into the city.

    While the hotel probably could have offered more advice, the responsibility for (not) getting to the hotel really rests with Robinson. Marriott seems pretty far in the right in this situation.

  • Sevenseat

    I have to agree with the hotel in this case. The crowds in DC were not unexpected. The city was not sealed off to all vehicle traffic, and the hotel was accessible via public transit. I don’t see a valid reason for her to get her $572 back. This would be like me making a nonrefundable reservation in New York City for Thanksgiving Day and then wanting a refund because the Macy’s Parade made driving in the city difficult.

  • http://www.singleparenttravel.net John F

    I am agreeing with the hotel on this one as well. Sure they could have provided some more customer service since it was an unprecedented event, but really is it now the responsibility of a hotel to inquire how you are planning to arrive at the hotel–planes, trains, or automobiles?

  • Passing Through

    I’m siding with the hotel. Maryland has roads too, ya know. (As bad as they are)

  • Monica

    My question is how is she getting here? If she’s from Texas, is she flying? If so, to which airport? If she was flying into DCA, she wouldn’t need to rent a car, and could simply cruise around on the metro. Even if she flew into Dulles, a taxi ride could get her to the nearest metro station reasonably priced. Both options are still cheaper than renting a car. I get the impression that she is traveling alone, so driving a personal vehicle that kind of distance is unlikely.

    On the map/transportation section of the hotel’s webiste, it clearly shows that this is accessable from a metro station. If she had done all her research on this, she might have made a few smarter decisions. The hotel should have noted it clearly on the website, though. Living in the DC area myself, I knew for weeks in advance of road closings, and they were posted on dozens of local news, television, and transportation websites.

    I can say I agree with the hotel on this one… however, if the hotel was able to rebook the room to another guest, then they shouldn’t be doubling their profit and should refund the money.

  • Joe Farrell

    OK, so the road closures are public. The flight restrictions? Public. All of this information was readily [and I mean readily - it was not a secret and easily found] available to someone with internet access, which the OP obviously had.

    For weeks the press has been reporting what a zoo DC was going to be for this event. Millions o people. cats. dogs. the whole schebang.

    Now, Chris wants us to feel sorry for someone, yet again, who did not engage all of her brain cells: ‘gee officer, you have to open this bridge just for me, I have a hotel reservation.’

    I’m sure I’ll get pilloried for this too – but hey – Lynita Robinson, too . . damn . . bad. You made a non-refundable reservation – get to the hotel or lose the money – what part of that is unclear.

    you could have flown in.

    you could have driven in from Maryland

    You could have taken Greyhound, Amtrak, a taxi, VRE from Manassas, driven to an outlying Metro station.

    You have plenty of options, and if you were ignorant about them, then why is that Marriotts fault?

    Again, Chris, you keep posting these sob stories that are nothing but the ignorance of the poster. . .

    The ONLY exception I would see is if the hotel was sold out that night – then – they lost nothing – unless the sold the room for less than $572. . . then she needs to pay the difference between what they sold it for and what she reserved it for.

  • Craig D

    Who do we blame for climate change? Corporations. Perhaps we should instead blame those who must drive from the airport to their hotel in one of the best-connected cities for public transportation.

  • Lianne

    Everyone’s posting that the hotel is in the right to keep the money (which I agree with, for all reasons previously stated) If the hotel wants to provide a refund as a goodwill gesture because they resold the room then that would be all well and good.

    However no one seems to commenting on Marriott Corporate’s bizzare response. Dispute it with your credit card? WHAT? Either the property is right and corporate should back it or its wrong and corporate should offer a refund. Or if corporate wants to offer a refund as goodwill it should just offer it. “Dispute with your credit card and if it doesn’t work out we’ll give you a voucher” is NOT an acceptable response!

  • Carver

    I’m more sympathetic to Lynita. This was an unprecedented event and I believe that some amount of grace is appropriate. WhenI first read the post, it stated that all access from Virgina was closed. I initially misread it as all access was closed. So I guess she could have gone through Maryland.

    For a while I thought I was on Flyertalk. Such vitriolic remarks. Its nice to know that none of my fellow posters ever make mistakes or need a helping hand.

    If Lynita is not a regular traveler then these various options may not present themselves as readily as to others, more sophisticated and travelers.

  • http://www.ffocus.org Mr Bad Example

    There’s that “NON-REFUNDABLE” word again.

    She tried to save about $40.00 and the verbiage is very clear on Marriott’s web site. She gambled and lost.

    The fact that Marriott Customer Care is trying to be fair is nice and I hope the customer appreciates it.

    Sorry but the lack of disclosure, airline mentality argument doesn’t hold water to me. If the customer had time to surf the web looking for the cheapest rate then she had time to call the hotel and perform some due diligence prior to clicking .

    Now she would have a very strong case if she had called and the information was not disclosed.

  • Bela Fleck

    To be the devil’s advocate here, it’s not like the hotel would have been unable to resell the room. The city was very crowded with visitors. As a goodwill gesture, it would have been very easy for them to refund her money and then even more easily recouped it in short order, and frankly they probably could and would have sold the room for even more than they got out of her. And maybe she would have come back on a future date because she would remember their generosity in a tough situation. She’ll probably take her future business elsewhere, remembering the hard line they decided to take instead. It was a bad business decision, even if it was “technically” correct.

  • Matthew

    Suggesting a chargeback is not appropriate. The cardholder did not use the room, but that is do to no fault of the hotel.

    Why should anyone but the traveler be out the money? The hotel did nothing wrong, it did not prevent her from using the room. The card issuer did nothing wrong they simply handled the transaction the traveler requested.

    The offer from corporate to provide a voucher is nice, but certainly not required. Where did the traveler stay, it is never revealed.

    I make hotel researvations all the time an never have I been told that there might be road works, bridge closures, rain, a plague of locust, nor am I ever asked how I plan to drag myself and my cases to their front desk. The airline does not ask me how I am getting to the airport, the restaurant does not ask me if I am going to brush my teeth – why does this traveler think they should transform into her mother for this event.

    Not to be rude, but if I found I could not use a hotel room (even if for reasons I misunderstood) I would find a friend, relative, co-worker, or even a vagrant to bed down there for the night. If the hotel refused to give the room to the replacement traveller who has a letter of authorization from the original guest then it may be time to think of a charge back, but asking for money back because you didn’t feel like taking public transit, or were unaware of traffic re-routing is certainly worth a try, but certainly no guarantee.

  • Joseph

    If I were Marriott, I wouldn’t give her back any money, and would dispute any chargeback. There are numerous ways that she could have made her way into the city. She should have known that it would be hard for her to get into the city on that day. I have no sympathy for her, she simply did not want to be even slightly inconvenienced.

  • Jasper

    1) The beltway bridges (I-495) were not closed, so Lynita could have driven to the Maryland side to get to her hotel. Even if the bridges were closed, there was plenty of transit available.

    2) The bridges were only closed on inauguration day. Arriving on inauguration day is bad planning.

    3) The hotel can not beheld responsible for all the road closures. It was well known in advance that the inauguration would be a crazily busy event, and that getting around DC was going to be a hassle.

    4) The hotel could have been nicer, and offered a refund. All hotels were near capacity anyway, and chances were large they could have resold the room.

    5) (Marriott) Customer care does not make sense. Not surprising.

    Last: Can I have some applause for the inauguration crowd and metro? 1.2 million people have a party, get safe in an out of town, and all that with virtually no violence of any sort. Try that in Europe.

  • Dave

    I agree with everything Jasper said. The website should have at least linked to something with the road closings, but there were many other ways she could have gotten into the city. Planning to arrive the day before the ceremony would not have been a bad idea either. In the end, its her reponsibility to get to the hotel. If she doesn’t show up and she had a non-refundable reservation, the hotel should keep her money and re-sell the room.

  • Carver

    @Dave

    That’s the one thing the hotel cannot do. I can’t keep the money AND resell the room. That’s double dipping and strictly prohibitted. If the hotel keeps the money then the room is hers until the next day. If the hotel resells the room,i.e. the last room in its class, then a refund is due.

  • Roland

    I side with the customer in this case for a reason which no one has mentioned yet. When the customer called to tell them that it looked like it was going to be impossible to reach the hotel that day, the hotel apparently agreed with with the customer and didn’t challenge their conclusion that it wouldn’t be possible to reach the hotel. They didn’t say “ah, just take the Beltway and approach from the Maryland side.” If they had, they’d be off the hook, but they didn’t, which was negligent on their part, at least if the customer is reporting the conversation correctly. As well, no one can legally hold the customer responsible for knowing that DC would be crazy that day. It’s a free country and you don’t have to listen to the news. Being able to reach a hotel by car is (in America) such a fundamental aspect of a booking that I think a small claims court would uphold the customer’s right to a refund here.

  • David Z

    If the roads to your hotel are closed, you need to tell your guests and allow them to make a booking decision based on those facts.

    Did Ms. Robinson book her reservation before or after the Inauguration date was announced? If after, when or how was everyone in Washington notified that personal vehicles won’t be allowed that time?

    I’m probably not searching hard enough, but I’m having trouble determining when did all that exactly happen.

    While we’re at that, we might as well get gun dealers to state online or their tangible sales brochures what states don’t allow guns (if any) in, tell coffee shops like Starbucks to state not to put coffee inbetween your lap when driving, etc. That’s a lot of telling to practically do, and I’d be impressed if all of you can do that on your respective fields.

    And that’s some “weird” response from Marriott, too. But I guess the first part was to explain what might happen, while the second is what they’ll do if things don’t work out.

    And correct me if I’m wrong since I don’t completely remember this part. But won’t doing a chargeback possibly affect your credit standing in the U.S.?

  • Lianne

    >>And correct me if I’m wrong since I don’t completely remember this part. But won’t doing a chargeback possibly affect your credit standing in the U.S.?<<

    No, requesting a chargeback due due to a dispute of servce/goods should not affect your credit standing in and of itself.

    HOWEVER some businesses will then report your chargeback as an unpaid debt to the credit bureaus. I believe their contracts with the credit card companies are supposed to prevent them from doing so, but some will any way just to screw with someone they believe owes them money. You would then need to contact the credit bureaus and dispute the debt.

    On another note…I believe that if a business has a successful chargeback against them, the business is then assessed a penalty fee by the CC company…making Marriott’s response even stranger.

  • Ian

    If she booked the room on January 9 and was only coming from VA, it’s pretty bizarre to think she hadn’t heard about the many, many road closures.

  • Sevenseat

    “Did Ms. Robinson book her reservation before or after the Inauguration date was announced? If after, when or how was everyone in Washington notified that personal vehicles won’t be allowed that time?”

    The 20th Ammendment to the Constitution: “The terms of the President and Vice President shall end at noon on the 20th day of January”.

    So, is has been January 20 since the 1937 inauguration of FDR.

  • David Z

    The 20th Ammendment to the Constitution: “The terms of the President and Vice President shall end at noon on the 20th day of January”.

    So, is has been January 20 since the 1937 inauguration of FDR.

    Not to be nitpicky, but my next question is how many people knew or proactively learned that? Did the property know that also when Ms. Robinson booked?

    As of this comment, the earliest “notification” I found was the Washington Post’s online version about December 20. If Marriott didn’t know that (either on or offline) when Ms. Robinson made the reservation, then how were they supposed to tell her or any user about that prior to purchasing?

    It would’ve been nice if Marriott notified its customers that time cars won’t be allowed or so after it found out. But if one doesn’t even have to watch the news, then I guess Marriott doesn’t really have to send an alert if they don’t feel like it either.

    I mean, we can pretty much tell people what they “should” do. But it’s really up to each one to decide whether to do so or not, especially if it’s not part of what’s agreed upon.

    A thousand pardons if I’m not really making sense. :)

  • Joe Farrell

    @Roland – so now a hotel has to be a travel agent and traffic cop? Sure, could they have helped out and explained it? Yep. Perhaps the $8 per hour desk clerk she talked to had NO CLUE as to what traffic options there were because they live in the area or, simply, as is common with many service jobs now, simply did not give a hoot.

    We are not talking niceties and courtesies, we are talking legal rights and common sense.

    @ David Z – are you really that clueless? Sorry, it seems rude, and it is, but ‘when the inauguration date was ‘announced”? While Obama may not technically have become President until he completed the oath on Jan 21, the terms of the Bush and Cheney have been scheduled to end at noon 1/20/2009 since 1/20/2005 when he was sworn in for his second term.

    Yet another public school graduate makes it into the workforce and is somehow eligible to vote.

  • Sevenseat

    My point exactly. It has been January 20 for 72 years.

  • David Z

    are you really that clueless?

    I guess I am. But that’s because I’m not U.S.-based, and I’m not a public school graduate. :)

    Going back, I think my actual question should’ve been “did Marriott know personal vehicles aren’t allowed when Ms. Robinson booked?” Again, if they didn’t know prior, how were they supposed to inform her of that?

    Common sense? Heck, I’ve observed common sense isn’t as common nowadays here and abroad.

    BTW, the travel agency I work with didn’t post anywhere or inform users cars won’t be let through in Washington during the Inauguration. But we were notified of such around mid-January (I think) so I don’t know how we’re supposed to tell those who booked before that.

    (Yeah, yeah, I shouldn’t be commenting on things I’m not knowledgable about. But one can question, right?

    If one finds it stupid, then one isn’t obligated or forced to reply.)

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