Comments on: Walking down: 5 tips for avoiding the latest hotel scam

By: Tom

Tom — Thu, 28 May 2009 22:45:59 +0000

Number 5: “Be nice” can lead the lambs to the slaughter. My experience has been that being firm and direct is far more effective than being nice in getting what you’ve paid for from the hospitality (and I use that word loosely) industry.

Tell them what you were expecting and why and then ask why you should accept less. Be nice when you approach the counter be less so if they expect you to accept being ripped off.

By: Jennifer

Jennifer — Wed, 27 May 2009 20:34:45 +0000

When I was young, my family went to the Plaza in NY. My family had confirmed and prepaid for our one room for 5 of us (2 adults, 2 small kids and one baby) but our flight was very delayed and we didn’t get there until 1am.

Luckily, the Plaza didn’t ‘walk’ us; while our “cheap” room was gone, there was one room left in the whole building, the Presidential Suite or what I believe is now called the Royal Plaza Suite. Anyways, it was bigger than our house, had 2 or 3 fireplaces, and was amazing to us kids who were in the big city for the first time (I’m from North Dakota).

I saw my first homeless people too, but my parents wouldn’t let me invite them to our room, which had extra beds, telling me that we were guests of the hotel so we weren’t allowed to invite anyone without their permission. Sigh… the doorman wouldn’t take me seriously being that I was only 5, and once my parents figured out I was trying to get permission, they rushed me through the lobby. Home Alone 2 is likely the closest I will ever get to there again. :D

By: Lisa

Lisa — Tue, 19 May 2009 03:29:39 +0000

I had a crazy experience about seven years ago in Palm Springs, CA. My girlfriends and I were in town for a music festival and we booked our hotel room (at a mid-level family type hotel) months in advance. We called in the afternoon of our scheduled check-in to tell them that we’d be checking in late, after the festival, and they said that was fine and they’d hold our room. Unfortunately, when we tried to check in after midnight we were told that not only was the hotel full, so were all the hotels for an hour’s drive. We told them we weren’t leaving, and the manager ended up allowing us to sleep in a storage room that had a pull-out couch for a few hours until a room opened up. It was definitely NOT ideal and an experience I would never want to repeat, but we did end up with a room (at about five A.M.) and they didn’t end up charging us anything, so, being young and adventurous, we felt like it all worked out in the end!

By: Carver

Carver — Tue, 12 May 2009 23:28:27 +0000

@Victor

That sounds like a great idea.

By: Victor

Victor — Tue, 12 May 2009 23:05:13 +0000

if you’re absolutely afraid of an overbooked hotel. call before your reservation (few days, the day before, doesnt matter)

and make a few requests, for example a room without feathers, or tons of extra pillows, etc.

point is they will “put” you in this room far before you arrive and the room should not be given away because of the special requests.
(i used to work at both hilton and marriott)

By: Andre K.

Andre K. — Tue, 12 May 2009 16:20:10 +0000

Two weeks ago I came across a post about a similar situation in which a customer who booked through Hotwire got the “walk down” by a Holiday Inn.

At this point I didn’t understand who was at fault and I recommended that he contact you. Now that you posted this article to help me understand this tactic, I know that the hotel is the one likely the one at fault. Hopefully he sees the link I posted to this article.

Here is a link to the post:
http://www.my3cents.com/showReview.cgi?id=54350

By: Jim_J

Jim_J — Tue, 12 May 2009 13:10:20 +0000

Why would anyone use a “travel agent” like CheapTickets? Look at their prices. Usually, there is nothing “cheap” in what they offer. They and most other online sites will handle your reservation and many times will charge you extra for the privilege of doing business with them. They often do not perform the services of a traditional travel agent such as taking care of their clients when a “situation” arises.

If I am taking a simple domestic trip, I may check on online site to help determine where I want to stay, but will go to the provider’s web-site to book the travel. I would rather be a direct customer with the airline or hotel chain than have the name of a “travel agency” that will not act as an advocate for me if needed on my reservation record . If the trip is to a foreign country or is a complicated domestic one, I will work with “brick and mortar” travel agent in my neighborhood.

By: Carver

Carver — Tue, 12 May 2009 08:14:39 +0000

I concur about booking through the hotel website. I’ve basically given up on using third party sites. The hotel appreciates it as it povides higher revenue for the hotel and there are fewer parties handling the reservation, i.e. few places for errors to happen.

By: Chicky

Chicky — Mon, 11 May 2009 14:31:37 +0000

Unfortunately, I don’t travel enough to rate platinum status for any loyalty program. Tinfoil status, maybe. :)

But I do always call the hotel to confirm they received my reservation and that there are no problems. Plus, I usually also book through the hotel’s own Web site, which seems to cut down on the problems, for some reason.

And as always: being nice is often your best “weapon.” People will, indeed, go a little farther for someone who is being nice than for the individual who has just gone ballistic. It might not work, but it never hurts.

By: Carver

Carver — Sun, 10 May 2009 19:47:16 +0000

I agree that being nice is always the best policy. But in reality, the best defense against being walked is to be an elite member of the loyalty program. For example, marriott will pay for the first nights room and give you up to $200 additional, depending on the brand. Here is the platinum guarantee at full service marriott brands.

If unable to honor reservation, the hotel will pay for your accommodations that night at a nearby comparable hotel and compensate the member for the inconvenience. Compensation varies by lodging brand (see below):
At Marriott Hotels & Resorts; Renaissance Hotels & Resorts; Marriott Conference Centers; Marriott Vacation Club International; and Horizons by Marriott Vacation Club: Alternative accommodations, plus $200 and 2 free room certificates.