Hotels and deposits

hoxtonbabe

Morning all,

I posted this in uk holidays and did not really get any replies so maybe someone can help here.

Now, when one books a hotel room online and is a prepaid rate although you may not get charged immediately usually there is no changes or refunds allowed. I booked a room that was £55, and everything was fine, I turned up and was then told to leave a deposit of £60, however I only had the amount for my room, please bear in mind this was a holiday inn express so no chance of running up a mini bar or room service tab!

I was taking the kids legoland and whilst I had the deposit they wanted in cash this was most of my budget for legoland. I pointed out to the duty manager that it does not say anywhere on the intercontinental group booking website or on the rate rules that an extra days deposit or even a percentage will be required for incidentals or damages otherwise I would have either not booked or budgeted accordingly, she then pipes up and says no it doesn't say it at time of booking but on the paperwork when you check in, and they have the right to refuse my booking without giving a refund!

The cheek of it, so let me get this straight, you book a room, you do not inform guests that £xxx extra will be required upon check in and if you do not have then we will still take your money and refuse you your stay. I called guest relations and they also agreed that it is wrong that guests are not actually told at the time of booking but that is policy.

I have no problem with the policy, however surely guests need to be told this at the time of booking so they can make a well informed decision as to weather they can afford the additional charge especially if when you turn up staff threaten you with pay up or sling your hook?!?

This is not my first time at a hotel and I have stayed in both low end to high, and just as recent as 6 weeks ago I stayed at a 5star ( got ridiculously cheap rate from last minute that I am so proud of, lol) and they asked if I wanted to leave my card details and I said no so all They did was block my calls, movies and minibar all of which was fine by me, and I have done this a few times at other hotels without problem.

So I ended up using my spending money as the deposit and it sort of messed up the trip, but for future reference where does one stand on this? Am I right in thinking that if this information is not told at the time of booking then the hotel are in the wrong to expect mr to pay up?

texranger

spreak to trading standards as i am sure that all charges etc. must be displayed clearly at the booking stage.

System

It's not technically a charge as they get the money back so there may be nothing trading standards can do. Things like this really annoy me as obviously you budget for a break and then your budget gets ruined by something stupid like this. Holiday inn express should be ashamed of themselves.

hoxtonbabe

goater78 wrote: »

It's not technically a charge as they get the money back so there may be nothing trading standards can do. Things like this really annoy me as obviously you budget for a break and then your budget gets ruined by something stupid like this. Holiday inn express should be ashamed of themselves.

Hmmm, but charge or not it is not stated on the contract between yourselves and the hotel, it's a bit like you booking a room and then turning up and there was no linen then them telling you you were supposed to bring your own, unless stated you will expect the room to have linen, so with HIE or any hotel unless stated you are not expecting them to "hold" any of your cash, because even when they do it via card I have found some hotels just take the details and other actually hold it and then release it after a few days after check out with no concern as to weather this is something you can afford to actually do, me booking a night at a hotel does not automatically mean I can afford for them to keep £100 or whatever amount for the next few days as they have no clue to my financial commitments.

Hope that didn't sound ars*ey, it just makes my blood boil when I think about the cheeky manager telling me I can
Be refused my stay and my money not refunded for something guests are not made aware of from the start.

System

Yeah its annoying I agree. I just don't see what you can do about it. Alot of hotels do similar things, although I'm surprised the holiday inn express does. If you had refused to stay you could probably have successfully argued to get your money back for the room but as you actually stayed there, paid the deposit and then I assume got it back I can't really see what you can do and I doubt trading standards would do anything, you could give them a try I suppose.

poet123

Is this a practice they always follow or is it down to the discretion of each hotel?

I ask because my OH is a priority customer of the Holiday Inn and as such is supposedly guaranteed a room at any location provided he gives 72 hours notice (according to their website) this didn't happen, and they said it is down to the individual hotel to decide if their were extenuating circs to prevent this being adhered to, even though it is set out clearly in the company T&C's.

He stays with them roughly twice a week, but has never had to pay the deposit you mention.

texranger

goater78 wrote: »

It's not technically a charge as they get the money back so there may be nothing trading standards can do. Things like this really annoy me as obviously you budget for a break and then your budget gets ruined by something stupid like this. Holiday inn express should be ashamed of themselves.

trading standards can as any charges they are wanting including any deposits MUST be displayed clearly while booking.

halibut2209

I had this at the Hilton in Manchester, but that's because I paid for the room in cash. Had to pay £100 deposit which meant the Mrs and I couldn't do anything during our stay (well, not that cost money anyway )

Had I paid by card, then no deposit would be required. Looks like the OP paid cash for the room too.

isplumm

poet123 wrote: »

Is this a practice they always follow or is it down to the discretion of each hotel?


He stays with them roughly twice a week, but has never had to pay the deposit you mention.

I assume that this is down to the fact that a card is given across ???

In the OPs case, if they had handed a card across then that would have been enough.

Mark

hoxtonbabe

The room was paid for by card, but there was only like a fiver left after and as they "hold" the money then there wasn't enough hence the cash deposit. The HIE in question said they "hold" £30 if they have a card and £60 if in cash so either way they would have been charged for something.

My point is that some hotels don't mind not leaving a card for incidentals as they have your details anyway should anything go wrong after check out and others insist on leaving say £30, £50 or £100 which they "hold" but the hotels that insist do not actually state this beforehand which is where it becomes unlawful, yes what is done is done now but that does not mean I should sit back and let hotels insist on money from me that I was not made aware of and basically leaving me in the **** due to having less spending money.

Regardless of if I pay by cash or card ( unless a prepaid rate) most hotels only need a card to guarantee the booking then you can pay by cash however it should still be made clear that £xxx will also be required upon check in for incidentals/deposits, to me it's just common sense and everyone knows where they stand so to speak.

hoxtonbabe

poet123 wrote: »

Is this a practice they always follow or is it down to the discretion of each hotel?

I ask because my OH is a priority customer of the Holiday Inn and as such is supposedly guaranteed a room at any location provided he gives 72 hours notice (according to their website) this didn't happen, and they said it is down to the individual hotel to decide if their were extenuating circs to prevent this being adhered to, even though it is set out clearly in the company T&C's.

He stays with them roughly twice a week, but has never had to pay the deposit you mention.

I think each hotel does whatever it likes from my experience in this particular case I was told they had to take a deposit due to people walking off with stuff quite often there, fine I get that but once again just be clear about it