Category Archives for Hotels.
This middle school teachers’ account showed a negative balance of more than $1 million when a $1,002,852.82 charge was placed on their debit card at an Americas Best Value Inn in Blytheville, Arkansas. The hotel says their credit card terminal was hacked.
A 24-year old Orthodox Jewish traveler from New York, in London for a friend’s wedding, filmed the TV in his room at the Travelodge London Manor House showing a welcome screen that included “Free Palestine.” A second visibly Jewish guest, staying in another room, reported the same message and that front desk staff was hostile at check-in.
Memphis lets certain hotels add a 5% “tourism” tax to guest bills — but unlike ordinary hotel taxes, much of the money goes back to the same hotel to fund renovations, expansion, or redevelopment. It looks like a mandatory government charge, but economically it’s a hidden room-rate increase with city approval.
Hyatt held its investor day on Thursday and they shared that they are “targeting Germany and Spain” for cobrand credit cards and that they’re looking at the UK, Japan, and Mexico markets for cards as well.
Wedding guests booked nearly $64,000 at a new Marriott-branded hotel after being promised it was ready. They arrived to no AC, exposed wiring, plumbing failures, sewer smells, and doors that would not lock — and Marriott corporate said it was the hotel’s problem.
Park Hyatt Sydney and Park Hyatt Tokyo are classic city hotels, but Hyatt now lets them classify themselves as resorts — a designation that can let them dodge guaranteed 4 p.m. late checkout for Globalists. That turns one of World of Hyatt’s most valuable elite benefits into something properties can sidestep at will.
A California hotel clerk saw Israeli passports at check-in, confronted the guests as “Zionists” and “baby killers,” filmed the exchange, and then posted it himself. The hotel says he no longer works there — but the video captures exactly why guests should not have to pass a political loyalty test to get a room.
Hyatt’s big award chart overhaul is now live, and members are already seeing free nights price up to 67% higher at some top hotels. But Hyatt itself warned that this year’s changes are only the setup: the new five-tier pricing structure is in place now, and the broader damage doesn’t hit until next year.
Hilton used to rely on promotions to make Honors earning competitive. Now the points are worth less, the bonuses are smaller, and this summer’s offer can amount to just $2 a night — or less.
Marriott elite upgrades are supposed to be a loyalty benefit. But hotels are increasingly turning better rooms and suites into auctions, asking even top-tier members to bid for upgrades they expected to receive free — and warning that dozens of other guests may already be competing for the same rooms.
Gary Leff is one of the foremost experts in the field of miles, points, and frequent business travel -- a topic he has covered since 2002.
Co-founder of frequent flyer community InsideFlyer.com, emcee of the Freddie Awards, and named one of the "World's Top Travel Experts" by Conde' Nast Traveler (2010-Present) Gary has been a guest on most major news media, profiled in several top print publications, and published broadly on the topic of consumer loyalty. More About Gary »
