Nov
10
2022
Hotels.com does clearly say the rate is only ‘partially’ non-refundable. And 10% is partial, less than the whole (100%). No lies detected!
Beware Of Deceptive Hotel “Partially Refundable” Rates
Hotels
Category Archives for Hotels.
Hyatt Starts Cancelling Mistake Rate – After Waiting 3 Weeks
Nov
09
2022
I’d have been fine with the reservations being cancelled within a few days of bookings, and not several weeks after those reservations have been made. Simply cancelling reservations after this much time without further accommodation is unacceptable. At a minimum offer a discount rate at the hotel for a standard room or suite, or some points by way of apology – and find a way to address costs that customers are actually incurring as a result of the property’s long wait to decide to cancel the bookings.
Finally! The World’s Most Honest Resort Fee, Hotel Says It Includes ‘Nothing’
Nov
08
2022
Hotels really stretch to list amenities of value that are included in their resort fee, like the Hyatt which claimed it gave you access to the bathroom mirror or the Hilton which included use of the in-room TV.
These backflips are disingenuous at best. So it’s refreshing when a hotel is honest that the resort fee is nothing but an add-on, and provides literally no value to the guest.
Two Marriotts Introduce New Employee Protection Surcharge
Nov
07
2022
Surcharges have exploded at Marriott hotels, as well as other chains. Whether it’s fees to cover the light bulbs in your room, extra charges to cover a hotel’s property tax or gotcha charges for paying a bill by credit card (even Marriott’s own credit card).
Still a fee per night that guests now have to pay to protect housekeepers at the Marriott LAX still surprised me.
Airbnb Trashes Hosts Who Make You Do The Laundry In Announcing Major Changes
Nov
07
2022
Airbnb makes sense in towns where there aren’t suitable hotels. It makes sense to rent a full house for a large family or when traveling with a group of friend. But the current homesharing model is very broken, and as a result choosing Airbnb makes no sense for most stays.
The company understands that and wants to change that. It’s updating how prices are shown, and shaming hosts that impose bizarre conditions on guests. In fact, the co-founder and CEO of Airbnb is shaming owners who make guests do laundry before they leave.
Does Hilton’s Hotel del Coronado Have The Country’s Worst Resort Fee?
Nov
04
2022
I’ve only seen one hotel ever claim that your room rate doesn’t cover use of the bathroom mirror or TV in the room, and that this was covered by a resort fee instead. But when I flagged the stupidity, the hotel addressed it.
Maybe the second-most egregious resort fee I’ve come across belongs to Hilton’s Hotel Del Coronado
Marriott Markets Your Memory Of 9/11 Back To You – For A Hefty Upcharge
Nov
04
2022
In 2013 the San Diego Marriott Mission Valley found its own way of remembering 9/11: 30 minutes of free mini-muffins for guests. I remember thinking at the time at least it wasn’t a Marriott in Manhattan. Context matters, and surely New Yorkers wouldn’t trivialize the event.
Only the Marriott New York Downtown now takes the memory of 9/11 and sells it back to us – at a hefty markup – in the form of a 9/11 Remembrance Package for weekend stays.
Why Buying Marriott Points At 25% Off Is A Fool’s Game
Nov
03
2022
Marriott told us that next year’s award pricing will be worse than what it is today. We should believe them.
The Sad State Of “Daily Housekeeping” At Hotels That Pretend To Still Offer It
Oct
30
2022
IHG Hotels has a training video for housekeepers that explains how to move through a room quickly for ‘daily housekeeping’. Just because a hotel says they offer housekeeping during your stay – either automatically, or only “on request” – doesn’t mean you’re getting the service you think.
What’s most striking to me about the 5-step daily refresh process is the freshener spray at the end of the service. Spraying a smell that signals clean – which usually comes from cleaning supplies being used – seems like great marketing when cleaning supplies are actually used. Spraying the smell to communicate cleaning supplies were used when they weren’t just seems dishonest.
Luxury Hotels Are In An Arms Race Posting Fake Reviews To Outcompete Airbnb
Oct
30
2022
Luxury hotels are more likely to post fake reviews than cheaper properties. That appears to be because people deciding on price are less influenced by reviews, while a decision to drop $500 or more per night on a resort will be influenced by more subjective and experiential elements of a stay.
It used to be that hotels would post fake negative reviews of competitors. But they’ve shifted away from that and more towards posting more fake positive reviews of their own properties, as Airbnb has grown.
