Hotel Rip Off

shakeydude

Hi,

I am basically being shafted by a hotel in Dublin for All Ireland Final weekend. I booked a room for Saturday and Sunday night and then changed that from Friday to Saturday for an additional fee of €20 because of different rates for different days, all fine. For those 2 nights it was costing €297. Anyway this week I had to cancel the Friday night and the hotel were ok, for 1 night the rate is €230 for Saturday:eek: . I explained that the rate was €150 but they said I had booked it under a special 2 night deal and they would have to cancel my original booking and rebook in on the 1 night deal:mad:

This I thought was a blatant lie but I said ok, send me the details of where I signed up for this 2 night special and I will be glad;) to pay this excessive fee. I basically got 3 emails saying the rate is the rate and there was no evidence as to how I had signed into a 2 night special. i.e. PFO and pay this excessive fee as we can see that you are over a barrel!!!!

I was there telling them just to book me in for 1 night, and the guy at the other end said the computer would not let him book the 1 night even though he was directly in the hotel. In fairness to this guy he was very good and put up with all my ranting...which boards is helping with as well.

In the end what can I do, where can I report this excessive charge????

Cheers,

Shakeydude

wyndham

shakeydude wrote:

In the end what can I do, where can I report this excessive charge????

Nowhere. That is how hotels work.
Chances are they will be left with an empty room for the night you are cancelling.
The majority of hotels in Dublin will not take single night bookings for any Saturday night, let alone an All Ireland Saturday night because they will be left with an empty room on Friday and Sunday. There is sufficient demand for rooms for 2+ nights at the moment that nobody is interested in this type of bookings.

tbh, you booked the wrong nights in the first place and then changed them and now want to cancel one of these. They have been very accommodating to you, particularly given the weekend that's in it.

Keano

Not surpised at the hotel stance. I have had similiar issues with hostels in Dublin. The majority wont let you book just a Saturday night. So you will unfortunately have to grin and bear it :rolleyes:

Oryx

Ive book Saturday nights in Bewleys etc many times without a problem and at the standard nightly rate. So its not an issue for all hotels.

wyndham

KtK wrote:

Ive book Saturday nights in Bewleys etc many times without a problem and at the standard nightly rate. So its not an issue for all hotels.

Bewleys are different in that they are not located anywhere near the city proper, apart from the Ballsbridge hotel, which charges a premium for this, thus they have a different type of demand for rooms. They are not "destination hotels" but stopover hotels. Thus the vast majority of their demand is for 1 night stays.

antoinolachtnai

The profitability of the whole hotel on a big weekend would be wrecked if you allowed saturday night stays at the lowest price. The manager can only sell the friday night or sunday night if he has the saturday night to offer. I think the rate you are being offered is quite reasonable. If I were the hotel manager, I would probably try to avoid giving you the room at any price (though legally, the hotel would be on shaky ground if it did this).

I presume the price you were finally offered was lower than the 'rack rate' which is published as the maximum rate for the hotel.

a.

Churchy

Hotel can probably sell all their rooms on this weekend. Punter messing about rebooking twice - If i was the manager I'd like to see the back of said punter.

Not many weekends a hotel can 100% sell out and their profitability all month could be based around events like this.

eth0_

Churchy wrote:

Punter messing about rebooking twice - If i was the manager I'd like to see the back of said punter.

I agree with you 100%. Changing your booking twice is taking the mickey. He probably wants you to go away so he can sell the two nights to someone who will actually show up and pay for it.

rubadub

Seems normal enough. You were getting 2 nights at a good price. 1 night at the normal price. Administration costs for 2 nights is the same as for 1, so you cant expect a half price. And the room would probably go empty.

dudara

It's a common practice in busy hotels on weekends. It makes economic sense for the hotels if you stop to think about it. They have full occupancy for two nights, and maybe have you in for dinner and drinks in the hotel as well. Maybe you might use the spa if the hotel has one. All extra moolah for the hotel.

RuggieBear

tbh when i worked in a guesthouse we had a 3 night minimum on all ireland weekends with higher prices.

you are taking the piss expecting a single Sat night at a low rate

shakeydude

eth0_ wrote:

I agree with you 100%. Changing your booking twice is taking the mickey. He probably wants you to go away so he can sell the two nights to someone who will actually show up and pay for it.

I really dont understand about taking the mick about changing the booking twice , I asked could I change and they said ok....do you work in the hospitality industry??????????

I never saw anything about booking two nights and if I did then fair enough I made a mistake. I asked them to show me where it was twice and it was never forthcoming. So what am I think other than I am being shafted...(maybe I am more enlightened after this thread).

antoinolachtnai

They didn't show you anything. You asked to book for two nights and they gave you a price for two nights. Then you went back to them apparently assuming that because the price for two nights was X, that the price for one night would be half of X. This turned out not to be the case. I can see how this is disappointing for you, but it's not a ripoff.

shakeydude

All I wanted was evidence that I had signed up for a special 2 night rate because when we did book it each night had an individual rate, but like I say when the evidence was forthcoming other than a response that "the rate is the rate". In fairness to guy on the phone he did spend alot of time with me so I dont know why he didnt produce that

whippet

what evidence are you looking for?

You booked two nights, was given a price and that was it.

You changed your booking and they gave you the price for this new booking. now that you are not happy about it you want evidence?

everybody knows that hotel rates are based on market factors and the 1st and 3rd weekends in sept have all-ireland rates attached to them.

If the hotel we only charging you €5 for the first night and €280 for the second night, that is their pricing structure .. you don't have to accept it.

Have a ring around and see how you get on with other hotels and then make a decision

wyndham

You are going to feel ripped-off anyway when Cork get hammered.

shakeydude

wyndham wrote:

You are going to feel ripped-off anyway when Cork get hammered.

Thanks for the reality check, I really shouldnt put a price on seeing Cork put the 100 years of hurt (and injustice) behind them with a victory over our lovely neighbours;)

Come on the Rebels!!!!!!!!!:D

the_syco

I think the dude ordered two seperate nights, and a nice low price, but then found out that he was lumped with the over-priced "special". Am I right, dude?

wyndham

yep

wyndham

wyndham wrote:

Itoadaso

.