Very disappointing and concerning experience with this hotel’s billing process.
The most ridiculous part happened when we were checking out. The front desk told us that we had purchased some drinks and snacks from the small shop in the hotel lobby and that there was an additional $12 charge on our account.
We clearly stated that we had never purchased anything from the shop. We even told the staff that they could check the security camera footage if necessary to verify whether we had actually made the purchase.
What makes this situation even more concerning is the way the lobby shop appears to handle purchases. It does not seem to be a self-service payment system. As far as we could tell, a guest only needs to provide a room number to charge something to the room. There did not appear to be any verification of the guest’s name, signature, or other proof of purchase. There was also no receipt or other documentation presented to us showing that we had made the purchase.
In other words, based on the system as it was explained to us, simply having a room number recorded does not seem to be sufficient evidence that the actual guest made the purchase. Anyone could potentially provide a room number and have a charge associated with that room.
After discussing the matter with the front desk and disputing the charge, we were explicitly told that we would NOT be charged for it. Based on that assurance, we left the hotel.
A few days later, by coincidence, I found they still charge
Free parking