Charged for an Extra Night Because of a DND Sign?!

[WaltD4Me]

I meant to post this sooner, but this is the first chance I've had!

I'm dying to know if that has ever happened to anyone else........

I took a short notice trip to Disney in early May for my birthday. I wound up staying at The Grosvenor in DTD because I couldn't get a room for the last night of our stay on property and didn't want to switch hotels for one night.

Anyway, for a short 4 night trip the Grosvenor wasn't too bad, I loved being able to walk over to DTD, but from now on, I'm strictly a "on property girl."

When I got my CC bill the charge for the hotel was about $150 more than it should have been...of course I called and found out I was charged for five nights instead of four, they said it showed that I extended our stay!
I explained I didn't extend the stay and left on Friday May 13th as planned. They called me later and told me I was charged for an extra night because housekeeping reported a DO NOT DISTRUB sign was hanging on my door!
Now, when we left I had packages that had been sent from WDW shops at the desk. I went to pick them up and told the girl we were also checking out, she asked my name and room number and said she would take care of it, I didn't wait for anything on paper because our limo driver showed up a little early and was waiting for me. I didn't think anything of it. I was shocked when they told me why I was charged an extra night! So basically if you forget to take off your DND sign, they never check and never clean the room?!

I had to fax them proof that I left when I did. I emailed the town car company and they emailed me back with a confirmation that they picked me up on Friday and luckily I found our check in tickets from the airport in my carry-on that showed the date and time. They did credit me, but what a hassle!

 

[Alicnwondrln]

wow
at least you got it cleared up
i only like the hilton and double tree guest suites at DTD
all the other places i hav had good luck with or have heard enough bad stuff to make me not go

how else was the stay any other issues?

 

[WaltD4Me]

how else was the stay any other issues?

The Grosvenor is ok for a short trip. I stayed there in 1998 too and really liked the convienance of walking over to DTD. If staying at a DTD hotel ever came up again though, I'd probably go with the Hilton or Wyndham.

I wouldn't stay there for a trip of more than 3 or 4 nights, especially since the rates really go up on the weekends! I paid $65 a night Monday thru Thursday and the extra $150 was because the rate went up to $135 for the Friday night I wasn't even there. I can't imagine paying $135 for that place!

We were hardly at the hotel for more than sleeping this trip so it was fine, but I doubt I'll stay there again after what happened. They were nice the whole time I was trying to straighten it out, but it's still ridculous. What if I had just gone to the parks for the day and forgot the dumb DND sign, that means I'd come back to a dirty room?

Oh and GET THIS.......I was with my niece and they don't even have the Disney Channel in the room, so she talked me into renting a movie on the TV.
They had very few kid's movies, but they listed Snow White, Aladdin and I think maybe Cinderella? Anyway, I rented Aladdin for her (for $8.95!) and.....
IT WASN'T DISNEY'S ALADDIN!!!!!! It was some very old, non-Disney version! Can you believe it?! I called the desk and they removed it and I rented Robots for her instead!

 

[Alicnwondrln]

thats cheesy

 

[gjw007]

What if I had just gone to the parks for the day and forgot the dumb DND sign, that means I'd come back to a dirty room?

The hotel would have given you exactly what you asked for. The hotel staff could not know what your intent was other than what was indicated. I don't know of any motel/hotel that would have gone into the room to clean it with a DND sign.

Having spent 10 years working at various motels, the only thing that I question is why the front desk didn't call the room and confirm whether you were staying an extra day or were indeed checking out assuming that it had no indication that you were staying over an extra day. Many times guests would tell housekeeping that they were staying over and this would be relayed to the front desk. I'm assuming that this is what happened here as housekeeping then assumed that you were staying over and relayed this to the front desk.

 

[Disney Ella]

The hotel would have given you exactly what you asked for. The hotel staff could not know what your intent was other than what was indicated. I don't know of any motel/hotel that would have gone into the room to clean it with a DND sign.

.

Well, the AKL does! When we were there in November, I put a DND sign on the door because we wanted to get our breakfast from Mara and eat it in the room. By the time we got back, housekeeping was in the room - totally ignored the DND sign.

If someone is supposed to be checking out and the DND sign is on the door, then it seems to me that the smart thing to do is to call the room a few times and then go in if you aren't getting an answer.

 

[floridagirrl2]

What if I had just gone to the parks for the day and forgot the dumb DND sign, that means I'd come back to a dirty room?

Yes! If you leave a Do Not Disturb sign on your door, you CANNOT expect housekeeping services. DH and I leave the sign up frequently for that reason (we're generally only at hotels for 2-3 nights since we do mostly weekend trips, and just want fresh towels, which we exchange when we see housekeeping in the hallway, rather than the full cleaning).

The only time housekeeping has EVER come in to clean when we had a DND sign on the door was when we stayed at the Dolphin last December for 3 nights. They came in on the 3rd day.

However, I do think it was very strange that you were charged for an extra day due to the sign!

 

[poohbear2]

But didn't you return your room card? I would think that if they had your room key or cards etc they would have realized you had checked out? Or am I missing something?

 

[WaltD4Me]

The hotel would have given you exactly what you asked for. The hotel staff could not know what your intent was other than what was indicated. I don't know of any motel/hotel that would have gone into the room to clean it with a DND sign.

Well, I travel quite a bit and I am not an early riser and there have been many, many times housekeeping has called or knocked to check if someone was in the room when I've had a DND sign on the door in the afternoon. This happens to me all the time in Las Vegas of all places and also happened to me at Disney's POFQ when I stayed in the room with my nephew who wasn't feeling good.

But didn't you return your room card? I would think that if they had your room key or cards etc they would have realized you had checked out? Or am I missing something?

No, I didn't return my room card. I accidently left it in the room. I did tell the front desk clerk I was checking out though when I was picking up my packages delivered from WDW. My limo driver showed up 15 minutes early and when I mentioned it to the desk clerk, she asked for my name and room number and said she would take care it. I didn't waiit for any receipt or anything, but I've done that before without a problem.

Yes! If you leave a Do Not Disturb sign on your door, you CANNOT expect housekeeping services.

I wouldn't EXPECT housekeeping service, but I'd be a little surprised. I was much more surprised at being charged for an extra night simply based on the DND sign though. I don't see how you can charge someone based only on that, what if they sign had fallen off the door next door and someone picked it up and hung it on my door? I'm sorry, but they should have checked before just assuming I was extending my stay.

 

[CarolA]

We were hardly at the hotel for more than sleeping this trip so it was fine, but I doubt I'll stay there again after what happened. They were nice the whole time I was trying to straighten it out, but it's still ridculous. What if I had just gone to the parks for the day and forgot the dumb DND sign, that means I'd come back to a dirty room?

:

Yes, and that is not just this hotel but ANY hotel. If you put the DND sign on a room door they will normally not clean it. At SOME hotels they will call to confirm, but if you aren't there then the assumption is that you don't want the room cleaned. Some folks do not have thier rooms cleaned for whatever reason.

 

[Foladar]

Yes, and that is not just this hotel but ANY hotel. If you put the DND sign on a room door they will normally not clean it. At SOME hotels they will call to confirm, but if you aren't there then the assumption is that you don't want the room cleaned. Some folks do not have thier rooms cleaned for whatever reason.

Sometimes you have the room a mess, or just don't trust the housekeeping.

 

[CarolA]

Personally if they come in my room with the DND sign on the door, I am on the phone to management. I had it there for a REASON!!! Sometimes I am working in the room and just don't want to be bothered.

Of course, my experience at the Dolphin was they didn't clean the room even without the DND sign (and this happened to me twice!)

 

[Toni300z]

Wow. So glad that it worked out for ya tho!

 

[AJKMOM]

When we stayed at the Royal Pacific, they weren't even supposed to bring us the milk and cookies if we had the DND sign on the door knob. I always wonder why anyone would bother someone who had that sign out.

 

[Brian Noble]

Housekeeping will often knock, even with a DND, because they don't want to have to go back and clean the room later if you leave mid-day and call down to request service.

Being interrupted with a DND has happened to me at every class of hotel, so often that I don't even bother complaining any more.

 

[disneysteve]

Personally if they come in my room with the DND sign on the door, I am on the phone to management. I had it there for a REASON!!! Sometimes I am working in the room and just don't want to be bothered.

I agree. You can be darn sure I'd be at the front desk complaining if housekeeping came knocking when the DND sign was out. And I'd really complain if they came into the room. What's the point of having the DND signs if the hotel staff isn't going to pay any attention to them?

As for the OP, that's ridiculous. Did the hotel have express checkout where they leave the bill in the room and you just leave the keys and go or were you expected to go to the desk and checkout? In either case, this shouldn't have happened because if you didn't check out when scheduled, they should have contacted you to find out what was going on.