Need help with fighting hotel smoking charge

[rkrivas]

I recently stayed at a Hilton Garden Inn and specifically requested a non-smoking room for my kids and I. I was checking my credit card bill and noticed that Hilton charged me an additional $150.

I questioned Hilton and was told it was because the cleaning staff determined that I had smoked in the room and I was charged for the extra cleaning of the room. Unless my 6 year old was lighting up while I was in the shower, this is highly unlikely!

I've contacted the hotel manager to dispute the charge but I haven't heard back from her. Has anyone had any luck with fighting this type of charge and how'd you do it? TIA

 

[mommasita]

I honestly have never heard of that..

 

[minniecarousel]

hmmmm...I think you have protection on disputed charges through your credit card company. You might want to check with them.

This is a new one!!

 

[eclectics]

Did you tip housekeeping during your stay? Not that anyone is obligated to, of course, but I'm wondering if housekeeping was ticked off at you for some reason and this was their way to "get back" at you?

 

[kbkids]

Never heard of this one either. The credit card dispute would be my suggestion too if you don't have any luck with the manager.

 

[ilovejack02]

I would call credit card company and file dispute, asap. Also call headquarters of Hilton.

 

[agnes!]

Hmmmmm...a couple of thoughts...

Write an e-mail to the hotel manager detailing what happened. Find who her supervisor(the hotel owner/someone higher up the food chain) is - cc them. Maybe ask the manager what proof the housekeeping staff had that you smoked. Inform her that you have filed a dispute with your credit card company & Hilton's Customer Service dept.

If you're are a member of the Hilton frequent stay "club", contact member services.

File a written (snail mail or e-mail) dispute with your credit card company.

Get a notarized statements - maybe from your doctor(and/or pastor, etc) that you are not a smoker. Mail them in your snail mail packet to the manager.

Contact the local Better Business Bureau.

I wonder if this is kind of a scam that this particular location (or maybe the housekeeping staff itself) runs. I mean, how many people actually check their credit card statements?

Good luck,
agnes!

 

[Daxx]

Maybe Paris or Nickie needed an increase in their allowance and they're taking it out on you!?!?

 

[SwedishMeatball]

Wow, good question because just this past Saturday night we were staying at Courtyard by Marriott and I had noticed a card on the desk that it was a non-smoking hotel and if it was determined that you'd been smoking in the room, then you'd be charged a $150 cleaning fee. Well we were out on the balcony and had the door to the room open for over an hour. Somebody on a nearby balcony was smoking, but since there was such a strong breeze it wasn't too bothersome. However, when we came back into the room and closed the door, I could definitely smell the odor somewhat in the room and I remembered the notice on the desk. I wondered if the smell would linger and we would be accused of smoking in the room. By the next morning I'd forgotten all about it. Now I will be sure to check the cc statement to be certain we didn't get charged.

 

[GeorgeG]

Perhaps you had been in an area somewhere else where someone was smoking. The stink can get into your clothes and make a non-smoking room stink just from that. It doesn't take much.

Being a non-smoker all my life I can testify to the stink that follows you home. When I used to play in bars my clothes went right into the laundry as soon as I got home. If I opened my guitar case during the week I was hit with foul stink that would almost gag me.

 

[Nala56]

This same thing happened to me last June in Redding, Ca. My parents had a room, my brother had a room and my daughter and I had a room. It was a very nice suite hotel, I think they are only on west coast. We stayed there 7 nights, we loved the place, talked everyday to hotel workers, left tips, we just kept saying how much we loved this hotel. Well, I get my credit card bill and I was billed extra $150.00. I was stunned, called and asked to talk with manager, he said the charge was for room damage. I said "what damage", send me pictures of damage, I knew he was wrong. Well, he called me back and said we had been smoking in one of the rooms. No way. I explained to him no one smoked in my family, so he finally agreed to refund the extra charge.

I was so mad!!! My middle brother lives in Redding, so we planned to stay there again this year, but now I don't know.

I would really fight, speak to manager and if that doesn't work, go higher. Good luck!

 

[momrek06]

I recently stayed at a Hilton Garden Inn and specifically requested a non-smoking room for my kids and I. I was checking my credit card bill and noticed that Hilton charged me an additional $150.

I questioned Hilton and was told it was because the cleaning staff determined that I had smoked in the room and I was charged for the extra cleaning of the room. Unless my 6 year old was lighting up while I was in the shower, this is highly unlikely!

I've contacted the hotel manager to dispute the charge but I haven't heard back from her. Has anyone had any luck with fighting this type of charge and how'd you do it? TIA

WOW!!

I am staying in the Hilton Garden Inn in Colorado Springs in May for a week with family and we have all NON smoking rooms reserved. I am going to definitely make sure I double and triple check my bill upon check out.

Hang in there, OP and yes follow up with your cc company.

 

[agnes!]

Nala -

If you liked it so much & had such a great time, I would write a letter to that Reading hotel (and make sure you get the name of the General Manager, not just a "manager on duty") & cc the corporate HQ. Explain how much your entire family liked their place & that you *had* been planning on staying there again this summer, but now...well, you just don't know. (Pretty much what you wrote here.) At least they will know how their actions have impacted a potential customer.

And if you do stay there again, upon checking-out maybe get a manager to do a walk-through of your rooms.

agnes!

 

[PhotobearSam]

That is awful. We have had people who smoke in our rooms and had to charge but this is not the call of housekeeping. They notify me and either my husband or I and th head cleaning lady determine it. We have to be VERY sure not just "i think so".

We also ask all people coming in "Does anyone in your party smoke?"

I don't know what to say but we also call the person and tell them right then and there. No surprises when they get their bill.

One person who asked for non-smoking, I asked do you smoke? Answer YES, I said I have smoking rooms but No they wanted NON-smoking. So I told them the rules and they SMOKED in the room. How did we determine this? They left the buds in our trash (She claimed that she smoked outside but threw them in our inside trash) It stinked and she burnt our cushion floor and tried to cover it up with liquid paper... So I charged her $250. We had to replace the flooring. I should have charged more.

I hope you get this resolved.

 

[Nala56]

Agnes,

Thanks for the advise. The name of hotel is Oxford Suites, it was a perfect place to stay, close to my brother. I will take your advise, get address of home office, write and explain what happened and my reluctance to stay again.

 

[clutter]

When we were in Disney two weeks ago, our non-smoking room at CBR absolutely reeked of smoke. Reeked, as in we could smell it from 4 doors away. (After they moved us the next day, I couldn't wear the night shirt I'd worn to bed that night, it smelled so bad!) Anyway, that was the first I'd heard that hotels have started charging to clean non-smoking rooms that have been smoked in. Good for them! (Not Disney yet, though.)

(and all was totally forgiven when Pluto left a birthday card, picture and balloons for my dd10 on her birthday!)

 

[rkrivas]

Thanks for everyone's input! I called the manager back and they did refund the charge, so the story does have a happy ending! I normally don't check my credit cards too closely, so I'm definitely glad I was having a paranoid moment last weekend!

 

[Cool-Beans]

I'd call the credit card company and charge it back. A really nice person would try to work it out with the hotel, I suppose. But if they'd charged me a bogus fee I would figure they hadn't been too nice and just do it the quicker way.

But that's just me.

 

[Amlee]

Hilton is very well known for their "hidden" charges. I was staying at the Hilton in Long Beach and was charged $50 a day in advance for any room service I might use. I'm one of those people when I'm on a trip, I call and check my balance on my cards and checking account every day! I caught this right way. At the time I had never heard of this practice, but the snotty desk clerk quickly informed me it was common practice in the hotel industry to do this. Hmmmm! Never had this done before. Luckly I had paid half my bill in cash and half on my credit card. I had them put a block of all room service to my room and return the cash back to me. If I hadn't of paid half and half, I would have had to wait 7 to 10 business days after my check out before the money was to be returned.

I also had a friend who stayed at the Wyndom Hotel in St. Thomas. She was charged $150 of "hidden" charges on her bill. It was later returned to her card about 2 weeks after her trip.