# Hotel Sneaky Trick



## roker (4 Aug 2010)

This is just to warn others of a sneaky trick.
Our friends checked into a well known hotel in Killarney for a couple of days, in their room was a bottle of wine, (cheap bubbly wine) no notice of charges etc. they assumed it to be complimentary and drank it. On checking out they noticed €29 on the bill for the wine, to which they complained but had to pay. Do not take anything for granted!


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## TheShark (4 Aug 2010)

If there was no price displayed in the room for the wine then Im sure they would have a case. What hotel was it?


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## Markjbloggs (4 Aug 2010)

Ah, those cute Kerry hoors - if they don't get you by fair means, they'll get you by foul....

I would have refused to pay, plain and simple.  If it is a large chain of hotels, excalating it to a head office would be an option.


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## sulo (4 Aug 2010)

My parents just back from another sneaky hotel.. in the room they had a promotional menu - advertising their €55.00 meal each - a big picture of a Fillet steak / bottle of wine.... promotion stated 2 meals 55.00 pp bottle of wine included.

Dad ordered it.. so did mam - after their order the waitress came back to advise that €7.00 would be added for the fillet steak... Dad highlighted the deal he seen in their room.  But alas, they insisted (another man came over) to advise that extras were due... even though the menu didn't say it.

....as it was their 50th anniversary (and my mother hates fuss) Dad gave out a little but didn't push it.


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## irishmoss (4 Aug 2010)

It was the same in Madeira, buffet menu adertised in the rooms and main foyer for 25 euro pp but alas no sign of it in restaurant. Just a trick to get you in :-(


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## NOAH (5 Aug 2010)

You should name the hotel as a lot of us wont guess and then we are prepared,  there is also a link to a new RTE consumer programme one here and they could highlight it.

A cheap trick,  same in switzerland a while back, fruit in room but I checked and yes it was not free.

noah


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## Leo (5 Aug 2010)

NOAH said:


> You should name the hotel as a lot of us wont guess and then we are prepared...


 
Do so elsewhere, accusing a named business of deliberately misleading practices is veering into defamation territory.


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## Green (5 Aug 2010)

roker said:


> This is just to warn others of a sneaky trick.
> Our friends checked into a well known hotel in Killarney for a couple of days, in their room was a bottle of wine, (cheap bubbly wine) no notice of charges etc. they assumed it to be complimentary and drank it. On checking out they noticed €29 on the bill for the wine, to which they complained but had to pay. Do not take anything for granted!


 
Have they complained to the hotel in question, and if so what was the response.. Perhaps a quick phone call to reception would have confirmed whether it was complimentary or not?


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## Green (5 Aug 2010)

NOAH said:


> but I checked and yes it was not free.


 
Well done, no such thing as a free lunch or a bottle of wine..


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## Sandals (5 Aug 2010)

Hotel Limerick City, Bottle of wine included in package, on arrival to room, bottle left, put in my suitcase as not wine drinkers to bring home, anyway on check out asked for €31 for bottle of wine drank out of room, said no included in package, turns out our bottle included was available on the desk and I handed in the room bottle. Pure disgust. 

Also last weekend we asked to pay €2 for a "watery" jug of Mi-Wadi for the kids, I absolutely refused and after asking to speak to a manager it was taken off the bill. Shocking.....


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## ney001 (5 Aug 2010)

roker said:


> This is just to warn others of a sneaky trick.
> Our friends checked into a well known hotel in Killarney for a couple of days, in their room was a bottle of wine, (cheap bubbly wine) no notice of charges etc. they assumed it to be complimentary and drank it. On checking out they noticed €29 on the bill for the wine, to which they complained but had to pay. Do not take anything for granted!



Just wondering, was the wine in or on the minibar or in general vicinity?.  I stayed in a hotel recently and there were two bottles of wine on top of the minibar beside a couple of wine glasses.  I assumed these items were to be paid for as they were in the same cabinet as minibar.  In this case I would say that unless hotel told you it was complimentary assume that it has to be paid for.


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## roker (5 Aug 2010)

Exactly as I said, do not take anything for granted. I am only warning others; personally if it happened to me I would complaint to the tourist board. Bars and restaurants have to display prices, why not hotels?

Leo; Why can we not name them, hows is it deformation if it really happened?


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## RonanC (5 Aug 2010)

I'd imagine it's because its your friends word against theirs (the hotels) and for all you know, there could have been a minibar pricelist in the room and it was missed by your friends.


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## Leo (5 Aug 2010)

roker said:


> Exactly as I said, do not take anything for granted. I am only warning others; personally if it happened to me I would complaint to the tourist board. Bars and restaurants have to display prices, why not hotels?
> 
> Leo; Why can we not name them, hows is it deformation if it really happened?


 
As Ronan says, it's your word against thiers, and you get to maintain anonymity, so their legal team go after Brendan as owner of the site. Brendan obviously can't prove the allegation so would likely lose any case brought.
Leo


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## Complainer (6 Aug 2010)

roker said:


> Leo; Why can we not name them, hows is it deformation if it really happened?


Put up a review on tripadvisor.com - more likely to be seen by potential hotel customers there than here on AAM.


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## Lauren (7 Aug 2010)

I would always assume that any bottles of wine left ANYWHERE in a hotel room were to be paid for. Can't believe that some people think this warrants a complaint! If it seems too good to be true, then it usually is. Be sensible!


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## thedaras (7 Aug 2010)

Many people wouldn't automatically assume that whatever was left in the room had to be paid for.

The logical conclusion would be we phone the reception each time we spot something that we are unsure of? Toiletries...the chocolate on your pillow..tea bags..coffee...?Do we phone the reception each time we spot something that we are unsure of?
This would make the stay rather unpleasant!

The hotel should ensure that the items which are not free are labeled therefore not annoying the customer,and thats what its all about, isnt it,trying to make the customer happy,not getting them annoyed,which must be happening on a regualar basis if they ,on checking out are given a bill with an extra 30 euro on it.

Many hotels , especially the higher stared ones do leave complimentary items in the room,including,wine, chocolates,slippers.a newspaper.

Either way it is sharp practice to assume that a customer would know they have to pay for example, wine with two glasses.WITHOUT A PRICE LABEL.

I would definitly get onto tripadvisor.com and you can look up the hotel and give a review,that way just because they tried to pull a fast one,I for one wont go there.
My parents who wouldn't go to hotels often and are old,would have been badly caught out in the OP situation.


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## JP1234 (7 Aug 2010)

Last year we stayed in an apartment hotel in New York and had ordered a "free" welcome pack ( maps, info cards, ipod loaded with talking guides, hand towels, face and hand wipes etc) There was also a litre bottle of water in the box so we assumed that to was included in the free pack. On checking out we were charged $7.00 for it, we argued the case, and the fact we had spent around $2000 on the accomodation and managed to get it wiped off but it would make me very wary of touching anything non standard in a hotel!

Another trick I found in London recently was to be charged for breakfast that we never had, the room was prepaid with breakfast not included, we went out for breakfast!  Again, the charge was wiped off but it makes me wonder how many people get charged without noticing!


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## papervalue (7 Aug 2010)

I have also noticed this recently as well in regard to breakfast. I prepaid for accommodation only for 3 days and when draft bill their a check out, charge for 3 days breakfast- Don't know were they pulling a fast one but
1. Room prepaid.
2. If you go down for breakfast, they cross check it on computer to your booking.

so i cant see reason why they try to charge for a breakfast you clearly did not have. I would not mind paying for breakfast if it was a ok price but 20-30 euro is a bit much


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## Joe Q Public (7 Aug 2010)

Some places don't have an attendance sheet for breakfast so they charge everyone. It is then up to you do contest it at checkout. The vast majority will pay up.


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## pudds (7 Aug 2010)

Complainer said:


> Put up a review on *tripadvisor*.com - more likely to be seen by potential hotel customers there than here on AAM.





How come *tripadvisor* are not open to claims/prosecution have they some kind of indemity?


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## Complainer (7 Aug 2010)

pudds said:


> How come *tripadvisor* are not open to claims/prosecution have they some kind of indemity?


Don't know, maybe ask them! - but the big difference is they are a commercial business - Askaboutmoney.com is a community website, owned by an individual.


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## Joe Q Public (7 Aug 2010)

They have more expensive lawyers to make cases go away.


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## jhegarty (7 Aug 2010)

In theory any site would win the case, but the site owner will have to sell their house to do it.

Tripadvisor probably have a team of lawyers on their staff.


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## Chocks away (8 Aug 2010)

Just think of the headline: Tripadvisor sued by hotel. Aggrieved guests tell more harrowing tales of dodgy ambiguous advertising.


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## Joe Q Public (8 Aug 2010)

It has happened before. Tripadvisor and the individual posters have been threatened.

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trav...s-tripadvisor-com-about-negative-reviews.html

[broken link removed]


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## pudds (8 Aug 2010)

pudds said:


> How come *tripadvisor* are not open to claims/prosecution have they some kind of indemity?



Brendan I would be interested in hearing your views on this!

just curious how *they* can get away with it.


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## Joe Q Public (9 Aug 2010)

They are American. They can hide behind first amendment privilege. Also they have the lawyers to fend off any claims of defamation.


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## pudds (9 Aug 2010)

Joe Q Public said:


> They are American. They can hide behind first amendment privilege. Also they have the lawyers to fend off any claims of defamation.




Can't see why we cant express our opinions about a service here on forums in this country, *Most* probably will be true and  *some* downright false but at the end of the day you take a consenus and make your own mind up.

If someone really has an axe to grind it usually becomes pretty clear after a while and can be dealth with.

Unless your a banker politician or developer in this country you would be afraid to speak your mind *honestly* in case you got locked up.

Not paying your tv licence springs to mind...... *jail*


Sorry Rant over


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