On the current jaunt to Las Vegas - in view of the troubled economy and ongoing reports in the media in recent days that there are bargains galore to be had in the Desert Oasis - I was inclined to sample a couple of the local Hotels and pass on the inside scoop on the findings to avid blog readers.
First up, Palace Station, situated on Sahara Boulevard (just off the Vegas strip).
When the weary traveller approaches the Hotel, they can't help but be struck by the fact that the twenty-year fixture on the Vegas scene, it is a bit of a grand old lady.
Inside, the environs have been kept pretty well-maintained, too.
No frayed carpets here!
In spite of the fact the Casino area is spacious, the front lobby where the Reservation desk is located, is relatively modest and low-key.
All in all, first impressions are great, until there is an interchange with the front desk staff at check-in.
When a guest presents their confirmation number for their hotel booking, they are curtly informed that there will be also be a $16.00 plus charge known (and referred to as) a "resort fee".
Hold on a minute, lady!
The Palace Station a not a "resort" by any stretch of the imagination.
For the most part, though, the guest is angry because the charges were not disclosed by the booking agent, when the reservation was made online with Expedia (dot com).
When the guest produces an e-mail confirmation that verifies there was no disclosure about the resort fee (there is no reference to any such charge on the document - or likewise - any notice that such a fee may be due at check-in), the disgruntled tourist expects the fee to be waived in view of the misunderstanding (or downright fraud involved in respect to the failure to disclose).
But, is taken aback, when that is not the way it pans out.
A snippy twenty-something female staff at the front desk proceeds to act in a rude and insulting manner.
No, the Hotel can not waive the fee.
When a supervisor stepped outside his cubicle to assist her with the disputed issue, he actually made an implied threat in order to coerce the guest into paying the fee.
If you don't check in, and pay the resort fee, you may not get a refund on the 4 days you paid upfront for the Hotel reservation.
Fortunately, during the course of this mean-spirited discourse, the dim-witted employees let it slip that the Hotel was constantly having this problem with - tourists, businessmen, and the like - when reservations were made through Expedia.
Ah-ha.
Then why didn't the Palace Station take some action on the issue?
When I put the question to one of the front desk Managers - Joe Saldana - he shrugged.
"They send us a lot of business."
Gotcha!
Because the Hotel was aware of the problem - and the willful non-disclosure of fees (and to date failed to make any good-faith effort to eradicate the fraudulent practice) - the guest now argued that the Hotel was legally bound to waive the fees.
But, even Joe Saldana - who appeared at first glance to be willing to work with the guest - wouldn't go that route without a compromise of some sort in the Hotel's favor.
How about paying half the fees?
Finally, the guest relented, but with the provisio that they would approach Expedia for a reimbursement.
Mr. Saldana's eyes went wide.
Personally, I have booked many Hotel rooms on Expedia over the past year.
On occasion, I have spied a notice indicating that a surcharge "may" be charged by the Hotel at check-in (or at check-out).
But, when I trotted up to check in - let's say at the Greek Isles Hotel & Casino (I shall be reporting on this charming little respite in the next few days) for example - the establishment did not charge me any resort fees.
In fact, I've never been billed for such a charge at the Plaza, Binion's, Circus Circus, Seigel Suites, to name a few.
Recently, it came to my attention, though, that the Sahara was failing to disclose the resort fee until guests checked in at the front desk.
Consequently, I penned a consumer alert which was summarily published on my personal web site.
http://www.julianayrs.com/
I have also noticed in recent weeks that Expedia and a handful of other sites - Orbitz, Hotwire, PriceLine - are deceitful in respect to the way fees, taxes, and surcharges are posted on their web sites.
Bargain prices are posted in bold type so they are noticed right away when an online visitor surfs to the site.
But, in order to attract - and subsequently "lure" unsuspecting tourists to Hotels of their choosing with questionable surcharges - they bury the details (the ifs, ands, and buts) somewhere in a deep link or hidden in fine print on the web site somewhere away from the initial cost info.
In the case of the aforementioned guest, the surcharge was not immediately apparent.
And, when the e-mail confirmation of the hotel reservation arrived without any reference to the surcharge, the consumer assumed that their room charge, fees and taxes, were all paid in full.
Wouldn't you be miffed to arrive and find that you had to pay an additional $16 a night?
The failure to disclose was bad enough, but the way the guest was treated in the throes of attempting to sort out the misunderstanding, was both shocking and unacceptable for any legitimate Hotel that purports to be an upstanding professional business concern.
Shame on the Palace Station!
Tomorrow, I report on a security problem at Circus Circus.
'Til then.
Footnote
The dispute was recently resolved in favor of the Hotel guest.
Post: 10/09/2009
http://ijulian.blogspot.com/2009/10/palace-station-las-vegassqueaky-wheel.html
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