Esperas Hotel deposit
#1
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Join Date: Sep 2005
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Esperas Hotel deposit
Based on recommendations from this site and the beautiful pictures of the hotel, my husband and I have decided to stay at Esperas during our September trip to Santorini. We emailed the hotel to reserve a room. The hotel responded that we need to send a deposit to their bank (credit card not accepted) in order to hold the room.
What is the best way to do this? Do we have our bank wire Euros to their bank? We are interested to hear how others who stayed at this hotel handled the situation. It seems kind of complicated, but maybe not.
Thanks for the suggestions!
What is the best way to do this? Do we have our bank wire Euros to their bank? We are interested to hear how others who stayed at this hotel handled the situation. It seems kind of complicated, but maybe not.
Thanks for the suggestions!
#2
Join Date: Jan 2004
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I suggest you email Esperas again to ask them how to get the money to their bank. Any other suggestion found here might not be the correct procedure. When I made my reservation last year I was required to do the same thing (for another hotel). They sent me a form and I filled it out with my bank info and then faxed it back to their bank which then completed the transaction. In my case there might have been a credit card involved, but truthfully I don't remember. This sort of transaction is becoming more and more common, by the way. Don't think it's unusual.
#3
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I stayed at Esperas last spring. I believe I ordered a money order, in Euros, from my bank and then mailed it on to Esperas. This was the cheapest option (wiring costs more money) and it worked just fine...Yvonne wrote to confirm that they received the deposit about 2 weeks later.
One note -- you should ask Yvonne if there is any discount for paying your balance in CASH upon your checkout. We did, and I believe it was a 10-15% discount off the room rate...would have to go back to my trip report to confirm.
One note -- you should ask Yvonne if there is any discount for paying your balance in CASH upon your checkout. We did, and I believe it was a 10-15% discount off the room rate...would have to go back to my trip report to confirm.
#5
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Wow am I ever scatterbrained at the moment...
Just found this other thread:
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...2&tid=34600583
I did not send my deposit in Euros -- I sent it in USD. And it was a cashiers check, not a money order.
Phew.
Just found this other thread:
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...2&tid=34600583
I did not send my deposit in Euros -- I sent it in USD. And it was a cashiers check, not a money order.
Phew.
#6
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I booked our room at Esperas last Monday. Yvonne had emailed all the info I needed. I simply went to my local bank and told them I needed to wire money to Greece. They called the international branch for the current exchange rate, and sent a little more than the amount Yvonne had requested (To allow for fluctuations in the exchange rate). I had printed out Yvonne's email and that contained all the info that they needed. Yvonne emailed me Tuesday afternoon that the money had been deposited into the hotel's account. Easy enough.
#8
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I also got a cashier's check (in USD) and just sent it airmail. It needed to be made payable to the owner's name. My bank doesn't charge to do this, but an international wire transfer would have been ridiculous ($40 fee).
We will be at Esperas in July. I wonder if they still have a cash discount. That would be nice.
We will be at Esperas in July. I wonder if they still have a cash discount. That would be nice.
#10
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Francophile---what is the point of your comment? If a hotel asks for a deposit to secure the room, how can one be sure of having a reservation without giving them the money as they ask? I routinely have to pay full price, in advance, to book ski area reservations in the U.S. That means they have the use of my money for a long time, but I can't complain about it. I don't see why it is a problem if European hotels ask the same. Perhaps they have had a problem with Americans booking rooms and not showing up.
#11
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Enzian, not all hotels ask for prepayment. Maybe all of the hotels you've reserved rooms with have demanded prepayment. What I meant is that there are other good hotels that do not require cash prepayment. Have you ever heard of a credit card guarantee? European hotels have been implementing this form of booking procedure for some years now. I 'like' your last comments alot.
#12
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Personally, I wouldn't hassle the procedure BUT if that's where you want to stay then obviously you have to play by their rules.
Every entity that requires some sort of advance uses the money to generate interest revenue so that's nothing new.
Every entity that requires some sort of advance uses the money to generate interest revenue so that's nothing new.
#13
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I agree---if they will take a credit card deposit that is best. But some don't take CC's, even these days, and want cash instead. I just meant by my post that those hotels that require some kind of up-front deposit might have a reason for doing so beyond avarice, and I don't begrudge them whatever use they get from "my" money in the interim.
#14
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I guess it depends on supply and demand and how much you want that particular hotel. I have not been asked to pay a deposit to secure a booking since the very early 1990s. These days most good hotels and even 1* and 2* in Europe secure the booking with a credit card No and I am the one who earns the interest on my money.
#15
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I have actually only encountered this problem once in many trips. It was a place in Venice and we very much wanted to stay there, so I sent them a personal check as a deposit as they requested. Otherwise, every place I have booked in many trips has accepted either a credit card or simply my word to hold a reservation. But I have also encountered a good many places, even in Switzerland, that still do not take credit cards and only accept cash payment at the end of the stay. Having been in business myself, I can understand the "no credit card" policy because the cards charge 1 or 2% to the business for the service. Since I get a better exchange rate using my ATM card than with a credit card, I don't mind at all paying cash.
#16
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To me there is a huge difference in paying with cash at the end of your stay vs. prepaying a deposit.
As mentioned already, if a guest really wants to stay at a specific hotel then, of course, the hotel's policy will have to suffice.
As mentioned already, if a guest really wants to stay at a specific hotel then, of course, the hotel's policy will have to suffice.
#17
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I found most of the hotels in Santorini had 'very strict deposit and cancellation policies".
You can ask any of the large Greek travel agents and they will say the same. And charge a fee if you want to use them. They do this by arranging transportation too.
These are very seasonal places and it must help their annual cash flow to get a small percentage up front. I understand that they are independent operators and have a very small inventory. They then have a bit of piece of mind that there will be fewer no shows or last minute cancellations since the deposits will be forfeited.
Don't forget to notify Esperas of arrival times so they can reserve a transfer for you. And you best not be allergic to cats.
You can ask any of the large Greek travel agents and they will say the same. And charge a fee if you want to use them. They do this by arranging transportation too.
These are very seasonal places and it must help their annual cash flow to get a small percentage up front. I understand that they are independent operators and have a very small inventory. They then have a bit of piece of mind that there will be fewer no shows or last minute cancellations since the deposits will be forfeited.
Don't forget to notify Esperas of arrival times so they can reserve a transfer for you. And you best not be allergic to cats.