How do I send a deposit to a hotel?
Sep 9th, 1999, 01:00 PM
#2
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If sending to Italy the mail is unreliable, so you can go to the post office and purchase a type of money order that the post office processes through St. Louis. Our funds are converted to their funds and forwarded to their country. It takes at least 6 week to 8 weeks to have it done. M. Ham
Sep 9th, 1999, 02:04 PM
#3
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Are you sure you wanna do this?? I have only heard of one or two instances in modern times where someone had to mail a deposit. Are you sure they won't accept a credit card deposit by phone/fax? You have much better recourse with a credit card deposit if something goes wrong. I don't want to scare you, but I don't want you to risk losing your deposit.
Sep 9th, 1999, 02:24 PM
#5
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You will have to ask the hotel how you should do it as different hotels have different requirements. Some will accept a credit card number by FAX/email as a deposit. Some will not (and in fact, I believe that is a courtesy for show only as one French hotel told me that they can't legally charge anything to that number if it is a US account, so it's a placebo deposit, so to speak, according to them which is why many foreign hotels won't accept a CC number as a deposit unless they have a US office or something, like Best Western will). I had to make a deposit to a small French hotel once by check and you have to ask them their requirements--some hotels accept a check in US dollars (just round up a little to about what the right amount is, checking exchange rates in the newspaper, not being stingy) because they don't really cash it anyway unless you don't show, if you show they just give you the check back. There's no other way to do that except by regular mail (well, if they were picky they could require you to send it by international express company, DHL is one, I think, but I've never had one do that). My check got to France in about a week from US and that was fine. You cannot write a check on your regular bank in Italian lira; if they require a check made out in lira you will have to go to a currency exchange place that has a foreign bank account that will do this for us for a fee--Thomas Cook is one such place and they're located in major US cities. Otherwise, you're out of luck and I'd find a different hotel. BTW, despite what someone else said, requiring a real deposit (not a CC number) is not THAT unusual for a small hotel in Europe, and I think it's more common for small Italian hotels. I would not recommend you just FAX them a credit card number as a deposit if they have required a check, as someone else suggested, or you may be out a reservation.
Sep 9th, 1999, 02:31 PM
#6
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I don't know about Italian banks, but I have sent several deposits to French companies (hotel, restaurant) and to England, written on my American checking account in the funds of the respective countries. In each case, the foreign currency department of my bank paid the check, but 'charged' my account rather than posting the check. No extra fees, and the exchange rate was pretty good. One problem - the English deposit was charged extra by ITS bank - still can't figure out that one. Nobody else had a problem. It takes about a month for the check to 'clear' your bank. <BR>
Sep 11th, 1999, 09:15 PM
#7
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Hi! I just read your posting. I've been traveling to Europe for many years and have never sent a deposit.. Can you go to a travel agent and book the hotel at the same rate through them. A alternative that we us is UTELL or RESINTOUR. They have 800#s and book for several thousand hotels in Europe and everything is handled in the US. We used UTELL for years and this year also used the other company. Never had a problem. Many time the confirmatioin camoes from the hotel itself. Be carefull about sending anythin. alan
