Beth

I am going to Europe next June and starting to make hotel reservations. One of the hotels I am intersted in in Venice wants me to send a check for the first night's stay (rather than give a credit card # as a guarantee). Is this standard in some parts of Europe? And, is it OK to send a personal check? Thanks for the advice.

herself

I have had to do the same for a few hotels in Britanny. They kept my personal check until my arrival and then gave it back to me and in one case was able to put the tab on my credit card. Another wanted cash.

Kim

Beth, <BR> <BR>We had to send $100 in traveler's checks for our first night's stay at the Hotel Riva in Venice last month. With the exchamge rate, it gave us $20 off the rest of our stay. We used traveler's checks, sent them overnight via UPS ($28). We had no problems. Have a good trip! <BR> <BR>Kim

Thyra

Beth, we had to send a deposit to Hotel Ai Do Mori in Venice, it was the only time I had to send it in advance as opposed to just forwarding a CCrd number. I got traveler's checks and mailed them. They sent me a receipt and I had no problems. YOu might want to give us the name of the hotel to see if any Fodorites have had any personal experiences with that particular place.

jenna

Beth, what if you have to cancel your trip for some reason? Do you think an overseas hotel will readily refund your cash, or do you suppose they may keep it and claim that they couldn't sell the room to anyone else because you had reserved it? If they DO keep the money, how do you suppose you might ever get it back? And what are you going to do about it, pursue it in Italian court or something? Post a warning message on Fodor's that perhaps a few people will see? <BR> <BR>Be safe. This is the year 2000. If hotels tell you they do not accept credit cards as deposits, ask yourself why this may be. You will be able to resolve any disputes with your credit card company, so find a place which accepts credit cards.

Caitlin H

I'm a bit curious about Kims's comment that she sent Travellers Cheques by mail. Isn't that like sending cash through the mail? Sounds very risky... <BR> <BR>Caitlin

Beth

The Hotel is the Ai Due Fanali in Venice, recommended by Karen Brown, the New York Times, and in several other travel sources. I was going to send a "check" that is tied to my credit card -- that is, I write the check and the amount is charged to my visa. So that might help if I had to contest the charge.

Joanna

Just make sure you bring proof of that payment with you. A small hotel in Capri tried to make us pay again for the accommodation, for which we'd paid months before by bank cheque. Luckily we scrummaged around in our bags and found the payment confirmation and the hotel's own confirmation of receipt. Otherwise we would have had to pay twice.

Bobbi

We just returned from our Europe trip a couple weeks ago and made reservations at 10 different hotels in Germany, Italy and France for our 3 week journey. The only one that required a deposit other than with a credit card was the Al Gambero Hotel in Venice. That seemed to be typical for hotels in their price range from what I gathered in my online research. I went to our bank and sent them an international bank draft by certified mail. That insured that they got it and gave me a receipt. It was sort of a hassle to go through but we loved the hotel and they did have record of what we had sent so the outcome was fine. It was a bit of risk but I figured the Al Gambero had a good reputation with Fodorites so it was worth the extra hassle. I did read a post several months back where someone at a hotel in Venice had a problem with a deposit but the hotel eventually sent a refund.

kyle

I don't buy the "it's typical for hotels in that price range" argument. Those hotels will usually avail themselves of technology like phones, fax machines, computers, internet access, web sites and e-mail addresses, but we are supposed to believe they are so "old world" that the "high tech" notion of credit cards hasn't penetrated their cloistered little existence yet? There's a reason they want checks, because it's easier to cover a paper trail and deny that they received the money (as described by someone here) and it's also easier to keep the money in the case of any consumer dispute. Those pesky credit card companies have records and will help arbitrate consumer disputes. Don't be so easily duped.

jeff

Of course hotels may be different, but I recently sent cash (bank to bank transfer) to an owner/agent for rental of a house in Italy...BAD IDEA! <BR> <BR>We discovered the place was totally misrepresented, did not/could not stay there and lost the money!! Not a trivial amount, either. <BR> <BR>Be especially careful with travel sites who only host owner/agent properties for rent. They take no responsibility for the veracity of the properties advertised on their pages and disclaim any warranties, etc.. <BR> <BR>Pretty niaive on my part, but I basically got screwed outta $1160 simply by trusting that a well known host site would not have scam artist advertising on their pages--WRONG!

joan

Kyle: <BR> <BR>The real reason they don't want to take credit cards may be the fee. Credit card companies charge everyone who accepts credit cards in their establishment a fee ranging from 2 to 5% of the total. The smaller the establishment the higher the fee. Many consumers do not realize EVERYBODY pays the credit card companies. <BR> <BR>By the way, Jeff, when did you realize the villa you rented was not to your liking? Before you went or after you arrived? How was it misrepresented?

waiting for jeff

back to top.

Brooke

So, has anyone had any problems in particular with the Hotel Riva in sending a deposit prior to arriving? Should I send traveler's checks or a personal check? Anyone else had experience with this hotel?

serg

top

Celeste

I sent a $155 one night deposit to Locanda Syurion in Venice and received an e-mail from them five days later that they had received it and the reservation was confirmed. No problems whatsoever; all it cost was the 60 cent postage on the envelope.

Celeste

Correction: That's Locanda STURION and I sent the $155 by check.

Russell Wayne

The better hotels take credit card deposits. Those a notch lower may require a check. It's more a matter of the level of hotel than the part of Europe it's in. I'd be concerned about hotels that haven't advanced into the modern era. These days most of the better places have websites, faxes, e-mail, etc. If your choice hasn't come that far, you may be in for an unpleasant surprise. Not that there aren't good hotels in the more reasonable price ranges, but you'll need to check them out thoroughly before proceeding.

Karen

I too sent a personal check in U.S. dollars to Locanda Sturion for our first night, receiving a confirming e-mail in return. No problem at all when we got there, and we also received a discount on the second night for paying cash rather than by credit card. I think it has to do with the paper trail all right, but not because a long-established, usually full, hotel like that wants to cheat anybody. More likely has to do with their own accounting and taxes. Incidentally, I have done the same thing twice now to rent apartments, the second time sending a personal check in U.S. dollars to somebody's brother in New York! I admit I held my breath until we arrived and found the apartment right where it was supposed to be, with someone waiting to check us in! But there they were, both times, and it was fine.

leo

Beth <BR>Message: On two ocassions, I have sent a one night deposit to Pensione Accademia in Venice and received an e-mail from them a few days later that they had received it and the reservation was confirmed. No problem. Every other place is CC deposit (refundable with a certain notice). Maybe it's Venice, maybe they don't want to pay the extra CC fee. Maybe some people do not show up and they can make more money. If its a popular, well regarded place, I would see no problem in sending a check. <BR>